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The Free FM Speculation Thread

O

OldAkronite

AllAccess confirms this morning from inside Infinity...that the radio giant is preparing a "Free FM" talk invasion on existing - and new - FM talkers. They'll rebrand existing stations like WJFK/Washington, KLLI/Dallas, KLSX/LA to the "Free FM" name, and add new "Free FM" talk stations in other markets...like incoming station KIFR/106.9 San Francisco.

Any thoughts, speculation or other noise about this move by Infinity?

Of note, it seems that they'll indeed build the format around Howard Stern's rumored successors...names like former "Van Halen" singer David Lee Roth, and "Loveline" and Comedy Central host Adam Carolla. Of course, neither host has been officially announced, yet...but hey, what's a contract when you have to be on the air in under three months, anyway?

It'd be particularly interesting if our moderator here wanted to chime in. Of course, his boss' new mentor is none other than Howard Stern, and Stern has reportedly threatened to air "dry run" tapes DLR is apparently doing in a studio at WCBS "101.1 Jack FM" in NYC...

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> AllAccess confirms this morning from inside Infinity...that
> the radio giant is preparing a "Free FM" talk invasion on
> existing - and new - FM talkers. They'll rebrand existing
> stations like WJFK/Washington, KLLI/Dallas, KLSX/LA to the
> "Free FM" name, and add new "Free FM" talk stations in other
> markets...like incoming station KIFR/106.9 San Francisco.
> Any thoughts, speculation or other noise about this move by
> Infinity?

In this day and age, how could Infinity expect to people to NOT find out about this. They registered all the domain names in July. All it takes is one person to snoop around the whois database (Something I've used to pinpoint numerous format changes ahead of time).

I'm more suprised at how the trade publications have responded to my original report putting all the pieces that had leaked together. All-Access is the only one who has so-far followed up with any kind of background. FMQB basically copied my orginal post adding a no-comment from an Infinity spokesperson. InsideRadio likened it to a Paris Hilton video. R&R and Billboard have been silent so far.

It's been the new breed of radio journalism: Radio-Info/RadioBB, All-Access, DCRTV, and Ohio Media Watch that have shown that there's something to this story. Just like everything else within the radio industry, this shows once again that Radio has no idea what it's doing when it comes to the internet.

> Of note, it seems that they'll indeed build the format
> around Howard Stern's rumored successors...names like former
> "Van Halen" singer David Lee Roth, and "Loveline" and Comedy
> Central host Adam Carolla. Of course, neither host has been
> officially announced, yet...but hey, what's a contract when
> you have to be on the air in under three months, anyway?

Normally I'd expect nothing less from Infinity in recent years. But the fact that Joel Hollender seems to have his big-guns working on this project gives me some sense of hope that there really is a master plan. Drew Hayes of WBBM is now in charge at WCKG; Mark Chernoff of WFAN involved according to All-Access; bringing in Ken Kohl for KIFR.

> It'd be particularly interesting if our moderator here
> wanted to chime in. Of course, his boss' new mentor is none
> other than Howard Stern, and Stern has reportedly threatened
> to air "dry run" tapes DLR is apparently doing in a studio
> at WCBS "101.1 Jack FM" in NYC...

Supposedly Stern did discuss FreeFM on his show this morning. I'm trying to find audio or a transcript.
<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> In this day and age, how could Infinity expect to people to
> NOT find out about this. They registered all the domain
> names in July. All it takes is one person to snoop around
> the whois database (Something I've used to pinpoint numerous
> format changes ahead of time).

Surely, Infinity's IT people are aware of WHOIS. One suspects they could register "red herrings". But the way this has unfolded, it just seems like they didn't suspect anyone would stumble upon the massive registration for all of their FM talkers and other stations rumored to be headed in that direction.

> It's been the new breed of radio journalism:
> Radio-Info/RadioBB, All-Access, DCRTV, and Ohio Media Watch
> that have shown that there's something to this story. Just
> like everything else within the radio industry, this shows
> once again that Radio has no idea what it's doing when it
> comes to the internet.

Well, thank you for including The Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) in that little group, but we really do try to get as much information as possible. And I admit that OMW does speculate a bit, but it's pretty well labeled as such, and OMW won't represent anything as fact that we don't believe is well sourced.

> Normally I'd expect nothing less from Infinity in recent
> years. But the fact that Joel Hollender seems to have his
> big-guns working on this project gives me some sense of hope
> that there really is a master plan. Drew Hayes of WBBM is
> now in charge at WCKG; Mark Chernoff of WFAN involved
> according to All-Access; bringing in Ken Kohl for KIFR.

This could be one reason Mr. Hollander is dancing around it in his response. This seems a bit more organized than even the JACK FM craze within Infinity, and someone's called his hand before he was ready to show it. So, he's stuck with a "uh, this wasn't about what that was, it's about Jay Severin, we don't know why people mixed it up"...and his curious denial that the "Free FM" domain registrations were just "protections" that didn't have to do with anything. Say what?

> Supposedly Stern did discuss FreeFM on his show this
> morning. I'm trying to find audio or a transcript.

I've heard that he nailed Tom Chiusiano (sp?) with it on the air, and that Mr. C didn't really have a denial together...

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
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