Scheld says he will help with the transition and be out by the end of the year.
He points to a new SAG-AFTRA agreement behind the combining of resources.
He points to a new SAG-AFTRA agreement behind the combining of resources.
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WCBS ND/PD Tim Scheld to step down saying news stations will combine resources
- Thread starter Theater of My Mind
- Start date
Interesting..And his comments in that article certainly aren't written like the usual "I'm getting tossed out, but to save face I'm going to tell you all here that I'm just departing in order to spend more time with my family" BS that usually comes if someone is leaving a company in an unhappy way. He seems upbeat, supportive of the transition and even mentioned that he was involved with helping to think it through. The longer-term question, of course, is what does it look like after the "combining of resources" which normally always comes with a reduction in staff as they combine multiple agencies and resources into 1.
This is something we've talked about in other threads. These are two very successful radio stations, each making a ton of money.
BUT looking forward there's only room for one of them on FM. At some point, combining has to happen.
People have noticed some sharing of staff already. This is the first mention of the new union agreement. So likely it grandfathers or protects all current employees.
BUT looking forward there's only room for one of them on FM. At some point, combining has to happen.
People have noticed some sharing of staff already. This is the first mention of the new union agreement. So likely it grandfathers or protects all current employees.
And 880? Another sports betting blowtorch?
1010 was designed to be the Manhattan focused news station, while WCBS covered Jersey, Long Island and upstate. WINS is very directional and not the better of the two signals. But it dumps far more power over Manhattan and the Boroughs because of its pattern.
I said this in the KGO thread: One of these three signals, 660, 880, or 1010, will be sports betting. At some point.
However, you need to factor in the FM simulcast. The signal they use (92 or 94) determines which AM feeds it. The bottom line is that for the short term, you'll hear a sharing of resources between the two AM stations. Then when ratings and revenues start to fade, that's when you transition to simulcast.
Thinking long term, I think that WCBS will be the one to go. WCBS is successful partly because of the CBS brand that is associated with its current call sign. Once the station gives up the WCBS call sign in 2037, would a new brand or a new call sign catch on? On the other hand, 1010 WINS is a well-established brand that Audacy (or its successor) will be able to use well beyond 2037. It would be interesting to see what would be the elements of WCBS that 1010 WINS would adopt.
I think these AM transmissions will be long gone by 2037.
The big surprise for me with these stations is how many people are still apparently getting their news fix by tuning to an AM rolling news radio service in the smartphone era. WCBS and WINS both hover around a 3 share, and you can't put a rolling paper between their cumes at ~1.2 million apiece. I've always admired WINS in particular - I love the format, it's fast, pacey, exciting, everything a big city all-news station should be, with great talent.
Format-wise, WCBS has already shifted away from all-news to news with the Mets. WCBS is also the lower rated of the two.
Based on the article, it looks like mainly staffing.
I guess there’s nothing to rule out 880 being the one that would eventually get an FM, but WINS seems to generally be the stronger brand and station despite the signal.
WCBS 880 has had baseball for 20 years. They had the Yankees first. Then in 2014 WCBS and WFAN essentially flipped baseball teams, as the Yankees went to WFAN and the Mets came to WCBS.
I guess I'm a bit skeptical that a decision 20 years ago reflects a shift relevant to combining the news resources of two all-news stations in the same market.
Mets spent a few years at WOR between their 'FAN and 'CBS stints.
Stated that way, I agree. The combining resources decision has nothing to do with baseball.
However, there had to be a reason why they put baseball on 880 and not 1010.
NYRadioFan22
Banned
No way!!! I don't want to lose another alternative station!!! We already lost 101.9 WRXP 10 years ago to the WFAN simulcast!!!!
It is probably because of WCBS' stronger signal due to its lower frequency.
News/talk and not just news? You predict there will be no all news radio station in NYC?
If it were ME in this situation, I would put the all news product on 880 and 92.3, but make it the WINS "Give us 22 minutes we'll give you the world" shorter headline style news. Attention spans and digital technology have changed things a bit and i think more of the important info rather than more details would be a better idea.
Keep the news on 880 for the better signal for the outerlying people and put it on FM for people in offices, transit, etc and a younger audience that simply won't touch AM.
As for what to do with 1010? I hate to say it.. but audacy's BetQL since it seems to be the format de jour of the month. It'll get clearance of the programming in the nations #1 market
Edit to add: It looks as if ratings wise, WINS consistently edges out WCBS by a touch or two
Keep the news on 880 for the better signal for the outerlying people and put it on FM for people in offices, transit, etc and a younger audience that simply won't touch AM.
As for what to do with 1010? I hate to say it.. but audacy's BetQL since it seems to be the format de jour of the month. It'll get clearance of the programming in the nations #1 market
Edit to add: It looks as if ratings wise, WINS consistently edges out WCBS by a touch or two
Every once in a while I can pick up 1010 in NE Ohio. Signal usually pretty faint but I can hear it. Think it'd be CFRB out of Toronto seeing as how it's closer to me but the nighttime signal shows even the distant fringe ends just about the PA/OH border and the nighttime signal for WINS barely covers 1/2 of NJ. Both WINS & CFRB have 50,000 watts although CFRB is supposed to be the "clear channel" freq.
Well, the New York metro area already has five news/talk stations, so 1010 WINS won't become that. In my many years of living in NYC, I don't remember 1010 WINS ever airing anything other than news. Therefore, I would be shocked if 1010 WINS were chosen to provide live play-by-play coverage of a sports team.
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