WFAN to 101.9

[Theater of My Mind]

Mike Francesa said on his show that they're not moving from 660. It'll be a simulcast.

Some thoughts about this.

First of all, Richard Sandomir's very first tweet which broke the news said "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." (Emphasis mine). That makes me think he knows something that CBS didn't want out there yet.

Next, it makes no sense to think CBS Sports Radio network programming won't be cleared in New York. Clearing your programming in market #1 is the holy grail for networks.

Finally, it's interesting that the trades aren't making more about the ownership cap. Makes me think the deal is already in place for Cumulus to take over ownership of 660 and run the network programming on it, but the trade writers are embargoed from mentioning it yet. Remember, CBS Sports Radio is actually a collaboration between CBS and Cumulus, so if ownership of 660 transferred to Cumulus, CBS could still count on keeping their programming on it as a network provider and stay under the cap.

 

[KeithE4]

Next, it makes no sense to think CBS Sports Radio network programming won't be cleared in New York. Clearing your programming in market #1 is the holy grail for networks.

I would think their advertisers would demand full-time clearance in NY, LA, and Chicago. Last I heard, they're going to be only part-time (overnights?) on WFAN and WSCR, and they have no LA presence whatsoever.

Moving WFAN's local talk to FM and putting the network on 660 makes sense. I can see either Merlin selling 101.1 to CBS or WJMK getting blown up for The Score, and the same thing happening in Chicago - network on AM and local on FM.

 

[Barry]

I wonder why the WFAN LMA on 101.9 won't occur till sometime next month.
Perhaps this gives CBS time to arrange for a sale or transfer to a trust of one of its other local stations.
Maybe this interval could also be used to find a new home for the modern rock format. WFME 94.7 could be suitable, and may be somewhat less costly than 101.9.

 

[RBRadioWaves]

Is it possible for CBS to do this?

- Sell WWFS or WXRK to Cumulus. Cumulus would probably merge the station that is sold into WPLJ, and do something with the remaining frequency.

- Turn the other station into Alternative Rock to appease the WRXP fans.

Oh, and before somebody suggests this, I doubt Q104-3 will change it's playlist to be more modern. It's successful as is.

 

[mets18]

Hopefully they will turn off the IBUZ on the 660 signal. No reason for AM HD when you have an FM simulcast.

 

[recto101]

Is it possible for CBS to do this?

- Sell WWFS or WXRK to Cumulus. Cumulus would probably merge the station that is sold into WPLJ, and do something with the remaining frequency.

- Turn the other station into Alternative Rock to appease the WRXP fans.

Oh, and before somebody suggests this, I doubt Q104-3 will change it's playlist to be more modern. It's successful as is.

How about Sell WINS to Cumulus since 1010 WINS has a Cumulus ABC/E Affiliation so New York can Keep 2 All-News Stations

 

[carolinaradio]

Why would CBS sell one of their FM's? No way would they sell one of them to Cumulus.

Rock will not go back to 92.3.

What does this mean for the future of Merlin? 101.1 in Chicago is terrible (Q87.7 is actually doing pretty well, considering), and IQ106.9 in Philadelphia hasn't had much of an impact.

 

[taylorengineer]

This is all about revenue.....not ratings.
Sports radio is a huge money making machine and Sumner likes stuff that prints money. And so does everyone who owns CBS stock.
Another good move by CBS!

 

[leethalweapon]

Separately, it looks like New Rock may also be already off of Twitter.

That would make sense. Destroy all opportunities for fan to vent. As CC learnt (the hard way) in Atlanta, when Project 96.1 was terminated, people become very hostile and abusive. This was an exercise in avoid criticism.

 

[stationless listener]

So many possibilities. This could go several ways:

- CBS chose 101.9 over 94.7, unsurprisingly, once we learned that Merlin stations were available for sale. It was an opportunity they couldn't miss

- 1010 WINS now becomes the station most likely to be unloaded. Both 660 and 880 are clear channels and hardest to justify letting go of. 880 is already used to air CBS News reports. I know that both 880 and 1010 serve different audience but it still seems to me that owning two all-news stations is a bit greedy, just like owning 2 sports stations will be

which leads to...

- One of the two sports stations will be used to clear CBS Sports Radio. Do we really need two stations to air Mike Francesa, when one is more than enough? Sorry for those who are in Rhode Island or Bethlehem, Pa. but this is New York City. The city and its immediately outlying areas are of primary importance. Of course, the other possibility is that 101.9 becomes the home of CSR, so those of you out there may breathe a sigh of relief. We shall see soon enough

- If I'm the sports teams, I would welcome any competition and not cast my lot with one radio company. If I'm the Mets, I would be open to talking to ESPN, especially if CBS seems to be prioritizing the Yankees first. The Brooklyn Nets should be lobbying to get their games to the FM station, as most of their new fans don't want to listen to anything on the AM band. I could see the Nets and Giants on FM and the Yankees either on 660 or 101.9. The Mets ought to move to 98.7 or do a deal with Clear Channel for 710

- What happens with 94.7? It's unlikely that CBS will do a deal with them now that they succeeded in their objective of obtaining another FM. Does Family Radio hold on to it or do they still sell it and then buy a weaker AM (620 may be available)? Who is left that might be interested in 94.7?

 

[liradioisbad]

Oh, and before somebody suggests this, I doubt Q104-3 will change it's playlist to be more modern. It's successful as is.

They didn't change it last year when RXP went off the air. Why do it now?

Also, for those suggesting they sell WLNY, they've already invested some money into it. They even won a night showing Big Brother while channel 2 showed a Jets preseason game. IMO, a tv station is more valuable than an AM station, even with WLNY's current role as channel 2's backup.

 

[crainbebo]

Geeze, can't they just give WRXP's format more TIME?!? Take off a rock station after four months of decent ratings-yeah, that seems like a good idea.

I don't know why WFAN needs to be on an FM simulcast to the entire market. Like someone else said, put a WFAN xlator on in the Hudson Valley or Poughkeepsie. 660 has a fantastic 50kw signal reaching all over the East Coast. All the plasma TVs, computers and office interference should be of no problem to get WFAN. Next stop for 660-brokered Ethnic? Who knows in five years...

-crainbebo

 

[MoldaMania182]

Why would CBS sell one of their FM's? No way would they sell one of them to Cumulus.

No kidding. +1 FM - 1FM = 0. They would have blown something else up for the simulcast.

Rock will not go back to 92.3.

Never say never. Rock was probably plan B if Now failed out of the gate; other than no one caring it's the reason the XRK calls stuck around. If CBS is trying to position itself to significantly own the male demo in NY, it may make sense at some point if Now stagnates. Likely? No.Possible. Certainly. That's a numbers game.

 

[MoldaMania182]

- If I'm the sports teams, I would welcome any competition and not cast my lot with one radio company. If I'm the Mets, I would be open to talking to ESPN, especially if CBS seems to be prioritizing the Yankees first.

I think this is pretty much telling the Mets they have to go ESPN, never mind be open to. Yankees will end up on AM and FM. At some point one side will be local, other will be Network and games will be both IMO.

 

[KML0224]

I think the Yankees are on WCBS-AM 880 for one more season...so no FM just yet.

 

[leethalweapon]

It could be just me, but I thing the RXP website is now gone too.

 

[recto101]

Is it possible for CBS to do this?

- Sell WWFS or WXRK to Cumulus. Cumulus would probably merge the station that is sold into WPLJ, and do something with the remaining frequency.

- Turn the other station into Alternative Rock to appease the WRXP fans.

Oh, and before somebody suggests this, I doubt Q104-3 will change it's playlist to be more modern. It's successful as is.

How about Sell WINS to Cumulus since 1010 WINS has a Cumulus ABC/E Affiliation so New York can Keep 2 All-News Stations

WINS has higher ratings than WCBS but the conditions are that 1010 AM under Cumulus must keep the current format and then find an FM Outlet at some point.

 

[stationless listener]

I think the Yankees are on WCBS-AM 880 for one more season...so no FM just yet.

I would think this would be about the season after it and beyond. So, yeah, I had that fact in mind.

I think this is pretty much telling the Mets they have to go ESPN, never mind be open to. Yankees will end up on AM and FM. At some point one side will be local, other will be Network and games will be both IMO.

Of course, that assumes that logic holds (which we know it doesn't). But I would think the Mets would not want to be second fiddle on the CBS stations (they're already second fiddle in the city itself, that's bad enough ).

The more interesting angle going forward is the Brooklyn Nets. They're now getting themselves into the city, with a new arena opening in November. Their target market is those urban denizens that love basketball and haven't had a team to root for until this year. This same market is also young and also very unlikely to listen to AM radio. They might think AM radio is for graying white guys who love conservative talk radio. If they listen to radio at all they would listen to one of the urban stations like 97.1 or 105.1. What better opportunity to get to those fans than to move the games to FM? The Nets should now lobby CBS to move their games to 101.9 to compete against the Knicks on 98.7, if even they have to buy in. Then advertise their games on 101.9 to their fans. The Devils will likely stay on 660, as that signal is the better one for NJ.

Brooklyn Nets and New York Giants should be happy with this news, provided that each get their games on the FM signal
Yankees should now be fine with the CBS stations
Mets must look for options

 

[recto101]

CBS via Radio.com did tweet that 660 AM will simulcast on 101.9 soon.

 

[recto101]

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.

Because owning tv stations counts towards the cap. And they have 2.

And, that's the exact reason why CBS has had to spin off KFWB in L.A.: five FMs, plus two TVs, plus two AMs adds up to being over the cap.

Look at San Francisco CBS had to trade 610 AM for 106.9 FM from Harold Camping as a condition to buy KOVR CBS 13 from Sinclair Broadcasting. Number 2 CBS owns 1550 AM San Francisco but a small broadcasting group has an LMA to air Indian/Pakistani Programming on 1550AM San Francisco.