Stan is right, Ryan. If Salem were to put a Fish format on FM in Houston, it would have to be on a Missouri City stick. However, Ryan, you're right about Salem wanting to have a Fish format swimming into Houston.
-
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
SBS Buys KROI for $7.5 million
- Thread starter davideduardo
- Start date
It makes me wonder which of those stations will be the next to be sold. My guess is KRBE or KHMX.
I can’t think of any Missouri City stick that could be up for grabs for Salem. KRBE is most likely to wind up going to Audacy or iHeart via some multi-market station swaps.
Realistically I think the only way they could be on any of those sticks is if they were on one of those translators. And being in Houston they don’t have to have an originating station or follow the power limits!
A signal that barely touches Houston…
Not every broadcaster has to have full market coverage on every signal. 97.1 could be combined with another station or in the case of some non-commercial operators, the fact that it covers a lot of people can be just as important as if it covers all of one market. KTHT covers a huge number of ears even if it doesn’t cover all of the city limits with a particular contour strength.
Problem is if you are commercial is getting agency buys. They buy the whole market by demo. If you reach a part of the market, you'll likely miss all the buys. And in Houston almost any business with more than one location is an agency buy. A single location business can only spend about $200-$300 unless they are very specialized. Keep in mind, to get renewals you need to offer enough commercial plays for your audience to respond. So at $200-$300 we're talking $2-$3 a spot. Now pay off a Houston signal on that!
Are you allowed to say how likely it is that the classic country format will stay in place?
Considering how low KTHT billed even as a combo sale with KKBQ, it is financially doubtful that any buyer would have wanted to keep Classic Country under any circumstance. Also keep in mind that most times a seller has to divest a station they choose a bidder that not only reaches their asking price but also is guaranteed to not compete with the seller and lower the pool of stations going for the same ad buyers. That's why most of these divestitures across the country go to either religious or specific ethnic buyers (besides the fact that those are the buyers who have resources to acquire radio stations).
In LA, at two of the "at least" top 10 stations, KSCA and KLVE, back in the late 1990s and earlier 2000's, we had daytime rates in the $600 yo $1000 range and had lots of local accounts.
There was, for example, one Nissan dealer located in an area that was almost 0% Hispanic, Studio City. Yet they found that by giving good prices, easy financing and having many Mexican Spanish speaking sellers, they could become the #1 Nissan dealer in the Southland. There was a downtown Lexus dealer who found that the Latino community responded very well to radio advertising, and despite their location, they had over half Hispanic business.
Like them, there were many businesses that served the whole LA area, ranging from immigration and accident law firms to auto insurance agents and companies to English courses to trade schools that all advertised and had one of the stations billing over $50 million a year.
But seeing where the signal is, what other format could work?
I know there have been multiple ideas floated around about what could happen to 97.1 KTHT. My idea might be crazy as well but I'm updating my radio station listings for my Houston along with my Lake Jackson-Freeport files. I noticed that the 90.5 KJIC signal and 97.1 signal would pair up nicely to expand the Christian Country format to cover most of the metro. The 90.7 west of Houston could fill gaps from the 90.5 and 97.1 signal to go big. I know the idea of Christian Country radio has struggled over the years as a radio format. KJIC hired long time KSBJ personality Susan O'Donnell to be PD. I know that Adult Contemporary and now modern Worship are the most popular Christian music radio formats and everything from CHR and Hip Hop struggle on radio but Country in the greater Houston area might have a shot. Im not sure if Urban one would consider it too much of a competition to 93Q but this could be interesting. I know that a Christian Country "High Country" satellite service tried things out in the 90s but determined that mainstream Country radio was typically God friendly and a separate format would not work.
Take a look at the KJIC annual filings and you'll see why this is not likely but I like the idea and agree it is a yet to be discovered and promoted properly format. If you think back a few decades, country stations used to play an hourly song of inspiration or had a gospel music block in mid-morning for about 30 minutes. Christian Country is a natural.
The KJIC 90.5 signal is pretty much confined to the southern half of the Houston market, due to a null towards co-channel KSHU. Coverage is somewhat of a heart shaped pattern; surprisingly I have been able to get an HD lock on KJIC in the Cypress area as well as at the Fairfield Outlet Mall close to 290 and the Grand Parkway.
The format is quite unique in this market with KJIC being a Country version of KSBJ. I have wondered if Hope Media Group would ever consider it were they to launch another programming concept.
Back when the old KUHA was put up for sale I posted some thoughts on this board that the 91.7 signal would be an excellent simulcast partner for 90.5, but others pointed out that KJIC likely lacked the money to purchase it. 91.7 went to the then KSBJ Educational Foundation to become KXNG, the flagship for NGEN Radio.
Well that sucks, but I can't say I'm super surprised. Maybe Country Legends will pop up on an HD subchannel of KKBQ if it does indeed get axed?
If the price was right, yes, Salem would buy one.
No doubt Salem would love to have a Missouri City stick. But who would put one up for sale?
Missouri City signal owners:
Audacy: four signals 95.7, 96.5, 100.3, 101.1
iHeart: three signals 93.7, 94.5, 99.1
Urban One: three signals 92.9, 97.9, 102.1
Cumulus: one signal 104.1
Houston Christian Broadcasters: one signal 105.7
As I said earlier: KRBE will probably be part of a multi-market swap with either iHeart or Audacy. Who else would sell?
KHCB 105.7 has been approached many times through the years. They are NOT going to sell. That gets us back to, 'if the price is right.' I don't see it happening. However, you never know. Stranger things have happened.
Just to be clear, you're neither confirming nor denying KTHT will be going to Salem?
Whoever does get it will have to petition the FCC to turn off the translator at 96.9. KTHT is unlistenable anywhere south of downtown.
I don’t think that translator would really make a big difference unless it’s overmodulated