who will run the new fox sports net 540

[thefalcon]

is this just liberty media dropping a format in. will there be a sales staff? or is this a side venture for clearchannel. value added? please let us know if you have heard anything.

 

[Parttimer]

I can't imaging Birach is doing anything other than collecting the check for the LMA.

The fact that Jim Rome is also moving suggests that either this is a Clear Channel LMA, or they have totally reliquished their rights to the Fox product.

If it was actually Clear Channel, they might be tempted to move ESPN to 540 and leave Fox on the inferior 970 signal.

 

[PHIL Z]

If WWCS is Back with Sports , Will the Post Gazette Start listing them in their Radio Log?

 

[FreddyE1977]

If they were smart (which is debatable) they would start discussions with the Trib about leveraging
some local content from their current slate of online shows.

 

[Parttimer]

If they were smart (which is debatable) they would start discussions with the Trib about leveraging
some local content from their current slate of online shows.

I don't think they want any overhead whatsoever, nor do they care if this ever generates any ratings.

Fox Sports got bumped off of 970 because ESPN is paying Clear Channel to carry the programs. ESPN wants their national sales reps to be able to say that the spots they sell will air in all of the top 50 markets.

CC was probably able to leverage the same deal from FSR, so they LMA this signal, use it as bonus inventory on other packages, maybe let a few play-by-play conflicts land there, and spend absolutely no money on it.

Besides, it doesn't appear the online shows have much of a following, so they are unlikely to add value. CC is more likely to hire Guy Junker for 970 if they can get the money in some future budget cycle.

 

[Parttimer]

As of 9AM this morning the Spanish format is still on.

 

[trefdawg]

Spanish still on today

 

[hypwr]

Where did the idea that 540 was switching to all sports come from? Was there a published article somewhere? Just curious.

 

[apostate]

http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/54894/fox-sports-returns-to-pittsburgh/#.TwWz8hyLKp0

 

[hypwr]

thank you.

 

[Parttimer]

I'm wondering now if Birach was putting this on independently (as opposed to it being an LMA for someone else) and Clear Channel blocked it.

 

[Parttimer]

Fox Sports finally got on the air today. At 1PM they were running the re-feed of the FSR mrorning show as opposed to Jim Rome. No local imaging at all.

Also would love to know what happened to 540's signal. When they were running Radio Disney it was tremendous, today it's almost unlistenable north of the city.

 

[trefdawg]

I noticed the same thing with the signal yesterday, very weak in Steubenville. I was on the road Monday and it was off the air.

 

[KeyTimes950]

Good point. I put it on last night in North Versailles and it sounded like a distant clear channel. I could understand the conversation but it was not something I'd stay with outside of sheer professional curiosity. I actually expected to still hear "La Explosiva," which in its last few days sounded like I was listening to a Mexican station somehow getting DX'd in Pittsburgh. Lousier than expected signal.

 

[PHIL Z]

Driving home Sunday Night on I 79 Only one Tower of 540 Has Lights, The signal is Very Weak Both day and Night. Are they Having Transmitter Problems?

 

[hypwr]

That tower has been dark for over a year. They may have received permission to light only one.
How would they ever know if they had xmtr. probs.

 

[Parttimer]

Still no Jim Rome, running the re-feed of the morning show noon-3.

 

[pman44]

Caught a little of it last night. Nice to have another alternative when both local sports stations have crappy college basketball on.

 

[Pratte4Life]

Bless you, pman, for that last comment.