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Entercom and CBS to Merge

K

KXA

Frequent Participant
Entercom and CBS have decided to merge. This is big news. This will be to many stations for Entercom here in Seattle. One will have to be spun off. I think that it will be KFNQ. I'm sure Salem would love to get that stick.

The other question would be about KMPS and KKWF being in the same fold? I doubt they'd keep both.

Let the speculation begin.

(I'd post a link to the 'other' site, but it would be deleted.)
 
KXA said:
Entercom and CBS have decided to merge. This is big news. This will be to many stations for Entercom here in Seattle. One will have to be spun off. I think that it will be KFNQ. I'm sure Salem would love to get that stick.

The other question would be about KMPS and KKWF being in the same fold? I doubt they'd keep both.

Let the speculation begin.

(I'd post a link to the 'other' site, but it would be deleted.)
Click to expand...

Now THIS is a bombshell.
 
I'm confused, why can't they own both KMPS and The Wolf?

Hot 103.7 would nicely fit in to the Hubbard Seattle portfolio.
 
AQH said:
I'm confused, why can't they own both KMPS and The Wolf?

Hot 103.7 would nicely fit in to the Hubbard Seattle portfolio.
Click to expand...

They absolutely could own KMPS and KKWF. I don't think it's likely, but they could. With the country music cycle being the way it is currently I don't know that they would find owning two country stations attractive. They could take KMPS and blow it up into something new and spin off KZOK/KJAQ. Or take KZOK to build a wall of men with KNDD/KISW/KZOK. Or take Jack because it has low overhead. Who the hell knows.

Here's what I would find interesting if they could pull it off...bring KMPS over and flip it to FM sports airing the CBS Sports Radio Network. Entercom and CBS both do well in this format and the two together will be even stronger. Then make a run at acquiring the Seahawks when their contract is up or Mariners when they're up in 2019. They've already aired a handful of Sounders games on KNDD this year, and I'm sure the Sounders would love to get out of the Seahawks shadow on KIRO. And there's still a chance we could have a NBA and/or NHL team in the next few years. This merger won't be finalized until the 2nd half of the year so there's a lot that would need to shake out, but that's one area that could work well for the new Entercom in this market. It takes away their country competitor and compliments their other formats at the same time.
 
iamarussianpirate said:
They absolutely could own KMPS and KKWF. I don't think it's likely, but they could. With the country music cycle being the way it is currently I don't know that they would find owning two country stations attractive. They could take KMPS and blow it up into something new and spin off KZOK/KJAQ. Or take KZOK to build a wall of men with KNDD/KISW/KZOK. Or take Jack because it has low overhead. Who the hell knows.

Here's what I would find interesting if they could pull it off...bring KMPS over and flip it to FM sports airing the CBS Sports Radio Network. Entercom and CBS both do well in this format and the two together will be even stronger. Then make a run at acquiring the Seahawks when their contract is up or Mariners when they're up in 2019. They've already aired a handful of Sounders games on KNDD this year, and I'm sure the Sounders would love to get out of the Seahawks shadow on KIRO. And there's still a chance we could have a NBA and/or NHL team in the next few years. This merger won't be finalized until the 2nd half of the year so there's a lot that would need to shake out, but that's one area that could work well for the new Entercom in this market. It takes away their country competitor and compliments their other formats at the same time.
Click to expand...

Radio is too concerned about right now when it comes to the bottom line. Owning two country stations and protecting the Country franchise is a lot cheaper than building a sports radio franchise from scratch, even with the CBS Sports Radio Network. It makes a ton of sense for Bonneville though.
 
If Bonneville ends up swapping KTAR/KMVP in Phoenix for some of Entercom's excess in Seattle, it will want KMPS and KKWF (and maybe one more). Whatever happens, KMPS seems pretty safe to me. I don't see it getting blown up regardless of who ends up with it.
 
Salem could take 1090, flip it to "The Answer" and cease operations of KLFE-1590. The signal would be closer to KOMO and the other most-listened to AMs, instead of way down in the 1500s (where no one listens). Salem would receive a boost of 30,000 watts more power, thereby creating a real powerhouse vs. KVI-570/KTTH-770.
Or Entercom could flip 1090 to yet another Asian/Indian format.
I don't see KJAQ going anywhere. The format is popular throughout the country with commuters and home listeners. I suppose 96.5 gets a big audience in morning/afternoon rush hour on I-5/405/520/etc. Some people don't want to listen to a morning zoo full of Kardashian talk and stupid gossip. They want MUSIC to start their day.
100.7 could become CBS Sports. Their ratings have dropped well below KMPS. Heck, they used to be news/talk KIRO and hot talk "The Buzz" KQBZ, why not sports talk?
 
iamarussianpirate said:
Here's what I would find interesting if they could pull it off...bring KMPS over and flip it to FM sports airing the CBS Sports Radio Network.
Click to expand...

Flipping one of the market's top 5 billers is not on the agenda. Changing formats generally means losing all existing revenue and taking a year or more to build it back up... at a cost of many millions in lost revenue potential. In the period after the merger, the focus is mostly going to be on integrating the two companies operationally, not in blowing up very profitable formats.
 
The only way I can see Bonneville expanding beyond one station in this situation is if they can pull off a 3-way swap with Hubbard. Remember, Bonneville is a conservative company, and they don't do every format. I could see them getting KMPS, but KJAQ is the only other even possibility. Most likely, I can see Hubbard trying to swap KRWM to Bonneville. Or, here's a wild proposal that I don't think will get anywhere, Entercom buys KVRQ to build a wall of rock, then sells KMPS, KJAQ, and KHTP to Hubbard, or Hubbard buys the 3 rock stations and spins KRWM to Entercom. The problem with Hubbard getting the rock stations is that would leave Entercom with two country stations. Or, last one here, Entercom builds a wall of men with KJAQ, KZOK, KISW, KVRQ and KNDD, then Hubbard gets KKWF, KHTP, and KMPS to add to KQMV and KRWM. The DOJ would probably have issues with that proposal as well as you have the same problem with Hubbard as you'd have with Entercom in the last one.
 
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bobdavcav said:
The only way I can see Bonneville expanding beyond one station in this situation is if they can pull off a 3-way swap with Hubbard. Remember, Bonneville is a conservative company, and they don't do every format. I could see them getting KMPS, but KJAQ is the only other even possibility. Most likely, I can see Hubbard trying to swap KRWM to Bonneville. Or, here's a wild proposal that I don't think will get anywhere, Entercom buys KVRQ to build a wall of rock, then sells KMPS, KJAQ, and KHTP to Hubbard, or Hubbard buys the 3 rock stations and spins KRWM to Entercom. The problem with Hubbard getting the rock stations is that would leave Entercom with two country stations. Or, last one here, Entercom builds a wall of men with KJAQ, KZOK, KISW, KVRQ and KNDD, then Hubbard gets KKWF, KHTP, and KMPS to add to KQMV and KRWM. The DOJ would probably have issues with that proposal as well as you have the same problem with Hubbard as you'd have with Entercom in the last one.
Click to expand...

You're right about Bonneville's leaning, but why would Hubbard want to get rid of Warm? Even Kellyanne Conway would give a puzzled look on that one.

What makes sense from a Bonneville business standpoint is to pick up an FM and simulcast 710.
 
I would assume the technical strength of a signal is #1 objective in what to spin. As they are showing in Sacto, a format can move from one stick to another in a heartbeat; so a format can be preserved. Of the 7, seems 103 is the weakest card in the poker hand. Keeping 94, 96, 99, 100, 102 gives you a healthy mid-band presence all with heritage-tuned signals and sticks.
 
LOL @ the thought that mid band presence matters. And no, revenue is the most important factor in what to spin. Have you ever worked in radio?
 
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Two country formats can indeed compete within one company. In fact, it is a potential bonanza. Just slightly separate the brands and the music focus, and the combo will rule the market within the format. I'm not sure why this is so complicated. In fact, it is very cost-effective.
 
Weren't KMPS and Young Country 96.5 owned by the same company?

regarding the 'update link" posted above- the Media Curmudgeon: "To counteract the onslaught of digital advertising, radio must move from analogue/terrestrial distribution to digital/internet distribution so that it can sell its inventory programmatically based on highly targeted audiences. iHeart Media's Pittman has led the way toward the digital disruption of the radio industry by changing the name of terrestrial-based Clear Channel Communications to the digitally oriented iHeart Media in 2014 and by establishing the popular iHeart app that allows listeners to get the iHeart stations on their smartphones and to buy iHeart inventory programmatically." Uh, doesn't PANDORA dominate IHeart by a long mile? If that's true, then how right is the rest of his article?
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
Not really. Is there anything you can teach me?
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There are many things that the collective group here can teach you and help you better understand. The inhabitants of this Seattle board are about the brightest and best informed on the whole site.

I find those I don't always agree with, like the most honorable Mr. Bongwater, show me different perspectives that I would ordinarily ignore. And folks like CarAgencyGuy give the advertiser's view, also worth understanding. Like these two examples, there are many others with expertise in engineering, management, operations and programming as well as listeners.
 
CarAgencyGuy said:
Uh, doesn't PANDORA dominate IHeart by a long mile? If that's true, then how right is the rest of his article?
Click to expand...

And doesn't Pandora's business model fail to generate cash flow, while iHeart's traditional radio provides the operating income to sustain its efforts to become a digital player?
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
I would assume the technical strength of a signal is #1 objective in what to spin. As they are showing in Sacto, a format can move from one stick to another in a heartbeat; so a format can be preserved. Of the 7, seems 103 is the weakest card in the poker hand. Keeping 94, 96, 99, 100, 102 gives you a healthy mid-band presence all with heritage-tuned signals and sticks.
Click to expand...

What is the meaning or significance of a "mid-band presence" and why should it be important?
 
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