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After OMW drove to western Cuyahoga County yesterday and experieced 92.3's very shaky coverage...I think there should be little doubt that the new sportstalk station should be on 98.5.
92.3's directional antenna pattern protects 3 radio stations. What "protects" means is, 92.3 in Cleveland Heights pulls-in their signal towards the southeast (92.5 in Alliance/Canton); northwest (toward Detroit), and southwest (towards WCOL-FM in Columbus, also on 92.3).
So, the listener's ability to hear 92.3 locally in those 3 directions gets worse the farther you are from their I-271/east side tower site. 92.3's coverage is kinda wedged in....that's why it's so marginal and inconsistent across northeastern Ohio.
Nobody, certainly not me, is picking on WKNR, WNCX's classic rock format, or 92.3's current alternative/talk format. All 3 stations have listeners and advertisers, and people working for them.
But, the reality is...radio's a business. And, the hole in the Cleveland market for FM sportstalk is about as big as an elephant.
If CBS does it right and well...they should have the beginning of a killer sportstalk station on what I believe will be 98.5.
This is happening in larger markets all over the US, and obviously seems to work best in cities with major league franchises.
Should be interesting. Could happen as soon as tommorrow morning.
92.3's directional antenna pattern protects 3 radio stations. What "protects" means is, 92.3 in Cleveland Heights pulls-in their signal towards the southeast (92.5 in Alliance/Canton); northwest (toward Detroit), and southwest (towards WCOL-FM in Columbus, also on 92.3).
So, the listener's ability to hear 92.3 locally in those 3 directions gets worse the farther you are from their I-271/east side tower site. 92.3's coverage is kinda wedged in....that's why it's so marginal and inconsistent across northeastern Ohio.
Nobody, certainly not me, is picking on WKNR, WNCX's classic rock format, or 92.3's current alternative/talk format. All 3 stations have listeners and advertisers, and people working for them.
But, the reality is...radio's a business. And, the hole in the Cleveland market for FM sportstalk is about as big as an elephant.
If CBS does it right and well...they should have the beginning of a killer sportstalk station on what I believe will be 98.5.
This is happening in larger markets all over the US, and obviously seems to work best in cities with major league franchises.
Should be interesting. Could happen as soon as tommorrow morning.
Ok...remember....if there is to be an fm sports station at CBS/CLE. There is a strategy involved.
How do you make a change which least disrupts your business and which does not give aid and comfort to the enemy.
Therefore.....switching 98.5's formst does not make sense. too much dirsuption in market and to business.
You want to be sure you p*** off the least amount of people and get as much positive street talk as possible.....
Pull the plug or switch WNCX and the "noise" will be unbearable and that will obstruct the goal of the new format launch, and give aid and comfort to the enemy.
( IN MY HUMBLE OPINION)
How do you make a change which least disrupts your business and which does not give aid and comfort to the enemy.
Therefore.....switching 98.5's formst does not make sense. too much dirsuption in market and to business.
You want to be sure you p*** off the least amount of people and get as much positive street talk as possible.....
Pull the plug or switch WNCX and the "noise" will be unbearable and that will obstruct the goal of the new format launch, and give aid and comfort to the enemy.
( IN MY HUMBLE OPINION)
What most of you don't understand is...WNCX is not a major revenue player in Cleveland.
WMJI, WTAM, WDOK, WQAL, WGAR are the top players revenue-wise in Cleveland.
WNCX did OK when Howard Stern was around. Never really great, but OK back then.
They are not a big, big money-maker for CBS comparred to WQAL & WDOK. They have a dying, rapidly-aging format.
Most of you don't work in broadcasting. You're radio and music fans, and that's great! But, you don't understand the business of radio. It's about maximum dollars...not who a format change will or will not upset.
CBS is in the radio BUSINESS. This is not a hobby. Radio owner's strategy is to earn the maximum profit for their stockholders. It's a business.
WMJI, WTAM, WDOK, WQAL, WGAR are the top players revenue-wise in Cleveland.
WNCX did OK when Howard Stern was around. Never really great, but OK back then.
They are not a big, big money-maker for CBS comparred to WQAL & WDOK. They have a dying, rapidly-aging format.
Most of you don't work in broadcasting. You're radio and music fans, and that's great! But, you don't understand the business of radio. It's about maximum dollars...not who a format change will or will not upset.
CBS is in the radio BUSINESS. This is not a hobby. Radio owner's strategy is to earn the maximum profit for their stockholders. It's a business.
To this point, CBS has to accomplish 2 things in order for this move to be successful.Tim said:
1. Set a launch date for the new CBS Sports station that should be on 98.5 in order to reach a maximum audience in a sports hungry town like Cleveland. Labor Day would be the perfect launch date for the mass audience (not just us on this board and insiders) to know about this new station. Promotion is just as important as talent and audience reach. Also, the Browns play their 1st game 6 days after Labor Day and Ohio State would be just days removed from their 1st game.
2. WNCX moves to 92.3 also on Labor Day. I know NCX and Classic Rock is a older format, so CBS should use that to their advantage. Yes, this is not as much of a money maker as WQAL and WDOK, but CBS does still make some money from NCX. Using August to make that audience know of the move would allow them to be prepare for the move when it finally happens instead of being surprised when they randomly turn to 98.5 and they hear sports and revolt the station for good. Oh and Maxwell can go with NCX after Labor Day.
So on Labor Day [9/5/11]: 92.3 becomes WNCX, 98.5 becomes "The Fan." Oh and to send a message to WKNR, make the start time for the switch at 9AM so that no one in this market is listening to tRBS that day.
AntDog152 said:
Indeed, CBS yanked Paul Turner away from Good Karma - because of his employment/usage on so many CBS sports stations, especially WFAN - Turner is set to image "The Fan" when it launches on Labor Day weekend. GKB had a drop-dead date of August 1st to find a new imaging voice.
Don't think WNCX would take a month to tell their listeners "hey, we're changing frequencies on Labor Day". That would kill the element of surprise for both 92.3 and 98.5...and piss off the alternative listeners (all 12 of them...sorry about that!).
Stations flip formats and frequencies overnight...unannounced.
Just because most of us got tipped to this change in the past couple weeks doesn't mean the planning hasn't taken place months in advance...including the launch date, new imaging, targeting & talking to potetial on-air staff, and promotional plans.
This news leaked out BECAUSE their plans were already in motion. Rumors didn't leak out, and CBS execs didn't say..."hey, those radio geeks on blogs are talking about us....we've better take some time to plan this Cleveland thing out!". Usually rumors leak out after plans are well under way, and very close to taking format change action.
Stations flip formats and frequencies overnight...unannounced.
Just because most of us got tipped to this change in the past couple weeks doesn't mean the planning hasn't taken place months in advance...including the launch date, new imaging, targeting & talking to potetial on-air staff, and promotional plans.
This news leaked out BECAUSE their plans were already in motion. Rumors didn't leak out, and CBS execs didn't say..."hey, those radio geeks on blogs are talking about us....we've better take some time to plan this Cleveland thing out!". Usually rumors leak out after plans are well under way, and very close to taking format change action.
Tim said:
CBS actually DID that when they created The Sports Hub.
The press release was sent out a full month in advance to give heritage rocker WBCN/104.1 a chance to say goodbye - and for Hot AC WBMX "Mix 98.5" to let their listeners know they were moving to WBCN's dial spot of 104.1.
And they also hyped it up on Facebook.
So there's nothing in my mind that says they can't do it again, especially since WNCX, despite not having enough in the revenue department, has enough heritage for their audience to 'plan accordingly' a few weeks in advance. Plus, with 92.3's shaky history overall, WNCX will last another 10 years and can give that frequency some needed stability. It makes complete sense.
And there's the Rib Cookoffs and other things going on Labor Day weekend. What better way to trumpet the launch of "The Fan" and WNCX's move to 92.3?
Usually when a format switch take place, not everyone is completely sure what the new format will be. This is different, everyone who follows radio or is involved with the business knows what is going to happen (that includes insiders, us, and even the competition at WKNR). There are already people in place for FM Sports to happen so why not embrace it? Lets not lose track of this, WNCX looks like is also going to be involve. I'm sure CBS still wants to still make money with WNCX and also finally make money with the 92.3 frequency. Why not promote this and make a move that could displace GKB and further compete with CC in this market.
Promoting the frequency/format changes for weeks in advance will not make CBS any additional money. There is zero financial benefit.
Usually, you don't give all of your competitors confirmation of your plans weeks in advance, and give them time to make adjustments.
In Cleveland, there are no other money-making format alternatives for CBS. I'm sure they'd hate it if Clear Channel hears of their plans (because they've told the world), and decides to flip WMMS to sports before they go sports on 98.5. More illogical things have happened elsewhere in the past.
You make the switches overnight...and possibly run promos on 98.5 that say something like "for WNCX listeners...all the great classic rock you love has moved to 92.3".
If CBS plans to move the current 92.3 format to one of their HD channels...maybe run similar promos on the new WNCX 92.3 directing the old format's listeners to HD or a website.
Usually, you don't give all of your competitors confirmation of your plans weeks in advance, and give them time to make adjustments.
In Cleveland, there are no other money-making format alternatives for CBS. I'm sure they'd hate it if Clear Channel hears of their plans (because they've told the world), and decides to flip WMMS to sports before they go sports on 98.5. More illogical things have happened elsewhere in the past.
You make the switches overnight...and possibly run promos on 98.5 that say something like "for WNCX listeners...all the great classic rock you love has moved to 92.3".
If CBS plans to move the current 92.3 format to one of their HD channels...maybe run similar promos on the new WNCX 92.3 directing the old format's listeners to HD or a website.
I respectfully disagree. CBS has a golden opportunity to get males of all ages excited for a new FM Sports station and Labor Day is right around the corner. CBS can change the landscape of this market by actually promoting this switch (which also means promoting their possible new website, new social media virtues with FB/Twitter/Youtube/Google +, etc..). The NCX audience might not listen to the new station long enough to hear the "NCX has moved to 92.3" promos. That audience needs to know about this switch so that 92.3 NCX will actually work. If CBS doesn't do that, Then 92.3 won't make them any more money.Tim said:
Tim said:
Say WNCX either was moved to 92.3 or extinguished in order to make way for sports. The only stations that *could* benefit are V-107.3, WMJI or even The Lake - all three have some format overlap, but not that much. Neither will make a full time move to classic rock. It's not worth it in a revenue sense to go with an aging format that will have diminishing returns over the next decade. But V could make a decided lean to classic if they wanted to.
Likewise, if radio 92.3 is extinguished to make way for WNCX or "The Fan," the only station that can make a move to alternative is V-107.3. And unless there are drastic changes at V, it's likely not going to happen.
August 1st is too early for "The Fan" to launch. Most of their lineup hasn't even been filled out yet outside of the morning and afternoon slots (and afternoon is supposedly half-filled). They can't fill out the rest of the day with Sporting News or FSR programming and hope no one notices.
The classic example of a premature launch was when V-107.3 debuted a week in advance (after print and internet reports seemed to force their hand) and the station failed to give The Wave a proper sendoff. It ended up sounding amateurish in retrospect.
Not to say the Fan couldn't launch as early as August 15 (IMO, with no proof whatsoever) but it's very well likely that CBS will hold firm with the start date. Maximize the hype for all its' worth. Put all the billboards up, buy ad time on local TV/cable TV inserts, have the PD bother to cover the story... etc.
And I have no idea if CBS has any other moves in store. For all we know, AntDog152 could be dead on. Or it could even be more radical; "The Fan" replaces WNCX... and "radio 92.3" remains in place. I honestly wish I knew that end of the equation right now.
Radio is a highly-competitive business.
Media people as well as radio fans really just found out about this format change less than 2 weeks ago. If radio fans have known about this for 2 weeks, you know the folks at WKNR & other radio stations here & around the country know too.
I'd be shocked if CBS didn't go sportstalk on 98.5 either tommorrow morning or very, very soon...days from now, certainly not weeks from now.
Keeping it as quiet as possible, and making a sudden format change is more about letting your competition have as little time as possible to make adjustments or even beat you to the punch by switching to the same format first.....than about considering any inconvenience of the listeners or advertisers.
Again...it's a business first and foremost.
Media people as well as radio fans really just found out about this format change less than 2 weeks ago. If radio fans have known about this for 2 weeks, you know the folks at WKNR & other radio stations here & around the country know too.
I'd be shocked if CBS didn't go sportstalk on 98.5 either tommorrow morning or very, very soon...days from now, certainly not weeks from now.
Keeping it as quiet as possible, and making a sudden format change is more about letting your competition have as little time as possible to make adjustments or even beat you to the punch by switching to the same format first.....than about considering any inconvenience of the listeners or advertisers.
Again...it's a business first and foremost.
You have to be kidding me. Radio (and all other forms of media) is all about satisfying Advertisers and listeners, then worrying about competition. CBS cannot rush this launch because if they do, people in Cleveland will run back to KNR by September.Tim said:
Let's assume that 98.5 does go to sports. Either Classic Rock or Alt. Rock will be gone. If CBS wants to go the cheap route, they keep Alt. Rock since its already jock-less. But I think they go with Classic Rock because as Nathan pointed out to me on Twitter, the call letters and the heritage is there.Nathan Obral said:
I'm not all that convinced that classic rock will be the survivor when this game of musical chairs stops. See my most recent item.
So as of now, it appears one of these options will take place.
1. 92.3 goes sports; Alt Rock is no more.
2. 98.5 goes sports; NCX moves to 92.3; Alt Rock is no more.
3. 98.5 goes sports; NCX is no more; Alt Rocks stays put.
4. Nothing happens (which would suck for all of us).
BTW welcome back to the board OMW.
1. 92.3 goes sports; Alt Rock is no more.
2. 98.5 goes sports; NCX moves to 92.3; Alt Rock is no more.
3. 98.5 goes sports; NCX is no more; Alt Rocks stays put.
4. Nothing happens (which would suck for all of us).
BTW welcome back to the board OMW.
AntDog152 said:
Thanks, AntDog. See my item...I don't wanna retype all that.
IMHO, #4 is not an option, unless this the biggest, nationwide game of "Radio Punk'd" anyone's ever seen. There's a sports station acomin'...we just don't know where.
CBS has a long track record of planning, executing, and succeeding at the sportstalk format. These folks know what they're doing. This isn't brain surgery to them. They are pro's.
Highly successful AM & FM sportstalk formats owned by CBS (& others) are all over the country, and nearby in Detroit, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh.
Put on a well-planned and executed format that's a good fit for the market on a decent signal and the listeners and then advertisers will follow....it's not the other way around.
You don't openly tip off your competitors by publically announcing your moves weeks in advance, and you don't beta test your format on a poor coverage frequency first.
I, and some other very well known contributors to these blogs, are simply amazed at some of the ridiculous comments made on this (and other) sites.
Highly successful AM & FM sportstalk formats owned by CBS (& others) are all over the country, and nearby in Detroit, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh.
Put on a well-planned and executed format that's a good fit for the market on a decent signal and the listeners and then advertisers will follow....it's not the other way around.
You don't openly tip off your competitors by publically announcing your moves weeks in advance, and you don't beta test your format on a poor coverage frequency first.
I, and some other very well known contributors to these blogs, are simply amazed at some of the ridiculous comments made on this (and other) sites.
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