Rumor: Entercom/Nassau WEEI network deal dead

[newsbot]

Rumors are flying that the much-delayed plan to network WEEI programming on a number of Nassau-owned stations in Northern New England is off for good. Could the collapse of this deal endanger the joint venture to maintain classical programming on WCRB?

 

[raccoonradio]

Who knows--one rumor said stations like "the Bone" in Portland would change on New Years' Day or
shortly thereafter but check out the Northern New England board, where one rumor said various
problems may be delaying or killing off the sports simulcast on the 11 stations (approx.) Also
would affect one or two stations down the Cape.

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,88987.0.html

 

[Laurence Glavin]

Rumors are flying that the much-delayed plan to network WEEI programming on a number of Nassau-owned stations in Northern New England is off for good. Could the collapse of this deal endanger the joint venture to maintain classical programming on WCRB?

What do you mean "maintain"? Do you regard the "Skater's Waltz" as "classical music"? The Sunday Globe for December 30th ran an article on the Year In Classical Music, by which they meant the REAL THING. No mention of the "Skater's Waltz", Pachelbel's "Kanon" (German spelling), or Albinoni. There was one telling item: there wasn't a single unsold seat at the Framingham Cinema for the HD live telecasts of the Saturday Metropolitan Opera matinees last season; that's why I had to drive to Regal Cinemas in Marlborough to see them...smart move of WCRB's previous "management" to discontinue the on-the-air broadcasts a few years ago so they could carry soon-to-be-bust dot.com advertisers' spots. I wonder if they paid for them before declaring bankruptcy!

 

[JustinT]

The deal surrounding WCRB with Nassau selling 50% ownership to Entercom was sketchy at best. Wasn't the purchase price said to be something like $10 million, less than a year after Nassau paid 60-something million for the frequency?

If anything, the rumored failure of the Entercom/Nassau deal, presuming it also includes the WCRB component, means that 99.5 won't be flipping to the next WEEI relay anytime soon.

 

[TravisWMLN]

i know a programmer that said one of the stations in his cluster is flipping very soon.....and I heard that maybe a week ago? so as far as I know that deal is still good as gold

 

[rapking]

Rumors are flying that the much-delayed plan to network WEEI programming on a number of Nassau-owned stations in Northern New England is off for good. Could the collapse of this deal endanger the joint venture to maintain classical programming on WCRB?

I hope these Rumors are True . I like WEEI ,( Only station in Boston worth listening too )but not on all radio signals . WEEI is on too many signal, Right now ( 103.7, 1440,105.5,850 ) . I like see The Radio dial, have different Radio formats , not the same station on 2 or 3 or 4, radio signals( 97.7, 107.3 is Garbage ) .

 

[BRNout]

Rumors are flying that the much-delayed plan to network WEEI programming on a number of Nassau-owned stations in Northern New England is off for good. Could the collapse of this deal endanger the joint venture to maintain classical programming on WCRB?

I hope these Rumors are True . I like WEEI ,( Only station in Boston worth listening too )but not on all radio signals . WEEI is on too many signal, Right now ( 103.7, 1440,105.5,850 ) . I like see The Radio dial, have different Radio formats , not the same station on 2 or 3 or 4, radio signals( 97.7, 107.3 is Garbage ) .

I have to agree with rapking, this business of simulcasting has gotten out of hand. For example, Nassau's McRadio version of a "classic hits" format (Frank) is now simulcast on 3 frequencies in NH (106.3, 99.1 and 104.9) where it competes with Nassau's McRadio answer to "classic rock" that is now simulcast on 2 frequencies in NH (102.3 and 101.5) which are given the brilliantly original "Hawk" moniker. In both cases, Nassau has made it possible to not know whether you're listening to the radio in New Hampshire, New York or Pennsylvania as these formats sound exactly the same in all areas where Nassau has them. Close your eyes and you could be in Reading, PA rather than Manchester, NH (and that would not be a good trade, either!) ;D

All 5 signals were independently programmed before Nassau took over - by the way. For my money, they were better before Nassau too. Then again, now you can hear "Born in the USA" and fried-to-a-crisp songs by Bob Seger every single hour.

Another example is having 102.1 and 105.3 (the Shark) on 2 highly overlapping signals in the NH Seacoast area. I never could figure out why that one was necessary. Basically if you can get one, you can get the other. The signal differences in the area between York and Seabrook is negligible. And then we have the poster child for unnecessary simulcasts: WAAF on 97.7 - as well as on a freshly weakened 107.3.

In the meantime, the area suffers from a great lack of programming diversity. Nassau and Entercom have played a huge part in making this happen.

 

[raccoonradio]

Fybush is also saying the deal is dead ("now there's word that Nassau and Entercom were unable to close the deal, and now the arrangement is history"), in an addendum to his web column yesterday

http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html

>>"10A. The Nassau-WEEI deal collapses"

Fybush says we'll keep watching what will happen--will WEEI attempt a deal with someone else to
spread out 'EEI programming? What's WCRB's future (half owned by Entercom) etc.
Probably best to go to the Northern New England board to discuss the options for Entercom bringing
WEEI to that area, perhaps with OTHER stations.
(Weird theory but could happen: WEEI buys the rest of WCRB and replaces classical ("Oh, we'll put
it on an HD channel") with The Whiner Line. Can reach well into southern NH...then again WEEI
pushes north fairly well anyway (or at least pushes to a N/S signal at sunset)

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCRB&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

(Though..is the deal for Entercom buying half of WCRB a part of this deal, or separate?)

 

[Mickey37]

the area suffers from a great lack of programming diversity. Nassau and Entercom have played a huge part in making this happen.

Unless and until the government makes it easier for the little guy (and gal) to get back into the game, it's only gonna get worse. I'm not a big-government kinda person, but I can't say that the current landscape of deregulated radio is good for the listener/consumer.

 

[NO DAG]

Don't forget a lot of these company shelled out big big bucks to purchase these stations, and in some cases well over their true market values.. Those mortgage payemts and a soft advertising market have yielded the results you are hearing out of your speakers..

 

[JustinT]

(Weird theory but could happen: WEEI buys the rest of WCRB and replaces classical ("Oh, we'll put
it on an HD channel") with The Whiner Line. Can reach well into southern NH...then again WEEI
pushes north fairly well anyway (or at least pushes to a N/S signal at sunset)

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCRB&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

(Though..is the deal for Entercom buying half of WCRB a part of this deal, or separate?)

I think it's separate.

Thing is, 99.5 could put WEEI on FM in it's home market, but the station really needs signal help in MetroWest and areas of Worcester that can't pick up the weak 1440 WVEI signal at night. Knowing that Citadel needs the help paying off some bills, could Entercom possibly grab 104.5 WXLO to use as the next WEEI relay? And at the same time grab Citadel's old Portland, ME rimshot 93.9 WCYI?

 

[rapking]

(Weird theory but could happen: WEEI buys the rest of WCRB and replaces classical ("Oh, we'll put
it on an HD channel") with The Whiner Line. Can reach well into southern NH...then again WEEI
pushes north fairly well anyway (or at least pushes to a N/S signal at sunset)

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WCRB&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

(Though..is the deal for Entercom buying half of WCRB a part of this deal, or separate?)

I think it's separate.

Thing is, 99.5 could put WEEI on FM in it's home market, but the station really needs signal help in MetroWest and areas of Worcester that can't pick up the weak 1440 WVEI signal at night. Knowing that Citadel needs the help paying off some bills, could Entercom possibly grab 104.5 WXLO to use as the next WEEI relay? And at the same time grab Citadel's old Portland, ME rimshot 93.9 WCYI?

What wrong with the internet ? alot of radio stations stream online . There is no need for One station, to be on many radio signals . Hot 106 in Providence is on a weak signal , and Hot 106 has adds saying , " Listen to us online ,at Hot1063.com". The Internet is everywhere ( DeskTops,Labtops,Cell Phone's ).

 

[BRNout]

Don't forget a lot of these company shelled out big big bucks to purchase these stations, and in some cases well over their true market values.. Those mortgage payemts and a soft advertising market have yielded the results you are hearing out of your speakers..

Oh, I agree with you. But it's awful for the listener.

And the problem seems quite pronounced in most of New England....particularly in the wake of Nassau's buying spree a couple of years ago. There are a lot of stations and, 10 years ago, there was a lot more in the way of diversity and choice on the radio.

Unless and until the government makes it easier for the little guy (and gal) to get back into the game, it's only gonna get worse. I'm not a big-government kinda person, but I can't say that the current landscape of deregulated radio is good for the listener/consumer.

Nor am I a fan of big government - they tend to screw up everything they touch. However, I must agree that the current free for all has not been a good thing for the general public. Not sure how much I'd want the FCC messing around here - basically out of fear that they'll make things even worse.

All that being said, you'd think that someone in the area would want to put additional (missing) formats on the air that are DIFFERENT than what everyone else is offering. But, Nassau seems incapable of programming anything other than sanitized classic rock so we apparently can't expect anything from them. Basically, they are one step above those nutballs at EMF/K-Love that are shoehorning religious stations in everywhere. So, radio in New Hampshire is just awful now and radio in Maine is far poorer than it once was. And, Nassau's influences even affect metro Boston (from the north) with their boring rimshots and their poor excuse for classical on 99.5.

Entercom (as a corporation) is capable of doing some better music formats, but not in Boston with the present management. Again, I keep hoping that someone in Boston will have the cubes to flip one of their mediocre FM signals to something urban. There certainly is the demand for it - and the potential is good for it to do well. That it hasn't happened already is really sad.

 

[JustinT]

Entercom (as a corporation) is capable of doing some better music formats, but not in Boston with the present management. Again, I keep hoping that someone in Boston will have the cubes to flip one of their mediocre FM signals to something urban. There certainly is the demand for it - and the potential is good for it to do well. That it hasn't happened already is really sad.

I'm not sure Entercom is all that much better than Nassau. Haven't most of their recent flips been to "Charlie FM" Jack clones and "The Wolf" country formats (hey, doesn't Nassau use that name too)? As an exception, they did launch a MOViN clone in Memphis, which judging by Yes.com looks a lot like WQSX but with perhaps even a more train-wreck playlist.

When Entercom bought into Boston, I recall looking at their portfolio and seeing a much more diversified group of formats than what they presently have. It's very rock and news/talk heavy today. It's sad to think that CBS is the only hope for something unique but it really is.

 

[JIBGUY]

Rumor has it that WCYI (tx near Lewiston; and Portland rimshot) is being sold to a religious outfit. (Maine certainly needs another one of those!).
-------------
Many stations are now worth about 75% of what they were worth just 3 years ago in 2005. -And probably LESS than that 75% in Northern New England, as certain companies are selling off some of their stations, and another is likely considering such. That will put a glut of stations for sale in Northern/Central New England.
-------------
Another unsettling aspect of this is that no one is anticipating a RISE in Northern New England Population. If anything, perhaps a fall in population (to move south), due to the high heating costs that will apparently never go down significantly again.
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Not a pretty picture.

 

[Ozman]

Another example is having 102.1 and 105.3 (the Shark) on 2 highly overlapping signals in the NH Seacoast area. I never could figure out why that one was necessary. Basically if you can get one, you can get the other. The signal differences in the area between York and Seabrook is negligible. And then we have the poster child for unnecessary simulcasts: WAAF on 97.7 - as well as on a freshly weakened 107.3.

don't even get me started with 107.3 WAAF. I can't believe they Gave 94.1 Providence, Lazer 99.3 Springfield and The Rock 106.9 WCCC control of their own markets as well as Nothing to really listen to in Brattleburo VT (okay maybe q 106). WAAF Used to come in clearly all the way from Exit 5 in Vt mile marker 30 or so all the way to New Haven Ct points south! its Just under 150 Miles of Highway with nothing but dead air frequency now on 107.3 now Imagine how many potential listeners that is... what the %$&#! where they thinking

 

[NO DAG]

don't even get me started with 107.3 WAAF. I can't believe they Gave 94.1 Providence, Lazer 99.3 Springfield and The Rock 106.9 WCCC control of their own markets as well as Nothing to really listen to in Brattleburo VT (okay maybe q 106).

Jamie, my young friend, Entercom, owners of WAAF, cares basically about one market, maybe two.. Boston, where the big advertising buck are, and to some extent, Worcester.. Radio is a business. WAAF's old tower gave the station bragging rights that it impacted the Providence, Worcester, Springfield, Manchester, and Hartford rated markets.. At the end of the day, none of that impacted the bottom line.. For example, it's great that WTOS hs this monster signal we all know that.. How many advertisers do you hear from NH ? VT ? Western ME ? Probably scant to none..

Back to topic.. Any more details on WEEI / Nassua in NNE ??

 

[necrat123]

I would think WXLO makes too money for Citadel to release it for any reason. I would bet more on 100.1 The Pike or WORC being sold to Entercom over WXLO, IMHO.

 

[BRNout]

Rumor has it that WCYI (tx near Lewiston; and Portland rimshot) is being sold to a religious outfit. (Maine certainly needs another one of those!).

If that's true, it's really a shame. These religious broadcasters take up perfectly good signals for formats that almost NO ONE listens to or cares to listen to. For all our (valid) complaints about how poorly things like simulcasts, McFormats, and automation are for the public at large - these crappy religious broadcasters take the cake. No one can argue that such a deal would be in the best interests for the residents of the Lewiston/Auburn market. This is an area where the FCC COULD do some good - by controlling such deals.

Another unsettling aspect of this is that no one is anticipating a RISE in Northern New England Population. If anything, perhaps a fall in population (to move south), due to the high heating costs that will apparently never go down significantly again.

I don't agree with this broad-brush comment. Nor am I sure what you think of as "northern New England". If you're stereotyping little mill towns like Berlin, NH or Rumford, ME - then you have a point. But, not all areas within this region are the same. A closer look is needed here:

Southern New Hampshire is one of the only growth areas in the entire northeast. And, southern Maine (from roughly Freeport southward to Kittery) has a lot of potential for growth. Both are very attractive areas in which to live, both offer a surprising number of amenities and both offer a healthy number of high-tech job opportunities.

Burlington has also seen some growth, but much less than the two areas mentioned above.

About heating costs, I must tell you that the cost to heat a house is not significantly more in Merrimack, NH or Scarborough, ME than it is in metro Boston. And, frankly, I don't see that much difference in my utility bills after a recent move from NH to the Philadelphia area. The single-digit percentage of savings in heating costs is more than offset in the summer with higher air conditioning bills.

Anyhow, the high-growth portions of northern New England are being poorly served by the radio powers that be. I see short-sighted planning and formatting of most stations serving New Hampshire and of a good percentage that serve southern Maine. Yes, I am calling Nassau out on that - they have been the big driver in this area. And, I find their formatting to be endemic of what's wrong in radio today. But, they are not alone in this. Too many broadcasting companies throw a lot of bucks at big, stagnant markets while ignoring smaller markets with more growth potential. Face it, this is a business that is not usually run by the best and brightest.

 

[CTListener]

Rumor has it that WCYI (tx near Lewiston; and Portland rimshot) is being sold to a religious outfit. (Maine certainly needs another one of those!).

If that's true, it's really a shame. These religious broadcasters take up perfectly good signals for formats that almost NO ONE listens to or cares to listen to. For all our (valid) complaints about how poorly things like simulcasts, McFormats, and automation are for the public at large - these crappy religious broadcasters take the cake. No one can argue that such a deal would be in the best interests for the residents of the Lewiston/Auburn market. This is an area where the FCC COULD do some good - by controlling such deals.

Proselytizing is part and parcel of Christianity for the denominations that run radio ministries. I don't think the FCC or any other government branch can do anything about those radio station deals on the grounds that Christian evangelism isn't in the best interest of a given community.