Rights cost up front money, and evidently the same Clear Channel that let its morning show in Rochester and its afternoon show in Syracuse implode for financial reasons, while slashing payrolls and blowing up successful morning and afternoon shows in dozens of cities across the country, has also given up the Bills. Same reason that debt-loaded Cumulus passed on renewing Bills rights. The imperative for most of the big multi-market broadcasters these days is, forget investment in the future, save a buck now even if it costs you ten bucks next week. The bank expects its loans to get paid...
Expect Entercom, which is financially healthy, to make a big push to regain radio rights for the whole Western NY region (it has a strong presence in both the Rochester and Buffalo markets), and put the games on its WBEN, WTSS and WLKK in Buffalo, and its WCMF and/or WPXY in Rochester. Now that Cumulus is out of the mix, the competition just got more affordable.
Carriage in Syracuse may be a thing of the past. Cumulus also owns the station that carried the Bills, WSKO "1260 The Score", and that means the same financial decisions that caused Cumulus to bail in Buffalo undoubtedly apply in Syracuse as well. Syracuse is also a peripheral market for the club because the fan base in Central New York is really more interested in the NY Giants, the Jets and the Syracuse University Orange.
