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This is interesting

From this morning's "Inside Radio" email:

"Entercom owns 111 stations in 23 markets, but it was a series of seven format changes — including three in Boston and San Francisco — that pulled down its first quarter results. Revenue declined 3% to $80 million. But CEO David Field says the tides are now turning."

Any comments?
 
Here and in other markets they had to sacrifice a revenue stream to put a talk/sports on FM. Necessary to compete with Sports Hub and bring in those who only listen to FM, but they lose a music station that brought in money. So for people wondering "Why don't they simulcast WRKO on 97.7 or 107.3?", it's bad enough they had to sacrifice one music FM to put WEEI on; they'd lose money if they got rid of WAAF or WKAF...besides most RKO listeners are older and don't mind AM.

WEEI is a money maker and they had to do it...so is WAAF.
 
Bob1 said:
Truth is that WEEI loses money on the Red Sox and possibly overall. Entercom is desparately looking for a solution to their Boston woes. They've brought in new management (so far to no avail). Bad place to be right now.
# 2 ?? If they had kept "Mike FM" they could've also used Sports on their station? (Example) a 2/3 Minute Sports Update at the hour and at the bottom of the hour? You all think that would've work? I think they shou, well according to what you all are saying now, and how well "Mike FM" did, and some people always wanted WEEI on FM, and they are losing money?
You all think that would've worked out if they kept "Mike FM" and had a 2/3 minute News/Sports update at the top of the hour? ?? say from 6am-Midnight everyday (overnights-use National News/Sports Updates such as ?? ABC News Update and ESPN Sports Center Updates at the top of the hour?)
I think it would've worked out just great.
 
Mike was cheap to run (no airstaff, a computer in a closet) so almost anything it sold contributed to the bottom line.

That revenue stream is gone now, and it will take awhile with the ratings boost and the FM signal for the ad rates to catch up.
 
>>Truth is that WEEI loses money on the Red Sox and possibly overall.

I guess they spent big for Red Sox rights and are trying to maximize it...contract is till
2016 and possibly later (extension?) Would Sox wind up on CBS/Sports Hub if they got a good deal?

Revenues, 2008:
http://bostonradiowatch.blogspot.com/2009/04/boston-radio-saw-big-revenue-declines.html
>>WEEI AM 850 Sports Talk/Celtics/Sox/BC $31,200,000

They were #2 to WBZ, which had half a million more.
Moving up to 2010, for 2009 revenues:
>>WBZ AM 1030 at the top of the list with $25.3 million. Entercom’s sports talker WEEI AM 850 was right behind it with $23.2 million.
http://bostonradiowatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/local-radio-revenue-declines-19-in-2009.html

I don't know what WEEI did in more recent years. Anyway perhaps the move to FM was
a sign that maybe they could make some money if people could actually hear the games...
at night...under high tension wires...in workplaces. Plus CBS beat them to the punch with
sports on FM. (I was just in part of Beverly listening to WJIB 740--admittedly not as powerful
as an 850--and they were playing Richard Harris' McArthur Park.* Suddenly due to high tension wires, the song was obliterated by interfernce. No...oh, no...oh, no! :) Let's hear it for AM!

*-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHS8hj4TdT8


>>If they had kept "Mike FM" they could've also used Sports on their station?

I had suggested they could keep Mike but run Red Sox games. The games last about 4 hours
when all is said and done--pre-game, post game etc. Maybe they didn't want such a huge
interruption in the music.

Ideally Entercom could have bought another FM in town--didn't they briefly own part of
99.5? Suppose they did.

Entercom in Boston
WRKO 680
WEEI 850
WEEI-FM 93.7
WKAF 97.7 rock
WMKK "Mike" 99.5
WAAF 107.3 rock

(WEEI on a stick closer to Boston than the Andover one 99.5 has)

But, no.

>>Mike was cheap to run.

Indeed.
 
Speaking of great investments, Josh Beckett makes a mere $15 million a year. Anyone hear or see last night's game...?

Advertisers pay WEEI.
WEEI pays the Red Sox.
The Red Sox are having a tarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible season, as WEEI caller The Cranky Yankee
would say.
 
raccoonradio said:
Speaking of great investments, Josh Beckett makes a mere $15 million a year. Anyone hear or see last night's game...?

Advertisers pay WEEI.
WEEI pays the Red Sox.
The Red Sox are having a tarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible season, as WEEI caller The Cranky Yankee
would say.
As an old buddy of mine used to say, they're "hard to like". They've assembled a group that people aren't really rooting for. I think the way both the players and the snake owners treated Tito caused most of this. The "Pink Hats" will lose interest quickly, but I doubt if that will affect radio ratings much. I suspect they weren't listening anyway.

Right now fans are angry. When they become indifferent, the ratings will suffer.

To really appreciate their bad investments, Crawford, Lackey. Bailey, and Dice-K should be added to Becketts total. Theo was lucky to get out of Dodge.
 
Yes, other than maybe Middlebrooks, Pedroia, and Ortiz. Far outnumbered by the prima donnas. Yes there will be "angry fans" (or at least fans making fun of the Sox misfortunes--Sour Caroline! Bad times never seemed so bad!) and The Fellowship of the Miserable but no surprise,
EEI may be focusing a bit more on the C's as they advance through the playoffs. You
need to have something positive.

>> Right now fans are angry. When they become indifferent, the ratings will suffer.

Very much so. or also, like with Howie's show, good fodder
to make fun of. Thankfully I'm a baseball fan not just a Red Sox fan and if the Sox don't
make the playoffs, I can follow other teams as they shoot for the top.
 
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