it's NOT WKYW-TV. It's KYW (1060) Standard Broadcast and sister KYW-TV. There is no 4 letter call, no "W" prefix. Legendery 3 letter call with a fascinating history between Cleveland, David Sarnoff, RCA, and George Westinghouse. Not to be confused with WPTZ-TV3 & Philco...more Philly history.
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WPHT Sale
- Thread starter spm1036
- Start date
J
Jul
Guest
Not shocked that CBS might be the potential buyer of 106.9 FM. And if CBS sells 1210 WPHT, the station would probably be blown up and the new owners start from scratch and maybe relaunch the talk format and adding the syndicated shows like Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck.radiophiler said:Tom Taylor's NOW newsletter this morning tells a different story.
Merlin is shopping IQ. CBS is the likely buyer to simulcast 1060. However, rumor has it Merlin is asking too much, but the deal might get done at the upcoming NAB show.
No word in Taylor's article of a sale of WPHT. In fact, the article mentions that under current FCC caps, CBS would be free to buy IQ.
I'd go with what an identified reporter (Taylor) is saying about this.
However, I'd say this: If CBS ends up buying IQ, it knows that Rush et al will be displaced once again in Philly. CBS might be looking at the sale of 1210 as an opportunity: someone (CC) might really want to buy it to park its syndicated talk shows in the market. This is nothing but pure speculation on my part.
J
Jul
Guest
I think that the Phillies wanted the games on 1210, because of the signal, especially at night. Phillies fans from all over can listen to the games, without paying money, but if this sale happens and the station being blown up, the Phillies fans, especially folks that live outside the 94.1 FM listening area, will be very angry that they won't hear the games on 1210.Christinemillertime said:Why not put the Phillies on 610? I mean, it's sports radio. The phillies never belonged on WPHT to begin with. Listeners to a sports station would be far more interested in hearing a baseball game than those who were tuning in to listen to Rish Limbaugh.
J
Jul
Guest
is there a possibility that CBS might cease operation of the station and return the license to the FCC, if no-one wants to buy WPHT-AM?FredLeonard said:Those who say CBS has put 1210 on the block and those who say they aren't are both basing their statements on nothing. Julius is the only being honest when he says he has a "funny feeling."
CBS will never unload 1210: Never say never.
My "feeling" is it's more likely 106.9 will be sold anytime in the near future.
If CBS decides they don't want 1210, why would anyone else want it? Cumulus? Clear Channel? GM? Why would they want it, if CBS does not? At some point, the value of 1210 will drop to the point that some religious or brokered broadcaster will pick it up cheap. Then 1210 is either all Jesus, all the time or all colon blow, all the time.
1210 is not doing well now and blowing it up and starting over will not make it do better.
Just simulcast KYW on it. Isn't 1210's signal better in spots where 1060 can't get like Bucks County? Drop the simulcast for Phillies games and other sports on 1210. That is unless CBS is looking to buy 106.9. If they do, just simulcast 1060 on 106.9 and move IQ to 1210. Admit dropping all the syndicated stuff was a mistake. Heck, CC might want 1210 and put IQ there on 1210 too. It's mostly all their programming.
F
FredLeonard
Guest
Julius May said:I think that the Phillies wanted the games on 1210, because of the signal, especially at night. Phillies fans from all over can listen to the games, without paying money, but if this sale happens and the station being blown up, the Phillies fans, especially folks that live outside the 94.1 FM listening area, will be very angry that they won't hear the games on 1210.Christinemillertime said:Why not put the Phillies on 610? I mean, it's sports radio. The phillies never belonged on WPHT to begin with. Listeners to a sports station would be far more interested in hearing a baseball game than those who were tuning in to listen to Rish Limbaugh.
Several teams have moved baseball broadcasts off Class 1-A AM stations. Some to FM for the same reason syndicated talk shows have opted to move to FM in some markets (better sound; better demos). Some because they don't want DX'ers listening out of area. They'd rather have people pay to listen online or watch via cable. Who cares if out of area fans aren't happy? They don't buy tickets and radio sales departments can't use them to sell spots.
As I understand it, except for the Iggles, CBS has decided they can make more money talking about sports than carrying sports on WIP. Clear Channel/Premiere requires stations carrying Rush to run his spots when the show is preempted for any reason. Besides, there are not that many weekday afternoon baseball games. As already mentioned, Rush is expensive and the requirement to run-make goods mean that stations not owned by Clear Channel are often happy to unload Rush given a excuse (like ratings slipping or advertisers unwilling to have their spots in his show).
Not a bad idea to simulcast KYW 1060 on 1210, especially for Bucks County. However, current FCC rules prohibit a simulcast between two stations in the same band that overlap the other's signal by more than 50%. So, this would not be allowed.
Aren't the Phillies going to be on WYSP-94.1 anyway in 2013 and not on WPHT-1210??
radiophiler said:Not a bad idea to simulcast KYW 1060 on 1210, especially for Bucks County. However, current FCC rules prohibit a simulcast between two stations in the same band that overlap the other's signal by more than 50%. So, this would not be allowed.
I didn't know that. You can simulcast on am/fm but not 2 am or 2 fm?
Joseph_Gallant said:Aren't the Phillies going to be on WYSP-94.1 anyway in 2013 and not on WPHT-1210??
Pretty sure they're supposed to be on both stations just like last season. WPHT is still considered to be the flagship station (according to the Phillis website). http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/schedule/radio_network.jsp
amfmsw said:it's NOT WKYW-TV. It's KYW (1060) Standard Broadcast and sister KYW-TV.
More than well aware. Forgive me for literally being up 17.5 hours when wrote that.
Regardless of What CBS does with 1210 WPHT. KYW will remain at 1060 remember this is Philadelphia, a city of habits. How long has Action News on Channel 6 had the same theme song ????? How many people are tuning into 94.1 HD2 to listen to KYW? Even when I toured KYW last year I tried to explainHD radio but got the deer in the headlights look from many of the older people on tour. Same problem old habits are hard to change, my mom still thinks CBS is on channel 10.
Answer to Bill W: That is correct, AM/FM simulcast is OK, AM/AM and FM/FM are not, unless the signal of one station doesn't overlap 50+% of the other.
Up in the Lehigh Valley, two small AMs can simulcast because their sticks are far enough apart and they're both 1,000 watts or less so their signals don't overlap by 50+%: 1320 in Allentown and 1230 in Easton simulcast their ESPN sports format.
There are other markets where two rimshot FMs simulcast because they are on different ends of the market (example, one might be somewhat more west, one somewhat more east). There have been examples of this in both the Atlantic City, NJ, and Ocean City, MD, markets.
And for atthegym: I agree KYW will have to continue on 1060 for the reason you state. However, adding an FM simulcast, such as 106.9, would help them with younger (25-44) listeners who have not made the habits of older listeners. Best of both worlds.
Up in the Lehigh Valley, two small AMs can simulcast because their sticks are far enough apart and they're both 1,000 watts or less so their signals don't overlap by 50+%: 1320 in Allentown and 1230 in Easton simulcast their ESPN sports format.
There are other markets where two rimshot FMs simulcast because they are on different ends of the market (example, one might be somewhat more west, one somewhat more east). There have been examples of this in both the Atlantic City, NJ, and Ocean City, MD, markets.
And for atthegym: I agree KYW will have to continue on 1060 for the reason you state. However, adding an FM simulcast, such as 106.9, would help them with younger (25-44) listeners who have not made the habits of older listeners. Best of both worlds.
Success? You must have a very low bar....
F
FredLeonard
Guest
Cross, right on.
Conservatives claim to believe in free market capitalism and the profit motive. By that standard, how can a station that's losing money be a "success?"
Under Arbitron rules, simulcast stations are counted as one station, one audience.
According to Arbitron, four per cent of the Philly market's 12+ population ever tunes in to IQ at all - at any time. Most are past retirement age. The station does poorly in the money demos, the groups advertisers want to reach with radio.
If the station were successful, Merlin's venture capitalist backers would not be so interested in selling.
PS: Christine, you say you want to listen to these shows live and in your car so you can call in. Wow! Dangerous and possibly illegal. Even with a hands-free device, calling while driving is even more dangerous than drunk driving. I thought conservatives valued personal responsibility.
Conservatives claim to believe in free market capitalism and the profit motive. By that standard, how can a station that's losing money be a "success?"
Under Arbitron rules, simulcast stations are counted as one station, one audience.
According to Arbitron, four per cent of the Philly market's 12+ population ever tunes in to IQ at all - at any time. Most are past retirement age. The station does poorly in the money demos, the groups advertisers want to reach with radio.
If the station were successful, Merlin's venture capitalist backers would not be so interested in selling.
PS: Christine, you say you want to listen to these shows live and in your car so you can call in. Wow! Dangerous and possibly illegal. Even with a hands-free device, calling while driving is even more dangerous than drunk driving. I thought conservatives valued personal responsibility.
So Merlin is going to shop 106.9. Well, that was a really successful venture, wasn't it?!
Way to go, Randy Michaels... I feel bad for the venture capitalists that got sucked into his vortex of bad programming and lack of direction and focus.
CBS could simulcast KYW on 106.9 and not "split the audience". The two signals would be ADDED together.
Way to go, Randy Michaels... I feel bad for the venture capitalists that got sucked into his vortex of bad programming and lack of direction and focus.
CBS could simulcast KYW on 106.9 and not "split the audience". The two signals would be ADDED together.
Christinemillertime said:The idea that CBS would simulcast KYW on IQ makes zero sense. Kyw is #1. Splitting that audience would be ludicrous.
Guess you haven't seen what they've done elsewhere, particularly with WFAN. Not saying it will happen, but it certainly DOES make sense. A straight simulcast would not be split.
FredLeonard said:According to Arbitron, four per cent of the Philly market's 12+ population ever tunes in to IQ at all - at any time.
That's average for a Philly radio station. About the same as Ben-FM. They are the #1 news/talk station in town. So what? They single-handedly killed one of Philly's legendary stations, and thus this thread based on the idea that CBS now wants to sell WPHT. I'm not saying IQ is a big success, but it's not a total failure either. Not to the degree that the other Merlin stations were. Regardless of anyone thinks, they will sell this station for a profit. Why? Because they aren't making any more FM licenses in Top 10 markets. The mistake CBS made was not buying this station two years ago instead of Merlin.
WNTIRadio said:Way to go, Randy Michaels... I feel bad for the venture capitalists that got sucked into his vortex of bad programming and lack of direction and focus.
Another way of looking at it is the success rate for DJs who became owners isn't very good. I often read that there should be more programming people in ownership. Really? Randy's mistake was believing in radio. He should have learned his lesson at Tribune. Ownership today is not for radio people. It's not any fun. It's best left to people who don't have any ties to the medium, like bankers. His investors didn't get sucked into his vortex...more likely it was the other way around. No one was going to turn these stations around in a year or two, and apparently that's all he had. Everyone likes to say Jerry Lee is a genius, but you don't see him buying any more radio stations. That right there is all you need to know.
"The idea that CBS would simulcast KYW on IQ makes zero sense. Kyw is #1. Splitting that audience would be ludicrous. "
Let's use an analogy. You own a business and provide several products. You know which one is by far your best seller. Then you have others that don't do nearly so good.
You're looking to improve business. Do you look at your number 1 product, say to yourself, "Hey, it's our No. 1 product. That's good enough. Let's invest money in some of our products that aren't doing so well to make sure they do better."
Or, do you say to yourself, "Wow, we have a really great success with this product. Let's see if we can make it even better and sell more of it."
Answer: Option No. 2.
KYW Newsradio on FM. It's time has come.
Let's use an analogy. You own a business and provide several products. You know which one is by far your best seller. Then you have others that don't do nearly so good.
You're looking to improve business. Do you look at your number 1 product, say to yourself, "Hey, it's our No. 1 product. That's good enough. Let's invest money in some of our products that aren't doing so well to make sure they do better."
Or, do you say to yourself, "Wow, we have a really great success with this product. Let's see if we can make it even better and sell more of it."
Answer: Option No. 2.
KYW Newsradio on FM. It's time has come.
F
FredLeonard
Guest
OK, here's another analogy.
Let's say your Wawa. You've got a small, neighborhood store that's been around since the 70s. Does good business. You open a big new store - three times the size with gas pumps - nearby. Total business goes up. Business in the old store goes down. Eventually you close the old store. Most old store customers have started going to the new store already.
By the way, this has already happened. WTOP Newsradio in Washington started simulcasting on FM. Ratings and bills improved. Eventually they took all news off the original AM frequency. Ratings and billings are better than ever and WTOP is one of the most profitable stations in the country.
What people listen to is programming, not the station, not the frequency, not the AM transmitter. Their loyalty is to programming.
Nothing is permanent. KYW started in Chicago. Came to Philly. Moved to Cleveland. Moved back to Philly. They've been on 833, 870, 560, 570, 1020 and 1060. Their frequency in Philly has also had the call letters WRAX and WRCV. They've done full service, middle of the road and big band. They can survive a move to FM.
Only question is: What will CBS eventually do with 1060?
AM radio started in 1908. 104 years. It was a good run.
Let's say your Wawa. You've got a small, neighborhood store that's been around since the 70s. Does good business. You open a big new store - three times the size with gas pumps - nearby. Total business goes up. Business in the old store goes down. Eventually you close the old store. Most old store customers have started going to the new store already.
By the way, this has already happened. WTOP Newsradio in Washington started simulcasting on FM. Ratings and bills improved. Eventually they took all news off the original AM frequency. Ratings and billings are better than ever and WTOP is one of the most profitable stations in the country.
What people listen to is programming, not the station, not the frequency, not the AM transmitter. Their loyalty is to programming.
Nothing is permanent. KYW started in Chicago. Came to Philly. Moved to Cleveland. Moved back to Philly. They've been on 833, 870, 560, 570, 1020 and 1060. Their frequency in Philly has also had the call letters WRAX and WRCV. They've done full service, middle of the road and big band. They can survive a move to FM.
Only question is: What will CBS eventually do with 1060?
AM radio started in 1908. 104 years. It was a good run.
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