I understand it is rumored that Clear Channel is planning for Bankruptcy

[richllewis]

I got this nugget about speculation that Clear Channel is planning a pre-packaged Bankruptcy in the offing from the Louisiana board. You can read about what is speculated at

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05142009/business/signs_of_distress_169230.htm

I wonder how this will affect Mississippi Clear Channel operations?

 

[bobrall]

It probably won't effect anything...just re-arrange the debt to cashflow ratios.

 

[jboyd]

When your outgo
Exceeds your income...
Your upkeep
Will be your downfall! Finis....

 

[bobrall]

Jboyd...how old fashioned. Nobody runs a business like that anymore!
LOL

 

[MN Maniac]

For the sake of discussion, let's assume this rumor is correct. If Clear Channel sells, who will buy in this economy? Specifically, the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Who has the resources and would be interested in acquiring these stations?

I believe Triad is already maxxed out on stations in that market (?) However, they may be interested in buying the big FMs (93.7 and 99.1), then spinning off their weaker FMs in exchange (96.7 and 107.1.)

Dowdy could probably have 1 or 2 more FMs, depending on how you slice it. But do they have the money to pull this off?

Or, would a new entity purchase the entire CC package and become a player on the Coast. Cumulus comes to mind, since they own clusters in both Pensacola and Mobile. But Cumulus also has financial problems right now, so it's questionable if they would be willing and/or able to buy.

 

[Moonshine]

Guys you are taking about a handful of stations on the coast .. if CC files it need to spin off some stations that can reduce some serious expense .. union contracts in some markets are more than most medium size stations entire payrolls. When you've got MM making 3 and 4 hundred plus bonus .. DOS in the 2 - 3 range .. jocks in the hundreds then you'd got to look at reduction. Why do you think they have come up with "Regional VP's" .. down from 10 or so to 3? Hundreds of jocks on the beach and guys on the west and east coast voice tracking stations in other time zones .. selling off a few stations on the coast to (Cumulus - cash strapped and trying to hold their own group together - Entercom - is in the same boat - Radio One - Citidel - etc. All the major groups are in dire straights right now. Saga Communicates is a ray of sunshine .. real broadcasters with actual cash flow but not ready to jump in and pick up a bunch of stations. So .. we may have to be looking at your neighborhood banker becoming a "radio guru" .. just what we need .. a new set of non broadcasters running radio stations! The next year should be a real learning curve for all of us. Enjoy the weekend.

 

[jboyd]

OldGm: This is for you...some of the later posts don't mean a thing to me...I guess I am out of the loop! BUT...come to 1040 Hwy 6, West, 38606 and you will find an operation that works and operates on this theory every day! We need no stimilus package, nor any bailout! Just the next good day and good health, which I wish to all on this board. "To thine on self be true!" "Quote" JBI

 

[bobrall]

Not many of you left, JBoyd. But, here and there one can still find broadcasters operating successful stations.
I remember getting a "feel" for a place by listening to its radio stations. Seldom so anymore. But, every so often
I'll run across a station -- usually in a small market -- that reflects the flavor of it's home town.
Was a time when WABC sounded like New York, WLS like Chicago. On the west coast, KFWB and KHJ sounded very different.
WNOE and WTIX in New Orleans were nothing like WHBQ or WMPS. Same for Tupelo, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Biloxi and most other places.
Maybe I'm just old...but I can't tell the difference between Birmingham from it's clone in Denver.

 

[MN Maniac]

Not many of you left, JBoyd. But, here and there one can still find broadcasters operating successful stations.
I remember getting a "feel" for a place by listening to its radio stations. Seldom so anymore. But, every so often
I'll run across a station -- usually in a small market -- that reflects the flavor of it's home town.
Was a time when WABC sounded like New York, WLS like Chicago. On the west coast, KFWB and KHJ sounded very different.
WNOE and WTIX in New Orleans were nothing like WHBQ or WMPS. Same for Tupelo, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Biloxi and most other places.
Maybe I'm just old...but I can't tell the difference between Birmingham from it's clone in Denver.

Even cities within the same geographical region sounded very different. I grew up in suburban Minneapolis during the 1970s. This was a GREAT Top 40 market with no fewer than four Top 40 AMs (KDWB, WYOO, WDGY, KSTP) and one Adult Top 40 (WLOL) during the middle part of the decade. Still, I looked forward to sundown, so I could hear WLS. The jocks were different and so was the music mix.

In those days, black artists had a tough time getting played in "white markets." Minneapolis was one of these. There were many big national hits that I could hear locally just once per week when Casey Kasem held court on KDWB for 3 hours. Songs like "Rock Your Baby", "Dazz", "Got to Give it Up", etc., received little or no airplay locally. WLS played all of these. Another one was Parliament's "Flashlight." WLS played this in hot rotation for a few months. In Minneapolis, it wasn't played at all.

Another difference was the processing. Remember when you could tell which station you were listening to, simply by hearing the audio? This is what I consider to have been the heyday of radio.

 

[bobrall]

New Orleans, too. WNOE and WTIX lists were dominated by local artists - Ernie K-doe, Irma Thomas and all.
There were often top 10 national "hits" that never made it out of light rotation...if they made it at all.
TIX seemed to be even more local/regional than NOE.