• 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

Now That UT Regents Have Tabled the 98.9-FM Purchase, Is the Deal Off?

E

everydayguy

As intx was the first to report the news on radio-info this afternoon, UT's Board of Regents has tabled the purchase of Oldies KXBT for use as a new UT-owned radio station. The regents were expected to vote their approval of the $6-million purchase today.

Wonder why that happened?

Is that a polite way of saying "this ain't gonna happen"? Or is it "we need more time to study this and it will happen later"?

Either way, it looks like Oldies has been given some additional life.

IMHO, I still can't see UT purchasing KXBT from a purely political standpoint in light of continued budget cuts to higher education in Texas. Might be hard to explain to the Texas Legislature when they meet in session next January and demand even more cuts to college budgets.

Even if the UT loan used to purchase KXBT is indeed to be re-paid from underwriting and listener membership dues, it still might not look so good to the higher-ups when the message to colleges is cut, cut, cut.
 
I would personally rather KGSR 93.3 Emmis sell it's station to UT. Why? According to Wikipedia, and Yelp they offer a type of Adult Album Alternative format, plus the folks that whine about KGSR saying it has become to generic will get their wish, The old KGSR coming back.

Not to mention it is closer to the dial from KUT 90.5!

Also, at one time, Emmis owned "Oldies 103.5" KEYI. All Emmis would have to do is sell 93.3 to UT and acquire 98.9.

Problem solved.
Everybody is happy!
Anyone from Emmis on the boards?
 
Seems like somebody might have asked a couple of logical questions, such as, why are we paying 6 million dollars for this station? Isn't there another station out there that we can get cheaper?
 
CTHank said:
Seems like somebody might have asked a couple of logical questions, such as, why are we paying 6 million dollars for this station? Isn't there another station out there that we can get cheaper?
Click to expand...

Like KUTX 90.1 covering West Texas back in 1996, cost = $150,000
KXBT 2012 Leander Austin cost= $6,000,000.00 times 4 percent interest times 20 that's $4.8 million over 80 percent more over time! Powers probably knows it is a dud.
 
Indeed, but if this was a done deal, then all we would have had Wednesday was a rubber stamp vote. But who knows? The Regents have flipped before...and quickly.
 
KXBT ratings are up now at a 3.4 Probably the best since the final La Lay days. KUT gets a 5.3, if you were to divide KUT in half you would get a 2.7 for both, but I would say the News/Talk would get a 3.1 while the other gets a 2.2 if they don't KGSR will.
If this deal goes through and KUTX plays AAA artists, it would be wise for KGSR to resurrect Classic Hits. If they go Top 40, it would be rough competition.

But I still think UT can get KGSR for less money.
 
willdav713 said:
But I still think UT can get KGSR for less money.
Click to expand...

Not a chance! KGSR is easily the best value added buy in Austin and might even be one of the best in the country. Emmis isn't letting it go.
 
Maybe it IS off....

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/price-future-of-radio-at-issue-in-uts-2416325.html

Is there a future for over-the-air radio?

That appears to be one of the questions that prompted University of Texas System regents to abruptly table a vote this week on the purchase of a sister radio station for UT-operated 90.5 KUT-FM, Austin's National Public Radio affiliate.
Click to expand...

The decision to table the matter, coupled with officials' unwillingness to discuss it in any detail, underscores a relationship between UT-Austin and the Board of Regents that has been tense since early last year, when regents' Chairman Gene Powell hired a special adviser who had written that much academic research lacks value and that some tenured faculty members should be replaced with lower-cost instructors. The adviser was dismissed after seven weeks.
Click to expand...

The deal appears to be snared not only in issues regarding the future of radio, but also in the sour relations between the regents and UT-Austin. Once an idea/proposal gets snared in UT's internal politics, it's generally doomed.
 
"Not a chance! KGSR is easily the best value added buy in Austin and might even be one of the best in the country. Emmis isn't letting it go."

It's now also got ratings.
 
Are they really serious about the future of radio? Did I just read that KUT is moving into a 20,000 sq ft facility? UT is about raising money and nothing more. They can't justify raising money with the purchase of 98.9? Something isn't right.
 
mmnassour said:
They're talking about the future of OTA broadcasting, not audio production and distribution.
Click to expand...

I understand. And football is just a fad that will fade away too. UT wants the Longhorn Network to succeed when nobody seems to want to pay for it. Perceptions are realities and I agree. But the wealthy continue to invest when other flock away in fear. Radio may morph into something else, but it isn't going anywhere soon. The regents on the other hand.......
 
Don't think the regents won't outlast broadcast radio.....you might lose that one! ;D

But seriously, if I had to put money on it, I think the sale's dead. 1) The regents are looking for a reason to step on the UT-Austin administration and 2) when the original thread started I said such a sale would be political suicide in front of the Legislature. That still goes.
 
With the exception of Eklektikos, isn't KUT news/talk most of the daytime hours anyway?
They could keep that one music show and turn the rest of KUT's broadcast schedule to news talk.
Then they can stream and HD2 music shows during the day and add KVRX to the distribution mix at night.
$6,000,000 Saved.
 
fredcantu said:
With the exception of Eklektikos, isn't KUT news/talk most of the daytime hours anyway?
They could keep that one music show and turn the rest of KUT's broadcast schedule to news talk.
Then they can stream and HD2 music shows during the day and add KVRX to the distribution mix at night.
$6,000,000 Saved.
Click to expand...

Fred I was about to say that! LOL.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom