WEEI can't blame the Bruins for July

[Dan.Strassberg]

GM is not an AM company. They do own one AM that I know of,
however--WPEN--and they have upgraded its technical facilities to the
max that was possible, but they are running it as a simulcast of a
highly directional full Class-B FM that is better than a rimshot of
its (Philadelphia) market. There is plenty of reason to believe that
GM would let WPEN go if somebody were to make a decent offer for it.
So why would a company that is not interested in AM and that spent
~$100 million about five years ago to acquire its last Boston-market
FM trade away any of its Boston signals even for two 50-kW-U AMs? All
of GM's Boston-area signals are full Class Bs, though three are
licensed to suburbs--Waltham, Brookline, Framingham--plus two to
Boston itself. And four of the five transmit from the Pru. They would
have relocated WKLB to the Pru if it had been technically feasible but
an IF problem with WUMB prevents such a move. My guess is that WRKO
plus WEEI together are not worth as much as WTKK by itself. That would
surely be GM's position if Entercom were to approach it about a swap.
IMO, Entercom would have to sweeten the deal with a big FM signal in
another market to get GM to even listen to its pitch--and even if that
were part of a proposed deal, GM would still wind up laughing the
Entercom emissary out the door.

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@gmail.com>
To: "Bob Nelson" <raccoonradio@gmail.com>
Cc: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest"
<boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: WEEI can't blame the Bruins for July


> FM options are pretty limited for Entercom
>
> I wonder if any thought has been given to going to Greater Media and
> perhaps
> working out some kind of a swap with 96.9 being the focal point.
> (Maybe
> offer them both 680 and 850 plus cash) - Then GM could merge their
> talk
> format with whatever they want from WRKO and then use 850 for pure
> ESPN
> radio)
>
> In any event WEEI has to be wondering what has happened to The Big
> Show...Felger and Mazz are just killing them now.
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Aug 13, 2011 at 8:48 AM, Bob Nelson <raccoonradio@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> The rumor of Entercom buying WFNX awhile back was notable in that
>> the
>> only media source that was reporting it was a weekly publication
>> (and
>> online site) called the Weekly Dig. Nobody else had it, and both
>> Entercom and the Phoenix denied it. Funny...a rival to the Boston
>> Phoenix spreading a rumor of the Phoenix selling off their radio
>> outlet...just to tweak them I guess.
>>
>> An FM presence for the sports talk and Red Sox/Celtics games may
>> happen eventually, as it has in other markets, but as noted before
>> Entercom is apparently doing well with
>> WAAF, WKAF, and WMKK and might not change them. WEEI is now on the
>> HD2
>> signals of WAAF and WKAF, not that too many people yet have HD
>> radios
>> or plan to get them.
>>
>> For Red Sox games, WBOQ in Gloucester is an affiliate (not as
>> powerful
>> as some would like, especially in some workplaces). If WMKK were to
>> //WEEI, or if somehow the Phoenix could indeed be convinced to sell
>> 101.7 to Entercom, either North Shore-based station (well, WMKK is
>> licensed to Lawrence but the stick is in Peabody) would pose a
>> threat
>> to WBOQ--assuming Entercom would allow the Sox to continue on
>> 104.9.
>>
>> WMKK's signal is pretty good, at least around here, but they don't
>> want to unplug the low cost, high profit "Mike".
>> By the way speaking of WBOQ, as Simon Geller continues to roll over
>> in
>> his grave,
>> I do get to hear parts of some Sox games at work (in spots where it
>> does come in)
>> and the board op at "North Shore 104.9" has to often cut off promos
>> and IDs
>> WEEI
>> runs. The voice of Jim Cutler starts to tell people about The Big
>> Show
>> or Dale and
>> Holley, etc., and suddenly the board op has to inject some kind of
>> WBOQ
>> promo
>> to squash it. I don't know if other Sox affiliates have the same
>> problem--I'd think
>> the Red Sox network must have a stream they can tap into where that
>> doesn't happen
>> but 104.9 for some reason winds up getting a stream where the WEEI
>> promos
>> pop in, and they have to quickly move to cut off the promos...
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 7:08 PM, Kevin Vahey <kvahey@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> >
>> http://www.boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases/2011/08/media_linkage_and_more_arbitro.html
>> >
>> > Only the Red Sox games in the evening are keeping them close.
>> >
>> > I am sure the Entrercom buying WFNX rumors will start again but I
>> > don't
>> > think 101.7 is strong enough unless they just simulcast 850.
>> >
>>