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Rush Limbaugh on the outs with Cumulus?

P

Poledo

News going around today...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2013/05/05/rush-limbaugh-cumulus_n_3220699.html

So Rush may soon be looking for new affiliates in Pensacola and Fort Walton. This could get interesting.
This could spark WNTM to move to 107.3 but that still leaves a hole in Fort Walton. Is there any chance WAAZ might sell to Clear Channel to extend the WFLA network all the way to the Alabama state line? Or would Fort Walton be looking toward Apex to flip 103.1 to Talk?
 
Look for Rush to make a change in Jacksonville too. He is currently on WFOY but feel sure that WOKV will be looking for a home run with their new and improved FM signal.
 
Rush is on WFLA 100.7 Tallahassee and WFLA 94.5 Panama City (both clear channel) So what would those clear channel stations will do?

1. flip another formact and dropped newstalk

2. Found a replacement for Rush?
 
Clear Channel owns the company that syndicates Rush, so he ain't going anywhere in Tallahassee, Panama City, Tampa, Orlando, or Mobile, AL. Rush is having problems with Cumulus owning the station that broadcasts his show in New York City and when Clear Channel pulls Rush from WABC and moves him to Clear Channel owned WOR it is expected he will be pulled from all 60 Cumulus owned stations that carry Rush. As far as I know that will only effect Fort Walton and Pensacola in North Florida.
WNRP would be glad to take Rush in Pensacola but that keeps him on AM. There has been much speculation over the past couple of years that Clear Channel might flip 107.3 or 96.1 to a 100kw Mobile/Pensacola News/Talk station, but without a big name like Rush it hasn't happened. This may be the spark that it ignites the 100kw Clear Channel News/Talk blowtorch for the Mobile/Pensacola market... Fort Walton is the problem, the only Talk radio station they have that isn't owned by Cumulus is The Patriot 1400/94.3 with a pitiful signal that doesn't even cover downtown much less the entire two county metro. I assume Apex will be looking at the ROI on flipping one of their stations to News/Talk if Rush's contract becomes available in Fort Walton. My guess is 103.1 is the most likely candidate.

It would be cool for Clear Channel to fill out their WFLA network by obtaining WAAZ 104.7 in Creatview to create a new Pensacola/Fort Walton News/Talk station. Even though WAAZ could live on in Crestview on 1050 with the addition of one of those fancy new FM translators, I really don't see it happening, but one day the age of WAAZ's owner has to catch up with him and put the station and it's 100kw signal on the market.
 
Rush would be expensive for a small station or group operator to pick up. His syndication fees are high.

Don't see any format changes anytime soon.
 
musiconradio.com said:
Rush would be expensive for a small station or group operator to pick up. His syndication fees are high.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too. WDBT covers the northern half of Okaloosa/Walton. WFLF-FM covers the south-eastern corner. And IF 107.3 or 96.1 flips to WNTM-FM and switches to mono they would probably reach Fort Walton with an acceptable signal. This would greatly effect the decision on how much it's worth investing in an FM talk format and it wouldn't be possible to study the potential value of a local station until it's known if Cumulus dumps Rush in all markets and where Rush ends up in Pensacola.
It would be a shame for CC not to eventually put a mono talk or sports format on the underpowered 107.3 but it seems the trend is to put Talk on the bigger signal in the market... that leads me to believe 96.1 may be CC's choice for News Talk and 107.3 would become a buzzy Classic Rocker. That's assuming CC takes the rights for Rush in Pensacola and ADX/WNRP may very well be willing to pay well for Rush.... so just gotta wait out the speculation for now.

But I don't see Fort Walton - Destin NOT having a Rush affiliate of it's own and besides The Ticket, The SeaBreeze, and WAAZ... Apex is the only player left in the market that could carry Rush (and maybe Beck and Hannity too). If they program cheap, I figure they would only have to fill 12 hours a day with Talk and find a local morning show and a source for local news inserts. I know that would still be expensive but it should be a nice sales combo with Highway 98 and Wave 102. If Apex has the resources why wouldn't they want in on the FM Talk format in a military market with a big News hole?
 
I wonder if this is why Rush has never been moved from WCOA-AM to WCOA-FM? I figured there was an actual signal overlap issue but unless it's unique to Premiere, other shows overlap a lot. Kim Kommando and Huck Mikeabee are both on 100.7 and 106.5…

If Rush went from one AM to another in Pensacola, it would be a lateral move so no real loss. Then again, WPNN is picking up an FM translator, so there's that if WNPR passes.

As for FWB, why is it so important for Rush to be on there? There are other small markets like that where Rush isn't on. He isn't the end-all-be-all for talk even though he's still the Godfather of conservative radio.
 
Zach said:
If Rush went from one AM to another in Pensacola, it would be a lateral move so no real loss. Then again, WPNN is picking up an FM translator, so there's that if WNPR passes.
Click to expand...
I can't see WPNN being willing to pay much for Rush. I don't know if WEBY might be willing to get in a bidding war with WNRP? I guess Clear Channel may offer to purchase WPNN or WEBY and program their own News/Talk AM in Pensacola... but why would they do that instead of using one of the Mobile/Pensacola class C FM's?

Zach said:
As for FWB, why is it so important for Rush to be on there? There are other small markets like that where Rush isn't on. He isn't the end-all-be-all for talk even though he's still the Godfather of conservative radio.
Click to expand...
I believe FWB has the highest percentage of active/retired military of all rated markets in the SouthEast. I'm actually surprised WFTW is really the only news/talk station FWB (94.3 The Patriot and that 1120 station are both unreliable). I believe Rush wants to be on the air in FWB and I believe enough people want to listen to Rush in FWB to prop up a station and make it profitable.

Are there any rated markets in the south without Rush?
 
Zach said:
I wonder if this is why Rush has never been moved from WCOA-AM to WCOA-FM? I figured there was an actual signal overlap issue but unless it's unique to Premiere, other shows overlap a lot. Kim Kommando and Huck Mikeabee are both on 100.7 and 106.5…
Click to expand...

Even though there's talk about sagging revenues, Rush still brings in a nice penny. Just not as nice as before. But still nice enough to where a station will go to great lengths to protect market rights. Cumulus doesn't mind Huck being on 106.5. The additional clearance means more $$ in their pocket. Plus, the show is still in growth mode. So, any chance to promote their product, they'll take.

Kommando is a good show. But it's a niche, weekend, "filler" show. Not enough money there to start a market rights argument over.
 
If WAAZ is for sale, am surprised it's still owned. The stick can be moved to H98 and the 1050 could be moved to a 24 hour frequency for Crestview.

We really do need a WFLA station out here in the non Florida part of Florida, All we hear is Mobile this and Mobile that.. the Braves + high school football games can be moved to Your Country 102.7 if they are so included to move their stick eastward to blanket Crestview/Ft Walton Beach.

-Rob
 
So Cumulus got the Mike Huckabee show and promoted the hell out of it in order to create competition for Rush and to be the anchor program on Cumulus owned talk stations. Now it's come out that Huckabee's contract ends later this year and he hasn't agreed to sign an extension... Huckabee might be on his way off radio. This news surfaces the same week Cumulus and Rush get heated and Rush threatens to pull off Cumulus stations? Coincidence? Is Cumulus' entry into big time talk radio syndication falling apart already?
Is the recent explosion of FM Talk radio just a fad that is already fading away? Is FM talk dying faster than All 80's or Jack FM?
 
Jacks still ok, Poledo. At least in a fair amount of the markets. Rush would be smart to never deal with Crums. No one wins that game ever. FWIW, Cruds owns 99.7 WTN in Nashville and it doesn't have Rush, but CC's WLAC-AM does have Rush and sadly is not the top talk station here. But, as always, The Dickeys are continuing to maximize their standards of excellarence and doing everything they can to win the bottom of the barrel ratings vault. They s-canned Dave Ramsey on WTN to help their remarkable influence on local American radio, relegating him to a signal that barely works, after 20 years in his hometown. As for Huckabee, he's probably a decent guy in person, but the paint peels listening to his show. Other than all these reflections, Crux is doing great things striving to pay back that debt.
 
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