The high cost of running this money pit must be very high. 2 day/night tower locations plus one runs on diesel because no power lines. And it still is a loss. Is it all a tax right off? It needed to remain in Modesto - not with the big boys in SF. Opinions? Even in Santa Cruz or San Jose it's very difficult to pick it up in the car.
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KTRB
- Thread starter JimA
- Start date
Newsperson responds:
The trick is that they turned one radio license into two by filing a major change to move KTRB 860 to San Francisco and at the same time they filed an application for a new station at 840 in Modesto. Since it was not public knowledge, no one filed an application for 840 Khz. during the 2000 window so it was a singleton application.
Harry Pappas does have an emotional attachment to KTRB becasue it has been in the family for so long. His interest is in TV and he has no interest in owning any other radio stations. However his emotional attachment could be broken with the right purchase offer, although he is not pursuing any sale.
In answer to your question it is the value of the facility (in S.F.) which far excceds any financial losses even if the station is sold 10 years from now. On the other hand if they left it alone as a 50 KW in Modesto, the top value would only be in the 3 to 5 million dollar range.
Any potential buyers for stations in San Francisco?
Newsperson
The trick is that they turned one radio license into two by filing a major change to move KTRB 860 to San Francisco and at the same time they filed an application for a new station at 840 in Modesto. Since it was not public knowledge, no one filed an application for 840 Khz. during the 2000 window so it was a singleton application.
Harry Pappas does have an emotional attachment to KTRB becasue it has been in the family for so long. His interest is in TV and he has no interest in owning any other radio stations. However his emotional attachment could be broken with the right purchase offer, although he is not pursuing any sale.
In answer to your question it is the value of the facility (in S.F.) which far excceds any financial losses even if the station is sold 10 years from now. On the other hand if they left it alone as a 50 KW in Modesto, the top value would only be in the 3 to 5 million dollar range.
Any potential buyers for stations in San Francisco?
Newsperson
DavidKaye said:
It was noted in ba.broadcast that KTRB might consider working with KCBS to co-locate their transmitter up in Black Point (Novato). Probably not a bad idea.
Playing the "Your Dream KTRB Schedule Game," I'd suggest:
* Mornings: Alex Bennett ("Breakfast With Bennett," with a live studio audience, comedians, etc.)
* Late Morning: Phil Matier (who is outstanding on TV and in his all-too-brief spots on KCBS)
* Afternoons: The Don & Mike Show (well, at least until May, when Donny G retires; in the meantime, everyone else gets to hear one of the most underrated nationally regionally-syndicated shows in all of radio)
* PM Drive: Local news from 4 to 7 p.m. ("Give us twenty minutes, and we'll give you the world...")
The rest of the schedule? Whatever.
"* Mornings: Alex Bennett ("Breakfast With Bennett," with a live studio audience, comedians, etc.)
* Late Morning: Phil Matier (who is outstanding on TV and in his all-too-brief spots on KCBS)
* Afternoons: The Don & Mike Show (well, at least until May, when Donny G retires; in the meantime, everyone else gets to hear one of the most underrated nationally regionally-syndicated shows in all of radio)
* PM Drive: Local news from 4 to 7 p.m. ("Give us twenty minutes, and we'll give you the world...")"
I nominate you for PD of the year, DJ - and promise to listen to your KTRB religously from morning until 4:00PM. I still miss Alex Bennett's show. My only quibble is your 4-7 news block. With KGO and KCBS, and NPR out-classing both, we don't need another commercial news outlet. We could, however, use a live local talk show in afternoon drive that's not hosted by a right-winger. How about bringing back Will and Willie in that slot? It would work better for Da Mayor - he wouldn't have to get up early, and he'd be done in time for cocktails and dinner.
* Late Morning: Phil Matier (who is outstanding on TV and in his all-too-brief spots on KCBS)
* Afternoons: The Don & Mike Show (well, at least until May, when Donny G retires; in the meantime, everyone else gets to hear one of the most underrated nationally regionally-syndicated shows in all of radio)
* PM Drive: Local news from 4 to 7 p.m. ("Give us twenty minutes, and we'll give you the world...")"
I nominate you for PD of the year, DJ - and promise to listen to your KTRB religously from morning until 4:00PM. I still miss Alex Bennett's show. My only quibble is your 4-7 news block. With KGO and KCBS, and NPR out-classing both, we don't need another commercial news outlet. We could, however, use a live local talk show in afternoon drive that's not hosted by a right-winger. How about bringing back Will and Willie in that slot? It would work better for Da Mayor - he wouldn't have to get up early, and he'd be done in time for cocktails and dinner.
BossRadioDJ said:
Or it could be co-located in Collinsville with Pittsburg 990 and the future KSFO site. In fact, there eventually was a CP somewhere for KTRB to locate to Collinsville. Why they didn't do this originally is anybody's guess. I think eventually nearly everybody is going to go to Collinsville as real estate continues to go up in price. Can KNBR stay at Redwood Shores forever, for instance?
Anyone got a coverage map for KSFO's new site in Collinsville, CA? Will this site give them better coverage of the Sacramento area?
Or how about a "Bernie Ward and Melanie Morgan" show? I know that Bernie has his legal problems but his high profile might bring in the ratings for KTRB? Having Bernie and Melanie together would be kind of like Fox News Channel's pairing of Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes. The combination Liberal/Conservative Talk Show.Lkeller said:
Re: KTRB/KSFO
Newsperson responds:
Collionsville? Has anyone heard of Collionsville? If your talking about the 990 Khz. tower I have an idea where that's located.
In looking at the FCC site there is no pending or granted site move for KSFO on file so perhaps that was a thought that never went further.
I know that Pappas did measurements on the 990 Khz. site and determined that it would not be desireable. On a simple coverage map it covers S.F., however becasue of the terrian of mountains and hills the signal is absorbed along the way.
When NBC/GE sold KNBR that land was included. In fact when Bonneville recently sold 1260 Khz. they included the land with lots of emcumbrences.
My belief is that a lower daytime non-directional power in the City is much better that shooting from the East. Even with 1260 Khz. on Candle Stick Hill it does not make sense to change its daytime location becasue the received signal strength close in is so strong.
Speaking of Melaine Morgan, has anyone heard Terri Rouse from Metro Networks as a sidekick for Lee Rogers? It looks like Citadel has really saved some money here, let's speculate that:
Melanie Morgan's pay was raised substancially as she became far more than a traffic reporter and more of a co-host. ABC and Citadel paid the difference between the base AFTRA/Metro compensation and the agreed upon salary.
Now Terri Rouse is working (for base AFRTRA/Metro pay) as a sidekick with Lee Rogers and Citadel does not pay anything.
The question is what kind of a talent and performance are they receiving with Terri Rouse?
Newsperson
Newsperson responds:
Collionsville? Has anyone heard of Collionsville? If your talking about the 990 Khz. tower I have an idea where that's located.
In looking at the FCC site there is no pending or granted site move for KSFO on file so perhaps that was a thought that never went further.
I know that Pappas did measurements on the 990 Khz. site and determined that it would not be desireable. On a simple coverage map it covers S.F., however becasue of the terrian of mountains and hills the signal is absorbed along the way.
When NBC/GE sold KNBR that land was included. In fact when Bonneville recently sold 1260 Khz. they included the land with lots of emcumbrences.
My belief is that a lower daytime non-directional power in the City is much better that shooting from the East. Even with 1260 Khz. on Candle Stick Hill it does not make sense to change its daytime location becasue the received signal strength close in is so strong.
Speaking of Melaine Morgan, has anyone heard Terri Rouse from Metro Networks as a sidekick for Lee Rogers? It looks like Citadel has really saved some money here, let's speculate that:
Melanie Morgan's pay was raised substancially as she became far more than a traffic reporter and more of a co-host. ABC and Citadel paid the difference between the base AFTRA/Metro compensation and the agreed upon salary.
Now Terri Rouse is working (for base AFRTRA/Metro pay) as a sidekick with Lee Rogers and Citadel does not pay anything.
The question is what kind of a talent and performance are they receiving with Terri Rouse?
Newsperson
Re: KTRB/KSFO
Collinsville is a bump in the road across the Carquinez Straits from Pittsburg. Surely you can find it on a map.
This may be on the back burner due to Citadel's losses, however, I was present as the KGO/KSFO chief engineer and James Gabbert were going over the theoretical coverage map a couple years back. Gabbert seemed very pleased. He should know; he's an engineering genius.
That was actually my take on this. The Berkeley hills are between Collinsville and the central and southern Bay Area. However, compared with the present KTRB site 2 miles east of Sunol, it's much better, theoretically, anyway. The reason I say this is that the Berkeley hills are many miles away from Collinsville, allowing for the AM signal to float over the hills somewhat. At present KTRB Sunol site the signal is being pounded directly into the rocks.
The best existing place to site KTRB is probably at KCBS.
Yes, but how long would any property owner hold out what with the property boom in the Bay Area. Even though we're in a recession, there is still building going on and there is pressure to develop the much of that area. There are BCDC restrictions, but there is also a land swap provision in the law. It was recently used to allow development of protected lands on Treasure Island. That land was swapped with the unprotected Yerba Buena Island land.
newsperson said:
Collinsville is a bump in the road across the Carquinez Straits from Pittsburg. Surely you can find it on a map.
This may be on the back burner due to Citadel's losses, however, I was present as the KGO/KSFO chief engineer and James Gabbert were going over the theoretical coverage map a couple years back. Gabbert seemed very pleased. He should know; he's an engineering genius.
That was actually my take on this. The Berkeley hills are between Collinsville and the central and southern Bay Area. However, compared with the present KTRB site 2 miles east of Sunol, it's much better, theoretically, anyway. The reason I say this is that the Berkeley hills are many miles away from Collinsville, allowing for the AM signal to float over the hills somewhat. At present KTRB Sunol site the signal is being pounded directly into the rocks.
The best existing place to site KTRB is probably at KCBS.
Yes, but how long would any property owner hold out what with the property boom in the Bay Area. Even though we're in a recession, there is still building going on and there is pressure to develop the much of that area. There are BCDC restrictions, but there is also a land swap provision in the law. It was recently used to allow development of protected lands on Treasure Island. That land was swapped with the unprotected Yerba Buena Island land.
Let's see if I remember all the stuff that's going on here ... and let's award a two-night stay at the elegant Collinsville Yacht Club out of the Radio-Info.com prize locker to the first person correcting me on obsolete info. (Second prize is a four-night stay...)
* Last I heard, the KATD/990 transmitter is headed up in the Sacramento direction, where it will still provide city-grade coverage into Pittsburg while allowing co-owned KIQI/1010 to change its pattern and improve its Bay Area service.
* Last I heard, from Mickey Luckoff during an appearance on Michael Zwerling's program on KSCO on a fairly recent Saturday morning, is that KSFO will be -- eventually -- boosting up to 50,000 watts from ... Collinsville.
* Last I heard, KTRB has its own site up on the north shore of San Pablo Bay (not shared with KCBS) that will -- eventually -- serve as the site of its daytime transmitter. The site up in the hills above Livermore will -- again, eventually -- be home to the nighttime-only transmitter plant.
* I crystal-balled a "let's pretend" schedule for KTRB earlier in this thread and, in light of subsequent comments, have taken my 4-7 p.m. news block off the table. In its place, I nominate Peter Laufer, with news cut-ins from as many people as they can hire away from KNEW.
DJ
* Last I heard, the KATD/990 transmitter is headed up in the Sacramento direction, where it will still provide city-grade coverage into Pittsburg while allowing co-owned KIQI/1010 to change its pattern and improve its Bay Area service.
* Last I heard, from Mickey Luckoff during an appearance on Michael Zwerling's program on KSCO on a fairly recent Saturday morning, is that KSFO will be -- eventually -- boosting up to 50,000 watts from ... Collinsville.
* Last I heard, KTRB has its own site up on the north shore of San Pablo Bay (not shared with KCBS) that will -- eventually -- serve as the site of its daytime transmitter. The site up in the hills above Livermore will -- again, eventually -- be home to the nighttime-only transmitter plant.
* I crystal-balled a "let's pretend" schedule for KTRB earlier in this thread and, in light of subsequent comments, have taken my 4-7 p.m. news block off the table. In its place, I nominate Peter Laufer, with news cut-ins from as many people as they can hire away from KNEW.
DJ
Well BossRadioDJ you've answered my question about whether the KSFO signal would be stronger in the Sacramento area. Thanks.
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