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WFLA On FM - It's Just A Matter Of Time

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

You've seen in Kansas City how the news/talk station over there, 980 KMBZ, is adding an FM simulcast on sister station 98.1.

Note how they both share the same real estate, so to speak - 980 AM, 98.1 FM... kinda like Tampa's 970 AM and 97.9 FM... just sayin'...

Check out the most recent PPM's for the month of February: WFLA is tied for 5th place... yet there it sits with its cume of 260,000+ which is easily trumped by the rest of the top five finishers, and trumped by the next ten stations on the list, as well.

Further proof that if you put something on the FM band, people are more likely going to check it out more than the AM band. And isn't that why so many of these PD's choose to blow up these venerable, legendary radio stations like KUDL in Kansas City, KUFO in Portland, and WBTS in Atlanta, just to name a few... okay, so maybe the latter station, the former "95.5 The Beat" wasn't necessary legendary, but it darn near stuck around for over a decade - only to become the recipient of a simulcast of a blowtorch in WSB-AM, which many will argue did not need the benefit of an FM signal due to its powerful AM signal. Upon the switch, a Cox higher-up was expecting "significant ratings growth by simulcasting WSB on FM. Previous simulcasts of this nature across the country have lead to 15 - 200 percent increases." Sure enough, the WSB simulcast delivered, posting significant increases to keep it locked in second place... perhaps it will be the recipient of the top spot, should V-103 falter.

This just goes to show you: if it can happen in Atlanta, home of the mighty WSB, it can happen anywhere... even in Tampa.

So as much as some know-it-alls think that CBS will be the market's first to put a spoken-word format on FM... it's certainly not out of the question for CC to do so, either.

The new PPM is expected to be released this week... maybe that could be the straw that breaks 98 Rock's back?
 
See, they're just a step away from switching the signals and moving "98 Rock" to HD-2...

Of course, their "Talk 1200" in Boston is on an HD subchannel of "Kiss 108"; both stations share the WXKS calls, FWIW...
 
DToTheJ said:
Check out the most recent PPM's for the month of February: WFLA is tied for 5th place... yet there it sits with its cume of 260,000+ which is easily trumped by the rest of the top five finishers, and trumped by the next ten stations on the list, as well.

Further proof that if you put something on the FM band, people are more likely going to check it out more than the AM band.
Click to expand...

In Pittsburgh, CC's WPGB has been on FM for its entire existence (essentially the same station as WFLA). The cume situation is identical to what WFLA achieves on am. WPGB's most recent number was 231,000 while the music stations in the top 10 range from 435,000 to 679,000. They are #6 in the ratings at the moment. WPGB is also out-cumed and outrated 12+ by heritage AM news/talk KDKA (295,000). WPGB does have better 25-54's but beyond that, your theory has a lot of holes in it.
 
Well if that happens Cox is probaly going to flip formats on at least one station. Example being switching 97x to the more powerful 101.5 transmitter. Then either selling 97.1 or airing a format that does well without a lot of power.

97.1 Some format that does well on peashoters, Maybe Jazz ( Filling the void WSJT left.)
97.9 WFLA
101.5 101X, Tampa Bays Best Alternative Rock"
102.5 "The NEW Rock 102", Similar ro "96 Rock" in O-Town. Or Jazz ( Previous a Jazz Station prior to WHPT.)

Cox will then have Active Rock and Alternative. Similar to Jacksonville. 97X is doing great. Just imangne it on one of the giant transmitters. 97X on 101.5 would be awesome.
 
Cox is in it's own world. When do they react to what anybody else does?
 
So if C.C gets rid if Tampa Bay's legacy rock station nothing will happen. Seems kind of weird to me but OK. Well "The Bone" does bill itself as a rock station. Despite that the "Bone" sucks and while 98Rock is not great they do play "New Rock". Not to mention "The Bone" has a cruddy signal Towards Northen Pinellas and Pasco.

97x also bills itself as "Alternative Rock." So all will be kept as is if 97.9 becomes WFLA.
 
gamefreak said:
So if C.C gets rid if Tampa Bay's legacy rock station nothing will happen. Seems kind of weird to me but OK. Well "The Bone" does bill itself as a rock station. Despite that the "Bone" sucks and while 98Rock is not great they do play "New Rock". Not to mention "The Bone" has a cruddy signal Towards Northen Pinellas and Pasco.

97x also bills itself as "Alternative Rock." So all will be kept as is if 97.9 becomes WFLA.
Click to expand...

If Clear Channel is going to move an AM station to FM, it would be 620, not WFLA. Sports on FM is the fastest growing format in the industry right now, the teams all want their games on FM, and it saves a gazillion dollars in music royalties, plus DAE's demos are younger.

It would also prevent CBS from doing an FM sports talk, which they have already done in several markets. WFLA will probabaly move at some point as well, but 620 will go first.
 
OK... So you've swap 'FLA's HD simul with 98Rock, now what do you do with the 25kw signal that was billing in the top 5 as an AM station?

What call letters do you use? Do you call it, "FoxNewsRadio 97point9WFLA"? The word "point" is taken. Too skitish. The cell number was "970star" until "Star 95.7" came on the air. That is why they started marketing "pound970".

The call sign WFLA-FM is in use in Tallahassee by CC. Do they bring them back here? Not bloody likely.(british accent)

Sports WDAE is not simul on any HD. Sports 1010 is, but that is CBS and the 1010 signal is not very good. 620 is.

What station do you use for WDAE and what do you call either of the stations you flip and what do you do the 620 powerhouse of a signal? The calls are available for FM. WDAE on FM will not bill any better than it does on 620. You can hear it further than some of the other FM's.

Easy to say what to do, harder to implement so as not to allienate the sales base any more than you have to.

If you are already profitable with what you have, what reason do you have to change it?

Thoughts?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
WDAE will *not* be the Clear Channel Tampa Bay AM property that gets switched to FM.

WDAE's signal booms all over the place. Putting it on FM (or simulcasting it on FM) will not increase it's reach and therefore will not increase it's revenue.

WFLA has severe signal problems to the north. While Pasco and Hernando are not officially part of the trading zone or the ratings survey zone (I don't think), they have become/are becoming the Bay Area's bedroom communities. A 970/97.9 simulcast makes a lot of sense in this case.

The only thing holding this all back: Determining whether News/Talk on an AM/FM combo makes more money than just News/Talk on AM and Rock on FM. While "98 Rock" may not be the best revenue-maker in town in the rock formats, I can't imagine it's making zilch for the company. An AM/FM News/Talk (or even a just a migration to FM) combo would have to at least break even... and I'm guessing would have to show promise that it could outperform the status quo in order to ease a suit into throwing the switch.

Always follow the money. (Following that logic shows why the most stable format at 4002 Gandy is on WHNZ.)

As for call letters, they're easily transferable if you own the rights. CCU owns WFLA-FM in Tallahasse. They'd have no problem bringing the calls down to Tampa and leaving the Tally station with something else (Though, WFLF-FM is taken, in use by CCU's News/Talker in Panama City.)
 
Hey Jeff from Sa-ra-so-ta! Here in North Florida Big Bend WFLA here in Tallahassee still on 100.7 FM with 11,500 watts but the one in the FLA Panandle's Panama City's 94.5 WFLA is 100,000 watts (both stations own by Clear Channel. By the way when it was dry spring day last week and the weather was crazy. I was listren to FSU Baseball on WFLA 100.7 FM and some what I hread the other 100.7 from Tampa Bay's Mix 100.7 blooming in and out. Speaking of AM-1010 sports radio u guys talking about it's also on 99.5FM HD-3 channel that WQYK carries AM-1010. Yes I been picking up Tampa's Bay's HD radio channels last week during the warm sunny pollen dry weather here in north florida big bend area!
 
From a business perspective it makes more sense to move WFLA-AM to the FM band rather than WDAE. The reason for such a move is to A) improve the signal and reach where WFLA-AM has signal issues; and, B) attract a much younger format target demo currently not listening to WFLA-AM and unlikely this demo ever will listen to AM. As a result of expanding coverage and lowering the core target demo, listening and ad revenues will increase. The question now is which underperforming Tampa Bay FM gets "blown-up" to make room for the WFLA-AM-FM simulcast? If Clear Channel can realize more ad revenue with a combined WFLA / WXTB simulcast than what the two stations are producing singularly, then a WFLA simulcast on 97.9, transforming WXTB to WFLA-FM, might make sense.
 
jmtillery said:
From a business perspective it makes more sense to move WFLA-AM to the FM band rather than WDAE. The reason for such a move is to A) improve the signal and reach where WFLA-AM has signal issues; and, B) attract a much younger format target demo currently not listening to WFLA-AM and unlikely this demo ever will listen to AM.
Click to expand...

Will younger people really listen to Rush Limbaugh on FM?

jmtillery said:
If Clear Channel can realize more ad revenue with a combined WFLA / WXTB simulcast than what the two stations are producing singularly, then a WFLA simulcast on 97.9, transforming WXTB to WFLA-FM, might make sense.
Click to expand...

That's a really big "if"..
 
I'm usually contradicted with facts and data, but I'll give this a shot. I can't think of anything on WFLA that would appeal to younger listeners. But then old folks like FM too so I guess it could work, but I don't see how it would attract different demos.
 
In the end: As long as the 970 frequency is delivering a top 5 station, the format ain't gowin nowwhere.

BTW: Rush will continue to be a draw on AM or FM.

Personally, I will lose if it is 97.9. I do not receive a very reliable signal inside my house. The distance is too great. But, I am not their target market.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
Parttimer said:
Will younger people really listen to Rush Limbaugh on FM?
Click to expand...

In more cases than not, the answer is YES!

Parttimer said:
That's a really big "if"..
Click to expand...

Although it is an "IF", it isn't THAT big of an "IF". It is possible Clear Channel will make money with a move such as this.
 
badjef said:
OK... So you've swap 'FLA's HD simul with 98Rock, now what do you do with the 25kw signal that was billing in the top 5 as an AM station?

What call letters do you use? Do you call it, "FoxNewsRadio 97point9WFLA"? The word "point" is taken. Too skitish. The cell number was "970star" until "Star 95.7" came on the air. That is why they started marketing "pound970".

The call sign WFLA-FM is in use in Tallahassee by CC. Do they bring them back here? Not bloody likely.(british accent)

Sports WDAE is not simul on any HD. Sports 1010 is, but that is CBS and the 1010 signal is not very good. 620 is.

What station do you use for WDAE and what do you call either of the stations you flip and what do you do the 620 powerhouse of a signal? The calls are available for FM. WDAE on FM will not bill any better than it does on 620. You can hear it further than some of the other FM's.

Easy to say what to do, harder to implement so as not to allienate the sales base any more than you have to.

If you are already profitable with what you have, what reason do you have to change it?

Thoughts?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Click to expand...

These were the same arguments used 35 years ago. The deal is few under 40 utilize AM radio and the current audience is dying off. WTOP Washington, WIBC Indianapolis, and others have migrated to FM, spun off the AM signal and seeing a revival in younger demos on the heritage formats.
 
radiorob2.0 said:
badjef said:
OK... So you've swap 'FLA's HD simul with 98Rock, now what do you do with the 25kw signal that was billing in the top 5 as an AM station?

What call letters do you use? Do you call it, "FoxNewsRadio 97point9WFLA"? The word "point" is taken. Too skitish. The cell number was "970star" until "Star 95.7" came on the air. That is why they started marketing "pound970".

The call sign WFLA-FM is in use in Tallahassee by CC. Do they bring them back here? Not bloody likely.(british accent)

Sports WDAE is not simul on any HD. Sports 1010 is, but that is CBS and the 1010 signal is not very good. 620 is.

What station do you use for WDAE and what do you call either of the stations you flip and what do you do the 620 powerhouse of a signal? The calls are available for FM. WDAE on FM will not bill any better than it does on 620. You can hear it further than some of the other FM's.

Easy to say what to do, harder to implement so as not to allienate the sales base any more than you have to.

If you are already profitable with what you have, what reason do you have to change it?

Thoughts?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Click to expand...

These were the same arguments used 35 years ago. The deal is few under 40 utilize AM radio and the current audience is dying off. WTOP Washington, WIBC Indianapolis, and others have migrated to FM, spun off the AM signal and seeing a revival in younger demos on the heritage formats.
Click to expand...
The arguments don’t change. The circumstances surrounding the arguments do.

35 years ago, Classical and “beautiful music” were viable formats.
35 years ago, nobody had cell phones.
35 years ago, we still watched Johnny Carson.
35 years ago, WABC was MusicRadio.
35 years ago, TV was stereo only with an FM simulcast.
35 years ago, “Big Poppie” was one year old.
35 years ago, WLS was a “clear channel” station.
35 years ago, we used spinning vinyl scratched with a diamond to produce music.
35 years ago, Ford was a car maker AND a POTUS.
35 years ago, we still took “readings”.
35 years ago, We still had antennas on the roof.
35 years ago, Bill Gates was a geek in a garage.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
As stated earlier, it's all about revenue. A few years ago, I was a big believer in blowing up 98Rock for a WFLA simulcast. However, it's my belief that 98Rock is once again making money for CC. Blowing up the heritage rocker would give the entire audience to Cox. From a sales standpoint, that's fine if you're gonna make that revenue up elsewhere. Does that happen with WFLA moving to the FM dial? I'm not so sure. And what about Mix 100.7? You blow up Mix and CC is left with a very male leaning radio group. If you wanna sell the female demo, CC is only left with WFLZ and WFUS to some degree. And then what about US 103.5? It looks to be finally making strides against WQYK but I could easily see WFLA show up there too. I think you research the hell out of the market on the effects of WFLA moving to FM and wait till 970 is really showing some erosion on it's prime demos before you make this move.

One other note:
Legal call letter assignment is a non-factor since PPM. Simply doesn't matter. You image the station on air however you want.
 
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