SANDUSKY - MARION - MANSFIELD - FINDLAY?

[kentuckymedia]

Well, it was made public. These along with 86 more are all up for grabs in 2007. Start placing your bets on who is first to go to who and where....

I am intrigued most about Mansfield/Ashland. That cluster will be divided more ways than one could imagine. No one except Saga could swallow all that.

Sandusky is easy. Elyria-Lorain has made offers to buy WLEC/WCPZ in the past, I would hope they make offers again. WMJK....I smell a little Bas fish in Fremont picking that up with an ABC stick.

Marion....SAGA?

Tiffin.... WTTF - Bas, WCKY - Stays with CC, WPFX - Who knows?

Lima.... eh, who knows....federated?

 

[74WIXYGrad]

Do you think that Good Karma might have an interest in any of these available stations?

 

[Rusty Muck]

I am intrigued most about Mansfield/Ashland. That cluster will be divided more ways than one could imagine.

In fact, it already has been split up. CC left the Loudenville market last year, and sold off WMVO/WQIO to Bas. Maybe Bas makes a run at one more station or two, in addition to WMJK. And it's obvious the Fox classic rock trimulcast WILL be broken up.

Hell, maybe I can make a run at WNCO A/F... naw, forget about it... I don't have THAT big an ego

Sandusky is easy. Elyria-Lorain has made offers to buy WLEC/WCPZ in the past, I would hope they make offers again. WMJK....I smell a little Bas fish in Fremont picking that up with an ABC stick.

That's my biggest hope. Elyria-Lorain's as close to a stable company that WLEC/WCPZ could ever have, and have been willing to seriously invest in their stations. But ELB's already got WKFM and WLKR A/F in their hands as a result of the Firelands buyout (up to today the company's biggest acqusition).

The WLKR combo or all three would have to be spun off, and who gets them? I'd have to say WOBL owner Doug Wilber - who tried to start a Norwalk station in the early 80's - has the inside track there. Maybe even Bas.

But if ELB doesn't have to do that, three things are automatic:

1) WLKR-FM loses the affiliations for the Indians, Cavs and OSU, as WLEC carries all three teams too - but keeps the high school football...
2) daytime WLKR-AM swaps affiliations with WLEC; WLEC gets ESPN Radio, while WLKR gets Fox Sports and Rome. (Note that WEOL is a part-time FSR affil)
3) WCPZ drops the "Mix" nickname (finally) and goes to an adult-top 40 format, while WLKR-FM continues as soft AC. There's no need for the two to cannibalize each other.


I would likely see CC giving up WCKY-FM with WTTF. 'CKY never has really been treated as a move-in to the Toledo market, and K-100 is the dominant country voice in Toledo anyway...

- Nathan Obral

 

[kentuckymedia]

As for Sandusky. I would almost assume that they will dump LKR A/F. This would allow them to move KFM into the palacial "Hut" on Cleveland Ave.

My thoughts: SANDUSKY (WLEC-A/WCPZ-F/WKFM-F/WOHF-F) Elyria Lorain
NORWALK (WLKR-A/WLKR-F) Doug Wilber
FREMONT (WTTF-A/WFRO-F/WCKY-F/WMJK-F) Bas Broadcasting

I've worked at CC Sandusy/Mansfield and Bas Broadcasting for both Fremont and Mount Vernon. I know that Bas is willing to swap shop for MJK's signal!

Then heading down the street just a few miles down 250...you end up in CC/Ashland.

My thoughts: MT. VERNON (WMVO-A/WQIO-F/WXXR-F) Bas Broadcasting
LOUDONVILLE (WXXF-F) I want to say CVCO but I know Bruce at Coshocton wants that stick too!!!!
MANSFIELD (WNCO-A/WMAN-A/WNCO-F/WYHT-F/WFXN-F/WSWR-F) Saga Comm.
BUCYRUS (WBCO-A/WQEL-F) Coshocton Broadcasting? Bruce will pick up a stick or two for sure in all this. Im sure Saga would sell that to Bruce for a pretty cheap offer.
MARION (WMRN-A/WYNT-F/WDIF-F) Maybe a new broadcaster...or Saga?

Of course this is just my thoughts, but it would for sure bring local radio back for the most part.

If Saga gets those CC sticks in Mansfield, they have to swap off Bucyrus. However, I would love it if....

WNCO/WMAN - Simulcast "NEWS RADIO MID OHIO 1340/1400"
WNCO - Country 101.3 WNCO
WYHT - Adult Top 40 Y105
WSWR - Oldies/AC "Cruisn 100"
WFXN - Adult Hits "102.3 The Fix!"

Then of course Coshocton would throw "daypart all day on QEL/BCO"

Bas is looking for another signal to compliment Mount Vernon...XXR would for sure go ABC Classic Rock

If Bruce buys 107.7, he might not daypart it as its a Wooster competitive signal. I would see Oldies/AC go on that for sure. If CVCO buys it....107.7 The River.

Marion.....who knows. Saga or BAS would go for those!

Im not even gonna touch Lima or Chillicothe, too confusing!

 

[gr8oldies]

Lima/Defiance-Art Angotti crossing the border from Indiana (he owns stations in Ft. Wayne)..not a good thing from what I read on the Indiana board but I have no firsthand knowledge.
Is Maverick at its limit or could they score one or more of the CC signals?

 

[kirkiefan]

How about just simply "something completely different"....local owners!!! DUH!
WTTF is good...when they dont have Fox Sports on! (...please CC no more "Homer" stations... please,please,please!) WBUK needs to scuttle the sattellite and bring back the real jocks and take a load off of Renee Scott. WYNT "Majic 95.9" has a local flavor and deserves to move back to Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County...one of the few CC stations I still like. WLEC,WCPZ and WMJK needs local owners too up at America's Rollercoast country...and build a bigger building to house them so they can tear down those army barricks!

 

[gr8oldies]

I doubt truly "local owners" are going to happen. CC is not going to wait for 448 individuals to score SBA loans.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Oh, it could happen, in very isolated cases.

But in most of these small markets, there's someone either lined up, or ready to go after...the companies named above, like BAS, CVCO, ELB and the like. BAS, for example, has already done business buying CC small market properties (Mt. Vernon) and assuming they have/can get the money, it'd be trivially easy for them to pick off some of the stations in that nearby region.

In some cases, there are already owners "with dibs" (per AA) on the stations. West Virginia Radio is apparently already getting its hands on CC's stations in that state - whatever they can fit, of course. I would not be surprised if some of the named companies, and others, have eyes on most of, if not all, the Ohio stations.

Call it the Dismantling of Randy Michaels' Small Market Ohio empire. Randy's the main reason the company has a gazillion stations in this state...he basically bought every one of 'em hands on, personally!

 

[VODood]

How about this one..... Randy Michaels starts buying again? He has the $$$, and he can get the investment if needed. His RadioActive LLC is just rarin' to go. I'd love to see Randy back in the game.

 

[Rusty Muck]

As for Sandusky. I would almost assume that they will dump LKR A/F. This would allow them to move KFM into the palacial "Hut" on Cleveland Ave.

My thoughts: SANDUSKY (WLEC-A/WCPZ-F/WKFM-F/WOHF-F) Elyria Lorain
NORWALK (WLKR-A/WLKR-F) Doug Wilber
FREMONT (WTTF-A/WFRO-F/WCKY-F/WMJK-F) Bas Broadcasting

I've worked at CC Sandusy/Mansfield and Bas Broadcasting for both Fremont and Mount Vernon. I know that Bas is willing to swap shop for MJK's signal!

That scenario makes sense. Maybe too much sense. I've never been there, so I'd wonder (aloud) if the WLEC/WCPZ studios could house all four stations. This also would be presuming that if BAS gave up WOHF to ELB for WMJK. There, I would immediantly presume that a straight format flip would be in the works. (i.e., "92.1 The Coast," "100.9 the Wolf") That is, of couse, if either station still wanted to have a classic rock format...

Then heading down the street just a few miles down 250...you end up in CC/Ashland.

My thoughts: MT. VERNON (WMVO-A/WQIO-F/WXXR-F) Bas Broadcasting
LOUDONVILLE (WXXF-F) I want to say CVCO but I know Bruce at Coshocton wants that stick too!!!!
MANSFIELD (WNCO-A/WMAN-A/WNCO-F/WYHT-F/WFXN-F/WSWR-F) Saga Comm.
BUCYRUS (WBCO-A/WQEL-F) Coshocton Broadcasting? Bruce will pick up a stick or two for sure in all this. Im sure Saga would sell that to Bruce for a pretty cheap offer.
MARION (WMRN-A/WYNT-F/WDIF-F) Maybe a new broadcaster...or Saga?

Of course this is just my thoughts, but it would for sure bring local radio back for the most part.

If Saga gets those CC sticks in Mansfield, they have to swap off Bucyrus. However, I would love it if....

WNCO/WMAN - Simulcast "NEWS RADIO MID OHIO 1340/1400"
WNCO - Country 101.3 WNCO
WYHT - Adult Top 40 Y105
WSWR - Oldies/AC "Cruisn 100"
WFXN - Adult Hits "102.3 The Fix!"

Then of course Coshocton would throw "daypart all day on QEL/BCO"

Bas is looking for another signal to compliment Mount Vernon...XXR would for sure go ABC Classic Rock

If Bruce buys 107.7, he might not daypart it as its a Wooster competitive signal. I would see Oldies/AC go on that for sure. If CVCO buys it....107.7 The River.

One thing that always surprised me about the Mansfield cluster is that WNCO-AM has stuck with the ABC standards format. In theory, WMAN and WNCO should have swapped formats (if not the callsigns) a long time ago.

I do agree with Chuck that Randy Michaels' RadioActive Media will get into the game. AND BIG TIME. Barring anything else, Randy should easily have a lock on the Lima, Ashtabula, Tiffin, and Marion clusters. Probably the meat of Ashland/Mansfield (WNCO A/F, WMAN, WYHT, WSWR) that isn't piecemealed out otherwise to either BAS or CVCO will be in Randy's hands.

Other than that, Randy will have to fight Elyria-Lorain and BAS for the Sandusky cluster.

- Nathan Obral

 

[Rusty Muck]

Lima/Defiance-Art Angotti crossing the border from Indiana (he owns stations in Ft. Wayne)..not a good thing from what I read on the Indiana board but I have no firsthand knowledge.
Is Maverick at its limit or could they score one or more of the CC signals?

He may want to get the Defiance cluster (WDFM/98.1, WNDH/103.1, WZOM/105.7, WONW/1280) just for "Mix 98.1". The 50kW WDFM DID have a direct translator in Fort Wayne prior to Jacor/CC ownership...

- Nathan Obral

 

[kentuckymedia]

Nathan-

I couldn't agree with you more on this scenario. I have heard that Randy is looking to go and who knows when or where....but it could be happening sooner than we all thought.

Here are my thought on how this is going to play out.

I really think that ELB is going to buy up WLEC/WCPZ. The station only has four studios, two of them are extremely small. They are currently housing WLEC/WMJK. However, I know BAS has been chomping at the bit to take on MJK's signal because they want to own Sandusky County. The newsroom is quite spacious, its the biggest studio in the building...that could easily become the new home for WKFM. Keep WLEC where it's at and move WOHF into MJK's old studio. MJK is all voicetracked, and if ELB purchased the cluster, they could keep Prophet, so tracking their jocks on those stations wouldn't be a problem.

I honestly see WOHF flipping to a EVERYTHING THAT ROCKS format. It would be a tremendous compliment to the Country and Hot AC sticks in the house. Plus an AM sports station, you couldn't ask for more. Plus I know Tim has made it quite aware that having two classic rockers in a market that is bleeding in almost five other classic rockers just isn't worth it.

Once WMJK moves to the new BAS facility on WalMart Road in Fremont, they will of course keep it Classic Rock. BAS will prolly pick up WCKY and WTTF in the move. They bought land not too long ago out on 18. I don't remember exactly where, but I know they bought 2 acres of prime property on the road.

When it comes to Mansfield, I really see Saga being the big player in this market. I know they wanna grow the market, just not sure how. See BAS and CVCO fighting over the leftovers.

RadioActive.....SOMERSET KENTUCKY, CHILLICOTHE OHIO, MARION OHIO, FINDLAY (WBUK/WPFX). I dont know if he wants to bite off Lima. Could we see Connoisseur getting into the Ohio game? Remember that there will be no Hillsboro or Washington C.H. after the sticks move around.

Of course WHEELING, HUNTINGTON and PARKERSBURG are all going to become property of West Virginia Media excluding 107.1 in Ironton, I hear that Connoisseur is going after that signal.

Just my thoughts.....

 

[kentuckymedia]

Oh....I forgot the evergrowing Defiance Market....SOLD TO RANDY MICHAELS for a Hog and some corn feed. Just kidding! But yes, Defiance.....to randy for sure!

I really agree with you on all this Nathan!

 

[SonoSational18]

My initial thoughts about Randy Michaels being a player in this scenario were that the markets were too "small potatoes". Upon further reflection, there are some interesting rim-shot opportunities. What if Randy picked up Ashtabula, Mansfield/Ashland, and Sandusky? I have it on good authority that WREO's tower could move about 10 miles to the west, providing pretty good coverage of the east side. Right now WNCO-FM's signal booms into Lorain and Medina counties... and there might be an opportunity to move 101.3 a little to the northeast, although I have not researched this. You would net a sumulcast that could cover most of the Cleveland metro. There are some possibilities with 102.5 and 102.7 as well. I have heard that it might be posible to move the two signals closer together to cover the Cleveland market from the east and the west. If there is a way to pull either of these moves off, Randy would be the guy.

 

[gr8oldies]

I've got to think that just about anything that could be moved into one of the big markets has already moved or is in the process of moving (thus I'm sure CC keeps WMRN-FM and the move to Dublin on 106.7. I had thought Randy was buying CPs more than existing stations, could be wrong. I think the speculation about BAS, Elyria/Lorain and SAGA are pretty close to right..but Lima may be a wild card.

 

[Kent]

At this point, I don't think Randy has bought any stations; I think he has just been auctioneering as so to speak. I've heard he's tried to buy several stations but has not had much luck. I'd have to think he'd like some of the Clear Channel spinoffs. True, they're mostly smaller markets, but the CP's he has are all in pretty small markets. There are some good growth markets out there, too. As an example, Fayetteville, AR is still small market, but Washington County, AR, where Fayetteville is located, is one of the five fastest growing counties in the nation. I'd be trying to jump on those stations if I were a potential buyer.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Well, as I pointed out in the last reply, Randy certainly knows these sticks. From top to bottom. He was personally involved in CC's "due diligence" for a large number of these facilities! (And those know know Randy will tell you that he probably has the technical specs for all of these stations in his head, without looking them up.)

I haven't heard anything, tho, on if he's actually sniffing around any of the CC small market spinoffs. I know RadioActive even has a couple of now-on-air stations out of that CP auction, but I don't get the sense, yet, that he's building an empire out of those CPs, or intends to operate any large number of them.

 

[csquared41]

Don't rule out ELB moving WLEC/WCPZ out of "the hut" to their "Radio Ranch" in Milan at some point, if they make a deal. They sunk lots of dough into making that a top notch facility 5-6 years ago. They had no trouble moving WLKR A/F in there with WKFM.

 

[kentuckymedia]

The Radio Ranch is a nice place, but CC spent nearly 1.5 Million into the hut, which I still dont know why, but you never know. Plus the land that the hut sits on is also the land of the WCPZ/WLEC combo tower. They can place an STL for WKFM/WOHF on the tower as well. CPZ cant move it's tower any further south or east. I know at one point they were working on a deal with Christian Faith on their massive 600 foot tower in Castalia but I think that fell through because of alchohol commercials.

All I know is you will see ELB make an offer that CC cant refuse. For the time I was there, ELB of course dominated the top position (county by county - 4 county total including Erie,Huron,Ottawa and Sandusky) with their K96. Then Mix 102 was in second place and Kiss FM Toledo was in third. The Coast had a healthy spring book, it was in the Top 5 at one point.

ELB could practically own the Northcoast Market once this is all said and done. Plus their land near the turnpike could pull in a pretty penny with all the development out that way.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The Radio Ranch is a nice place, but CC spent nearly 1.5 Million into the hut, which I still dont know why, but you never know. Plus the land that the hut sits on is also the land of the WCPZ/WLEC combo tower. They can place an STL for WKFM/WOHF on the tower as well. CPZ cant move it's tower any further south or east. I know at one point they were working on a deal with Christian Faith on their massive 600 foot tower in Castalia but I think that fell through because of alchohol commercials.

All I know is you will see ELB make an offer that CC cant refuse. For the time I was there, ELB of course dominated the top position (county by county - 4 county total including Erie,Huron,Ottawa and Sandusky) with their K96. Then Mix 102 was in second place and Kiss FM Toledo was in third. The Coast had a healthy spring book, it was in the Top 5 at one point.

ELB could practically own the Northcoast Market once this is all said and done. Plus their land near the turnpike could pull in a pretty penny with all the development out that way.

With respect to the Coast's success, a seque to active rock is plausible. Swapping signals with WOHF might help more, as 92.1 wouldn't have as much interference as 100.9 with Cleveland co-adjacents (WMJK has to deal with WMMS; while WOHF is next to directional WXRK). I know that WOHF is recieveable in much of Lorain County, but better coverage into Huron and Erie Counties will really help.

If I'm correct, the old WYXZ/98.7 "Z98" in Mansfield was an active rock station, so ELB has experience with this format. One other question would be if Bob and Tom stay...

Also: given that WEOL/930 feeds newscasts over to WKFM, I wouldn't be surprised to see WLEC's news department eventually integrated with WEOL's. That would be a nice compliment for each other, and would allow for WKFM to move into "the Hut" at the WLEC newsroom. WLEC still has a news operation, though assistant ND Dave Weidenheft obviously now has additional duties with his 3p-7p sports talk show...

In any event, The Ranch would still be home to WLKR A/F regardless if Elyria-Lorain keeps it or spins it off to someone else. And I agree with KMW - ELB is poised to be the kingpin of Lorain/Erie/Huron radio, and BAS will rule Fremont/Tiffin radio.

- Nathan Obral