• 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

Say goodbye to All-Hit 98-9...

R

radiorobert

WHTS will soon be sold to Educational Media for $3.5 million. The shocker however, is that it's going to be an non-commercial, possibly going to the K-love format.

So, it sounds as though B100 will prevail as the main CHR in the market. Congrats KBEA!!

So long 98-9. It was a good run!

For more see www.northpine.com
 
> WHTS will soon be sold to Educational Media for $3.5
> million. The shocker however, is that it's going to be an
> non-commercial, possibly going to the K-love format.
>
> So, it sounds as though B100 will prevail as the main CHR in
> the market. Congrats KBEA!!
>
> So long 98-9. It was a good run!
>
> For more see www.northpine.com
>

That is truly unfortunate, some good people will be out of work. You hate to read things like this, particularly during the holiday season. I hope they all find gigs quickly. <P ID="signature">______________
Free Lil Kim
April 29, 2005 5pm What a glorious day it was
</P>
 
Have there been any estimated dates for the format change?
 
I'm the morning guy on that station (Malibu Mark Manuel)...yes, it IS very sad that something like this happens. I guarantee you that it was a not something that Clear Channel WANTED to do...but that they HAD to do. It's really hard to believe that a heritage station like All Hit 98-9 (Top 40 since 1987) will be going non-commercial christian. I will certainly miss the Quad Cities, as it's been my home since 1975 when my dad moved us here from Wisconsin. Thanks to everyone who tuned in...it's very humbling to know that we have fans like you listening and enjoying what we do. All the best... Malibu Mark Manuel
 
Just why does Mercury have to sell? Couldnt they just end the JSA and Move out of the basement? Not really on the "know" on how JSA's work? It is VERY SAD to see such talented people on WHTS having to leave!! I got my start there and LOVE(D) the station!! Listen to it everyday and VERY proud to have graced the mirophone there!! Good luck to all with their furture!!

Shawn Geyssens
 
Sad that the Quad Cities will be basically losing one of their Full Power Class B outlets. WHTS was a good station that I always enjoyed as a regular DX catch here in Northeastern MO.

Sorry to see it go for more of the same junk that is probably already on several translators around the area. IMHO, Non Commercial broadcasts should be limited to the non commercial band (Below 92). Its not as bad to me when a format of the week rimshot gets sold to religious operators, but is is especially sad when a full power, successful station goes away for more bible thumping.

Good luck to the staff...May you all land on your feet and get new gigs for the new year. Happening at the holidays makes a bad situation a little worse.

> Just why does Mercury have to sell? Couldnt they just end
> the JSA and Move out of the basement? Not really on the
> "know" on how JSA's work? It is VERY SAD to see such
> talented people on WHTS having to leave!! I got my start
> there and LOVE(D) the station!! Listen to it everyday and
> VERY proud to have graced the mirophone there!! Good luck
> to all with their furture!!
>
> Shawn Geyssens
>
 
Huh? I guess I don't get it.

All the best... Malibu Mark Manuel
>
I'm confused too, really confused. Why did Clear Channel HAVE to do it but didn't necessarily WANT to do it. I mean, after all, it's Clear Channel. It's not obvious to me at all -- I guess I am just a little slow.

And why sell to a non-commercial religious broadcaster, of all things? I can see it now -- 15 years from now, if radio still exists, people will be talking about how 98.9 has been an essentially dead dial spot for all those years that no one pay attention to, but which could have been something useful to more than a handful of listeners. (But that's a big if, right?)

Oh wait, I get it. 15 years from now, the only people listening to FM radio will be people listening to stuff like non-commercial religious broadcasting? Is that it? (Actually, I kinda doubt this, just throwing it out there.)

Best wishes Mark et al...
 
Re: Huh? I guess I don't get it.

Clear Channel doesn't OWN the station, Mercury Broadcasting does. And actually, Contemporary Christian is one of the faster growing formats in music sales, so 98.9 won't actually be a "dead" spot. And who knows, as it's been said in other posts, maybe Clear Channel will do a CHR on another one of it's signals.
 
Re: Huh? I guess I don't get it.

I don't have anything to do with Mercury or CC but let's try this theory. The FCC ownership rules changed earlier this year. The JSA's now count as "ownership", therefore CC's shell game of owning more stations in certain markets is now over. (This is exactely why the FCC changed the rules). Since CC can only own or operate 6 stations in the QC market, they have to either sell 2 or end the JSA's. They have chosen to end the JSA's. But since Mercury is really CC they had to decide what would be the best future for these stations. They could have "given" them away to public radio to assure that nobody else takes future ad revenue out of the market, like has been done in many of these type of situations. They found a better option. Sell them for some real dollars to someone who has no plans to sell commercial time, and will not show up in Arbitron. Best of both worlds, although Mix could be hurt by Christian AC, and B100 gets to try to pick up the CHR audience...unless CC flips one of their other stations.

What I still wonder about is the AM. Anything been said yet about WKBF, or will CC "buy" it from Mercury and sell off 1230?

Bottom line is this. Remember all the concerns of corporate radio control in Congress a few years ago? The FCC changed the rules to try to keep CC and others from too much market share. They are answering back with these kind of moves. If we can't own them, make sure that those who do don't hurt us. I don't really think that this is what the FCC had in mind.

Just a view from an outside observer.

> I'm confused too, really confused. Why did Clear Channel
> HAVE to do it but didn't necessarily WANT to do it. I mean,
> after all, it's Clear Channel. It's not obvious to me at
> all -- I guess I am just a little slow. >
 
All Access reports that Clear Channel will stop running WHTS on February 15, 2006.







> Have there been any estimated dates for the format change?
>
 
> All Access reports that Clear Channel will stop running WHTS
> on February 15, 2006.
>
>
>
> B-100 may hire some of the 98-9 team..that is what I heard
>
>
>
> > Have there been any estimated dates for the format change?
>
> >
>
 
Re: Huh? I guess I don't get it.

You hit the nail on the head. Although Mercury is not "technically" owned by Clear Channel, it IS owned by someone who has business dealings with them (and who doesn't want to actually own and RUN the station). Therefore, if you control who the buyer of the frequency is, you're going to sell to someone who poses no threat to your other stations (such as non-commercial religious), even if you get a million or so less for it than it's really worth. Now, there's an outside chance that this new buyer could then sell the frequency to someone (say Cumulus) and turn a profit...or even exchange with Cumulus for one of their lesser powered stations (they'd sell the 98.9 for a few million more than they paid...Cumulus gives them Star or River, which are lower wattage stations as part of the payment). Clear Channel is pretty smart and probably already figured this out and wrote in a clause of some kind, I'm sure.

As for WKBF...I don't think Clear Channel has to sell it...they may even be able to buy it because it has a 0 share right now and it's AM.

Thanks for all of the kind words. They're much appreciated by EVERYONE on our staff!

Malibu Mark Manuel

> I don't have anything to do with Mercury or CC but let's try
> this theory. The FCC ownership rules changed earlier this
> year. The JSA's now count as "ownership", therefore CC's
> shell game of owning more stations in certain markets is now
> over. (This is exactely why the FCC changed the rules).
> Since CC can only own or operate 6 stations in the QC
> market, they have to either sell 2 or end the JSA's. They
> have chosen to end the JSA's. But since Mercury is really
> CC they had to decide what would be the best future for
> these stations. They could have "given" them away to public
> radio to assure that nobody else takes future ad revenue out
> of the market, like has been done in many of these type of
> situations. They found a better option. Sell them for some
> real dollars to someone who has no plans to sell commercial
> time, and will not show up in Arbitron. Best of both
> worlds, although Mix could be hurt by Christian AC, and B100
> gets to try to pick up the CHR audience...unless CC flips
> one of their other stations.
>
> What I still wonder about is the AM. Anything been said yet
> about WKBF, or will CC "buy" it from Mercury and sell off
> 1230?
>
> Bottom line is this. Remember all the concerns of corporate
> radio control in Congress a few years ago? The FCC changed
> the rules to try to keep CC and others from too much market
> share. They are answering back with these kind of moves. If
> we can't own them, make sure that those who do don't hurt
> us. I don't really think that this is what the FCC had in
> mind.
>
> Just a view from an outside observer.
>
> > I'm confused too, really confused. Why did Clear Channel
> > HAVE to do it but didn't necessarily WANT to do it. I
> mean,
> > after all, it's Clear Channel. It's not obvious to me at
> > all -- I guess I am just a little slow. >
>
 
According to Radioandrecords.com, the JSA ends on February 15th and the new format will debut sometime in March. That gives the staff about two months to find other employment. My guess is that some people may transfer to other gigs within Clear Channel and a few may actually stay within the CC/Quad-Cities cluster.

Most radio people don't get that much advance warning before their gigs end anymore. I knew a night guy once who went to the bathroom during the middle of his shift. When he returned to the studio the PD had flipped the format of the station and pinkslipped him as he was escorting him out. The WHTS employees are very lucky that they have the time to get their affairs in order.

--Mike Thomas


> Good luck to the staff...May you all land on your feet and
> get new gigs for the new year. Happening at the holidays
> makes a bad situation a little worse.
 
Re: Huh? I guess I don't get it.

> And why sell to a non-commercial religious broadcaster, of
> all things? I can see it now -- 15 years from now, if radio
> still exists, people will be talking about how 98.9 has been
> an essentially dead dial spot for all those years that no
> one pay attention to, but which could have been something
> useful to more than a handful of listeners.


Actually, the station could wind up with about the same 12+ number...probably a little less, but it could be close. 25-54 numbers should be much better, and it will likely bring some back into radio who are currently using little to no radio at all.
 
Re: Huh? I guess I don't get it.

Are you kidding?!?!?

Ratings aren't an issue to this non-com anyway, as long
as they get donation$ from somewhere.



>
> Actually, the station could wind up with about the same 12+
> number...probably a little less, but it could be close.
> 25-54 numbers should be much better, and it will likely
> bring some back into radio who are currently using little to
> no radio at all.
>
 
Re: Huh? I guess I don't get it.

I appreciate K-love and Air1 programming and all, but I highly doubt the numbers will be anything close to what they are now. Even 25-54.



> > And why sell to a non-commercial religious broadcaster, of
>
> > all things? I can see it now -- 15 years from now, if
> radio
> > still exists, people will be talking about how 98.9 has
> been
> > an essentially dead dial spot for all those years that no
> > one pay attention to, but which could have been something
> > useful to more than a handful of listeners.
>
>
> Actually, the station could wind up with about the same 12+
> number...probably a little less, but it could be close.
> 25-54 numbers should be much better, and it will likely
> bring some back into radio who are currently using little to
> no radio at all.
>
 
989 was an outstanding top 40 station. This is coming from someone that hates top 40! I use to commute from Chicago to Iowa all the time and loved listening to the station. That sucks!

> WHTS will soon be sold to Educational Media for $3.5
> million. The shocker however, is that it's going to be an
> non-commercial, possibly going to the K-love format.
>
> So, it sounds as though B100 will prevail as the main CHR in
> the market. Congrats KBEA!!
>
> So long 98-9. It was a good run!
>
> For more see www.northpine.com
>
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom