WILL CLEAR CHANNEL RAISE THE BAR IN PROVIDENCE?

[McRadio]

Paul and Al are a local phenomenon. In its present form the show couldn't play anywhere else and I doubt they would agree to delocalize it. Keep in mind though Clear Channel is a radio company run by non-radio people and the programming minds behind all this are where they are mainly because they play ball with the higher powers. Still I doubt they would be part of any plan. As far as the other Clear Channel Providence morning shows, TC and Kristin at B101 are fine but you can find a show like this in every market. Solid but nothing out of the ordinary. As far as Tad Lemire on Coast he seems to be in his own little world of silly youtube videos as a means to connect with his audience. It probably isn't even his fault with nothing to work with.

Youtube can be a valid method of connecting but not when you use it just because it's there. Dropping an egg off a building isn't exactly compelling content unless Ryan Seacrest does it. Still I have to say that even though I don't see any Providence shows being ripe for syndication, certain stations are damn lucky the job market is so bad because they're able to keep personnel they normally wouldn't be able to.

 

[Numo]

You can read about CC's multi point plan on the front page of this site. They're planning on "raising the bar" with programming and talent proven to be most popular with audiences and local PDs will be the ones to make the decision to pick and choose all, any, or none of these elements to run on their stations. Translation: less locally originated programming if the local PD chooses. Anyone think Providence will fall victim to this "bar raising"?

While I now get most of my radio from Sirius/XM (if it has to be nation bird feed at least there is no ads) I will say this. I can only hope that CC files for bankruptcy and someone (local) buys their Providence stations and restores them to thier prior glory. All except HJY which, up until this point, has maintained most of their local talent and has not adapted the garbage that some of their other stations have.

 

[TheBigA]

I can only hope that CC files for bankruptcy and someone (local) buys their Providence stations and restores them to thier prior glory.

Like who? Who in Providence has the money and the knowledge to do the right thing in radio? Even if they got the stations for free, they'd need millions to pay the costs of salaries, rent, and utilities.

 

[QuohogDels]

Like who? Who in Providence has the money and the knowledge to do the right thing in radio?

Anthony Gemma is rumored to want to buy a couple radio stations. He's making decent money with the traffic center, why not branch out.

Even if they got the stations for free, they'd need millions to pay the costs of salaries, rent, and utilities.

You do realize that these stations make money, right? Clear Channel Providence bills around 15-20 million dollars a year. Citadel Providence bills upwards of 25 million. Plenty of money to keep the lights on and pay the talent.

Radio stations aren't poor, my friends... It's the high profit margins that their corporate owners demand due to the overwhelming debt piled up from foolishly buying a large number of stations in other parts of the country for way more than they ended up being worth.

If someone were to come in and buy these clusters or stations in a bankruptcy sale, they can renegotiate the debt levels at pennies on the dollar. So the myth that radio stations are going broke is just that, a myth. It's their parent companies that are going broke. The actual station prints money 24/7, unfortunately it's not nearly enough to repay the sins of the past committed by the conglomorates.

 

[Skynet74]

Anthony Gemma is rumored to want to buy a couple radio stations. He's making decent money with the traffic center, why not branch out.

Wow.... Small World. I lived in one of his properties for 7 years! Didn't even realize it was the same guy until I just looked up his bio. Also found his twitter account. Geeez... he sure sounds like one of the nicest guys in the world. I fully support him purchasing some radio stations. If he runs them like he runs his rental properties, I would feel confident that things are being operated by a true professional.

 

[Ill alert the media]

Plus he can convince some people around here to get plumber's licenses and smell good.

 

[Zach Rules]

There is no way he's making money with that traffic network, he has only one sponsor so far this year. The only thing he ever promotes is his own companies, and unless he's paying himself with mirrors that is only helping him at tax time.

 

[TheBigA]

You do realize that these stations make money, right? Clear Channel Providence bills around 15-20 million dollars a year. Citadel Providence bills upwards of 25 million. Plenty of money to keep the lights on and pay the talent.

And yet in cases where new owners have bought stations from one of the big guys, the first thing they do is cut expenses. It's happened in market after market. To the best of my knowledge, no one has bought a station, even at the current low prices, and invested in people, content, or even facilities. That includes Larry Wilson, who just bought six stations in Portland Oregon. It's easy to look at these radio stations from the outside and make a lot of assumptions on how they could run them. It's another thing when it's your money that's on the line.

 

[Numo]

You do realize that these stations make money, right? Clear Channel Providence bills around 15-20 million dollars a year. Citadel Providence bills upwards of 25 million. Plenty of money to keep the lights on and pay the talent.

And yet in cases where new owners have bought stations from one of the big guys, the first thing they do is cut expenses. It's happened in market after market. To the best of my knowledge, no one has bought a station, even at the current low prices, and invested in people, content, or even facilities. That includes Larry Wilson, who just bought six stations in Portland Oregon. It's easy to look at these radio stations from the outside and make a lot of assumptions on how they could run them. It's another thing when it's your money that's on the line.

Ok then. So there in lies the answer. NO. CC isnt going to step up their game, they are just going to slowely can hosts in the Providence market until all we get is out of market bird feed. What I said is I could only HOPE the CC stations in Providence will go to new owners. Do I think that is going to happen? I do keep paying my Sirius/XM subscription, dont I? If I am going to listen to out of market bird feed then it should be good bird feed and commercial free. What I am saying is that I dont think CC is going away in Providence and they are most certainly NOT stepping up their game. Spend the day listening to WSNE....THAT is what we are going to end up with...on B101, on HJY(eventually), etc..... The only question I have at this point is how far behind Citidel is... When with PRO-FM and the likes start down this road? Its already begun with Ralphie now hasnt it....

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

Anthony Gemma is rumored to want to buy a couple radio stations. He's making decent money with the traffic center, why not branch out.

OK....Let's assume for a moment that this really is the case, and that Anthony Gemma would like to enter the market:

In theory, I think local ownership of a broadcast property is always preferable to ownership by large impersonal corporate interests.

BUT....when you think about the sorts of individuals (including thier personalities and egos)...who wind up owning radio stations......What are the odds that this fellow (as an owner) would end up being more like the Karams', or Peter Arpin, instead of Roger Bouchard?

Just a nugget of food for thought...

 

[Moonstruck]

Other than the fact that working for Gem traffic does keep you in the media, if Gemma is thinking of buying any radio station this could explain why some may think they can wait it out there and slide into a station down the line. Hope it works out for people. I'm also glad to know every Providence station is printing money. Those laid off because they can't afford to be paid can take comfort in that.

 

[TheBigA]

I do keep paying my Sirius/XM subscription, dont I? If I am going to listen to out of market bird feed then it should be good bird feed and commercial free.

Do you care that Sirius XM is running its operation even cheaper than CC? With no local talent, one national broadcast center with voicetracked hosts and one playlist for the entire country? If you really dislike CC, and you're fair about why you dislike them, I don't understand how Sirius XM is that much of an improvement. Other than the commercial-free aspect.

 

[riradio02842]

I'm also glad to know every Providence station is printing money. Those laid off because they can't afford to be paid can take comfort in that.

I'm pretty sure it was mentioned much farther up in this thread that many of these stations are taking in revenue. The problem is that the parent companies are not making profits, because of massive debt loads accumulated over time in the late 90's and early 2000's when all these large parent companies went on buying sprees. That's not to say that a local owner might also be struggling now either. It would have all depended on how much debt load a local or regional owner had before the economy tanked. It's pretty clear that the relaxation of ownership restrictions has not benefited the radio industry. We can only hope that more smaller, more manageable ownership groups emerge from this down turn with an eye on history and how not to kill your company.

 

[TheBigA]

It's pretty clear that the relaxation of ownership restrictions has not benefited the radio industry. We can only hope that more smaller, more manageable ownership groups emerge from this down turn with an eye on history and how not to kill your company.

Interestingly enough, it's the smaller, more manageable ownership groups that are the first ones filing for Chapter 11. Not the big ones.

The truth was that ownership restrictions HAD to be relaxed, and from what I've read about the current FCC, they're likely to relax them more. There are simply too many radio stations for them to be owned under the old 7-7-7 rules.

 

[Holland Cooke]

Have faith in The Forces of Nature

from what I've read about the current FCC, they're likely to relax (ownership caps) more.

What we're likely to see is relaxation of CROSS-ownership restrictions, i.e., newspaper/broadcast.
It may be newspapers' only hope!
And pooling newsgathering resources will help TV, where news staff cuts have been brutal.

A while back, big radio owners were pushing to own up-to-10-stations-in-a-market (imagine?), but we haven't hear much about that from 'em since they've been staring-into-the-abyss with debt-coming-due.

Commissioner McDowell observed recent sell-offs, and characterized divestitures already beginning as "de-consolidation." Admittedly, this is me-being-optimistic, but I'd like to think that -- with mega-owners needing to sell-off even more stations, and likely to do so at fire sale prices -- there'll be a new generation of the local Mom-N-Pop owners we now remember so wistfully.

But, as McDowell also pointed out, Mom-N-Pop would be looking for financing in a tight market.

We WANT to think that "The Forces of Nature" will self-correct the excesses of recent consolidation.
ANY radio station that's doing diligent programming, and smart promotion, will be conspicuous now.

HC
www.HollandCooke.com
b.)

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Have faith in The Forces of Nature

What we're likely to see is relaxation of CROSS-ownership restrictions, i.e., newspaper/broadcast.
It may be newspapers' only hope!

That's what I was referring to. Just a year ago that very concept was shot down by the Democrats. Now it looks like the Democratic Chairman likes the idea.

there'll be a new generation of the local Mom-N-Pop owners we now remember so wistfully.

I keep hearing that, and so far I haven't seen anyone who I'd consider "mom & pop" buying radio stations. Unless you want to talk about those folks who are buying up AM stations and turning them into brokered religious radio.

Other than WHFS, there weren't many "mom & pop" operations in DC during the past 40 years. Lots of mega-owners, like the Washington Star and Washington Post, RKO General, and of course NBC and ABC.

 

[Numo]

A while back, big radio owners were pushing to own up-to-10-stations-in-a-market (imagine?), but we haven't hear much about that from 'em since they've been staring-into-the-abyss with debt-coming-due.

OMG! Can you begine what would be if CC owned 10 stations in Providence??? EGHADS the bird feed would be up to our NECKS!!

 

[Moonstruck]

So in summary I guess we can say Clear Channel won't raise the bar in Providence? HJY still maintains but who knows what genius will find a way to change things there without sacrificing revenue?