I believe WUCS had one full-week talk show, hosted by Rob Dibble, the ex-pitcher who grew up in Southington, and a couple of weekly specialty shows. The rest was either ESPN or play-by-play (most notably the Yankees). This was a couple of years ago, not sure what their schedule was last year.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
WEEI to lose Cape Cod simulcast
- Thread starter DavidZ
- Start date
92.9 The Ticket – ESPN Sports Radio – Bangor Sports Radio
92.9 The Ticket radio, a Townsquare Media station, has the best sports coverage in Bangor, Maine on WEQZ-FM.
929theticket.com
run them on his WZON.
--Dan Shaughnessy, "Curse of the Bambino":
"Stephen King once told me, 'you know, I never wrote a horror story about baseball.'
...But I have."*
*--before "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon"
And a market like Bangor is where I would expect to see ESPN. It's long distance from its nearest pro sports franchises. In professional Baseball, NFL Football, and Basketball there is nothing in any bordering state, or Quebec. The only pro sport is Hockey with either Boston Bruins or Montreal Canadiens. That isn't enough to carry a local sports station. I'd expect national programs from ESPN, CBS, or FOX.Kind of tough to see the ESPN at top of their logo, but ESPN survives at WEZQ 92.9 Bangor ME, The Ticket, A few years ago Stephen King was upset because Red Sox Radio Network awarded the rights to WEZQ without informing him; the noted Sox fan used to92.9 The Ticket – ESPN Sports Radio – Bangor Sports Radio
92.9 The Ticket radio, a Townsquare Media station, has the best sports coverage in Bangor, Maine on WEQZ-FM.
run them on his WZON.
--Dan Shaughnessy, "Curse of the Bambino":
"Stephen King once told me, 'you know, I never wrote a horror story about baseball.'
...But I have."*
*--before "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon"
Maybe iHeart couldn't find a sucker to both program and host a show on it for 40k 🤣
Sure the heck as not on the cape, that wouldnt even cover year round rent!
Fybush's Dec 4 column said they were gonna spend $40k on a host..and how much would they save by dropping Sox and WEEI shows?
>>noting that the budget for that salary will come from dropping the WEEI network contract ($350,000 a year) and Red Sox contract ($65,000) that are expiring soon
How soon is "soon"? And if they do indeed drop Sox games and EEI hosts--let's jusf stick with games--what other Cape station wants to pay $65k? If not,
some listeners can get it from RI etc.
(Or maybe Fall River or New Bedford)
>>noting that the budget for that salary will come from dropping the WEEI network contract ($350,000 a year) and Red Sox contract ($65,000) that are expiring soon
NorthEast Radio Watch 12/4/2023: WEEI Loses the Cape
In this week’s issue… WEEI to lose Cape Cod outlet – More ATSC 3 in NYC – Buffalo TV’s talent drain – Jays drop radio voice – Remembering NYC’s Guzman, Philly…
www.fybush.com
How soon is "soon"? And if they do indeed drop Sox games and EEI hosts--let's jusf stick with games--what other Cape station wants to pay $65k? If not,
some listeners can get it from RI etc.
(Or maybe Fall River or New Bedford)
MassMusicMan
Banned
Gotta love American capitalism. They want $350,000, don't get it...and the affiliation just goes away entirely? Audacy is aware that there's other integers between 0 and 350,000, right? What is the total engineering expense of delivering the programming from Brighton down the Cape? Why not just sell the affiliation for $250,000? Is that a losing proposition? If so, what's the argument for the existence of the network at all?
The likely answer is that there is limited interest in local sponsorships of the games. I don't know if those games are also available online, either via subscriptions or from another station's stream, but it may no longer be a viable ad vehicle for local accounts.
The highest billing station in the market does about $1.5 million a year in gross revenue, so $350,000 without a profitable payback is way too much. The whole market, with 13 FMs, bills under $12 million a year total so that gives an idea of the huge figure those rights represent.
When WBOQ was a Sox affiliate the games were not allowed to be streamed, so regular format was aired. I don't know if WEEI's site has games. Many people could get it via stream while the Cape
may not have games on over the air.
--SiriusXM subscribers with the full package, about $30/mo., get all of the
major sports play by play. Not so with
lesser tiers. Tune In Premium has the play by play and MLB.com has game audio
for monthly fee. Some may choose to
listen that way.
--Committing to carrying PBP (play by play) involves 162 reg season games plus pre and perhaps post season games. Each of these consumes several hours of
airtime. There are music stations, or talk, or all-sports who could run them if the
ad sales are there.
Sox rights may be up after this season.
Red Sox are only major sports play by
play (local team) on WEEI with Sports Hub carrying C's, B's, Pats, Revs
may not have games on over the air.
--SiriusXM subscribers with the full package, about $30/mo., get all of the
major sports play by play. Not so with
lesser tiers. Tune In Premium has the play by play and MLB.com has game audio
for monthly fee. Some may choose to
listen that way.
--Committing to carrying PBP (play by play) involves 162 reg season games plus pre and perhaps post season games. Each of these consumes several hours of
airtime. There are music stations, or talk, or all-sports who could run them if the
ad sales are there.
Sox rights may be up after this season.
Red Sox are only major sports play by
play (local team) on WEEI with Sports Hub carrying C's, B's, Pats, Revs
In Jan. the Globe said that the Audacy deal for Red Sox is till 2028 :
"But Audacy's financial situation could result in the Red Sox taking over the rights after the 2024 season."
That was written days before Audacy filed for bankruptcy...George Soros
became major stockholder.
"But Audacy's financial situation could result in the Red Sox taking over the rights after the 2024 season."
That was written days before Audacy filed for bankruptcy...George Soros
became major stockholder.
Cue the Soros global-domination conspiracy nonsense. 
Seriously, why bring him up?
Seriously, why bring him up?Just saying they filed and have someone buying up their shares/debt. It's up to Audacy to judge if they want to keep EEI sports and keep Red Sox contract, as team has an option to go in house if need be.
Soros is a major shareholder of the independent investment firms. He is not involved in day-to-day management of either of them.
The fact is that Audacy, with much reduced debt to service, is profitable. And on an EBITDA basis, it has always been profitable on operations.
So why would the new majority owners want to change anything in the ongoing operations unless a particular station or market is not doing well; that would happen with any owner. Not just Soros' companies.
Cue the Soros global-domination conspiracy nonsense.
Because he's the new owner?
How much discussion have you seen here over the years about the various venture capitalists who've been the money behind any of the big groups? None, and with good reason.
Until and unless Soros does anything different from what any other venture capitalist does - which is to work behind the scenes to make money with little or no direct involvement in programming - why bring his name up specifically? Just because he's become a bogeyman in certain political circles?
This is another aspect of the discussions where someone thinks that a change in ownership or top management at a big group station owner will change how they select the songs at their alternative rock station in West Nowhere, Oregon.
No because we talk about all owners financially and philosophies
We saw a lot some clutched pearls over EMF “taking away good stations” and “raking in millions while doing religion”.
Salem Broadcasting might be another example people have expressed worry about their influence. (NPR just did a deep dive into them “controlling the AM dial)
Bezos seem to exert some control over his Walpole editorial stance too
And seeing as Geo Soros ha been know to champion and bankroll different causes, no one is allowed to raise an eyebrow or wonder?
Walpole = WaPo = Washington Post? If so, that paper was leaning liberal long before Bezos made his first cent.
Except we don't. Soros' firm took a position in Audacy as an investor. When was the last time anyone here had anything to say about any of the other venture capital firms that have done the same thing with iHeart, Cumulus, Beasley or anyone else?
EMF and Salem are station operators taking active roles in the programming and operation of their stations. "Soros" is not. Do you really not see the difference?
Which brings us to the real underlying point. Whether Bob meant it this way or not (and I'm sure he didn't - he just likes to regurgitate anything he sees online without putting any new thought into it), when you say "Soros has been known to champion and bankroll different causes," there's a reason why you know his name specifically out of all the venture capitalists putting money into media firms, and that's because he's become a bogeyman to many on the right.
And I'm going to come out and say it, because it bothers me: in so much of that spotlight specifically on Soros, there's a strong undercurrent of anti-Semitism. You may not mean it that way, and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you don't, but I promise you it's there, and if this were a political site (which it isn't supposed to be) I could launch into more posts than you want to read about the known and loud anti-Semites who use Soros' name as a scare tactic to further their cause. It's not a pleasant time to be Jewish in America right now, and yes, my hackles get raised easily by stuff like this.
(Some of you know this, some don't - my wife's family came out of the Holocaust, at least the ones who survived. This is very personal to me, and if this were a political site, I'd be telling you about all of the echoes of 1938 Germany they see in 2024 America. I don't sleep well at night these days.)
Is anyone banned from discussing Soros here? Of course not. But until and unless he takes any role at Audacy that's any different from any other venture capitalist making a short-term play on any other media company, it's entirely speculation with no grounding in reality - and I *am* going to raise an eyebrow or two about why he's being brought up specifically.
- Status