WBZ cuts Leveille, Cuddy, Dyett, poss. Desmarais

[Kevin Vahey]

FM coverage in DC is needed to cover holes in 1500 AM's signal but
that is not really a factor with KCBS in SF. While KCBS does have to
protect Toronto to the east it still puts a Grade A signal day and
night into Sacremento 80 miles away. East of there the only listeners
would be on I-80 and FM doesn't reach there.

I was told years ago that Westinghouse never even considered all news
for WBZ when they flipped WINS, KFWB and KYW simply because they did
not want to waste the blowtorch at night. They were going to flip WIND
Chicago to all news but William Paley ordered WBBM to go all news
first after they missed the boat in NY.

I can not see CBS keeping 2 all news stations in NY and LA much longer
and perhaps they would simply move WINS to 880 which has the better
signal. 2 newsrooms are just too labor intensive in this climate.
When Westinghouse bought CBS one of the first moves was to kill all
news WMAQ and flip it to sports (WSCR) and WBBM wound up with the bulk
of WMAQ listeners.

One other thing. We saw how NAB fought hard to prevent the satellite
merger and lost. What surprised me was not lobbying the FCC to make it
mandatory that all future satellite radios must also have the AM-FM
band.

I am also surprised that the FCC allowed just FM tuners to be sold.
You now have untold millions that don't even have an AM tuner.




On 1/2/09, Don A <donald_astelle@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>> CBS is testing news on FM for a reason (San Francisco) and the clear
>> channel stations no longer have the appeal they had even 15 years ago.
>
> I think news is being put on FM in 2 markets (SF & DC), because, their is no
> AM that covers the market completely.
>
>> HD hash as made it almost impossible to listen to WBZ on the NY
>> Thruway at night...
>
> I don't think CBS executives care if people listen to WBZ on the NY
> Thrway...
>
>> The day may come when WBZ simply moves their format to FM and they
>> would still dominate the market.
>
> Then that would displace a current format (and revenue) on one of CBS's FM
> station...AND leave a very expensive facility with no format.
>
>> I am pretty certain Entercom would love to move WEEI to FM and unload
>> 850 as well but their FM options are limited.
>
> And, if this were to take place,  what do you think would happen to the
> value of 850AM
>
> a.) The current depressed market...
>
> b.) With no viable format for 850?
>
>
>
>
>