The NEW WOR - format speculation

[wadio]

I think Dr. Joy Browne's stock may have gone up if Clear Channel now pretty much owns her show. Ever since Dr. Laura (remember her?) took her ball and rowed away to SiriusXM Island, they really have not had their hands on a good advice show. Dr. Joy may have a shot on a bigger syndicated stage now.

Trouble is, Browne doesn't do a good advice show. I can't speak for the advice since I don't believe anyone should give personal advice to listeners over the radio anyway, but at least Schlessinger has energy and a sense of humor -- so necessary to do good radio.

An immediate plus for the "new" WOR may be the removal of Bruce Beck from the John Gambling show, assuming the NBC News affiliation goes away. Again, energy and a sense of humor (think Warner Wolf) are requisites for good radio but this guy drones on exhibiting neither. There must be a reason why NBC hired Beck for television but radio is a different medium.

 

[BruceS8852]

I hope the Michelle Jerson formerly of NJ 101.5 will be hired by WOR to do an advice show. She certainly would bring in a younger audience. Dr. Laura was so negative in the way she handled her callers.

Bruce

 

[scripps]

Yay, another station to hear more about the iheartradio staff and client party in Las Vegas.

 

[FLjack2]

I dont think WOR will have a local "news" morning show (as someone earlier suggested, like KFI.) No point in doing news in AM drive when you have 2 all-newsers already in the market.

 

[Bob1370]

Quote John Hogan of Clear Channel, “The Yankees radio rights come up next year, so do the New York Jets and there are others,” Hogan said. “If you look around on other news talk stations, sports can be a component."

He should forget it. The Yankees are not going to be allowed to leave CBS, because they're central to their sports branding--if they move anywhere it'll be down the hall and down the dial to WFAN.

The one possible exception? If all the stories about WBAI coming on the block are true, in which case Yankee Global Enterprises could buy it and 99.5 could become the new home for the YES Radio Network's flagship station WYES-FM and an extension of the YES brand, probably including hosts like Michael Kay, Suzyn Waldman, John Sterling and Ken Singleton among others. (I know there's a TV station with the same call sign in New Orleans, but the same call letters can go to different cities on different bands--there's a WBEN (AM) in Buffalo that's been on the air since 1930, and a WBEN-FM in Philadelphia owned by a completely different company. Once the old WBEN-FM in Buffalo became WTSS, there wasn't a damn thing Entercom, owners of WBEN-AM, could do to stop the Philly outfit from asking for and getting the callsign for their FM.)

 

[Bill_W]

(I know there's a TV station with the same call sign in New Orleans, but the same call letters can go to different cities on different bands--there's a WBEN (AM) in Buffalo that's been on the air since 1930, and a WBEN-FM in Philadelphia owned by a completely different company. Once the old WBEN-FM in Buffalo became WTSS, there wasn't a damn thing Entercom, owners of WBEN-AM, could do to stop the Philly outfit from asking for and getting the callsign for their FM.)

I'm pretty sure that Greater Media in Philly had to ask permission from Entercom to use the call letters WBEN-FM.

 

[TomBenson]

Sorry to say..WOR staff is not aware how this sale is going to impact them. Not only on-air talent...but also sales reps, engineering, even those who prep the daily logs. Their cheese is about to be moved.

 

[OC3]

You ALL live in a dream world!

 

[bigtom101]

Sorry to say..WOR staff is not aware how this sale is going to impact them. Not only on-air talent...but also sales reps, engineering, even those who prep the daily logs. Their cheese is about to be moved.

Everyone at WOR already knows the score - that sound you hear is resumes being sent and LinkedIn connections being made...

 

[DToTheJ]

Yay, another station to hear more about the iheartradio staff and client party in Las Vegas.

But you'd be able to hear about it in AM-HD!

 

[DToTheJ]

Quote John Hogan of Clear Channel, “The Yankees radio rights come up next year, so do the New York Jets and there are others,” Hogan said. “If you look around on other news talk stations, sports can be a component..."

I can see Jets or even Giants games airing on WOR, and if that's the case, simulcast on Q104.3. Of course, ESPN and CBS are going to fight like hell before letting their respective teams go...

 

[mightynine]

Quote John Hogan of Clear Channel, “The Yankees radio rights come up next year, so do the New York Jets and there are others,” Hogan said. “If you look around on other news talk stations, sports can be a component."

I see this as nothing more than trying to get ESPN and CBS to bid up for the rights, causing their competitors to have to spend a little more than they would like. It was going to be interesting enough between the two, now the possibility of a third bidder is sending them back to their spreadsheets.

 

[Barry]

Despite Clear Channel's LMA of WOR supposedly beginning yesterday 8/15, I believe none of the programming has been changed yet.
In today's edition of the newsletter, Taylor on Radio-Info.com, November 1 is mentioned as the date CC is now expected to take control of the station.

 

[erwin33]

Despite Clear Channel's LMA of WOR supposedly beginning yesterday 8/15, I believe none of the programming has been changed yet.
In today's edition of the newsletter, Taylor on Radio-Info.com, November 1 is mentioned as the date CC is now expected to take control of the station.

November 1st? That takes a while. I guess sooner.

 

[ka2xuk]

I dont think WOR will have a local "news" morning show (as someone earlier suggested, like KFI.) No point in doing news in AM drive when you have 2 all-newsers already in the market.

WOR did 15 minute newscasts every hour on the hour long after WINS and WCBS went all-news. That did not stop until Buckley acquired the station in the 1980s. WOR did quite well with a heavy emphasis on news and a diversified talk format...and they even played music on the weekends! (Anyone remember "Rambling with Roberts"?)

 

[ka2xuk]

Quote John Hogan of Clear Channel, “The Yankees radio rights come up next year, so do the New York Jets and there are others,” Hogan said. “If you look around on other news talk stations, sports can be a component..."

I can see Jets or even Giants games airing on WOR, and if that's the case, simulcast on Q104.3. Of course, ESPN and CBS are going to fight like hell before letting their respective teams go...

Don't count play-by-play sports out on WOR. I remember hearing Jets games on that station years ago. There are plenty of talk stations that carry play-by-play sports. WPHT in Philly is an example.

 

[DToTheJ]

I wasn't "counting out" sports on WOR per se, just speculating that, depending on which team broadcast rights they get, it could be simulcast on Q104.3, especially if it were an NFL team, since that only accounts for sixteen times (at least) of continuous music being interrupted. CC already simulcasts NFL games on AM/FM stations in markets like Cincinnati (Bengals) and Tampa (Buccaneers). In fact, one neat thing WOR (which already airs Rutgets athletics) can do on Sundays should they not get Jets or Giants games is simulcast the Buccaneers games out of Tampa (former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano now coaches the Bucs). Hey, if ESPN/New York can "syndicate" New York Jets games on their sister station in L.A.... :

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Wasn't WOR-710 last year's (2011/2012) flagship for Rutgers football and men's basketball broadcasts??

And, I think WOR could immediately get into pro sports. They could probably pick-up radio rights to the Islanders for a song.

However, with the labor agreement between the NHL and it's players due to expire in mid-September, there is a chance that the season could be delayed, interrupted (if the old agreement is extended partly through the season but expires without a new one in place) or cancelled by a labor dispute.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Wasn't WOR-710 last year's (2011/2012) flagship for Rutgers football and men's basketball broadcasts??

And, I think WOR could immediately get into pro sports. They could probably pick-up radio rights to the Islanders for a song.

WOR had the Islanders form 1983-88. When WOR first had the Islanders, they were coming off their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup. By the time the contract expired in 1988, the team was an also ran and were surpassed by the Devils. Also, WOR had the Giants from 1993-96. The deal was supposed to run through the 1997 season, but WOR couldn't make a profit on the games and sold the rights to WFAN in 1996.

And yes, WOR has been the flagship for Rutgers football and men's b-ball since about 1995. There will probably be no change for the upcoming football season, but what will happen when b-ball season starts, since CC takes over Nov 1

 

[Kevin411]

I expect that except for morning drive (until/unless Clear Channel-owned Premiere Networks launches a high-profile nationally-syndicated morning-drive talk show), WOR-710 will be all-syndicated.

I would think Rush, Hannity, Noory, etc. will all be moving to 710 around Labor Day. I don't think CC will be able to yank them off other area stations anytime sooner.

Most of the current WOR local air staff (except for the third-generation John Gambling) will be gone within the next three weeks.

Expect WOR to also become the New York affiliate for Fox News Radio.

It could look something like this:

6am Bob and Tom
9am Glenn Beck
noon Rush Limbaugh
3-6pm ? (Hannity is a joint Premier/Cumulus program, Cumulus has the rights in markets where they have O&Os, so he probably stays on WABC)
6pm Andy Dean
9pm-1am ?
1am Coast to Coast

I don't think that's what CC will do, I think they will keep some local programming. Of course, it may not be the same local programming they have now.

Is CC getting the WOR Network with this deal? That would give them a few more national shows.

I hope they put Randi Rhodes on live 3-6pm. It would be a refreshing change going from Right to Left in NY, much like they've done in San Francisco on KNEW where Randi and Glen Beck are both carried live.