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Nathan Graham out at WTDY... changes coming?

They already confirmed they weren't going to blow up the two stations in question B96 and 104.3 Jams in favor of saving that signal
I’m sorry, but where was that confirmed? It was a rumor originally, and there’s nothing to say it may not still happen with at least one of those frequencies.
 
For the sake of argument, let's say that management decrees that one of the stations in the Philly cluster has to go. Let's look at the options...
  • WBEB: For like $400 billion, maybe they'd let that one go. LOL
  • KYW and WPHI-FM: NewsRadio format that rakes in cash and complements several sisters (from a sales perspective).
  • WOGL: Classic Hits format that also complements several sisters.
  • WIP-FM: Sports format that, once again, complements several sisters.
  • WPHT: A poorly-rated station languishing on the AM band and being listened to by a small handful of people who will be dead in a year.
  • WTDY-FM: An also-ran CHR that will never be anything more than that.
They're not selling anything from the top 4 bullets on the list. Who would even want to buy the 5th bullet? WTDY-FM is the cheese that stands alone.
 
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For the sake of argument, let's say that management decrees that one of the stations in the Philly cluster has to go. Let's look at the options...
  • WBEB: For like $400 billion, maybe they'd let that one go. LOL
  • KYW and WPHI-FM: NewsRadio format that rakes in cash and complements several sisters (from a sales perspective).
  • WOGL: Classic Hits format that also complements several sisters.
  • WIP-FM: Sports format that, once again, complements several sisters.
  • WPHT: A poorly-rated station languishing on the AM band and being listened to by a small handful of people who will be dead in a year.
  • WTDY-FM: An also-ran CHR that will never be anything more than that.
They're not selling anything from the top 4 bullets on the list. Who would even want to buy the 5th bullet? WTDY-FM is the cheese that stands alone.
I say go Hot A/C. No one is doing it in the market.
 
I’m sorry, but where was that confirmed? It was a rumor originally, and there’s nothing to say it may not still happen with at least one of those frequencie
The previous regime already dumped the AM sports station, albeit in a trade, once they moved to FM. The comparisons between the clusters in the two markets aren't very parallel. Putting a few stations into a trust to offload is not remotely "they're going to sell the top sports station in Philly." Moreover, Audacy invests as well as cuts. At one point in the not too distant past, WPHT "turned off the lights" at noon (figure of speech there) to run syndicated shows the other 18 hours of the day. Now, they run local until 7 p.m. (sports notwithstanding). They've added local programming time on some other stations as well. It's not an all or nothing proposition.

Could they sell 96.5? Of course. If someone has the cash, great. Not a lot of buyers out there--meaning it's basically EMF at this point who has deep enough pockets. But that wasn't what precipitated this particular branch of the conversation; it was rumors of a format change, not an asset sale. If they're going to sell something here, it's 96.5, not 94. Not in a million years.
I mean you could be right but there going to have to make some drastic changes to stay afloat avoid bankruptcy and being delisted on the NYSE. Cutting a few jocks here a few jocks here and there isn't gonna cut it when the debt load is $2 billion They are gonna have to sell some of their valuable asset. They are just trimming the fat right now to see where that will get them, but they are going to have to cut more drastically. Another point who is going to spend money to buy a low rated CHR ...no one. But they can still make passive income if they centralize everything. On the other hand who is going to buy a top rated sports station...you may have some takers . Then Audacy makes the cash they need to try and pay some of the bills and get rid of some salaries in the process. I know they can syndicate sports shows after the morning show airs but if the ratings drop to sub two it's cheapening the brand and then it's defeating the purpose of why they were gonna keep the station to begin with.
 
I mean you could be right but there going to have to make some drastic changes to stay afloat avoid bankruptcy and being delisted on the NYSE. Cutting a few jocks here a few jocks here and there isn't gonna cut it when the debt load is $2 billion They are gonna have to sell some of their valuable asset. They are just trimming the fat right now to see where that will get them, but they are going to have to cut more drastically. Another point who is going to spend money to buy a low rated CHR ...no one. But they can still make passive income if they centralize everything. On the other hand who is going to buy a top rated sports station...you may have some takers . Then Audacy makes the cash they need to try and pay some of the bills and get rid of some salaries in the process. I know they can syndicate sports shows after the morning show airs but if the ratings drop to sub two it's cheapening the brand and then it's defeating the purpose of why they were gonna keep the station to begin with.
And as far as the other they aren't gonna sell. It's rumored Molly Cruz is coming to Chicago, and they are actively finding someone for 104.3 . You don't typically relocate a PD, if you plan on blowing up two stations. Jocks maybe.... but PD they wouldn't do that. You also wouldn't actively try to find a new PD for 104.3 if you plan on blowing up the station especially when you have an interim person in that position. The interim would be the replacement. There not flipping B96 or 104.3 both bill well and are on cruise control.
 
And as far as the other they aren't gonna sell. It's rumored Molly Cruz is coming to Chicago, and they are actively finding someone for 104.3 . You don't typically relocate a PD, if you plan on blowing up two stations. Jocks maybe.... but PD they wouldn't do that. You also wouldn't actively try to find a new PD for 104.3 if you plan on blowing up the station especially when you have an interim person in that position. The interim would be the replacement until it's time to turn the lights off. There not flipping B96 or 104.3 both bill well and are on cruise control.
 
I mean you could be right but there going to have to make some drastic changes to stay afloat avoid bankruptcy and being delisted on the NYSE. Cutting a few jocks here a few jocks here and there isn't gonna cut it when the debt load is $2 billion They are gonna have to sell some of their valuable asset. They are just trimming the fat right now to see where that will get them, but they are going to have to cut more drastically. Another point who is going to spend money to buy a low rated CHR ...no one. But they can still make passive income if they centralize everything. On the other hand who is going to buy a top rated sports station...you may have some takers . Then Audacy makes the cash they need to try and pay some of the bills and get rid of some salaries in the process. I know they can syndicate sports shows after the morning show airs but if the ratings drop to sub two it's cheapening the brand and then it's defeating the purpose of why they were gonna keep the station to begin with.
There is no indication nor reason to believe they would run syndicated fare in major day parts on WIP (specifically excluding sports play by play packages outside of the teams they already have rights to). So wherever that line came from, it’s fictional.

WPLJ wasn’t lighting the world on fire and it got a buyer. Because the brand means nothing to EMF, nor should it. If they come knocking with a decent offer, it would be financial malfeasance not to vet it. WIP makes them a proverbial boatload of money, and they’re not going to be cutting that off.

A buyer for the sports outlet paying a premium? Who? Who is in a buying mode that would be able to make it work? The big operators in town other than Audacy we know. Which one is shelling out the money to add that to their cluster? No one. And no one is going to come to Philly for a stand-alone (again, excluding EMF) since the overall value diminishes when you don’t have a cluster for combo buys.

Every operator obviously has a lowest performer (and I’m excluding WPHT being an AM dinosaur). That doesn’t always mean a change or sale are imminent. All business options that make sense should be on the table, but there’s a whole lotta fantasy going on in that post.
 
Just throwing this out there but would urban one want to buy 96.5 they have been buying non urban formats so you never know
 
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