Why No Clear Channel Talkradio in NYC?

[david]

With Clear Channel's move starting next month (January 2012) in San Francisco to bolster KKSF-AM 910 with the addition of Rush Limbaugh along with several notable transplanted hosts from longtime market leader KGO-AM 810 (sister station to 77WABC), why has the company not managed to acquire and program an AM talker in market #1. In many, if not most markets, KFI Los Angeles, KOGO San Diego, WTAM Cleveland, etc., CC operates a market leading talk station, but seems to have avoided competing in that segment here.

All 5 of CC's FM signals locally are well established, so I can see why those have not been flipped. As a market outsider, has this ever been tried or considered by CC? As is the case in SFO, CC had no talker until a few years ago, but is making the move now to insert itself as a strong force in the market and is reclaiming some of the hosts it syndicates, including "America's Anchorman", via Premiere Networks.

It would appear that CC could make a move on WLIR 1190, when Big City enters BK again. Or, it could flip WWPR, which is second-tier in the market to WBLS.

Thoughts?

 

[cspence]

With Rush ,Sean,and Coast to Coast already cleared no need to own the store.

 

[radioguy39nj]

When CC was on its buying frenzy in the late 90s, they had interest in purchasing WOR, but Buckley refused to sell. Too bad that didn't happen! NYC would've had a mostly local talker, probably along the lines of CC's KFI in Los Angeles.

 

[ansky212]

Or, it could flip WWPR, which is second-tier in the market to WBLS.

WWPR competes with WQHT (Hot 97), not WBLS which is Urban AC.

 

[DToTheJ]

First FM that dips below Top 10, CC will flip it to talk, most likely...

 

[wpb1999]

First FM that dips below Top 10, CC will flip it to talk, most likely...

With all local talkers.....And really, the fact of the matter is that people would like to work at Clear Channel. A CC job sounds good to both talkers and DJs. The one to switch to talk will undoubtedly be Power 105.1, if anything happens at all. The LA market is set up much like the NY one is. Clear Channel owns a massive amounts of stations there, 11 (but 12 because one of them simulcast on the other). Here is what they own:
LA- Alternative, Hip Hop, 2 ACs, 2 Talk, 3 Spanish, Sports, Pop

NYC- Classic Rock, Hip Hop, Spanish Talk, AC, Spanish, 2 Pops

So, LA has 2 talk stations, one liberal and one conservative. KFI does extremely well in LA and around the country. The others that are underlined are already formats that are done by other companies. You could say that is true with Talk. That is not true because most of WABC's programming is done through syndicated hosts that even though they are broadcasting from New york are not talking about NYC.

BTW, CC does own a talk, a spanish talk.

 

[mets18]

Huh? I thought the only NYC stations CC owned were the 5 FMs?

 

[XCountry285]

That'd be a bad choice. 105.1 to Talk? nothing should go to talk. 103.5 should go to rhythmic CHR or completely Dance. 104.3 should go lean more towards active rock than Classic Rock because New York Lack's a rock station. If anything one of the stations should go alternative like 98.7 in LA

 

[uncamark]

That'd be a bad choice. 105.1 to Talk? nothing should go to talk. 103.5 should go to rhythmic CHR or completely Dance. 104.3 should go lean more towards active rock than Classic Rock because New York Lack's a rock station. If anything one of the stations should go alternative like 98.7 in LA

Four of CC's stations are in the top 5 this month in the PPMs. Even Power's at number 10 and is the top-rated urban station. There is no need for format changes or major tweaks at ANY of their New York FMs.

And why should CC change Q104.3 to active? The format doesn't appeal to adults and the only classic rockers then would be the suburban rimshots. And why should they go to another format that doesn't appeal to adults and the hipsters who might turn away from their iPods to listen to it hate in its commercial form?

 

[davideduardo]

Here is what they own:
LA- Alternative, Hip Hop, 2 ACs, 2 Talk, 3 Spanish, Sports, Pop

Clear does not have a single Spanish station in LA. They have 8 stations (excluding the Aloha Trust now-sold High Desert stations that are technically in the LA market)... 5 FM and 3 AM.

NYC- Classic Rock, Hip Hop, Spanish Talk, AC, Spanish, 2 Pops

Similarly, Clear has no Spanish stations in NYC... and no AMs. "Just" the 5 FMs. The only Spanish language talker is WADO, and it is owned by Univision.

BTW, CC does own a talk, a spanish talk.

No, they don't. Not in LA, not in NYC.

 

[davideduardo]

Huh? I thought the only NYC stations CC owned were the 5 FMs?

I think the poster believes that CC owns the Univision stations, which is just totally untrue.

Some of the investors in CC... those that came when the company went private... also own a stake in Univision. But that is no different than an investor in Home Depot also having shares in Lowe's...

 

[larkin]

And that Hip Hop is closer to a Jammin' Oldies...

 

[Marv-L.A.]

LA's hip hop station (KPWR) is owned by Emmis.