WEEI versus The Sports Hub (was: Entercom to buy WFNX?)

[lglavin@mail.com]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Sean Smyth <sean.smyth@yahoo.com>
>To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org
>Sent: Sat, Nov 27, 2010 2:29 pm
>Subject: Re: WEEI versus The Sports Hub (was: Entercom to buy WFNX?)


>By the way, I must hand it to Kevin, who predicted that the Sox deal would kill 
WEEI. I thought he was nuts at the time, but it turns out he was right -- the 
debt alone from that contract has to make it difficult for Entercom to make many 
moves.
As far as programming, WEEI's schtick was worn out 10 years ago. Ordway is a 
good interviewer and when on his own (or namely, without Fred Smerlas) can put 
on a good show. I was listening to him and DeOssie talk football a couple years 
ago and I actually learned something -- then Smerlas showed up and it turned 
into the traditional chuckle fest.
 When the WEEI-AM/WBZ-FM rivalry was the subject of channel 19's
 "Beat the Press" show two weeks ago, Dan Kennedy, curator of the Media Nation blog, 
 mentioned how terrible WEEI-AM's signal is.  His home is in Danvers, but his day
 job is at Northeastern Univ, so he might have been talking about both his home
 reception and car-radio reception.  He said that Entercom HAD to get an FM 
 outlet or it would eventually be toast ( a toast metaphor has emerged several 
 times on this thread).   I posted to the "Beat the Press" website that Entercom's
 hands are tied because it has no FM that is specifically a BOSTON station, but
 signals licensed to Lawrence and Westborough with transmitting antennas outside of route 128.   
 CBS and Greater Media would NEVER sell one of their intown FM's of course.
 But is there any chance Clear Channel, which  has major debt obligations after the
 takeover, would be willing to sell one or both of its FMs (plus AM 1430 and 1200) and
 vacate the Boston market?