Because the network ad business model still uses terrestrial stations and the number & size of markets cleared.
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Because the network ad business model still uses terrestrial stations and the number & size of markets cleared.
Actually it is filling a void. It's giving those in its target demo NEWS not opinions. There are black folk who just want to hear news and not opinions.
My guess is iHeart wants to make it look like they are doing something meaningful for political reasons more than actually doing anything. Throwing this network on a few marginal AM signals around the country and some FM HD2, HD3 - yeah a few people will listen, maybe a few will listen on the iHeart app. but its not going to do much. It may get them some national ad sales from companies who want to show support for the cause.
They could do far more by putting some programming on their big stations. Think Lovell Dyett (now deceased) who did a weekend, evening show on WBZ Boston up into the late 2000's. Not prime time but big reach and people listened. Now serving the community like that would interfere with all the money flooding in from running re-runs of the news or paid programming.
They could do far more by putting some programming on their big stations. Think Lovell Dyett (now deceased) who did a weekend, evening show on WBZ Boston up into the late 2000's. Not prime time but big reach and people listened. Now serving the community like that would interfere with all the money flooding in from running re-runs of the news or paid programming.
This is about attracting new money. The advertisers who've signed up for this could have sponsored other iHeart programming, but this is what they wanted. They already have all the old white men locked in listening to their news/talk programming. This is aimed at someone else.
Yep. This is also about taking Public Relations budgets, not advertising budgets.
All sports, from its offset in NYC, also went after sports marketing budgets. That's the money that athletic shoe manufacturers put into street basketball events, beer brewers put into bar signage and promotions and the like. Some of found a new home in sports radio, and was new "found money" for the radio industry. And it was money no other station could go and undersell on, as, at least initially, markets generally only had one successful sports station.
Give it time, there will be more stations and not just ones owned by iHeart. They're syndicating it through Premiere. It's going to be bigger than you think.
I get we're comparing apples and oranges, but when I was in Houston, one of our clients leasing the station ran a format of news and commentary and opinion for the Black audience utilizing the talent from KCOH prior to it's sale. The on air product was exceptional and I was amazed how many listened to a high end of the dial AM because of the programming alone. In fact, after they left our station I got about 100 to 150 calls a day for about a week or so from very nice people who wanted to know what happened. If what our client did in Houston is any indication, there is a big silent majority that appreciates news and commentary that targets their community and their community's challenges.
BigA - I have listened to the national feed and honestly, I am disappointed. This is a pathetic attempt and Iheart knows it. Few stations have the reach and what we are hearing sounds like our seventh grade history teacher reciting the "SYLABULL" and it is NOT going to keep "listeners" engaged. What could have been a platform is an embarrassment. They should walk away now, because OUR nation deserves better.
Who is the "they" you're talking about?
In Covid terms that's like buying the last 4-pack of toilet paper in the supermarket for $8.50 knowing you could have bought the 48-pack of Charmin on sale a month earlier for $12.
A bit more information concerning the pending sale of WWRL to IHeart Radio.
The sale does include a construction permit for a translator in Edison NJ, on 103.9 FM. I wonder whether IHeart will try to have its location moved.
The seller, NJ Broadcasting, bought the station 4 years ago, for seven million dollars. Though they will apparently make a modest profit from the sale, the deal stipulates that IHeart can withold $275,000 unless certain repairs and upgrades are made to the station.
I'm surprised that IHeart didn't buy WLIB AM, which appears to have a better signal, and is said to be for sale.
The Deal: http://www.insideradio.com/free/dea...cle_ba840104-f8a9-11ea-b748-037f2e9e6f2d.html
The sale does include a construction permit for a translator in Edison NJ, on 103.9 FM. I wonder whether IHeart will try to have its location moved.
The seller, NJ Broadcasting, bought the station 4 years ago, for seven million dollars. Though they will apparently make a modest profit from the sale, the deal stipulates that IHeart can withold $275,000 unless certain repairs and upgrades are made to the station.
I'm surprised that IHeart didn't buy WLIB AM, which appears to have a better signal, and is said to be for sale.
The Deal: http://www.insideradio.com/free/dea...cle_ba840104-f8a9-11ea-b748-037f2e9e6f2d.html
Total speculation, but the work probably has to do with some cleanup work at the transmitter site in Secaucus. As for the translator, I don't think they could get it much closer to NYC with co-channel WNBM there. It's really directional as currently proposed, in consideration of WNBM, the station in Hazlet (WPDI) and some second adjacents.
8 million was what a poor signal AM in NYC would go for about 50 years ago. Times have certainly changed.
WCNM 103.9 is a Class D as is a translator... so WCNM isnt protected
Doubt they'll make anything close to a modest profit on the sale. After operating and legal expenses, they may be lucky enough to break even.
Yes indeedy...and for about 50% more, I Heart could have purchased WABC!
In 1978 I had a signed deal to buy WTFM, a near-full signal FM in NYC, for $7.8 million.
Ten years later, it sold for $40 million.
For perspective:
$7.8 million in 1978 is worth $30.7 million today.
$40 million in 1988 is worth $87.3 million today.
Source: https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
$7.8 million in 1978 is worth $30.7 million today.
$40 million in 1988 is worth $87.3 million today.
Source: https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
That's the point. Forget AM, is there an FM station that someone would pay $90 million for today in NYC? I don't think so.
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