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Where will the CBS Sports Radio Network Land in Phoenix?

A

asugeorge1

We all heard the rumors a couple weeks ago from various posters that KMLE and CBS fired Tim and Willy to make room for the launch of an FM sports station here in Phoenix. While nobody was able to substantiate these claims, rumors are abound all over these boards about CBS lining up stations to air their new 24 hour sports network, which will begin airing full-time this coming January. Apparently Tucson has an affiliate lined up in a market that doesn't even have a single CBS property or professional sports team, Chicago rumors are that CBS will move WSCR to WJMK to make room for the new CBS Sports Network, while New York and LA posters are speculating where the new network may land in their respective cities.

As one of the few US cities to have teams from all four major professional sports, I don't think it's a matter of when but where CBS will park their 24 hour sports network here in Phoenix. Will Sandusky make the switch from Sporting News radio Yahoo Sports Radio to CBS Sports? Or will CBS in fact land an FM affiliate for their new 24/7 sports network? Inquisitive valley sports fans would like to know! ???
 
I'm a native, so I root for all the local teams. But there aren't enough of "me" here to support as many sports stations as we have. I don't know what KTAR bills for its sports properties, but I'm sure they make money for the station. Therefore, a station that has nothing but talk and no play-by-play is going to have a tough time making money here. KDUS hangs on because some of their hosts barter the time and the Sandusky properties aren't carrying much, if any, long-term debt service. But most of the other owners in Phoenix have a debt load of some sort and still have to pay the bills. With the lack of a substantial passionate hometown sports fan base, I don't see CBS taking KMLE down for sports. KMLE makes money right now, and if they continue to go "more music" in AM drive, their bottom line should improve once they finish off T & W's contract.
 
asugeorge1 said:
Will Sandusky make the switch from Sporting News radio Yahoo Sports Radio to CBS Sports? Or will CBS in fact land an FM affiliate for their new 24/7 sports network? Inquisitive valley sports fans would like to know! ???
Click to expand...

My guess is that YSR will go away in the next few months since radio is not Yahoo's core business. That will leave KDUS available to either CBS or NBC.

Other possibilities might be KBSZ/1260 or the eventually-to-be-moved-in KIKO/1340. Maybe TMISU might even decide to hang onto 860 and put one of the two there (unlikely, but stranger things have happened). But other than maybe a low-rated/billing rimshot, there's no place on FM to put a sports station with little-to-no local content. AFAIK, all of the South Mountain sticks are too successful to blow up.
 
Sports stations may not get high ratings but do get high ad revenue. If ad revenue for sports is greater than for a music format, that's when a flip will happen. On FM especially, the format needs to be live and local (mostly) and the station has to have pxp contracts. IMHO, a satellite-delivered format on FM in a major market like Phoenix would fail. Satellite-delivered formats on AM could be salvation of the band.

The only sports station I know of that usually ranks #1 in its market is WXYT (97.1 The Ticket) Detroit. :)
 
I will add to my earlier comments that if KTAR-AM migrated to an FM stick, that would probably work because they have most of the local play-by-play contracts and I think there's an audience for their local hosts. If Bonneville had an underperforming FM (and they don't), they might consider this. Otherwise, just imagine putting KDUS or XTRA on FM and you can imagine KMLE going sports. Very doubtful.

And CBS doesn't want to hand all of its country listeners back to KNIX. KMLE worked too hard for too many years to battle KNIX to now just give it away. (Yes, children, long ago in a magical place called Tempe, a wise old King named Buck actually had every country listener in the Phoenix DMA in the palms of his guitar-pickin' hands. Then, one day Walt Disney's nephew bought a rusted out preacher tape station, and the rest is money in the bank.....)
 
buster2 said:
And CBS doesn't want to hand all of its country listeners back to KNIX. KMLE worked too hard for too many years to battle KNIX to now
just give it away...Then, one day Walt Disney's nephew bought a rusted out preacher tape station, and the rest is money in the bank.....)
Click to expand...

In the 1982 Yearbook (thanx to the Old Gringo!), KMLE is listed as being at 500 W. Ray Rd.
in Chandler--which appears to be a strip mall, office building, or similar. Had 100 gallons,
but with a HAAT of only 877 feet. Was their stick on South Mountain then, or somewhere
in Chandler? (The big sticks on S. Mtn. are all about 1700 ft. HAAT.)
 
KeithE4 said:
My guess is that YSR will go away in the next few months since radio is not Yahoo's core business.
Click to expand...

YSR is David Gow using the Yahoo! name under license.

When asked how he was able to license the name, he reportedly explained that he is a shareholder. Gow was part of Compaq back in the day, so he's got some juice in the tech business.

Whatever happens to Yahoo! in the coming months, it probably won't affect YSR, which is said to be making money for Gow.
 
oldiesfan6479 said:
In the 1982 Yearbook (thanx to the Old Gringo!), KMLE is listed as being at 500 W. Ray Rd.
in Chandler--which appears to be a strip mall, office building, or similar. Had 100 gallons,
but with a HAAT of only 877 feet. Was their stick on South Mountain then, or somewhere
in Chandler? (The big sticks on S. Mtn. are all about 1700 ft. HAAT.)
Click to expand...

It was also a religious station at that time, playing comtemporary Christian music. The stick was on Shaw Butte, along with then KEZC 92.3 "Easy Country" before they moved to South Mountain sometime in the early 80s.
 
buster2 said:
I'm a native, so I root for all the local teams. But there aren't enough of "me" here to support as many sports stations as we have. I don't know what KTAR bills for its sports properties, but I'm sure they make money for the station. Therefore, a station that has nothing but talk and no play-by-play is going to have a tough time making money here.
Click to expand...

No sports station in any market can make money without pxp. KTAR is the Valley's leading sports station and it's no coincidence they have three of the four pro teams in the area. Also, KTAR has the best signal of Phoenix's sports stations, better than KGME or KDUS. :)
 
VoiceofWayne said:
It was also a religious station at that time, playing comtemporary Christian music.
Click to expand...

Sister station of KASA 15~Forty as Nurse Jeff and I recall.

Kinda interesting that a bunch of lame Ancient Modulation stations had powerhouse FMs: 7~Forty had 96~Nine; 10~Sixty still has 97~Nine; 12~Eighty had 101~One; 13~Ten had 104~Seven; 14~Forty still has 100~Seven; 15~Ten had 93~Three; 15~Eighty had 102~Seven.

We're sure they're more...but isn't this thread about where CBSports will land?
 
oldiesfan6479 said:
Dr. Akbar said:
Sister station of KASA 15~Forty as Nurse Jeff and I recall.
Click to expand...

And isn't KASA now "in bed with" KCKY 1150 Coolidge and the Giant 580 Marana?
Click to expand...

KASA and KCKY are commonly owned. The Giant 5~Eighty has a time brokerage agreement with Radio Hogar (KASA & KCKY). Muchos anos pasados KCKY was the Chicago Cubs station for the Valley. KASA runs with 19 watts at night as long as there is paid programming - carrier dump occurs when the money runs out. And we all know the rich history of the Marana blowtorch, including Dan Babich International :)


What all this has to do with SeeBS Sports in Phoenix remains a mystery to Nurse Jeff and me!
 
Dr. Akbar said:
We're sure they're more...but isn't this thread about where CBSports will land?
Click to expand...

Indeed it is. And the answer is quite straightforward: CBS and Sandusky trade "intellectual property". That will give you "94-5 The Fan" and "1060 KOOL" (I can hear the Johnny Mann jingles now). No muss, no fuss. ;)
 
doublex said:
Indeed it is. And the answer is quite straightforward: CBS and Sandusky trade "intellectual property". That will give you "94-5 The Fan" and "1060 KOOL" (I can hear the Johnny Mann jingles now). No muss, no fuss. ;)
Click to expand...

Do you think CBS would blow up a heritage station like KOOL with 4.5 rating? Another thread speculated CBS would put sports on 107.9 when Tim & Willy were fired.

We can speculate all we want! :)
 
doublex said:
Dr. Akbar said:
We're sure they're more...but isn't this thread about where CBSports will land?
Click to expand...

Indeed it is. And the answer is quite straightforward: CBS and Sandusky trade "intellectual property". That will give you "94-5 The Fan" and "1060 KOOL" (I can hear the Johnny Mann jingles now). No muss, no fuss. ;)
Click to expand...

And no chance. ::)
 
Mike said:
Ahem!!!

Corrections to the AM/FM pairings of long ago.

1280 had 101.5 and 1580 had 102.5.

Just to keep the records straight.
Click to expand...

Correct. KHEP was 1280/101.5. Religion on AM, classical on FM.

KHEP-FM sold to an affiliate of the Boston Globe, became KONC for a year, then became Magic 101 KAMJ running Transtar Format 41. Family Life got an FM and sold 1230 to whoever owned KAMJ at the time (not sure if it was EZ Communications at that point or not).

Why is it I can remember this crap but I can't remember where I parked my car?
 
johndavis said:
Correct. KHEP was 1280/101.5. Religion on AM, classical on FM.

KHEP-FM sold to an affiliate of the Boston Globe, became KONC for a year, then became Magic 101 KAMJ running Transtar Format 41. Family Life got an FM and sold 1230 to whoever owned KAMJ at the time (not sure if it was EZ Communications at that point or not).

Why is it I can remember this crap but I can't remember where I parked my car?
Click to expand...

Well if your wheels were a '76 Gremlin, then Nurse Jeff and I can understand why you couldn't remember where you parked your car! Who would want to take ownership of that?

Interesting how all these marginal Ancient Modulation stations owned killer FMs, but couldn't make a buck with them due to listening habits! Phoenix has to be one of the largest markets with the fewest number of AM stations capable of covering the metro day and night.

But who cares anymore?...unless SeeBS Sports lands on one of them!
 
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