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DToTheJ said:
Hmmm....
Maxwell in the moring doing hot talk with maybe a Daryl Ruiter being brought in as the token "sports guy" (with Bob and Tom taking over AMD at NCX) leading into to Dan Patrick at 9, followed by Les Levine and Bud Shaw at noon, then Chuck Galletti and/or Chuck Booms in PMD, filler in the evening , and Tony Bruno at 10.
You'll never see an FM sports station with Les Levine or Bud Shaw. Unless it's a station targeted at old guys.
Ron Lee said:
The interesting concept: CBS has indeed placed 'hot talk' shows as morning centerpieces on their FM sports talkers, especially in Boston (Toucher and Rich), Washington, DC (the [Sports] Junkies), Baltimore (Ed Norris) and Detroit (it's sports-centric, but has FreeFM holdover Bill McAllister). That doesn't mean that Maxwell would become a morning anchor, but it would certainly make life easier for WNCX. (Plus CBS may in the mode of wanting to burn off MWL's contract and develop the rest of the station in the meantime... then retain either Chunk and/or Stansbury for a more sports-centric morning show.)
Late mornings: It has to be good. Not to out-tRBS tRBS, but to actually create a listenable program with likable people. Even Rover's sidekicks, as awful as they are, have some degree of likability with their audience... and that's where tRBS has long lacked. You need a good, strong straight man along with the heel that can play contrarian without people utterly despising their guts (Goldhammer and Fedor never have grasped that concept).
Jeff Thomas has long deserved a hosting role in his own right (his WEOL/930 morning show notwithstanding)... I'm pretty sure he can play the straight man and ringleader while keeping his sense of humor. As for a primary co-host/foil, Dennis Manoloff's had recent history with segments on Bob Frantz' show... I'd give D-Man a shot.
Not sure if it's possible, but Premiere would be nuts NOT to get Jim Rome off of WKNR and onto 92.3. But does CBS want to do it, or does CC prevent Premiere from doing it (ie, with the intent of poaching Rome onto WMMS)? That move alone would make headlines like none other... and it forces WKNR's hand.
Les is perfect as an anchor, but I would place him solo in late afternoons. His regular TV guest roster would obviously carry over as radio sidekicks - and I bet Les would still keep his NEON gig. Maybe Booms comes on board as he and Les have had previous experience together (on NEON and what is now WARF/1350). Wouldn't hold my breath on it, tho.
Early evenings: Ken Carmen. I consider him a rising star and easily the best new host in the market, even though WARF (stupidly) canceled his show late last month. Pair him up with Joe Lull, Daryl Ruiter and/or Brian Deitz (another rising star IMO). You won't regret it.
Late evenings/Tribe/Cavs postgame: Steal away Brinda. Still WKNR's best host, bar none. And late nights/weekends/swing shift is perfect for Greg IMO. Again, it forces WKNR's hand.
Again, this is taking into account that 92.3 would want to pull off a switch like this. They *could*, but I'd have no idea otherwise.
vjm said:
Craig and Co. sell WKNR and WWGK to advertisers based on the format alone. Not the ratings.
And the one thing I keep in mind with regard to CBS Radio: remember that they have absolutely no love lost for the Karmaizan clan. Does it mean "92.3 The Fan" is a slam dunk? Hell no.
But think of it this way: if GKB was quietly pursuing an FM simulcast/relay for WKNR, wouldn't you want to try to cut them off at the gate by unleashing a competitor beforehand? Somehow, the possibility of WTAM on that pesky little FM translator starts to make even more sense, too...
Nathan Obral said:
My point had nothing to do with ratings, but more with the fact that the 65 sales nerds that run "ESPN Cleveland" are out there sniffing for advertisers 24/7, unlike Salem, who let the station fend for itself to pick up scraps.
Would CBS flip 92.3 to spite Team Karmazin? That would be the one station they'd try it on, because the other 3 stations in the Cleveland cluster are all stable and solid as a rock across the board.
92.3 has had so much upheaval over the years, it's not even funny.
vjm said:
If 92.3 flips to sports, Team Karmazin's sales geeks better buy several truckloads of Alka-Seltzer. Because all of their clients buy into the station by default.
And that's when Craig will wish he had an FM to put WKNR on... the fact that they are on AM will prove to be GK's greatest liability. Especially when, at night, WKNR is imperceptible west of Crocker Park. GK won't be able to compete in sales *unless* he gets an FM relay.
vjm said:
Ironically, "radio 92.3" has been the most stable 92.3 has been... well, since the "Jamn' 92" days. And that says A LOT. (The 2001-2005 "Xtreme" era was so scattershot prior to Rover, and even then they were still were very unstable!)
Flip 92.3 to mono with a and it'll help in fringe areas, even though it will still be subpar in comparison to WDOK, WNCX or Q104.
Nathan Obral said:
Spoken like a true non-salesperson. What difference could it possibly make that their signal is reduced at night? Radio listenership and advertising plummets after sundown. Unless they were airing the Indians or Cavs, which they obviously are not, it shouldn't matter.
Capulet said:
Do I have hard numbers, no.
But knowing how GKB works + knowing Salem's M.O. + common horse sense tells me that KNR now brings in more ad $ than when Salem ran it.
KNR is run by sales geeks whose sole mission in life is to sniff out advertisers, while Salem let the station to twist in the wind to fend for itself.
Heck, all the ads for beer and...ahem...gentlemen's establishments that 850 is peppered with these days wouldn't have seen the light of day on the Salem run WKNR for obvious reasons.
Capulet said:
From November through March, WKNR has to be in that putrid night pattern in the middle of afternoon drive and much of morning drive - as early as 5:00 pm in December and 5:15 pm in January.
That's pretty damn significant. And it misses all of Lorain County. You telling me those suburbs don't matter? Because they sure as hell do. And if they are more likely to pick up KOA/850, CC's 50kW blowtorch out of Denver, you've got a big-time problem.
vjm said:
They're ALL run by sales geeks! ;D
Too bad we can only speculate. Mel got a good deal on WKNR. Had to be billing 3 or 4 million a year, otherwise he would not have ponied up the million & and half for that "one no one can hear" to force Salem's hand on the sale of WKNR.
Don't kid yourself. Salem was selling that sports station. Salem did not cater to the 3 B's that sports stations live on ( beer, betting, broads ) but they made some hay over there.
The only way I can see CBS going after the sports dollars ( i.e. change format to sports talk on one of their signals) is if the dollars KNR is billing now are disproportionate to what a sports talk station in this size market traditionally bills....power ratios....that sort of thing.
If those numbers are out of whack and opportunity for CBS exists to garner those dollars, they will make a play. I don't think that scenario exists.
Nathan Obral said:
Nobody at CBS is looking at full power/reduced power coverage at WKNR if they are contemplating a format change. 92.3 has always been a sales match with the classic rock station. More likely they are looking at demos and dollars with the ones they already own. Does CBS want to upset that apple cart ( 98.5/92.3 compliment )? Sports talk is a 45+ all male demo. Seems like CBS has that demo with the classic rock.
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