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WBLS Sale Appears Likely

B

Barry

The Radio-Info home page has a news article concerning the ongoing Inner City Radio bankruptcy saga. It indicates that a sale of most/all of their assets, including the large market radio stations may be unavoidable.
i wonder whether a significant effort would be made to find a buyer committed to keeping the heritage R&B format on WBLS. After all, it continues to do quite well in the ratings, even with PPM methodology.
ESPN, in its effort to get a sports station on FM, may possibly be eyeing these developments closely.
 
I can only hope they keep the R&B format. WBLS is one of the few NYC stations I actually like. I do listen to ESPN but it is fine on AM. The last thing we need is to waste another FM frequency on a talk format.
 
ansky212 said:
I do listen to ESPN but it is fine on AM...
Click to expand...

Tell that to people on Long Island who struggle to get a listenable signal on 1050 AM, especially at night when the nighttime signal kicks in... did I mention that the Rangers and Knicks play quite a few games at night during the season? And don't forget the Jets, who have a huge fan base on Long Island...

ansky212 said:
The last thing we need is to waste another FM frequency on a talk format.
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The last thing we need is to live in the past.
 
Naturally sister station WLIB AM may also be sold. Although it has a respectable signal, it can be tough figuring out what to do with an AM these days. Perhaps it would make sense to leave alone its current gospel music format.
 
Barry said:
Naturally sister station WLIB AM may also be sold. Although it has a respectable signal, it can be tough figuring out what to do with an AM these days. Perhaps it would make sense to leave alone its current gospel music format.
Click to expand...

Dollar-a-holler religion would be a good fit there, with a built-in audience ready to write checks.
 
DToTheJ said:
The last thing we need is to live in the past.
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Ok, and once the FM band gets taken over by talk formats that will pretty much be the nail in the coffin for terrestrial radio (assuming you can even consider it still alive today).
 
ansky212 said:
DToTheJ said:
The last thing we need is to live in the past.
Click to expand...

Ok, and once the FM band gets taken over by talk formats that will pretty much be the nail in the coffin for terrestrial radio (assuming you can even consider it still alive today).
Click to expand...

Wait... how would successful talk on FM be a nail in the coffin for terrestrial radio? Radio evolves. Always has, always will.
 
DToTheJ said:
ansky212 said:
The last thing we need is to waste another FM frequency on a talk format.
Click to expand...

The last thing we need is to live in the past.
Click to expand...

A surprising thing coming from someone who's been critical of WEMP. If the ratings stay the way they are, no one has to worry about FM evolving towards talk.
 
recto101 said:
Does this mean that KBLX will be on Sale too? Its owned by Inner City Broadcasting too and its in San Francisco.
Click to expand...

Yes all the stations Inner City owns are included in the sale
 
In the case of the Inner City Broadcasting properties in Columbia, South Carolina that would be a good thing. Somebody needs to revamp WWDM back into a full service station after it has been marginalized into a syndicated prop shop. They can do whatever with WXHT as far as I'm concerned because it doesn't even cover the whole city with a city-grade signal.
 
reelyreal said:
Wait... how would successful talk on FM be a nail in the coffin for terrestrial radio? Radio evolves. Always has, always will.
Click to expand...

"Successful talk"? Look at heritage stations like WABC and WOR...they're not exactly tearing it up in the ratings. Add WEMP, WFME, and WBAI to that list and they're already on FM. Moving talk to FM is not going to magically make the programming more riveting and more successful. Look at how 102.7 and 92.3 failed when they had talk programming. There is no evidence to support that talk on FM would be successful.
 
The reason they're not tearing it up in the ratings is that they have all the same bland, national talk that can be found anywhere!!

What makes WABC unique? It's going to be 2 hours of Geraldo. Big whoop. WOR has Gambling in the morning and Gov. Patterson (who is a snooze) in the afternoon. I won't count Joan Hamburg because what the heck is that show anyway? I don't think anyone who isn't an old biddy under 70 listens to it.

A LOCALLY programmed talk station geared towards NYC and the surrounding tri-state area would do very well.
 
ansky212 said:
There is no evidence to support that talk on FM would be successful.
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In markets ranging from Washington; DC to Palm Springs there are dozens and dozens of examples of very top tier stations that have put good talk formats on FM and done much better than by merely remaining on AM. WTOP moved to FM, and the sales demos increased. KSL did a simulcast and did the same. KTAR moved to FM and improved younger demos. WWL and WSB and KCBS and WOKV added FM simulcasts and increased nicely in 25-54. KOGO and KFBK just added FMs. And on and on.

FM gives access to the under-55 sales demos which AM seldom does today. If you start with a good station and format, and add FM, the 35-54 will respond. The country is full of evidence that successful AM talk stations must, eventually, move to FM to survive.
 
ansky212 said:
reelyreal said:
Wait... how would successful talk on FM be a nail in the coffin for terrestrial radio? Radio evolves. Always has, always will.
Click to expand...

"Successful talk"? Look at heritage stations like WABC and WOR...they're not exactly tearing it up in the ratings. Add WEMP, WFME, and WBAI to that list and they're already on FM. Moving talk to FM is not going to magically make the programming more riveting and more successful. Look at how 102.7 and 92.3 failed when they had talk programming. There is no evidence to support that talk on FM would be successful.
Click to expand...

David brings up awesome examples. They'd also beg to differ with you in Boston, where there are now two highly successful FM sports talk stations. Providence also has two, the WEEI simulcast on 103.7 and the WPRO simulcast on 99.7
 
Bonneville did a superb job moving news and talk to FM. WTOP Washington, KTAR Phoenix, KIRO Seattle, the KSL simulcast in Salt Lake City have all benefitted from the move to FM.

ESPN would be wise to watch the developments with Inner City, particularly WBLS New York. ESPN desperately needs a full-market FM in New York. If ESPN gets an FM in New York, CBS may have to bite the bullet and blow up one its NY FMs, probably 92.3 for WFAN-FM.

News/Talk will do well on FM in New York if it's mostly live and local. Moving WOR or WABC to FM with all their boring, syndicated programming won't help their demos or ratings. A reinvented WOR on FM, with mostly local NY area oriented programming would be very successful and rejuvenate the WOR brand. Where's Bonneville when we need them? :)
 
ansky212 said:
Ok, and once the FM band gets taken over by talk formats that will pretty much be the nail in the coffin for terrestrial radio (assuming you can even consider it still alive today).
Click to expand...

Yes terrestrial radio is nearly dead, that's why the radio groups can't give any raises to what's left of their staff any more. It's also why these Inner City stations will be lucky to get any bids at all, and if they do the selling price will be astronomically low. Who would even want them?

/sarcasm
 
radioguy39nj said:
CBS may have to bite the bullet and blow up one its NY FMs, probably 92.3 for WFAN-FM.
Click to expand...
I don't think CBS wants to lose 92.3 NOW, they already changed it over from K-Rock to Compete with Z100 & KTU.
CBS I think would rather compete with CHR/Top 40 music than News/Talk/Sports...A LOT more$$ to be made there with all that cume...
I honestly think someone would have already recated to 101.9 News on FM. Better off keeping things as they are...
 
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