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WFAN to 101.9

L

liradioisbad

Richard Sandomir ‏of the New York Times just tweeted this:

WFAN will move to FM 101.9 in mid-Nov. as per CBS station purchase. `FAN will stay at 660 AM until new format is chosen. To be clear...new WFAN-FM will be simulcast on AM and FM until 660AM gets new format. This follows ESPN's NY migration to FM
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I can't believe they're doing it, especially with 98.7's struggles. And there goes modern rock in NYC again :-\
 
Apparently the word on the street is that this is happening since the Yankees are demanding to be on FM. So I guess that means the Mets end up on 98.7 in 2014.

And All Access says the reporting price for 101.9 is $75 million.
 
Pretty sad, it was the best sounding NYC rock station to come along in years, even being run by remote control.

Now what wil CBS do about the ownership cap?
 
...and will CBS put rock back on 92.3 with all of this? Seems logical, but we all know logic isn't always in some of these companies best interests. Haha! :p
 
To acquire 101.9 or any other NY FM, CBS must divest one property. Currently, CBS is maxed out in NY. The question is what will CBS unload or spin off to get within ownership limits. The possibilities have been debated on this board many times. Does Sandomir have any idea which property CBS will unload?

IMHO, when WFAN goes to FM, it will be replaced on 660 by CBS Sports Radio, which goes 24/7 on 1/1/13. This is CBS' grand plan, the model based on Philadelphia and Detroit, live and local sports talk on FM, the national network and overflow games on AM. No doubt, CBS wants its national sports network on a 50 kW non-D blaster in market #1. :)
 
I'm gonna guess 660 will be sold.

The Mike Francesa YES account is alluding to Francesa making the announcement official in a matter of moments.
 
I wonder if this sale could include trading 1010AM to Merlin? It would give them another shot at news, but on an established frequency.
 
BiggieFats said:
Mike Francesa said on his show that they're not moving from 660. It'll be a simulcast.
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Given that WEEI AM just broke away within the past few days from it's FM simulcast and WIP AM will do the same early next year, the other shoe has to drop sooner or later. Not to mention that with channels 2 and 10/55 they're over the market cap for radio/tv. Something has to give.
 
I like AM 660 because the signal travels far! You can hear it clear in the Hudson Valley, Albany, Binghamton etc.

101.9 after 40 miles outside of the city the signal starts to fade in and out. Can at least CBS have a nice translator in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie or the like for 101.9 in the Hudson Valley?
 
liradioisbad said:
BiggieFats said:
Mike Francesa said on his show that they're not moving from 660. It'll be a simulcast.
Click to expand...

Given that WEEI AM just broke away within the past few days from it's FM simulcast and WIP AM will do the same early next year, the other shoe has to drop sooner or later. Not to mention that with channels 2 and 10/55 they're over the market cap for radio/tv. Something has to give.
Click to expand...

So CBS sells 92.3 then. There's really no reason to keep it at this point.
 
All articles mention this is a Local Marketing Agreement - can CBS use this to get around the ownership cap issue?

Edit: saw Theater Of My Mind's post below.

Also - I assume CBS will be leasing from Emmis, not Merlin. (Emmis held about a 30% interest in 101.9.)
Strange bedfellows as Emmis started WFAN back in 1987. Jeff Smulyan reunited with The FAN?
 
pjc1961 said:
Also - I assume CBS will be leasing from Emmis, not Merlin. (Emmis held about a 30% interest in 101.9.)
Strange bedfellows as Emmis started WFAN back in 1987. Jeff Smulyan reunited with The FAN?
Click to expand...

Not to mention Merlin spent all this time trying to take listeners from 880 and 1010.
 
As WRXP was beginning to get respectable ratings (i.e. almost top 10 18-34), I wonder whether someone else will try alternative rock on a NYC or suburban station. It apparently took away a considerable amount of listeners from WAXQ, as their ratings have dropped quite a bit.
Perhaps 94.7 would be a good place for the format, if it is sold.
WRXP has had a temporary air about it, as it has been voicetracked out of Chicago, and was not promoted at all, or just barely.
 
Where are you getting this idea that CBS has to divest one of it's stations to acquire WRXP? From the FCC ownership rules:

>(1) in a radio market with 45 or more stations, an entity may own up to eight radio stations, no more than five of which may be in the same service (AM or FM); (2) in a radio market with between 30 and 44 >radio stations, an entity may own up to seven radio stations, no more than four of which may be in the same service;

Either way CBS has wiggle room to buy more.
 
Countrykev said:
Where are you getting this idea that CBS has to divest one of it's stations to acquire WRXP? From the FCC ownership rules:

>(1) in a radio market with 45 or more stations, an entity may own up to eight radio stations, no more than five of which may be in the same service (AM or FM); (2) in a radio market with between 30 and 44 >radio stations, an entity may own up to seven radio stations, no more than four of which may be in the same service;

Either way CBS has wiggle room to buy more.
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Because owning tv stations counts towards the cap. And they have 2.
 
If the plan is to put CBS Sports Radio (a CBS/Cumulus joint venture) on 660, could Cumulus potentially buy that frequency?

By the way, I'm really sad to see the Alternative format go. I did have some issues with the execution - mostly the heavy repetition of certain songs (some of which weren't even current), along with the glaring omission of Mumford & Sons' current #1 hit from their playlist (Fresh 102.7 beat them to it!). But it was good to have a station firmly focused on alternative rock without having to mix classic rock in, and the station seemed to quickly be gaining some traction. I really do think someone else should try a format like this now - if not CBS, then maybe whoever ends up buying 94.7.
 
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