Sports related: WRKO, Sox rights, playoffs

[Bob Nelson]

On 4/20/06, David Tomm <nostaticatall@comcast.net> wrote:

> Considering their paltry billings, the last thing WRKO needs is to
> revert to hardcore syndicated political talk.

Right, though their listener "base" might prefer to put Savage back at
7 pm and put
more politics--or maybe a politics AND lifestyles show--on at 10; not
just talking about the issues but things like what are you favorite
rock albums, what celebs you find
annoying, etc. It's too bad VB fled to Fox 25...bringing back the Pit
would be nice.

> First things first.  GM has to acquire WCRB.  If they don't and get the
> Sox rights, WBOS may not be in play at all.  Why not put the games on
> WTKK?

I'd think WTKK would be a great fit. Sox games at 7 pm most nights, then some
wrap-up talk. I think when Eddie A. signed up to do the WTKK Sun night revival
of Sports Huddle (..but displacing Calling All Sports), he did so
anticipating that maybe the Sox might wind up on 96.9 and it would be
a good fit. You could see Barnicle maybe
doing more sports talk on his show, too (w/ Shaughnessy, et al)


How about
> this....The Red Sox acquire a 50.1 percent share (controlling interest)
> in WBOS.  That would put GM back to 5 stations that they control, which
> would keep the FCC happy.

Good thinking: they still control almost half of the station but still
fit in with the
FCC ownership limit, if the FCC defines ownership as owing more than half
of a given station...

  Then the Sox take over WBOS and put on their
> own sports format.    GM would get a cut of the action on 92.9 plus the
> proceeds from the sale.  Then GM either moves the AAA format over to
> 102.5 or signs on a totally different format.  I can't see Country
> moving off of 99.5.  The format struggled for years when it was on
> 105.7 and later 96.9.  It began to thrive once it moved to the suburban
> 99.5 stick--in an area where most of the country listeners reside.

Agreed--the Andover stick does WKLB well

> I don't think flipping WRKO and WEEI's frequencies would help either
> station all that much.  Both signals are horrible at night in
> Metrowest

Yes, and that's the problem...

, and WEEI is doing just fine as is

Yes

.  Also, 93.7 is a tough
> pull at Fenway, so putting the games there won't appease the Sox.

I wasn't sure how well 93.7 does at Fenway. the stick is just off Rt 1
and Rt 128
in Peabody and I'd think it'd come in half-decent in Boston, but maybe high
buildings limit the signal...

> Besides, WMKK is Entercom's second highest biller so I doubt any
> changes will happen there.  I

Unless they would stay with the Mike format and _add the games_, then run ads as
"Mike knows the Sox..."

Agreed re; WAAF, and on the unlikelihood of NHL/NBA playoff games (except
maybe the Finals, and maybe not even then...) on WWZN and WEEI. Not sure
if ESPN has the rights (if so, a perfect fit for 890 and 1400).

If worse comes to worse, local hoop and hockey fans can try a NY
station at night...or eveb in the day if recep isn't bad (here on the
North Shore WCBS, WFAN, and some other
NY stations do come in faintly during the day)