Why is Sports radio taking over FM?

[raccoonradio]

AM radio, what's that? Many people especially the young are sticking to FM. AM is for
religion, foreign language, and political talk (though even that is moving to FM). While AM
does have the capacity to reach wide areas at night (some stations) it's also prone to
interference and poor reception in workplaces (such as the post office sorting facility where
I work).
The Red Sox could be in the World Series but I wouldn't be able to pick it up on the workroom
floor (WEEI 850 Boston). But I was able to hear the Patriots on Monday Night Football a couple
weeks ago (WBZ-FM 98.5 Boston)

Many people have mp3 players and they get FM only if they have a radio.
The low priced HD portables have FM only. Some AM signals are relayed on HD3s but recep
is spotty.

In Boston WBZ-FM is now pretty much equal (fairly quickly) in ratings with longtime WEEI.
WBZ-FM, the Sports Hub, goes for a younger audience. As I've joked, WBZ-FM is for 30
yr old guys living in their mom's basement while WEEI is for 50 yr old guys living in their
mom's basement. 98.5 has Patriots, Bruins, and Revolution; 850 has Red Sox and Celtics.
Someday 850 may simulcast on FM in Boston itself (a station like sister WMKK 93.7). 98.5 is already there
and the signal isn't dogged by interference or FCC regs that limit it to certain directions at
night.

To its credit WEEI has simulcast itself on various stations in New England but it needs an
FM presence in the Boston area.

Sports has moved to FM for various reasons: solid signals (vs. weak or directional AMs),
sound quality, the habit of younger listeners to only check out FM, etc.

 

[Leebo65]

AM should be used for inciting people to riot, criminal activity, etc

 

[FreddyE1977]

Maybe we could put Smooth Jazz on 1250 AM, Pittsburgh for ya?

That would be far, far preferable to what WILL be on there in two weeks time

 

[danikayser84]

I never expected sports to branch out to FM radio as rapidly as it did in 2010 and 2011 (including some notable examples such as 93.7 KDKA in Pittsburgh... which I think CBS should've saved the KDKA-FM calls for an FM simulcast of KDKA-AM), even though Albany's WTMM (formerly on 1300, now on 104.5) was one of the first in the country to transfer from AM to FM in 2006. After 104.5 picked up 1300's ESPN format after its old format moved to 105.7, it took Albany three years to get an FM news-talker (103.1 WGY FM, simulcast of 810 AM), and I was expecting 1300 WGDJ to acquire an FM or a translator in order to expand to FM a couple years before WGY would begin simulcasting on 103.1.

Albany's other sports radio station, WOFX 980, is perfectly fine on AM and I don't picture Clear Channel replacing any of their stations with it on their analog signal (and WTMM gets better ratings anyway, perhaps due to being on FM...), but WOFX is simulcast on WGY-FM's HD2 as of September 21, 2010.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Sports has moved to FM for various reasons: solid signals (vs. weak or directional AMs), sound quality, the habit of younger listeners to only check out FM, etc.

Directional AM is why WEPN (1050 ESPN) New York needs to get on a class B FM. The station has the Jets, Knicks and Rangers. The latter two play mostly at night so the games reach a limited audience, due to the directional signal. The Jets since they've been winning are playing more prime time and late afternoon games, again making the directional AM signal an issue.

 

[schmave]

Here in Columbus it has considerably expanded what our local sports station can do. Previously, "The Fan" was only on 1460 AM, with simulcasts of OSU football and night men's basketball games on 97.1 FM. Problem with 1460's signal is it's directional north and south at night with towers *EAST* of the city (go figure on that one), meaning the western suburbs might miss out completely on its night programs. So in January 2009, The Fan moved over to 97.1, one of the best FM signals in the market. It simulcasts some programming on 1460; the AM often airs national shows while FM goes local, plus the number of live events aired has multiplied greatly.
Where I live now, about 25 miles east of the AM tower, had The Fan not gone to FM, I'd never hear it after dark. Now I get it 24/7 with no problems, ever. I think this situation of symptomatic of why there's more sports talk on FM, especially in a market like ours without the big signals of Chicago, New York, Dallas, etc.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Where I live now, about 25 miles east of the AM tower, had The Fan not gone to FM, I'd never hear it after dark. Now I get it 24/7 with no problems, ever. I think this situation of symptomatic of why there's more sports talk on FM, especially in a market like ours without the big signals of Chicago, New York, Dallas, etc.

Dallas' three sports stations broadcast on FM, 105.3 The Fan, 103.3 FM ESPN and 1310 The Ticket which simulcasts in the suburbs on 104.1 FM.

WFAN New York started in 1987 on the directional 1050 AM (currently ESPN), when Emmis owned it. When Emmis purchased the NBC stations in New York the following year, WFAN moved to 50 kW blaster 660 AM. IMHO, the all-sports format would never have caught on if that didn't happen.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Dallas' three sports stations broadcast on FM, 105.3 The Fan, 103.3 FM ESPN and 1310 The Ticket which simulcasts in the suburbs on 104.1 FM.

The far northern suburbs - KTDK/104.1 Sanger TX is pretty much a slightly moved Sherman/Denison area station, no?

I always wondered why Susquehanna/Cumulus didn't put that thing on a full market FM. Maybe 1310 is so strong, they don't need to, but their competition is on FM.

Albeit KESN/103.3 Allen TX is also a northern rimshot, but a much better one than 104.1...

 

[radioguy39nj]

I always wondered why Susquehanna/Cumulus didn't put that thing on a full market FM. Maybe 1310 is so strong, they don't need to, but their competition is on FM.

The Ticket might've been able to keep the Cowboys' games had they been on a full market FM. IIRC, 1310 was simulcasting the games on rocker 93.3 The Bone. When 105.3 The Fan launched, the Cowboys signed a 10-year deal.

 

[pioneer71]

I disagree with the posting asking about what is AM Radio. Every market has strong AM's doing well. True a stand alone AM is a real challenge today but I can tell you with the right people and the proper niche format you will be fine. These smaller AM's cannot compete against the FM stations but they can look for thier niche and in several cases beat out their competition in revenue.

I can recall working in major market and coporate could care less about service to the customer or if the FM or AM station in the chain is number one in billing. They only cared about you hitting your revenue numbers whether it was the AM or FM station.
.
Many markets, such as what WHIO in Dayton going FM , is really about FM operators running out of format choices because of a crowed market. It doens't take a Bill Gates to figure out you can also save dollars with the same format on two stations.

 

[stod]

Are you sure The Ticket wanted to keep the Cowboys?

 

[radioguy39nj]

Are you sure The Ticket wanted to keep the Cowboys?

Not sure, but given the Cowboys' brand and image, I'd think they'd at least try.

 

[stod]

The Ticket was # 1 before it had the Cowboys, while it had the Cowboys, and after the Cowboys left. Maybe they the Cowboys were not worth it.

 

[firepoint525]

Here in Nashville, we had two full-time FM sports talkers, although one of them, 106.7, reverted back to a music format last year. It's worth noting that both frequencies were constantly flipping formats until settling on sports, although, as I said, one of them flipped back to a music-based format again last year.

Sports has made inroads onto many (otherwise) music stations here in Nashville, although those stations remain primarily music-oriented.

Sports didn't start taking over the FM dial in Nashville until about a year after the unsuccessful attempt to switch WSM-AM to sports back in 2002. (Although we have had a non-sports talker on FM for many years, probably longer than I have lived here.)

We have a sports talker at AM 560, but I am not sure how well their signal gets out at night.

 

[wprt949]

philly has 97.5 the fanatic its okay but if 94.1 became WIP-FM 97.5 the fanatic would be done and back to a music format they go

 

[radioguy39nj]

philly has 97.5 the fanatic its okay but if 94.1 became WIP-FM 97.5 the fanatic would be done and back to a music format they go

If 97.5 gets the Phillies in 2012, that'll make a big difference. 97.5's problem is they have no Philly teams.

In NY, the Yankees are in their last year with WCBS-AM, a 50 kW blaster. It's been speculated they could go to WEPN, but at 1050 AM they don't fully cover the NY metro area. If WEPN as long speculated, gets a full-signal class B FM, they'll be in a position to acquire Yankees' rights. The Yankees will be looking for an increase in radio rights fees. They get $13MM from CBS. The Boston Red Sox get $18MM.

Before WEPN can even hope to acquire Yankee baseball, they've got to get a class B NYC FM, probably 101.9.

 

[Mike_Saffran]

I’ve been meaning to post a comment here for a while (ever since the original question was posed some four months ago)....

Airing sports formats on FM stations — including play-by-play broadcasts — is far from a new occurrence. In fact, the trend began some two decades ago. Here’s a piece I wrote, back in 2003, discussing the format in my former “On the Radio” column:

WHAM Sacked by the Bills Two Years Ago but Still Going Long

As stated in my column, one obvious reason for the growing popularity of FM sports formats is: Demographics. As KeithE4, jetfil and others have expressed, radio station programmers are simply following the audience. In particular, as my article points out, football and rock music — because of the audiences each tends to draw — make, in some respects, ‘the perfect match.’

Incidentally, however, here in Rochester, Buffalo Bills broadcasts are now back on WHAM-AM, following a few years on WCMF-FM (although 97 Rock in Buffalo is still the flagship station).

Rock on!

 

[KeithE4]

Airing sports formats on FM stations — including play-by-play broadcasts — is far from a new occurrence. In fact, the trend began some two decades ago.

There was sports on Chicago FM over 60 years ago! White Sox night games were on WFMF 100.3 in 1948 & '49, and WBIK 96.3 in 1950 (day games were on then-daytimer WJJD 1160). When Harry Caray first arrived in Chicago in 1971, he called Sox games on WEAW-FM 105.1. According to wlshistory.com, WLS-FM 94.7 carried Black Hawks home games in 1965.

 

[schmave]

I’ve been meaning to post a comment here for a while (ever since the original question was posed some four months ago)....

Airing sports formats on FM stations — including play-by-play broadcasts — is far from a new occurrence. In fact, the trend began some two decades ago. Here’s a piece I wrote, back in 2003, discussing the format in my former “On the Radio” column:

WHAM Sacked by the Bills Two Years Ago but Still Going Long

As stated in my column, one obvious reason for the growing popularity of FM sports formats is: Demographics. As KeithE4, jetfil and others have expressed, radio station programmers are simply following the audience. In particular, as my article points out, football and rock music — because of the audiences each tends to draw — make, in some respects, ‘the perfect match.’

Incidentally, however, here in Rochester, Buffalo Bills broadcasts are now back on WHAM-AM, following a few years on WCMF-FM (although 97 Rock in Buffalo is still the flagship station).

Rock on!

The subject of the article also brings to mind a trend that kicked into high gear during the past decade - many sports teams leaving 50K flagships or affiliates to go to weaker or FM stations. The Cardinals were one of the first to do that, though they've since returned to KMOX. The Pirates did it, the Bulls did so briefly before coming back to WMVP, the Braves long ago left WSB and now it's possible the Yankees will leave WCBS for a weaker station (though aren't they on WHAM too?).
To the poster who mentioned Dayton earlier ... I remember being surprised when Cox decided to simulcast WHIO 1290 at 95.7. Maybe the 80s format was doing much poorer than I thought, but I didn't think it was a case of them being squeezed out of the 80s format as much as it was broadcasting a station with glaring signal difficulties in parts of that area on the FM signal that, for my money, is the best in that city (or at worst second-best behind 99.1).

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

95.7 is a very good signal, but a bit north of the Dayton metro (it's licensed to Piqua). Still, it's good enough to alleviate 1290's nighttime signal problems in parts of the metro.

The move of news/talk/sports(talk) formats to FM is a bit of a different trend than moving sports team PBP to FM.

Most of the latter has been done by NFL teams. NFL games are mostly on Sunday afternoons, and the rest are at night, and it's an easy fit for otherwise music FMs. It also gives them a very strong platform to promote their weekday programming.

Here in Cleveland, the NFL Browns have had an FM flagship for years...most recently, it's been rock(/talk) WMMS/100.7, the market's historic rocker - give or take a few hours of talk in drive time Before that, the team was on classic hits/oldies WMJI/105.7.

And as in many markets, talk WTAM/1100 shares "flagship" status for the Browns with WMMS, though it's otherwise committed to the Indians and Cavaliers in season for both teams.

You don't see a lot of MLB or NBA teams on FM, though the latter is changing.

The NBA Atlanta Hawks now count an FM station as their flagship, and an odd one to boot - "99X at 97.9 FM". It's a Cumulus alt-rocker that is now heard on a pretty decent (250 watt/high stick) FM translator, with its format "homed" on the HD2 signal of another full-power station. It was once heard on the analog side of that full-power signal, hence the "99X" moniker, though it did not air the Hawks at the time.

The aforementioned Cavaliers sometimes end up on WMMS when conflicts with the Indians move them off flagship WTAM (and sometimes, vice versa, a few early season Indians games end up on WMMS as well).