Which will be the next FM music format to leave airwaves in Boston

[Retro]

All 3 cannot buy anymore stations in the Boston market, per arbitration definitions. As far as the station being sold, I really do not think that is gonna happen anytime soon.

I understand how CBS and Greater Media are maxed-out with their FMs (and CBS' TV properties). But why couldn't Clear Channel add another FM? I remember them being a bidder for the 102.5 license back in '05. Or do 96.1 WSRS, 101.1 WGIR-FM, and 93.3 WSNE count as Boston stations?

The way I understood it, those stations are indeed counted as "Boston" stations believe it or not.

 

[CTListener]

All 3 cannot buy anymore stations in the Boston market, per arbitration definitions. As far as the station being sold, I really do not think that is gonna happen anytime soon.

I understand how CBS and Greater Media are maxed-out with their FMs (and CBS' TV properties). But why couldn't Clear Channel add another FM? I remember them being a bidder for the 102.5 license back in '05. Or do 96.1 WSRS, 101.1 WGIR-FM, and 93.3 WSNE count as Boston stations?

WGIR-FM is marginal on the North Shore, for pete's sake. How on earth could that be counted as a Boston station?

The way I understood it, those stations are indeed counted as "Boston" stations believe it or not.

 

[BRNout]

do 96.1 WSRS, 101.1 WGIR-FM, and 93.3 WSNE count as Boston stations?

All three stations are suburban rimshots at best, serving completely seperate markets, very unlikely. I could see a case being made for WSRS but still unlikely.

Yes and no. Yes, all three are rimshots at best and no - each is in a different market. WSRS is a Worcester market signal; Worcester is market #115. WGIR-FM is, without question, a Manchester (market #196) signal. It doesn't count against Clear Channel's Boston holdings any more than it would count against their holdings in Seattle.

Lastly, WSNE is a Providence market signal. As that's a larger market, there's no way that anyone would position them to rimshot Boston's southern suburbs as opposed to being a solid in-market competitor in market #42.

So no. This also illustrates the dearth of commercial signals that are available in Boston, because of all of these surrounding markets. And it's why there is so much repetition of certain formats (i.e. classic rock and various AC derivatives) on your FM radio if you live in any of the suburbs. You get the Boston offerings, then you also get Worcester (W-NW), Providence (W-SW), Cape Cod (SE), Manchester (N-NW) or Portsmouth/Dover (N-NE) signals.

 

[wcozBoston]

Greater Media could tweak WBOS by formatting it more towards an AOR station rather than along the lines of a mainly alternative format. AOR worked well in this market in the past with other rock stations (WBCN and WCOZ). WTKK won't be doing any changes, i.e. moving away from talk radio, until next November at the earliest with the election year coming. If WTKK's numbers are not overly good by this time next year, management may look at something different. Consider that WRKO, Talk 1200 and WTKK have to compete against WGBH and WBUR, with WGBH being partially taxpayer-supported. The only format is really the Top 40 format when considering GM's other stations WROR, WMJX and WKLB. While everyone has said GM does not program their stations for a younger audience, WBOS is formatted for younger people today, so they could hire a program director to go after the Top 40 audience if they wanted to. WTKK's talk personalities probably cost more than Top 40 disk jockeys would, so cost wise WTKK could probably lower its over head with Top 40 and do well against the two CC-owned Top 40 stations.

 

[CTListener]

Greater Media could tweak WBOS by formatting it more towards an AOR station rather than along the lines of a mainly alternative format. AOR worked well in this market in the past with other rock stations (WBCN and WCOZ).

The distant past. When rock wasn't hopelessly fragmented. And when it didn't have hip-hop as competition for its prime demo: white teens and 20s.

 

[aaronread]

Uhhh...and what about WBOS's operating costs NOW??

Beats me. Presumably they're less than whatever WBOS is earning, otherwise Greater Media would've dumped the format. (shrugs)

The only reason I mention Mike (aka Jack) was that supposedly WMKK was a good earner for Entercom even though it wasn't bringing in a large total amount of money in the door. It was because the staff costs were virtually zero. Theoretically, GM could do the same; dump any WBOS-specific staff and reassign one person from another station in the cluster to handle the minimal automation and traffic duties needed for a Mike/Jack format.

What we don't know is if WBOS is currently more profitable as-is than a hypothetical "Mike" format would be on 92.9. I am assuming it is, simply because if it weren't then GM presumably would've flipped it already. (although remember that there'd be noticeable costs involved with any format switch...including the "costs" of lost audience and building a new audience.)

 

[4CX1000A]

All 3 cannot buy anymore stations in the Boston market, per arbitration definitions. As far as the station being sold, I really do not think that is gonna happen anytime soon.

I understand how CBS and Greater Media are maxed-out with their FMs (and CBS' TV properties). But why couldn't Clear Channel add another FM? I remember them being a bidder for the 102.5 license back in '05. Or do 96.1 WSRS, 101.1 WGIR-FM, and 93.3 WSNE count as Boston stations?

The way I understood it, those stations are indeed counted as "Boston" stations believe it or not.

Clear Channel can add another Boston FM. They tried to buy WCRB 102.5 in 2006, but were outbid by Greater Media.

 

[blackgold]

I got a better idea: why doesn't Clear Channel sell both Kiss 108 and Jamn 94.5 to local station groups? That way, the stations can expand their playlists and the DJs can play whatever they want. Get rid of the behemoth and let's get some local action back.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

I'm sure that it is in Clear Channel's best interest to sell 2 profitable stations... :

 

[CTListener]

I'm sure that it is in Clear Channel's best interest to sell 2 profitable stations... :

To local owners whose programming concepts guarantee them WFNX-like ratings!

 

[raccoonradio]

Kiss and Jam'n do so well they can afford to have low-rated AMs like 1200 and 1430...it's the music FMs bringing in the bacon. That also applies to CBS (WODS, which is classic hits 10.5 months out of the year), GM (KLB, MJX, ROR),
Ent, (WAAF) too.

----
Imagine if...
--Mike 93.7 had switched to a Catholic format. Yeah, it wouldn't get ratings but they could call it
St. Michael's 93.7-- We Pray Everything!

 

[Eli Polonsky]

The only reason I mention Mike (aka Jack) was that supposedly WMKK was a good earner for Entercom even though it wasn't bringing in a large total amount of money in the door. It was because the staff costs were virtually zero. Theoretically, GM could do the same; dump any WBOS-specific staff and reassign one person from another station in the cluster to handle the minimal automation and traffic duties needed for a Mike/Jack format.

Are you aware that WBOS has been all automated, except for a few minimal elements during morning drive, for about a half-decade since their switch from AAA to classic-leaning alternative rock? They cleaned house of their live on-air staff at that time. WBOS is not employing any more staff for its current format than it would be with a Jack-like format.

 

[aaronread]

Are you aware that WBOS has been all automated, except for a few minimal elements during morning drive, for about a half-decade since their switch from AAA to classic-leaning alternative rock? They cleaned house of their live on-air staff at that time. WBOS is not employing any more staff for its current format than it would be with a Jack-like format.

No, I wasn't aware. I haven't listened to WBOS since early 2007...before I moved out of Boston for upstate NY and now for California's Central Coast. I thought they still had a medium cadre of live DJ's. If not, then it certainly explains why WBOS didn't jump to "Mike" after Entercom abandoned it on WMKK. Well, that's probably not the only reason, but it's a solid reason nonetheless.

Is WBOS still doing that thing with recent college graduates running their HD2 channel? That seemed like a nifty idea...

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Is WBOS still doing that thing with recent college graduates running their HD2 channel? That seemed like a nifty idea...

Haven't checked lately, but I believe that's still happening certain hours of the day/evening, it's called "Radio You". (It's automated alt-rock the rest of the time, though a different stream than their analog/HD1).

 

[wcozBoston]

At one time 105.7, when it was WKLB was sister station to both WXKSFM and WJMN for a short period of time. If they had held on to it instead of working out a deal to swap it for some other FM in another market, what would Clear Channel program it with?

 

[chrish]

WKLB was never a sister station to WXKS-FM or WJMN.

 

[wcozBoston]

Posted by: chrish
Insert Quote
WKLB was never a sister station to WXKS-FM or WJMN.

Over the past few decades, what is 105.7 in the Boston market has had three different owners: Fairbanks Communications, Evergreen Media and Greater Media. During this period there have been four sets of call letters at 105.7: WVBF, WCLB, WKLB and now WROR. In the mid 1990s, Evergreen was also purchasing Pyramid Communications, owners of WJMN, WXKS-FM and WXKS-AM. The WKLB (105.7) purchase rounded out its Boston cluster. Evergreen then worked out an arrangement trade WKLB (105.7) to Greater Media, in exchange for two other stations in Washington, D.C.

See these links for more information:

http://www.98wrc.com/images/Vintage/WRC History.pdf
http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/company-structures-ownership/7174530-1.html
http://www.bostonradio.org/stations/20438

 

[JustinT]

At one time 105.7, when it was WKLB was sister station to both WXKSFM and WJMN for a short period of time. If they had held on to it instead of working out a deal to swap it for some other FM in another market, what would Clear Channel program it with?

I seem to recall rumors that Evergreen was considering "hot talk" for 105.7... who knows what would have happened!

 

[chrish]

Seems like it was basically a very quick paper shuffle with no real sister relationship.

 

[Retro]

A few years back, there was an article about the success of WJMN. They interviewed the people who make the decisions for programming and admitted that when they bought the station that they were very tempted to blow up the station. They suggested that they probably would have gone Modern if they did. Case and point, had WKLB remained owned by Evergreen, that would probably would have been the new format.

Come to think of it, I think there was a stipulation when Fairbanks sold the station that they would keep the format Country. The thing was that Fairbanks wasn't about to sell to Greater Media, and yet that is who exactly ended up with the station.