No Sale Looming, ESPN 98.7 expected to pivot to Music

[exdjted]

From Inside Radio:

With No Sale Imminent, New York’s ‘ESPN 98.7’ Will Give Way To Music In Weeks.

It appears increasingly likely that a new music FM will debut in the New York market in 30 days. Emmis Communications, which owns WEPN (98.7), says its long-term local marketing

www.insideradio.com

Now, the speculation can begin on the "placeholder" format.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The transmitter at the ESB will be connected to Jeff Smulyan's iPhone by Bluetooth connector

 

[Kelly A]

To me, this is the key paragraph:
"As part of its agreement with the New York Jets, Knicks and Rangers, Good Karma Brands was required to give notice to the teams’ owners that it would no longer be able to fulfill the FM distribution portion of its rights agreement for the games, starting Aug. 31, 2024. News of that development leaked to the New York Post."
I'm not privy to the contract, but if Good Karma Brands contract with these teams extends past the point where the LMA with Emmis has the plug pulled early, expect lawsuits accordingly.
I don't blame Emmis for selling out. $50M for a full market FM signal in NYC could be considered a bargain, even by today's deflated standards.

 

[CTListener]

To me, this is the key paragraph:
"As part of its agreement with the New York Jets, Knicks and Rangers, Good Karma Brands was required to give notice to the teams’ owners that it would no longer be able to fulfill the FM distribution portion of its rights agreement for the games, starting Aug. 31, 2024. News of that development leaked to the New York Post."
I'm not privy to the contract, but if Good Karma Brands contract with these teams extends past the point where the LMA with Emmis has the plug pulled early, expect lawsuits accordingly.
I don't blame Emmis for selling out. $50M for a full market FM signal in NYC could be considered a bargain, even by today's deflated standards.

Not with advertising in a seemingly bottomless decline, and FM shedding marketable listeners by the month. Even in NYC, the value of radio stations going forward is depressing. Emmis should take what it can get for the station ASAP because it will only be able to get less later.

The constant lawsuits and threats of lawsuits are depressing. Radio and the sources of radio programming are descending into courtroom warfare. Sure, the Jets may get a nice chunk of change after having its FM flagship disappear in favor of some placeholder music format just as the season is starting, but does that money make up for the advertiser dollars the team will be losing with its games off FM?

 

[mets18]

To me, this is the key paragraph:
"As part of its agreement with the New York Jets, Knicks and Rangers, Good Karma Brands was required to give notice to the teams’ owners that it would no longer be able to fulfill the FM distribution portion of its rights agreement for the games, starting Aug. 31, 2024. News of that development leaked to the New York Post."
I'm not privy to the contract, but if Good Karma Brands contract with these teams extends past the point where the LMA with Emmis has the plug pulled early, expect lawsuits accordingly.
I don't blame Emmis for selling out. $50M for a full market FM signal in NYC could be considered a bargain, even by today's deflated standards.

Emmis did not pull the plug early. The contract is expiring. There will be no lawsuits. The Jets have moved on and the Knicks and Rangers have agreed to stay on AM only.

 

[luperm]

This article tells us nothing new other than no buyer has yet emerged and as widely assumed, there will be a filler format.
A little fun for radio geeks, but meaningless in the long run.

That $50 million ask is aspirational at best.

 

[Mediafrog+]

There are new rumblings that SBS is about to close on the KROI purchase in Houston. If they get that out of the way could SBS then be in a position to make its rumored move on WEPN-FM in the very near future?

 

[RadioGuy1864]

Most of us on this board have said $50 million is not going to happen. SBS could be a serious candidate, but they will have trouble coming up with even $40 million without some creative financing in place.

 

[JJSPC]

Seems like there isn't anything real serious with a buyer. If there was and putting music on was just a short term rather than a long term solution they could just simulcast AM 1190 instead of putting the time and effort into something else while waiting for the sale approval from the commission.

 

[kevtronics]

I'm thinking of a WLIB simulcast, too. Why create a placeholder format when you already have one you can just patch in to the transmitter?

 

[sjs1959]

Alternative Country Polka?????? (ducks)

 

[Loverofradio]

“Why are you speculating on what the format will be? You’ll know who the buyer is when it’s released.” - literally everyone on this board

 

[Theater of My Mind]

From Inside Radio:

Not an easy read with all the missing words and punctuation. Does anyone proof read their articles over there?

Now, the speculation can begin on the "placeholder" format.

Syndicated feed or 1190 simulcast.

 

[TheBigA]

Whenever you see an article that begins with the words 'It appears likely,' it's all speculation. If they had actual facts, they would put them in the first paragraph. Instead, the only fact is that no buyer has been announced. From then on, it's all hooey. The quote is unnamed and undated. It reads like a blanket statement that could have been made in October. The rest is a rehash of everything we knew last September. In other words, they know as much as anyone here.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Whenever you see an article that begins with the words 'It appears likely,' it's all speculation. If they had actual facts, they would put them in the first paragraph. Instead, the only fact is that no buyer has been announced. From then on, it's all hooey. The quote is unnamed and undated. It reads like a blanket statement that could have been made in October. The rest is a rehash of everything we knew last September. In other words, they know as much as anyone here.

It's no different than follow-up pieces at any other media outlet no matter how big or small. No one is going to publish a one-sentence article so they give you the update and rehash everything that led up to it.

 

[TheBigA]

It's no different than follow-up pieces at any other media outlet no matter how big or small. No one is going to publish a one-sentence article so they give you the update and rehash everything that led up to it.

That would be fine, but the headline makes it seem like they know something, and they don't.

When they have an exclusive, they will say ''An Emmis spokesman told Inside Radio....'' But it's not written that way. Nobody told them anything. It's all conjecture. We can do that ourselves.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

That would be fine, but the headline makes it seem like they know something, and they don't.

When they have an exclusive, they will say ''An Emmis spokesman told Inside Radio....'' But it's not written that way. Nobody told them anything. It's all conjecture. We can do that ourselves.

We can, but then everyone will jump down your throat telling you not to discuss what you don't know. Not unlike accusing the trade publication of writing about something they don't know. I guess we're all supposed to hold the line for some Emmis official to put out a press release. Got it.

 

[TheBigA]

I guess we're all supposed to hold the line for some Emmis official to put out a press release.

Otherwise, it's all poop. The fact that they didn't include the Jets leaving for WAXQ tells me the article has been written for a while.

 

[CTListener]

Whenever you see an article that begins with the words 'It appears likely,' it's all speculation. If they had actual facts, they would put them in the first paragraph. Instead, the only fact is that no buyer has been announced. From then on, it's all hooey. The quote is unnamed and undated. It reads like a blanket statement that could have been made in October. The rest is a rehash of everything we knew last September. In other words, they know as much as anyone here.

Mea culpa. Should have known, since it wasn't from the site we all know and trust around here. Obviously, Lance would have been first with the facts if anything had actually been released today. That's online journalism for you. Anyone can set up a professional-looking website, even wannabe industry fanboys looking for clicks.

 

[kevtronics]

Whenever you see an article that begins with the words 'It appears likely,' it's all speculation. If they had actual facts, they would put them in the first paragraph. Instead, the only fact is that no buyer has been announced. From then on, it's all hooey.

Just like when the commentators on a certain news outlet say "Some people say..." Which people? It's them! They're the ones saying it, and trying to pretend it's not their own opinion or talking point.