Fw: WEEI can't blame the Bruins for July

[Dan.Strassberg]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan.Strassberg" <dan.strassberg@att.net>
To: "Paul B. Walker, Jr." <walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: WEEI can't blame the Bruins for July


> Oops! You sure are right about WBT. I should not have forgotten it! 
> Even though WPEN is in a larger market, WBT is probably more 
> important to GM. Until the 2008 recession decimated the big banks 
> that were headquartered there, Charlotte was a much more 
> up-and-coming market than anyplace on the east coast north of 
> Florida. Also, although nobody thinks skywave reception is of any 
> economic value in the 21st century, I think WBT's status as a Class 
> A AM increases its economic vlaue. As for WCTC, I didn't check on it 
> because it's another station that I forgot. But I did check on WMTR 
> and concluded that, if GM indeed owns it, it does so through a 
> subsidiary because the owner is listed as Sentinel Publishing. And 
> there is another station in NJ (an 1170 daytimer whose calls escape 
> me at the moment) that is also listed as owned by Sentinel 
> Publishing. I think this daytimer simulcasts WMTR, but I'm not sure.
>
> I did not try to check on the number of FMs that GM owns vs the 
> number of AMs. I think that, despite my omission of several AMs, the 
> FMs still greatly outnumber the AMs. Clearly, though, my argument 
> that GM is an FM company is not as strong as I thought it was.
>
> -----
> Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
> eFax 1-707-215-6367
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Paul B. Walker, Jr." <walkerbroadcasting@gmail.com>
> To: "Dan.Strassberg" <dan.strassberg@att.net>
> Cc: "Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@gmail.com>; "Bob Nelson" 
> <raccoonradio@gmail.com>; "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest" 
> <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
> Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2011 2:47 PM
> Subject: Re: WEEI can't blame the Bruins for July
>
>
>> Great media only owns one AM.. how about..
>>
>> 1110 WBT Charlotte?
>>
>> 1450 WCTC New Brunswick, NJ?
>>
>> WMTR 1250?
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Aug 13, 2011 at 1:00 PM, Dan.Strassberg 
>> <dan.strassberg@att.net>wrote:
>>
>>> 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<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<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.
>>>>> >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>
>