MOONVES & KARMAZIN...DO THIS DEAL...MOVE THE FAN TO SIRIUS !!!

[SPRINGFIELDRAD]

Think about this one...

There is only ONE radio station in the country I would PAY to listen to and it's 660AM WFAN. The FAN is a premium channel. Treat it that way. It's time for CBS to get busy and deal with SIRIUS.

This is what I would do...

Here's the skinny...change the name of WFAN to "SPORTSRADIO NEW YORK THE FAN". Move the WFAN call letters to a smaller CBS station out of the NYC market. WFAN starts promoting the move to Sirius ASAP. The move would be September 1, 2008.

Part of the deal is Sirius gets 60 seconds free ads on 660am, every hour until 9-1-08 to promote the FAN move to Sirius. Keep the entire WFAN airstaff and sales folks.

From now until 9-1-08 any customer who signs up early gets the first six months free ($12.95 service charge is waved for 6 months) plus no sign-on charge, but they have to mention the code "THE FAN" when ordering.

Do a one year deal with a 2 year CBS option. Come 9-1-08, all spots on the new FAN (on Sirius) 90% of the revenue goes to CBS, 10% to Sirius. For any customer who mentions the code "THE FAN"...$ 20 goes to CBS for each customer.

All the sports play-by-play action (NY METS, NY GIANTS, NJ DEVILS, NJ NETS) stays on 660AM with a NEW format.

As stated prior, I would keep all the FAN airstaff. Part of deal, you could work something out with YES when airing Mike & the Mad Dog. Say Sirius gets to hang a Sirius billboard in the studio plus every hour Sirius gets to run a crawl during Mike and the Mad Dog informing viewers to sign-up with Sirius & mention the code to get special deal.

Now CBS came put a PERSONALITY TALK STATION on 660AM. Try to hire CURTIS & KUBY for AM DRIVE. Also, try to ink MICHAEL SAVAGE when his deal expires with 710AM WOR. One problem with Savage, you might have to air his show 10pm to 1am because of the play-by-play action. At this time you can't move the play-by-play stuff because XM has the rights to MLB.

I think this would be great for CBS. I would say 75% of their listeners have no problem paying for their product. It's worth it. Do market research. Ask your listeners would they pay to hear the FAN? I would love to hear the FAN when driving on vacation in Florida. CBS gets 90% of the revenue of the new FAN, plus $ 20 a head who mentions the code word plus CBS can install a new station to go against 770AM WABC. Do the numbers for CBS...say $50 million in revenue from the new FAN, plus $25 million from the new 660AM TALK format. And for Sirius...they get 10% revenue plus more listeners. Now the person on the fence (not sure if he/or she was going to get Sirius) may say yes. They can have HOWARD STERN on the AM DRIVE & MIKE & THE MAD DOG on the PM DRIVE.

I think the new FAN could have more listeners on Sirius because it would be nationwide.

And if it fails...just move the FAN back to 660AM

This is what I would do. I have no clue if WFAN or SIRIUS would be willing to do this deal.

 

[kms575]

I think this is a rediculous idea. Juse because you would pay for it, doesn't mean everyone else would. This smacks of the corporate greed that is currently ruining this country. And, given the economic climate, I have my doubts as to how many will pony up the subscription fee.

 

[mart]

I guess WROW doesn't air M&TMD anymore?

 

[videokilledtheradiostar]

HELLO! WFAN PULLS a FREAKIN 2 Share in the NYC Metro.

New York, NY (#1)

12+ Population: 15,344,600 Updated: Mar 31, 2008
Surveyed: Continuous Next Update: Apr 28, 2008
Ethnic Comp: Black: 17.4
Hispanic: 20.9


WFAN-AM CBS Radio Sports 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4

Last 6 Arb. ratings periods! They are 16th!

Why would Moonves and Karmazan even waste the effort? Moonves has more pressing problems. Who is going to get to replace Ms. Sweetcakes in the anchor seat at CBS? And Karmazan needs to pay Stern 400 million! YIKES!

 

[Oldiesmike]

While we are on the subject about fantasys, they should move CBSFM to Sirius too. This way if you don't live in nyc anymore like myself but subscribe to Sirius you can listen to 101.1 Anywhere in the country without using the computer.

 

[John Waywoods]

In the words of a certain senator: NO!!!!!!!!

 

[pbf1]

I would say 75% of their listeners have no problem paying for their product.

You'd be the only one. (That was the kind of thinnking that went on when Stern went satellite.)

 

[SPRINGFIELDRAD]

I guess WROW doesn't air M&TMD anymore?

You got that right! 590AM WROW canned Mike & The Dog a few months ago. Now they have this local guy doing a talk show. Lame show.

For all the brothers out here....I spend $13 a month for toilet paper. I would have no problem paying to hear the FAN. I can hear them on the Net, but lots of cut-outs/tech problems. I can pick up 660am from 7pm til 6am on my dxing radio. I would love to hear the FAN on Sirius. I currently get Sirius so adding WFAN would be a bonus. If you can't afford $13 to hear quality programming, you must be in the wrong business.

If you noticed in the past few months the FAN is getting about 25% of callers outside the market. And yet the FAN still sounds like a NYC radio station.

Also, as I stated in my first post....do market research!

Sidenote: One good thing about Sirius if you reside in a crapy market (like Albany, NY), you can still listen to dance music (The Strobe) or if you like the '70s you can punch up Sirius '70s. Yeah I can't stand voicetracked channels, but I'll settle for the music.

 

[SPRINGFIELDRAD]

HELLO! WFAN PULLS a FREAKIN 2 Share in the NYC Metro.

New York, NY (#1)

12+ Population: 15,344,600 Updated: Mar 31, 2008
Surveyed: Continuous Next Update: Apr 28, 2008
Ethnic Comp: Black: 17.4
Hispanic: 20.9


WFAN-AM CBS Radio Sports 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4

Last 6 Arb. ratings periods! They are 16th!

Why would Moonves and Karmazan even waste the effort? Moonves has more pressing problems. Who is going to get to replace Ms. Sweetcakes in the anchor seat at CBS? And Karmazan needs to pay Stern 400 million! YIKES!

It ain't about a 2 share. It's all about what a station bills/profits !!!!!!!

WFAN bills close to 50 million per year!!!!!! CBS could add revenue with this deal ($$$$ on Sirius plus have new format on 660am). Mel has to pay Stern, this can only help because all Uncle Mel is doing is giving up a channel. With my proposal, CBS would own the channel on Sirius and would give Sirius 10% of the revenue for the channel space.

I guess you didn't see the article in the NY POST (this past Sunday)? CBS needs to increase revenue.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

The Fan is a New York City institution. Unless you lived in NYC or surrounding areas where the signal is good, no one in other parts of the country are going to want to pay to hear some free AM station in New York. Besides, Mel Karmazin doesn't want to rely on outside content for his platform. They used to carry 650 WSM, and dumped it, as they did 90.1 WCSP-FM in DC. However, they still do carry 1130 WBBR.

 

[SPRINGFIELDRAD]

The Fan is a New York City institution. Unless you lived in NYC or surrounding areas where the signal is good, no one in other parts of the country are going to want to pay to hear some free AM station in New York. Besides, Mel Karmazin doesn't want to rely on outside content for his platform. They used to carry 650 WSM, and dumped it, as they did 90.1 WCSP-FM in DC. However, they still do carry 1130 WBBR.

Yup the FAN is a NYC institution....and folks will pay for it. I would settle for 65% of the current FAN listeners paying for the service. Plus, you can add on the "nationwide" effect. We have sports junkies around the country who would pay to hear the FAN. The folks who get a sample of Mike & The Dog on YES could now hear the rest of the station.

I'm a Mets fan. I miss the days when WOR-TV ch. 9 would air approx 120 games on free TV. But that was yesterday. Now if I want to see my Mets I gotta pay. I could settle just to see the few free games on TV, but I want to see all the games. I have no problem paying to get SNY and YES. I love watching Mike & The Dog.

We can talk about demos too. Males 25-54 & 18-49. Many Stern fans made the switch. For those on the fence, this may push them over to sign up to Sirius. When I would go to work in the car or LIRR, I would listen to Stern & go home with Mike & The Puppy.

I think Mel wouldn't mind getting in bed with CBS again. It's a win/win situation for both parties and the listener. I'd rather hear the FAN on FM quality radio over AM static. Plus the option to hear the FAN when I go on vacation in California or Florida....yes!

$13 bucks a month! To me it's worth it. Just like I buy 4 newspapers every day. It's worth it. I could read the papers on the Web, but it's much better to get the copy in your hands. I enjoy seeing the ads in the hardcopy, I may want to buy something plus stay informed of what products are available.

 

[DXMeister]

I agree with the person that had said this is nothing but corporate greed. Making us pay for another station that is indeed an NYC institution worth it? Anyone else who comes up with greedy ideas like this needs to be buddies with Bush and join his band of tycoons. The fact that it is an institution and can only be heard over the air in the New York Metro area and the east coast at night makes it worth more than selling it out on satellite. It's bad enough that we have pay radio as it is since regular radio isn't diversfied anymore. Spring, the diehard fans like yourself aren't common. Who needs to buy newspapers anymore when you can read them online? You can listen to the show online, podcasts or listen to that day or prior broadcasts online I'm sure. You can get your fix in other ways when not in the market, Any further ideas to make what should be free something to pay for is like getting rid of over the air TV and have no choice but to have cable or satellite.

 

[davideduardo]

Last 6 Arb. ratings periods! They are 16th!

They are also 5th in market billing, because, like all sports talkers, they get weak 12+ numbers but are enormously efficient in men 21 to 44, a very desirable ad target. Sports stations have among the higest power ratios, also.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

Yup the FAN is a NYC institution....and folks will pay for it. I would settle for 65% of the current FAN listeners paying for the service. Plus, you can add on the "nationwide" effect. We have sports junkies around the country who would pay to hear the FAN. The folks who get a sample of Mike & The Dog on YES could now hear the rest of the station.

You would settle for 65%? That's really really generous. National media celebrity Howard Stern couldn't even get 20% of his fans to commit to paying for his show. If WFAN left the AM dial, other stations in New York would probably scramble to provide a similar free sports service to the public and win over their ad dollars, and I'll bet it would work. I also could not see the talent at WFAN going along with this idea at all. All it means is less listeners for them.

I'm a Mets fan. I miss the days when WOR-TV ch. 9 would air approx 120 games on free TV. But that was yesterday. Now if I want to see my Mets I gotta pay. I could settle just to see the few free games on TV, but I want to see all the games. I have no problem paying to get SNY and YES. I love watching Mike & The Dog.

That's not a very fair comparison. Television economics aren't the same as radio economics. You have to pay for most Mets games now, but the network is only on cable through the state of New York, not counting satellite TV. Also, cable had penetrated enough to the point where it was a safe move. Satellite radio is nowhere near that point right now. It's also simply not the same as a sports team that's part of a national organization like the MLB, where away games expose the teams across the country, as a local AM station in New York that's only heard in New York.

We can talk about demos too. Males 25-54 & 18-49. Many Stern fans made the switch. For those on the fence, this may push them over to sign up to Sirius. When I would go to work in the car or LIRR, I would listen to Stern & go home with Mike & The Puppy.

Again, "many" was not that much compared to Stern's national audience. The station has a 2 share in 12+, and DavidEduardo is right in that it bills high, but it bills high thanks to selling local New York advertising to its New York audience. They've got a good deal going for them in their adult male demos. Switching to a subscription model will only hurt them in their pocket book.

I think Mel wouldn't mind getting in bed with CBS again. It's a win/win situation for both parties and the listener. I'd rather hear the FAN on FM quality radio over AM static. Plus the option to hear the FAN when I go on vacation in California or Florida....yes!

Oh I think Mel would mind. A lot. He would probably delight in seeing his old company sink.

You'd rather hear the FAN on FM quality radio? Well you're looking in the wrong direction if you're looking at satellite for sound quality.

$13 bucks a month! To me it's worth it. Just like I buy 4 newspapers every day. It's worth it. I could read the papers on the Web, but it's much better to get the copy in your hands. I enjoy seeing the ads in the hardcopy, I may want to buy something plus stay informed of what products are available.

Hey if you like newspapers. It's been years since I touched a newspaper.

One more thing. WFAN on Sirius would have to remove all their NHL games.

 

[pbf1]

$13 bucks a month! To me it's worth it.

And you are a research sample of ONE. (Most people tend to indicate that they are NOT willing to pay for satellite radio.)

What happened when Stern went to Sirius is fresh enough in minds: listeners didn't exactly follow over as expected.

 

[SPRINGFIELDRAD]

$13 bucks a month! To me it's worth it.

And you are a research sample of ONE. (Most people tend to indicate that they are NOT willing to pay for satellite radio.)

What happened when Stern went to Sirius is fresh enough in minds: listeners didn't exactly follow over as expected.

I was a big Howard fan but he turned his show into a porn show. Just because most Stern fans didn't make the switch to Sirius does NOT mean that WFAN listeners would do the same. The WFAN brand is solid. CBS has done a great job branding WFAN.

For all the brothers who are dissin' my proposal...how about this....keep the current WFAN on 660am & also put it on Sirius. CBS & Sirius could work out the financials.

Yes, Sirius audio does blow. It's low and a few steps below FM. It beats AM static and adds more jobs for the broadcasting industry.

So you would have the local FAN and a national feed going to Sirius. And when the Mets play, the national feed could have Steve Somers taking calls. CBS is paying him to be in the studio during the game, now they can put him to work.

This would be a win-win situation for all. For the folks who can't afford $13 a month they can listen to 660AM. For the folks who may live outside the market they could still hear the FAN minus the games. You have to remember tons of people who grew up in the NY-NJ-CT area moved out of the area (expensive, traffic), miss hearing the FAN. It may be worth $ 13 a month to hear 660.

Take the plan one more step...CBS should build up the "FAN" brand. Go after ESPN. Rename CBS Sports to "FAN". Could start a cable channel called THE FAN. ESPN is a solid brand but they do alot of things wrong. I liked ESPN 20 years ago. Now...they turn me off. The games they play when it comes to SportsCenter. Like you have to wait for the last 5 minutes of the program to see the Mets coverage.

THINK OF THE BIG PICTURE!

 

[SPRINGFIELDRAD]

Hey if you like newspapers. It's been years since I touched a newspaper.

I'm sorry to hear that you don't read newspapers. Last week Michael Savage told us on his show that his dad would bring home 3 or 4 newspapers every day when he lived in da Bronx. More opinions.

I could read the newspapers on the Net but I enjoy having the hardcopy in my hands. I think the newspaper industry is making a mistake giving away their product for free (most papers) on the Net. It's worth $$$...let the folks pay. Keeps folks working too.

The great newspaper man/broadcaster Jerry Eisenberg (ch 5 Sports Extra,not sure of spelling of his last name) told Mike & the Dog a few months ago that he likes the newspaper hardcopy. You can take into the john. Bingo!

 

[pbf1]

Maybe you should be contacting Sirius directly with this.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm sorry to hear that you don't read newspapers. Last week Michael Savage told us on his show that his dad would bring home 3 or 4 newspapers every day when he lived in da Bronx. More opinions.

Newspapers are dying, with many of the large multi-paper publishers awash in red ink. Classifieds have gone to the web, and under-35 is not buying papers.

In my case, I have had to threaten legal action against the LA Times to stop them from periodically delivering free papers. Several of my neighbors joined the complaint, too. None of us had any interest in rereading the same things Drudge gave us links to the day before.

I could read the newspapers on the Net but I enjoy having the hardcopy in my hands. I think the newspaper industry is making a mistake giving away their product for free (most papers) on the Net. It's worth $$$...let the folks pay. Keeps folks working too.

Newspapers charge per copy less than it costs to print each paper. They just cover some of the costs. Newspapers make money from ads, not sales of the paper itself. On the web, there are no per-copy costs, so they can give it away and increase page views and click throughs.