Larry Mendte Reports On Possible WKDN Sale

[DToTheJ]

Former Philadelphia news anchor Larry Mendte writes a column for Philadelphia magazine. In his latest entry, titled "Is Chick News Radio Coming To Philly," he reports:

"...The sale of WKDN-FM is moving quickly. A second round of bids was recently submitted by two stations believed to be CBS and Merlin."

Despite a brilliantly-written piece, I'd question the source's credibility: first, in the previous sentence, it should be "two radio companies believe to be CBS and Merlin," as opposed to "radio stations". Secondly, he claims that Merlin's WEMP 101.9 FM can be picked up in the Philadelphia area. Also, he refers to Harold Camping as "famous for predicting that the world would end on March 11th" (it was actually May 21st). And finally, well, it's Larry Mendte!

 

[pab]

Like I said, the "simulcast" of WIP on FM is likely to be a wholesale move to FM.  CBS is serious about 106.9 and is prepared to jettison its weakest AM while saving the format.

 

[wprt949]

anyone but merlin media those stations sound horrible

 

[pab]

Although I expect CBS to win, and think they would have the better project, I'm sort of rooting for Merlin. Might have an easier time getting back off the beach with a new company in town than one that's had an entrenched staff all these decades.

 

[Dxer1105]

Here is how I see everything

610 and 94.1 WIP
106.9 KYW-FM
94.1 HD2 WYSP ROCK

I can't pick up 101.9 in Pennsauken. Fail.

 

[Radio Wreck]

If KYW heads to FM, how much longer til WPHT does the same? Would they survive as the stand-alone AM station in Philly?

KYW-FM may be the final nail in the coffin of AM radio in Philly.

 

[imhomerjay]

Until WOGL fails? Nowhere for WPHT to go.

 

[jhguthlac]

DXer1105, I am inclined to think you are correct.

 

[DToTheJ]

I'd think WPHT could survive without FM, being as its signal is the strongest of the three that CBS currently owns (keyword: currently). :

 

[Tommy Roberts Jr]

I was listening to 101.9 online and I like what they are doing and I want to see Merlin get WKDN and be run by REAL broadcasting people.


Tommy Roberts JR
WTMR Web Radio

http://www.wtmrwebradio.com/

 

[JH_Radio]

Only reason I can get 101.9 is that I have a roophtop antenna, and live far enough away from WIOQ's IBOC antenna to null it out, to get at least a clean mono listening signal from WEMP. Trop fudges with WEMP's signal here though.
Other then that, I've never gotten it anyware else around here. Not in the car, and most deffinetly not on anything portibal or a boombox with telescoping antenna

 

[nd2023]

The Philadelphia area includes Burlington County, NJ. 101.9 FM News can be heard till Bordentown.

CBS has the advantage that it can offer Family Radio an AM station to keep its propaganda on the air till the world really ends.

 

[DG02816]

And Family Radio has done this before with CBS in Frisco, swapping KFRC 610 for KEAR 106.9. Eerie coincidence if this happens.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Like I said, the "simulcast" of WIP on FM is likely to be a wholesale move to FM. CBS is serious about 106.9 and is prepared to jettison its weakest AM while saving the format.

Not so sure about that. CBS has kept WXYT-AM in Detroit despite simulcasting full-time on WXYT-FM (as "97.1 The Ticket," with no mention of the AM station whatsoever) since late 2007. They'll probably do the same with WIP AM/FM, brand it as "94WIP" but be on both 610 and 94.1.

As long as WIP-AM can keep CBS under the cap if they were to get 106.9, they'll keep it. No question.

 

[WCAUTVNBC10]

I'd think WPHT could survive without FM, being as its signal is the strongest of the three that CBS currently owns (keyword: currently). :

1210 is a clear channel. No way in hell CBS would give that up.

 

[pab]

I'd think WPHT could survive without FM, being as its signal is the strongest of the three that CBS currently owns (keyword: currently). :

1210 is a clear channel. No way in hell CBS would give that up.

It's their only AM signal worth keeping.

 

[DG02816]

As if 1060 isn't?

 

[pab]

KYW is worth keeping, 1060 isn't. 1060 is a weak signal, which is what I'm talking about. 1210 is a strong signal but weak format.

 

[DG02816]

1060 is NOT weak; its problem is that it is very directional with a tight NW-SE figure-8 pattern protecting 1050 in NYC, and 1060's in New Orleans and Mexico City, with the Mexican running 100 kW during the day.

 

[DanStrassberg]

1060 is NOT weak; its problem is that it is very directional with a tight NW-SE figure-8 pattern protecting 1050 in NYC, and 1060's in New Orleans and Mexico City, with the Mexican running 100 kW during the day.

Even though 1060 is 50 kW-U with half-wave towers and 610 is 5 kW-U with electrically shorter towers, the two stations provide almost identical daytime coverage because of similar directional patterns and 610's lower dial position. At night, 1060 has the edge outside the market because, as a Class A AM, it has protected skywave coverage. In 2011, however, nobody is willing to assign any economic value whatsoever to the skywave coverage.

CBS probably should combine 610, 1060, and 1210 at one transmitter site. If they were to add one tall tower roughly midway between the two existing towers at the 610 site, a triplex would be possible, with 1060 using the new tower plus the existing southwest tower. 1210 would use only the new tall tower, which would be 205 degrees at 1210, but could use one of the shorter towers as an auxiliary. From what I hear about the soil conductivity near the present 1210 site, this move would significantly improve 1210's coverage. 1060 might take a small hit in coverage. The new tower could be half wave at 1060 but the existing southwest tower is only about 130 degrees at 1060. Together, these two towers would probably meet Class A efficiency requirements at 1060, but only just barely.