What will Cumulus do with WABC?

[wpb1999]

I have brought in schedules from other News/Talk Cumulus stations and all of these could happen to WABC although it is extremely unlikely to happen...

Albany (WALG)
Glenn Beck
Rush Limbaugh
Sean Hannity
Savage Nation
Coast to Coast AM

Bridgeport (WICC)
Dennis Miller
Clark Howard

Dallas (KLIF)
Glenn Beck
Dave Ramsey
Rusty Humphries

Huntsville (WVNN)
Neal Boortz
Rush Limbaugh
Sean Hannity
Mark Levin

Kalamazoo (WKMI)
Boortz
Limbaugh
Hannity
Savage

It seems like it will keep Limbaugh, Hannity as that seems standard on most Cumulus stations. So could WABC get Boortz or Beck or something new or will it all stay the same? I want your thoughts...

 

[radioman148]

I don't know about WABC but in Chicago Savage may end up on WLS as WIND dropped his show in the Windy City.
Back on topic, based on everything we've heard about Cumulus there are sure to be some changes at WABC.

 

[badjef]

I don't know about WABC but in Chicago Savage may end up on WLS as WIND dropped his show in the Windy City.
Back on topic, based on everything we've heard about Cumulus there are sure to be some changes at WABC.

Any changes will be minimal to the average listener. Bet on it. WABC is stable for a while.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[jhguthlac]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

 

[radioman148]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

Hopefully that is the case. Cumulus has been known to like change though.

 

[badjef]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

I thought I said that...


Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[radioguy39nj]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

Hopefully that is the case. Cumulus has been known to like change though.

Cumulus may like change but if that costs $$$$ it won't happen! There is no way they'd take WABC live and local! IMHO, they'll like WABC just as it is!

 

[davideduardo]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

How do you figure they are #1?

WABC gets an average 2.0 share in 25-54 and is 20th, while KFI in LA gets a 4 share and is 4th. KFI has an average of around 22,000 AQH listeners while WABC has about 15,000. KFI even outcumes WABC.

There are countless talk stations with higher 25-54 shares and cume ratings... WABC underperforms and is certainly not the number one talker in the US.

 

[radioman148]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

Hopefully that is the case. Cumulus has been known to like change though.

Cumulus may like change but if that costs $$$$ it won't happen! There is no way they'd take WABC live and local! IMHO, they'll like WABC just as it is!

I hope you're right. When is the take over scheduled? I had heard that it was delayed due to poor financial markets.

 

[badjef]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

How do you figure they are #1?

When you are the #1 talker + (+="in") #1 market in the country = #1 talker in the country.

Easy math.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[radioman148]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

How do you figure they are #1?

When you are the #1 talker + (+="in") #1 market in the country = #1 talker in the country.

Easy math.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

I don't think David is gonna to buy that.

 

[reelyreal]

When you are the number one talker in the nation, what is likely to change? Nothing!

How do you figure they are #1?

When you are the #1 talker + (+="in") #1 market in the country = #1 talker in the country.

Easy math.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

I don't think David is gonna to buy that.

So, if I'm the #1 son of the #1 Dad (he's got the t-shirt to prove it) does that make me the #1 child in the country?

 

[davideduardo]

When you are the #1 talker + (+="in") #1 market in the country = #1 talker in the country.

When you are not in the top 20 in the oldest of the broad sales demos in New York or New Haven or New Bern or New Orleans, you are not #1 in anything.

And LA is arguably the largest radio market, as we evaluate stations on billings... and LA leads NY by quite a bit in that category. Oh, guess what: KFI outbilled WABC by 2.5 to 1.

Other AM talk or news stations that beat WABC in revenues: WTOP, WCBS, WBBM, WINS, WFAn, WGN, KCBS, KNX, WBZ; KYW, WSB, WBAP, KGO, KNBR, KTCK, KOA. WABC is 65th in billings in the US, while KFI is 4th.

A poor performer is first judged by whether it is successful in its own market. WABC is really not a top tier performer "at home" and sure is not going to be allowed to stay that way. The much dissed and dismissed WPLJ outbills it by about 50&.

 

[Ai4i]

(what's with the mini-font?)

 

[davideduardo]

I don't think David is gonna to buy that.

That is a certainty about an absurdity.

 

[badjef]

When you are the #1 talker + (+="in") #1 market in the country = #1 talker in the country.

When you are not in the top 20 in the oldest of the broad sales demos in New York or
New Haven or New Bern or New Orleans, you are not #1 in anything.

And LA is arguably the largest radio market, as we evaluate stations on billings... and LA
leads NY by quite a bit in that category. Oh, guess what: KFI outbilled WABC by 2.5 to
1.

Other AM talk or news stations that beat WABC in revenues: WTOP, WCBS, WBBM,
WINS, WFAn, WGN, KCBS, KNX, WBZ; KYW, WSB, WBAP, KGO, KNBR, KTCK,
KOA. WABC is 65th in billings in the US, while KFI is 4th.

A poor performer is first judged by whether it is successful in its own market. WABC is
really not a top tier performer "at home" and sure is not going to be allowed to stay that
way. The much dissed and dismissed WPLJ outbills it by about 50%.

So, what is the “Number 1 station in the Nation”?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[radioman148]

I don't think David is gonna to buy that.

That is a certainty about an absurdity.

I thought so.

 

[radioguy39nj]

And LA is arguably the largest radio market, as we evaluate stations on billings... and LA leads NY by quite a bit in that category. Oh, guess what: KFI outbilled WABC by 2.5 to 1.

Other AM talk or news stations that beat WABC in revenues: WTOP, WCBS, WBBM, WINS, WFAn, WGN, KCBS, KNX, WBZ; KYW, WSB, WBAP, KGO, KNBR, KTCK, KOA. WABC is 65th in billings in the US, while KFI is 4th.

A poor performer is first judged by whether it is successful in its own market. WABC is really not a top tier performer "at home" and sure is not going to be allowed to stay that way. The much dissed and dismissed WPLJ outbills it by about 50&.

Many of the talk and/or news stations you mention (particularly KFI, WGN and KGO) are either all-local (WGN & KGO) or mostly local (KFI).

It is true that WABC is not a top performer in the NY market. However, it is cheaper to run than the examples I mentioned. Cumulus may not like the fact that WABC is underperforming, but to reverse that, WABC will have to go more live and local.

There are two reasons I think Cumulus will leave WABC as it is. One, the station has long been the flagship outlet for both Rush and Sean and are likely locked into long term contracts with Premiere. Imus isn't going anywhere as long as he's still wants to work. Second, live and local is far more expensive in NY than in LA or Chicago. IMHO, Cumulus faces a very costly project to take WABC mostly local, to say nothing of long-term contracts with CC and Citadel.

New York can support a mostly or all-local news/talk outlet similar to WGN, KFI or KGO, but it won't happen IMHO.

 

[mikerock]

6-8pm I could see them dropping Mark Levin for Peter Schiff.

As for day schedule I do not see any changes. The only possibility would be putting Beck on between 10am-12pm and moving Crummy to 8pm after to Schiff.

 

[TheBigA]

There are two reasons I think Cumulus will leave WABC as it is. One, the station has long been the flagship outlet for both Rush and Sean and are likely locked into long term contracts with Premiere. Imus isn't going anywhere as long as he's still wants to work. Second, live and local is far more expensive in NY than in LA or Chicago. IMHO, Cumulus faces a very costly project to take WABC mostly local, to say nothing of long-term contracts with CC and Citadel.

New York can support a mostly or all-local news/talk outlet similar to WGN, KFI or KGO, but it won't happen IMHO.

I agree with a lot of this. One thing I expect the Dickeys will do is make better use of Citadel Media (the former ABC Radio Network). That's where Hannity got his start, but he escaped once Farid bought it. So I'm expecting that Cumulus will use the larger former ABC AM stations as the foundation for more syndicated talk for its smaller stations. Similar to what CC has done with Premium Choice.