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Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

I

inter1097

Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Some time before ClearChannel/WTAM's contract with the Indians runs out, There are two that have options (Legalities permitting):

Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting could move/simulcast games from WEOL 930 to WKFM 96.1 FM

Rubber City could move/simulcast games from WAKR to rather 97.5 WONE or 107.3 WNWV

Either one could establish themselves as the Cleveland Area FM Home of Indians baseball for free before CBS/92.3 gets a chance to bid at ClearChannel's Flagship rights , which might make CBS interest all together. A positive side effect would be the Indians stay on a 50,000 Watt AM station which can be heard (after all, hearing baseball from far away stations at night is pretty stinkin cool .. and free. )

Are there any legalities that would prevent Elyria/Lorain or Rubber City from making such a move?
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

inter1097 said:
Some time before ClearChannel/WTAM's contract with the Indians runs out, There are two that have options (Legalities permitting):

Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting could move/simulcast games from WEOL 930 to WKFM 96.1 FM

Rubber City could move/simulcast games from WAKR to rather 97.5 WONE or 107.3 WNWV

Either one could establish themselves as the Cleveland Area FM Home of Indians baseball for free before CBS/92.3 gets a chance to bid at ClearChannel's Flagship rights , which might make CBS interest all together. A positive side effect would be the Indians stay on a 50,000 Watt AM station which can be heard (after all, hearing baseball from far away stations at night is pretty stinkin cool .. and free. )

Are there any legalities that would prevent Elyria/Lorain or Rubber City from making such a move?
Click to expand...

I don't think either one of those companies have the money to mount a bid for the Indians against ClearChannel and/or CBS.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Technically WTAM is not the Indians flagship station.

The Indians own and control their own network..not Clear Channel/WTAM.

WTAM is the Cleveland affilliate who pays for the rights to carry the Indians in Cleveland.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Doubt either scenario...since 96.1 does not put a listenable signal into the Cleveland metro proper, and neither does 97.5 (liscensed to Akron). If RCRG had plans to grab the tribe, they would have launched 107.3 as an FM sports station, not an older female friendly smooth AC.

Which leaves the more likely options to see the Tribe go all FM...1) CBS snatches the rights from CC, and puts the Fan (along with the Tribe) on 98.5 2) CC keeps the rights, by moving ALL (not just some) Tribe games to 100.7, and makes the Buzzard full time talk (this just happened to a classic rock station in Tampa), or 3) Lanigan retires, and CC simulcasts 1100 on 105.7 WTAM-FM. With the trend in a number of markets where sports PBP is moving to FM, means one of the above 3 options is most likely come contract renewal time for the Tribe.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

wffm78 said:
3) Lanigan retires, and CC simulcasts 1100 on 105.7 WTAM-FM. With the trend in a number of markets where sports PBP is moving to FM, means one of the above 3 options is most likely come contract renewal time for the Tribe.
Click to expand...

Why do people think 105.7 will end up simulcasting WTAM? I'm guessing it's the highest billing FM station in Cleveland and do people really think Lanigan retiring will hurt this station THAT much? I could definitely see 100.7 going Talk, but not Magic.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Tim said:
Technically WTAM is not the Indians flagship station.

The Indians own and control their own network..not Clear Channel/WTAM.

WTAM is the Cleveland affilliate who pays for the rights to carry the Indians in Cleveland.
Click to expand...

On the Indians website, they list WTAM as the flagship station, so whatever station winds up with the Tribe will be the flagship.

The Tribe's either gonna stay on 1100 or go to the Fan.

It's that simple.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Here's my prediction:
Larry Dolan, in an effort to save money, unscrews all the light bulbs in Progressive Field, making the Tribe the modern day Chicago Cubs, playing only day games.

Then, in a surprise move, Mel Karmazin loans son Craig, some profits from his Sirius/XM stock deal for KNR to buy the rights, since daytime only baseball can be heard from here to Detroit on 850AM (simulcast on 1540 when Ohio State football conflicts come up).

Could happen?! ;)
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

wffm78 said:
Here's my prediction:
Larry Dolan, in an effort to save money, unscrews all the light bulbs in Progressive Field, making the Tribe the modern day Chicago Cubs, playing only day games.

Then, in a surprise move, Mel Karmazin loans son Craig, some profits from his Sirius/XM stock deal for KNR to buy the rights, since daytime only baseball can be heard from here to Detroit on 850AM (simulcast on 1540 when Ohio State football conflicts come up).

Could happen?! ;)
Click to expand...

Insert Big Chuck and Lil' John laugh here.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

We at Elyria Lorain Broadcasting also have the Indians on 95.3 WLKR, which covers Huron & Erie counties. We have no plans on moving the Tribe to K96 WKFM - but thanks for asking.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

One thing to remember is...going sportstalk or talk with mostly local hosts is expensive to operate because it involves having to hire live talent (OMG: you mean we have to pay real, live human beings??? Oh, the humanity!).

So, many smaller radio chains/companies would rather stick with music formats since it's pretty easy and much cheaper to voice track, or even run network/satellite programming in many dayparts.

For some reason I get the feeling CC won't go fullblown sportstalk on 105.7....I could be wrong.

Maybe after John Lannigan retires (supposedly the end of this year) they will just move the current format as it now runs on 1100 over to 105.7.

Their current format 6am-7pm weekdays probably pulls better ratings and thus makes them more money than fulltime sports would. Maybe simulcast morning drive and games at night on 1100, and game conflicts could be split between 105.7 and 1100....and run different Premier talk programming in all other hours. What do you guys think?
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Tim said:
Maybe after John Lanigan retires (supposedly the end of this year) they will just move the current format as it now runs on 1100 over to 105.7.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking Mark Nolan might be slid into the morning spot to work with Jimmy Malone when Lanigan retires.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Lanigan is not retiring at the end of the year. Not sure where that rumor was started
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

CleveRadioInsider said:
Lanigan is not retiring at the end of the year. Not sure where that rumor was started
Click to expand...

And you would know more than anyone?
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

I can't imagine CC blowing up WMJI, even when Lanigan retires (or dies in the saddle!). The station is one of Cleveland's top billers.

Mark Nolan is obviously on deck. They don't spend talent money outside of drive time (if that) anymore, and his midday shift is obviously a waiting/grooming room for morning drive.

I see WMMS dumping music altogether (do they play ANY anymore?) and doing a sort of man-cave/sports talk hybrid, carrying play-by-play. Could be interesting.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Lanigan retiring won't sink WMJI. Malone & Kullick will do just fine. Perhaps Nolan gets bumped to AM drive as well when John retires (end of the year?). Malone & Kullick won't have as high of ratings without Lanigan but they'll be Top 5 in AM drive. WMJI as classic hits (which PPM loves) won't go anywhere for some time.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

HHH said:
I can't imagine CC blowing up WMJI, even when Lanigan retires (or dies in the saddle!). The station is one of Cleveland's top billers.

Mark Nolan is obviously on deck. They don't spend talent money outside of drive time (if that) anymore, and his midday shift is obviously a waiting/grooming room for morning drive.

I see WMMS dumping music altogether (do they play ANY anymore?) and doing a sort of man-cave/sports talk hybrid, carrying play-by-play. Could be interesting.
Click to expand...

They could turn 106.5 into a modified version of "Radio 92.3" with a mishmash of classic rock, alt-rock, metal, and modern rock (106-5...Where Cleveland Rocks!).

Though they'd have to get a different branding than "The Lake", which sounds like it belongs on a soft AC station (similar to 107.3 "The Wave" or 101.5 "The River" in Toledo)

As far as WMMS goes, you can plug Jim Rome in between Rover and Cox, and maybe have Andre Knott host "Sportsline" in the evening (moving Nikki Sixx over to the new "Rock 106-5")

That would give CC Cleveland some balance in their 6 stations--news/talk (1100) and mancave/sports (100.7) for spoken word formats; and Top 40 (96.5), country (99.5) classic hits (105.7), and rock (106.5) in music formats.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Hey, I respect WMJI's legacy. But, after morning-drive, WMJI is a voice-tracked jukebox during most music hours. It's just not the station it used to be, by any means. What made WMJI "majic"....the personalities and the coolness they brought to NE Ohio...is gone.

If CC still makes big money from WMJI as it now is, good for them. Stick with it as long as they can. It's not like CBS loves owning stations in Cleveland and is willing to flip one of their FMs to local talk...so CC probably has the luxury of going talk on one of their FMs if and when they care to.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

Tim said:
Hey, I respect WMJI's legacy. But, after morning-drive, WMJI is a voice-tracked jukebox during most music hours. It's just not the station it used to be, by any means. What made WMJI "majic"....the personalities and the coolness they brought to NE Ohio...is gone.

If CC still makes big money from WMJI as it now is, good for them. Stick with it as long as they can. It's not like CBS loves owning stations in Cleveland and is willing to flip one of their FMs to local talk...so CC probably has the luxury of going talk on one of their FMs if and when they care to.
Click to expand...

Nolan (middays) and Action Jackson (PMD) are live and local. Tom Kent (evenings) is syndicated.

Now on weekends, MJI is pretty much all voicetracked.
 
Re: Indians baseball on FM. Could someone beat 92.3 to the punch?

@ vjm.

Alt rock is dead. No money in it. Not enough Mt Dew and Trojan ads to keep it afloat. It's not just a CLE thing. No alt rock in Chicago or NYC.
 
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