Will WSB AM be the new #1 station in ATL?

[taylorengineer]

Can anyone with access to the weekly data tell us how the simulcast is going so far?
I wonder if this will push WSB NewsTalk to the top? Or will it make little difference at all?

 

[radioworld]

My guess is they will get a "novelty bump" in the numbers but when it's all said and done there will be no net gain in audience. That's assuming their programming stays the same.

 

[Talk_Dude]

My guess is they will get a "novelty bump" in the numbers but when it's all said and done there will be no net gain in audience. That's assuming their programming stays the same.

I have to disagree with your guess. I would guess that their "novelty bump" will include some adults who would never, ever turn their radios to AM for any reason who'll like what they hear, and will continue listening. I believe there will be a sharp upward spike, and then a return to maybe 10% to 20% net gain overall. I suspect that not enough people in radio take seriously the fact that while AM may not be quite dead yet, it's in the terminal phase of its existence. It will continue to keep going downhill until the FCC finally pulls the plug to use the spectrum bandwidth for something else.

 

[jabba17]

It will continue to keep going downhill until the FCC finally pulls the plug to use the spectrum bandwidth for something else.

Like what? What are those lower frequencies especially good for?

My dream plan would be to take TV channels 5 and 6, put them on the FM band (76-88MHz), and move all the AM class B's and C's to it. Then let the AM band be run by class A's and local daytimers (class D, no night signals). If anyone insists, have 2 or 3 stations per clear channel and go directional after dark as needed.

 

[gregg75]

WSB-AM is already tied for 3rd in the July PPM ratings. I believe this will give them a boost
to a solid #2. The next ratings period ended on 8-18 and the switch was on 8-16, so the August ratings will be for THE BEAT.

BREAKING NEWS, THIS JUST IN:
We'll find out the answer sometime around COLUMBUS DAY in October.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

at the end of the day isn't this Cox's 2nd attempt to take down V103?

 

[gregg75]

That leaves an interesting point. Was it worth blowing up the #15 station in order to get the #4
station to #2 ????? Seems a bit odd, but Cox is looking long term and those plans are probably to be #1 within the next 6 months, if not sooner.

(TAKE THAT JAY-Z)

 

[davideduardo]

That leaves an interesting point. Was it worth blowing up the #15 station in order to get the #4 station to #2 ?????

I think the plan is likely more based on the fact that WSB is 8th 25-54 and 14th in 25-49 based on an average of the April through June books. Going on FM, as Cox has seen in Jacksonville and Dayton, adding in FM not only increases overall rank, it improves the under-55 demos considerable.

12+ is not a sales demo.

 

[jabba17]

at the end of the day isn't this Cox's 2nd attempt to take down V103?

Second? You can tally up many more than that (Kiss, Beat, Jamz, AURA[[email protected]+Ring/Midwestern/Dickey], etc.). Everyone should know by now what I think Cox thinks about V-103.

 

[trusty]

So, I’m here looking at the coverage maps of WXKT/103.7 (4.1k) and WBTS/95.5 (40k) - both owned by Cox and duplicating programming (HERE and HERE (live or tape delay)) almost 50% of their airtime (M-F) – and see how 95.5’s signal easily swallows up 103.7's, and I have to ask the question: How does this affect 103.7?

 

[secondchoice]

So, I’m here looking at the coverage maps of WXKT/103.7 (4.1k) and WBTS/95.5 (40k) - both owned by Cox and duplicating programming (HERE and HERE (live or tape delay)) almost 50% of their airtime (M-F) – and see how 95.5’s signal easily swallows up 103.7's, and I have to ask the question: How does this affect 103.7?

IIRC Cox plans to “move” 95.5 to its WSB fm tower downtown. When this happens 103.7 could be the better signal in Gainesville GA.

 

[jabba17]

IIRC Cox plans to “move” 95.5 to its WSB fm tower downtown. When this happens 103.7 could be the better signal in Gainesville GA.

You are correct. IIRC the holdup is the fact that Cox owns the AJC and they need to re-up that waiver they currently have with the FCC regarding that cross-ownership if they move in another signal. My guess is despite the fact that Anne Cox Chambers is a big Dem donor, the PBO administration doesn't look kindly on these big media groups "monopolizing" a market.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

IIRC Cox plans to “move” 95.5 to its WSB fm tower downtown. When this happens 103.7 could be the better signal in Gainesville GA.

You are correct. IIRC the holdup is the fact that Cox owns the AJC and they need to re-up that waiver they currently have with the FCC regarding that cross-ownership if they move in another signal. My guess is despite the fact that Anne Cox Chambers is a big Dem donor, the PBO administration doesn't look kindly on these big media groups "monopolizing" a market.

I've heard that also and am not sure I understand it. The Beat already covers the market and is licensed to Doraville. If the transmitter site moves, 95.5 will still be licensed to Doraville. Changing the city of license to Doraville was done so that all 95.5 has to do is put a city-grade signal over Doraville, enabling it to move into Atlanta without missing a beat (no pun intended). So for all intents and purposes, the move would be solely a transmitter site move, and not a move into the market. So why the cross-ownership issue?

 

[jabba17]

IIRC Cox plans to “move” 95.5 to its WSB fm tower downtown.  When this happens 103.7 could be the better signal in Gainesville GA.

You are correct.  IIRC the holdup is the fact that Cox owns the AJC and they need to re-up that waiver they currently have with the FCC regarding that cross-ownership if they move in another signal.  My guess is despite the fact that Anne Cox Chambers is a big Dem donor, the PBO administration doesn't look kindly on these big media groups "monopolizing" a market.

I've heard that also and am not sure I understand it.  The Beat already covers the market and is licensed to Doraville.  If the transmitter site moves, 95.5 will still be licensed to Doraville.  Changing the city of license to Doraville was done so that all 95.5 has to do is put a city-grade signal over Doraville, enabling it to move into Atlanta without missing a beat (no pun intended).  So for all intents and purposes, the move would be solely a transmitter site move, and not a move into the market.  So why the cross-ownership issue?

It has to do with the number of Cox's signals that overlap city-grade signals in any one location and specifically encompassing the city of Atlanta, if I read Cox's waiver request right.  Apparently 95.5 and 104.1 come close to overlapping but just miss with 95.5's current signal (as do 97.1 and 104.1).  If 95.5 moves in, 95.5 and 104.1 will overlap (along with 98.5 and 750), making four signals that overlap over the ATL city limits, plus WSB-TV and the AJC.

Here is Cox's waiver request: https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101209588&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

Here is Cox stating that WSRV and WALR-FM would continue to not overlap (WBTS and WALR-FM do not overlap today, but would under the proposed move): https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101209588&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=3

and here is the app:
https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...xt=25&appn=101209588&formid=301&fac_num=11710

 

[kilamanjero]

at the end of the day isn't this Cox's 2nd attempt to take down V103?

Second? You can tally up many more than that (Kiss, Beat, Jamz, AURA[[email protected]+Ring/Midwestern/Dickey], etc.). Everyone should know by now what I think Cox thinks about V-103.

Cox is desperate to take down V-103. They were able to one up CBS in Orlando with market heritage urban/rhythmic station, WJHM, by using their combo of WCFB & WPYO, which are the market's top stations. The problem with Cox is they put out crappy urban products, thus they can't compete. FYI, WSB-AM is stale and they think using a FM signal to relay it will resolve their issues.

 

[bclark71.]

FYI, WSB-AM is stale and they think using a FM signal to relay it will resolve their issues.

Stale is the perfect word for WSB-AM.

IMO, "Atlanta's Morning News" should go 5-9am, Boortz 9-12pm, Clark Howard (who I love but has more reruns/recycled material than Carson's last decade) 12-3pm, and if they insist on running Hannity, do it when he's live 3-6pm. Throw in a 60-minute news block 6-7pm (like the old "Sixty at 6" on WGST), and then Herman Cain 7-10pm and Michael Savage 10-1am. Use 1-5am to develop new talent and attract those people that work the graveyard shift, and skew it young. Recruit new lsiteners. When Boortz is on vacation, throw one of those new overnight hosts in there to shake things up, ala David Paul in the early 1990s. Boortz won't stick around forever, and as he ages so does his audience.

Long story short, Stale on AM will also be Stale on FM.

 

[AMFMRadFan]

Stale is the perfect word for WSB-AM.

IMO, "Atlanta's Morning News" should go 5-9am, Boortz 9-12pm, Clark Howard (who I love but has more reruns/recycled material than Carson's last decade) 12-3pm, and if they insist on running Hannity, do it when he's live 3-6pm. Throw in a 60-minute news block 6-7pm (like the old "Sixty at 6" on WGST), and then Herman Cain 7-10pm and Michael Savage 10-1am. Use 1-5am to develop new talent and attract those people that work the graveyard shift, and skew it young. Recruit new lsiteners. When Boortz is on vacation, throw one of those new overnight hosts in there to shake things up, ala David Paul in the early 1990s. Boortz won't stick around forever, and as he ages so does his audience.

Long story short, Stale on AM will also be Stale on FM.

Concerning the 6PM-7PM hour, in other words, News/Talk WSB should bring back "Atlanta's Evening News" to where it's not just the special elections editions.

 

[DuckBlue]

Concerning the 6PM-7PM hour, in other words, News/Talk WSB should bring back "Atlanta's Evening News" to where it's not just the special elections editions.

When it comes to news, the station is pretty pitiful. I often listen to WBBM-AM from Chicago at night when it comes booming into Atlanta. That is a real news station. It is sad that this city has nothing that comes close to it. And WBBM is Chicago's number 1 station.

 

[bclark71.]

When it comes to news, the station is pretty pitiful. I often listen to WBBM-AM from Chicago at night when it comes booming into Atlanta. That is a real news station. It is sad that this city has nothing that comes close to it. And WBBM is Chicago's number 1 station.

Agreed. I stream 1010 WINS from NYC when something's up because WSB's newscasts are so rushed it's laughable. They need to recommit to the hard news angle and soften the Richard Sangster sensationalism. Show some class.

 

[BarryATL]

My favorite is WTOP Washington, DC. I stream them a lot. They have a steady pace and familiar anchors. Also, they have a lot of contributors of feature material. It is well rounded. DC is a slightly smaller market than Atlanta. I could see someone being able to do what WTOP is doing.

One big difference.. they have THREE FM signals to blanket the wide metro area. WSB's 95.5 signal does not even cover Cheshire Bridge Rd and the downtown area. There is so much static, I have reverted to the AM signal.