With Miami’s WQAM now on FM, are there any locally-programmed Audacy sports talkers — other than SportsRadio 610 — that haven’t made the move to FM?
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- Thread starter Mediafrog+
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WSCR in Chicago. But they have an all news station in FM, WBBM.
I think WSCR and WWJ are likely next in the move to FM (I know only WSCR is sports). Both also conveniently have FM clustermates not exactly setting the world on fire.
WCCO needs the help too, but that cluster is much smaller and there are fewer full power signals in the Twin Cities overall. There are some relatively decent translators from the IDS Center in Minneapolis that could get them part of the way though if they could get ahold of one.
If KRBE were to fall under Audacy ownership by way of a merger, station swap, or stand-alone acquisition, the possibility of SportsRadio 610 getting an FM outlet might be much higher. But where would it go? Would Audacy sacrifice KHMX? I don’t see Country going away on 100.3, and I tend to doubt they would kill Mega.
With a loosening of ownership caps, would Audacy want an eastern rimshot for the sports format, if there is no Missouri City stick that would be available? Would iHeart have the same idea for their own sports format on 790?
Considering Sports Radio 610:
Houston is not Dallas. Even with that said, an AM sportsalker is not magically transformed into a huge biller and huge audience format on FM. You have to run the numbers: Any frequency it displaces means a loss of several million dollars unless instantly sportstalk going to FM generates that much revenue overnight.
And you need a much bigger audience to do so. Yes even for sportstalk. We all hear sportstalk bills very well considering the ratings. That's true. If your audience does not instantly expand by about 500% the replacement dollars aren't there. You see if you have 100,000 versus 500,000 listening is huge. Spot rates paid by ad agencies is a rate per thousand. Everything in Houston is agency. If your audience doubles, you'd need 35 minutes an hour of commercials instead of 12 to make the FM frequency worth doing. If the audience size goes up only 20%, you need 60 minutes an hour of commercials.
In conclusion, in today's radio environment why would any radio company throw away so much billing?
Houston is not Dallas. Even with that said, an AM sportsalker is not magically transformed into a huge biller and huge audience format on FM. You have to run the numbers: Any frequency it displaces means a loss of several million dollars unless instantly sportstalk going to FM generates that much revenue overnight.
And you need a much bigger audience to do so. Yes even for sportstalk. We all hear sportstalk bills very well considering the ratings. That's true. If your audience does not instantly expand by about 500% the replacement dollars aren't there. You see if you have 100,000 versus 500,000 listening is huge. Spot rates paid by ad agencies is a rate per thousand. Everything in Houston is agency. If your audience doubles, you'd need 35 minutes an hour of commercials instead of 12 to make the FM frequency worth doing. If the audience size goes up only 20%, you need 60 minutes an hour of commercials.
In conclusion, in today's radio environment why would any radio company throw away so much billing?
True, but I don’t think the differences are enough to explain why SportsTalk in DFW typically pulls triple and sometimes quadruple the numbers the format gets in Houston.
No, but it helps future-proof the format. How much longer is AM going to remain relevant to the demographics advertisers care about?
You will note I have my doubts that Audacy would kill one of its current formats. My thinking had been that acquiring a CHR (KRBE) would bring into question whether the Hot AC (KHMX) would still be as important to overall cluster strategy.
I’m also imagining a scenario where MediaCo gets out of the radio business, and puts 98.5 and 107.9 up for sale. Could those be future homes for the sports formats on 610 and 790? Yes, they are rimshots, and the AM simulcasts would probably remain for an indefinite time. But would that outcome make sense?
No way they would, hypothetically, blow up KRBE to add a 610 FM simulcast. Same if iHeart swapped for KRBE. 790 is an afterthought too. I don't think a full power sports-on-fm simulcast is coming any time soon.
The demographics of Houston are intrinsically slightly less favorable to the sports format than DFW, but not hugely so. DFW is a better sports town and the local teams, as a whole, have had more success over the last couple of decades. But I am not sure that explains it really either.
The Ticket did very well on 1310 and that not-even-rimshot 104.1 for years. 96.7 is a rimshot but has some issues on the Dallas County side and they still crush it. 105.3 does decently too.
I think the biggest difference is that DFW has a lot of compelling local content that has been built a large following over many years. Houston has far far less and there has been more personality turnover.
I say very unlikely there is any interest in an eastern rimshot for 610 or 790. They could have bought 97.1 on the cheap, if it was a priority.
And Houston is such a sprawling market that a translator doesn't really move the needly much, unlike say Indianapolis where two translators doing sports perform very well every month.
The demographics of Houston are intrinsically slightly less favorable to the sports format than DFW, but not hugely so. DFW is a better sports town and the local teams, as a whole, have had more success over the last couple of decades. But I am not sure that explains it really either.
The Ticket did very well on 1310 and that not-even-rimshot 104.1 for years. 96.7 is a rimshot but has some issues on the Dallas County side and they still crush it. 105.3 does decently too.
I think the biggest difference is that DFW has a lot of compelling local content that has been built a large following over many years. Houston has far far less and there has been more personality turnover.
I say very unlikely there is any interest in an eastern rimshot for 610 or 790. They could have bought 97.1 on the cheap, if it was a priority.
And Houston is such a sprawling market that a translator doesn't really move the needly much, unlike say Indianapolis where two translators doing sports perform very well every month.
It's been done in several markets for the past two decades. I don't think it would have been done over and over again if there wasn't a financial incentive to do so (if not immediate, then for long term strategy/planning).
The highest billing station in the country is a talk station in DC. Six of the top 10 highest billing stations in the country are either talk or sports. It would make sense to take care of your money makers instead of letting them simmer in a dying band.
There are several factors to look at;
First, a broadcaster that doesn't have a current sports format on AM wouldn't be throwing billing away. They'd be replacing it for potentially much more (I'm looking at you Urban One...but more of that crazy talk in a bit)
Second, AM radio is at a point where the land the transmitters sit on is worth more than the actual license in a few major markets. If corporate radio views AM as dispensable, then one has to wonder what the clients who buy air time think. Do people still want to listen to a low fidelity talk show in an age where sports and political podcasting is a Bluetooth connection away?
Third, I think it is fair to ask if splitting KHPT and KGLK would be better overall for Urban One. Yes, the "Eagle" will definitely lose a lot of their billing. But would they be gaining more than they lose by throwing a sports station into their cluster? Could a semi-gimped Eagle and a semi-gimped sports station generate more than the current Eagle simulcast? Probably not worth the risk as a perennial top 5 station, but definitely a conversation that has probably happened when it was a Cox station and again as an Urban One station.
Audacy has reached their ownership limit and iHeart is not going to invest on a rimshot in this day and age.
I agree neither are not going to "invest" in rimshot. That was the point, but how do you figure they have reached the cap?
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Only 6 in the cluster, by my count. 2 AM, 4 FM. If Audacy desired to acquire another FM, that may actually coerce them to divest KIKK to remain at 6, but as it stands now, there's room in H-town for two more facilities. Can't imagine Audacy would be in the running for KRBE, though. If anything, iHeart fills out their own cluster and KRBE then becomes "104.1 Kiss FM". That I could see.
If LMN is folded into Audacy as rumored, the BetMGM format could be moved to 1010 for full time availability. 650 would likely be spun off to become a zombie originator for a translator, or the license turned in.
KRBE would be a perfect addition to the current Audacy Houston cluster, and I doubt they would change a thing about 104.1 or any of the other stations, other than perhaps tweak The Spot a little to form a KRBE/KHMX/KKHH “Wall of Women”.
Is a Cumulus-Audacy merger still a possibility? Messy in DFW but no issues in Houston.
Or just rebrand it with WILD 104.1 KRBE. But just the name, but keep the format as is.
A cautionary note: all news, local news/talk and local sports are the most expensive formats to operate. Talk and sports depend on expensive talent to succeed, and sports usually depends on even more expensive play by play rights fees.
Sooooo.... despite the high-looking billings, that AC, classic hits or country station in the cluster may have a greater profit.
And for a few stations. Many AMs, such as most of the ones in NYC, are in areas unsuitable for other purposes. Another example is Miami, where nearly all are in protected zones in the Everglades.
Clients really don't pay anywhere near as great attention to the band or even the facility. They look at audience delivery before anything else. In the case of sports, there are even budgets that only go to sports, and if the metrics (such as CPP) are right, they buy.
The issue is delivery of audience. Moving sports to FM is mostly a "self preservation" step. The mere fact that they are "now on FM" being good for a couple of excuses for sales calls, but does not change the usual analysis of audience delivery no matter what band the station is on.
Of course, many sports teams want their play by play to be on FM. They like the image and the audio quality, but beyond that it's all about ratings.
And the DC case is exceptional since it is the nation's capital, so talk and news is always going to draw attention.
And not every advertizer wants Sportstalk. There are only so many sportstalk dollars.
KTCK in Dallas was a top station on AM before it ever became available on FM. And this is DFW where the Cowboys do no wrong and the Mavericks and Rangers are high profile in the cities. Houston teams rate a 3 if DFW teams are a 10. I'm not talking on air but general awareness and popularity. Then the demographics are a bit different.
KTCK in Dallas was a top station on AM before it ever became available on FM. And this is DFW where the Cowboys do no wrong and the Mavericks and Rangers are high profile in the cities. Houston teams rate a 3 if DFW teams are a 10. I'm not talking on air but general awareness and popularity. Then the demographics are a bit different.
If only i knew someone on here that posted that KOVE would soon pop! So here comes KLOL.. It's time for KROI to start hiring talents for other day parts and really step it up, I'm sure cheque in PM drive can't be helping them.
Audacy also added an FM simulcast for KFXX Portland a few months ago, just before WQAM got its simulcast. The company also added an FM simulcast for KMOX St. Louis. While not a sports station, it is the flagship of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Audacy has no FM simulcast for a few of its AM sports stations. In addition to KILT Houston and WSCR Chicago, there's also WGR Buffalo, a major AM sports station. Audacy has a couple of minor AM sports stations in Greenville-Spartanburg. And one in Milwaukee where it competes with two full power FM sports stations.