T
TANK1
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The clock is ticking for the next CBS sports roll-out for Cleveland!
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There have been LOTS of rumors about this in the last couple of weeks. Mostly from sales reps at other sports outlets hoping to get a buy before CBS makes a pitch.
What station would they blow up though? All four of their stations are doing pretty well and work well together.
T
TANK1
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I'd guess CBS's KRK................modern rock/rock alternative is a dying breed unless you are well established. Granted, the numbers are better than most alternative leaning stations, BUT the move would be for male dollars. Not sure without a franchise like the Indians/Cavs/Browns..........they've been hit and miss, but a tough hit without one of them?
A company like CBS does not come into a big market and change a format unless they have some research that shows the new format will work.
If these rumors are substantiuated by fact, that tells me that the Cleveland sports talk radio fan is not happy with the current state of programming offered on WKNR.
If these rumors are substantiuated by fact, that tells me that the Cleveland sports talk radio fan is not happy with the current state of programming offered on WKNR.
TANK1 said:
WKRK was my first guess too, but the two things going against it are 1.) The signal, and 2.) The current format is very cheap to run, and if CBS wants to make a dent in the ratings in a town like Cleveland, they'll need several local shows, which cost money.
It shouldn't be too hard to beat WKNR, have at least halfway decent talk programming, and a signal that the market can hear at night. Play-by-play rights would be icing on the cake, since WTAM has all of the important ones anyway. I can't think OSU play-by-play helps WKNR that much.
And of course the wheels of format change start turning in Cleveland as soon as I leave to go back to Cincinnati for the summer. WNWV and Mix 106.5 flipped over winter break, as well as WNIO, WSOM, and all the various Mahoning Valley changes.
If CBS Radio VP of Strategic Programming Tom Bigby was in the mix he'd personally be surpervising. He put WIP/Philly on the map and launched The Ticket/Detroit, which does extremely well. I believe #1 M25-54. Bigby just announced his leaving CBS back in April. He has health issues but is still on board for consulting. I had the pleasure of interviewing with Tom a few years back. Great guy.
FM sports is big. And a no brainer. Would love to see it. The Ticket even uses jingles!
FM sports is big. And a no brainer. Would love to see it. The Ticket even uses jingles!
Say 92.3 does flip to sports.
Who becomes hosts?
Les Levine?...maybe. Perhaps pair him up with the PD's Bud Shaw in a do over of their DSN show.
Chuck Galetti?...He does fill in duty on WTAM, but I'd bet he has an out in case he's offered a full time gig.
Chuck Booms?...a possibility.
Former WKNR sidekicks/reporters/"Sportscenter" anchors like Jeff Thomas, Josh Sabo, Daryl Ruiter, Ken Silverstein, or Bob Karlovec?
What about syndicated stuff?
Well Dan Patrick and Tony Bruno are possibilities. Even though each is heard on FSR, they can be syndicated seperately as well. And don't think they won't make a play for Jim Rome if the situation presents itself.
Who becomes hosts?
Les Levine?...maybe. Perhaps pair him up with the PD's Bud Shaw in a do over of their DSN show.
Chuck Galetti?...He does fill in duty on WTAM, but I'd bet he has an out in case he's offered a full time gig.
Chuck Booms?...a possibility.
Former WKNR sidekicks/reporters/"Sportscenter" anchors like Jeff Thomas, Josh Sabo, Daryl Ruiter, Ken Silverstein, or Bob Karlovec?
What about syndicated stuff?
Well Dan Patrick and Tony Bruno are possibilities. Even though each is heard on FSR, they can be syndicated seperately as well. And don't think they won't make a play for Jim Rome if the situation presents itself.
Capulet said:
The hell you say...
unpwn said:
WDOK ain't flipping, no way, no how.
102.1 is a Soft Rock machine and a cash cow.
WMMS is doing just fine with the man-cave motif going on over there, which is even better than all sports for the male demo.
You have Rover, Alan Cox, Nicky Styxx, the Browns, a sprinkling of Tribe and Cavs, rock overnights and all weekend.
Get a testosterone driven talk show (coughJimRomecough) middays between Rover and Cox, and you're all set.
Hasn't it been established for a while that CBS wants out of their smaller markets, unfortunately including Cleveland, as we continue to lose people?
johnbasalla said:
Indeed.
These four stations have been run extremely conservative for a reason. CBS Radio doesn't want to be here, and they've made every possible reinteration that they want to leave town. Just... that pesky 2008 economic collapse basically destroyed any chance that this cluster will get any sort of a reasonable amount (at least for CBS' tastes).
So let's look at the four stations:
* WKRK/92.3: No jocks and good ratings, even with a marignal signal that suffers mightly to the west and south.
* WNCX/98.5: Preserved in amber back in 1988 - still the same station that they've always been, even with the mismatch that's MWL in mornings - and still gets decent ratings!
* WDOK/102.1: A market institution and a ratings/revenue cash-cow with a stable airstaff and heritage AMD show.
* WQAL/104.1: Done decently after finding their bearings a few years back as a more up-tempo flanker for WDOK.
Out of the four stations, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for CBS to flip any of them. WDOK and WNCX are untouchable. No need to mess with WQAL, and WKRK is just like The Lake - the "Aldi" of radio stations.
CBS has made no secret of the fact that it wants to divest itself of all stations in markets below the top 20, with the exception of markets where it owns a TV station. CBS's roll-out of sports FM's have, with the exception of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, have been in markets 1-11. In all markets (including Pittsburgh and Baltimore) there is a co-owned TV station. The format is not a cheap one to compete with. CBS has no TV station here. So, while a new FM sports station might make sense, I don't think CBS has the commitment to this market to pull it off. The most likely contender would be Clear Channel, but they have viable positions for all of their current FM's. I suspect sports may have been "plan B" for 106.5, but that flip appears to be successful. The one dark-horse possibility would be WKDD. With the new tower location, turn off the stereo and you have a signal that covers a significant portion of the Cleveland market. But.... would CC blow up 'KD to do that?
For the record, I don't see any station in the CBS or CC camp flipping to sports. WMMS (if they ever had the balls to poach Jim Rome) would be the closest thing, especially with the 'man-cave' motif. But that's about it.
It's a shame that this market has NO all-sports radio station whatsoever. The closest thing I can think of is WARF/1350 out in Akron. A real gosh-darn shame.
It's a shame that this market has NO all-sports radio station whatsoever. The closest thing I can think of is WARF/1350 out in Akron. A real gosh-darn shame.
SonoSational18 said:
I don't think CC even could blow up WKDD even if they wanted to. One Akron move-in (96.5) was one thing... but this is a whole other ball of wax altogether. 98.1 is itself a Canton move-in up to the Akron market, for crying out loud!
Nathan Obral said:
If CC were to do anything with WKDD, it would be a flip to a simulcast of WHLO or maybe WARF. They already run WHLO on their HD-2, so it seems logical. Plus then Sean Hannity could claim he has a Cleveland affiliate!
That doesn't make any sense. Why does it matter where the station used to be? It's on the northside of Akron now blasting into much of Cleveland.
Don't see anything in Akron or Canton flipping. I'm buying spots on the AMs running FSR for $2 vs. $75+ for WKDD. Have you listened to 1350? Psa, psa, psa, no way it's a money maker. WHBC switched to sporting News at night and it's the same thing, psa, psa, promo, psa.
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