• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

NEW SPORTS STATION

johnbasalla said:
Should we take this to mean that CBS has resigned itself to believing they are going to be here for awhile, or have they decided that they truly want to be here for awhile?
Click to expand...

They've resigned themselves to the fact that they will be here awhile. (BUT is someone meets their asking price the day after THE FAN CLEVELAND launches, they're still outta here.)
 
johnbasalla said:
Should we take this to mean that CBS has resigned itself to believing they are going to be here for awhile, or have they decided that they truly want to be here for awhile?
Click to expand...

I think it's both.

Quite frankly, the four-station cluster was never worth as much as CBS was asking for in the current economic straits. They aren't going to have another fire sale at dramatically reduced prices. There won't be another fire sale like in Denver, where they gave up that cluster for an absurd pittance (and in Denver, CBS even has a TV O&O!).

CBS actually put themselves into their own predicament by putting the smaller markets, including CBS Cleveland (excluding KDKA AM/FM and WJZ AM/FM) on the market in mid 2008. Then the Bear Stearns collapse and late 2008 credit crisis hit. Since then, few people want to really make any significant investments into this nationally depressed economy, let alone in radio broadcasting.

Think about it: who really would want to buy radio stations, period?

Outside of Randy Michaels' Merlin Media (and they only have three stations at this moment) the pickings are VERY slim. Entercom isn't buying, and hasn't since taking some of CBS' stations in 2007 (Cincinnati, Rochester et al) and then sold most of those stations off. Bonneville sold most of their stations outside Salt Lake and the Northwest over to Hubbard, and who knows what Hubbard wants to do. Cumulus is a ticking time bomb ready to merge into an already bankrupt Citadel. Emmis just gave up their Chicago holdings and a major FM stick in New York to the aforementioned Merlin Media. And Radio One and Salem have problems of their own. There's really no one that can come close to meeting CBS' demands, and these four stations likely won't be sold piecemeal.

While radio 92.3 is cheap to run with minimal overhead, AND gets good ratings, it likely won't bill as much as having a hyper-local sports talker in a sports-centric market, be it at 92.3 or 98.5. Even if it's to help increase the value of the cluster so they can get out in five years (or even sooner than that, depending when/if the economy ever improves), CBS clearly is now committed to investing into the Cleveland cluster. Proving the old adage, you have to spend money to order to make money.
 
johnbasalla said:
Should we take this to mean that CBS has resigned itself to believing they are going to be here for awhile, or have they decided that they truly want to be here for awhile?
Click to expand...

More the former. They realize they cannot unload now. They made huge dollars when Howard was on NCX. Could be they will invest in a sprts operation. If so you can wonder what Mel will make his kid do?
 
And, Nathan's last (longer) post today was perfect. And, totally correct from a programming & business standpoint. Excellent, Nathan.
 
Nathan Obral said:
vjm said:
Nathan Obral said:
Think about it: who really would want to buy radio stations, period?
Click to expand...

I could think of a couple of guys who have their daddy's trust funds ;)
Click to expand...

CBS will never deal with the Karmaizans. Period. Lol. ;D
Click to expand...

Never said CBS would sell.

I was talking in general of who would be dumb enough to buy a radio staion period, especially today.

You just know Aaron Goldhammer would love to use his allowance to buy his own station and play big time radio boss.
 
CBS will never deal with the Karmaizans. Period. Lol. ;D
[/quote]

Just my imagination running wild, but I see the following conversation taking place between two CBS Radio execs about nine months ago...

EXEC ONE: That blankety-blank Karmazin was such a blah-blah-blah...
EXEC TWO: speaking of Karmazin, you know he bought his kid a bunch of sports-talk stations.
EXEC ONE: HMMM.
EXEC TWO: Their biggest station is in Cleveland...
EXEC ONE: Aren't we stuck with a cluster in Cleveland?
(pause)
EXEC ONE: Let's start working up a plan for a sports-talker in Cleveland.
 
unpwn said:
Why does nobody think that WDOK will be the one to flip?
Click to expand...

1. WDOK is solid as a rock, they are a cash cow and a big ratings grabber. Trapper Jack, Nancy Alden, and Delilah (via syndication) are institutions over there. Why blow it up?

2. I was privillaged enough to get some inside info, and without giving away my source or details, trust me when I tell you 92.3 is a lock to flip.
 
vjm said:
unpwn said:
Why does nobody think that WDOK will be the one to flip?
Click to expand...

1. WDOK is solid as a rock, they are a cash cow and a big ratings grabber. Trapper Jack, Nancy Alden, and Delilah (via syndication) are institutions over there. Why blow it up?

2. I was privillaged enough to get some inside info, and without giving away my source or details, trust me when I tell you 92.3 is a lock to flip.
Click to expand...
I'm not an insider, but I would guess if CBS gets a local PBP, I could see a 98.5 simulcast along with 92.3. Does anyone see Maxwell being a lock for Morning Drive on 92.3?
 
AntDog152 said:
I'm not an insider, but I would guess if CBS gets a local PBP, I could see a 98.5 simulcast along with 92.3. Does anyone see Maxwell being a lock for Morning Drive on 92.3?
Click to expand...

Maxwell on 92.3--possible, if only to finish out the contract. Bill Louis (PD/midday host) probably would prefer a more music intensive morning show.

And a 92.3/98.5 simulcast would be perfect, especially for the Browns. As I have mentioned before, just up the road the Buffalo Bills have a double FM flagship, so there's the template for CBS Cleveland.
 
Everything I've heard about this suggests it'll launch on 92.3.

As for "dual flagships", of course, the Browns NOW are on WMMS AND WTAM (give or take some Indians conflicts early in the NFL season). An FM and an AM, but still two flagships.

I suggest that launching on 98.5 would be less messy in that fashion, though the Browns rights are a ways from being available (2013, right?).
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom