105.3 The Spy

[milton77]

Ferris: What is the likelihood of "The spy" being simulcast on KATT, WWLS or KYIS-2?

Knife&fork:

The application a few years ago to increase 105.3's power also involved a reduction in height - thus there would have been no real increase to the actual coverage area.  That signal is pretty much boxed in, without much wiggle room.

HD radios are down to $50, that’s “affordable enough”…

General Citadel rant:

I'm hoping Citadel will finally break the 640/98.1 simulcast and start using 640 as a clearinghouse for ESPN products that aren't being aired because of the simulcast. It is rather appalling that WWLS doesn't air parts of the World Series, NL or AL championship games, or like last year an NFC (or was it AFC?) championship game, because of either #1) the thunder pbp or #2) gabbing about OU football after a game.

[joelr]

Citadel bought 105.3 for $3.1 million not $7 million.

I think it's awesome that The Spy is coming back to OKC.

Good luck Ferris!

[Ryan Beam]

The Spy Can not be on KYIS or KATT or WWLS because Citadel does not own KINB Last Bastion would have to "rent time" on there HD2 channel to make it leagle.  Citadel did not pay 7 mill they paid 3.1

[ferrisobrien]

Tell the truth then, Ferris.

If there really is anything different.

Did you dig into those deep pockets of yours and add it to some other venture capital to get KINB from Last Bastion Trust on a third party buy?

If so, that's pretty risky considering Citadel originally paid over $7 million for that stick.

Obviously, that was a ridiculous amount even in those better economic times, but you couldn't have got it for much less no matter how bad things are now.
 
Well, extending your Ramones quote, I guess you got the airwaves (slight as they may be), but will anyone care?
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reply to knife&fork:

the assumption of the depth of my pockets & the insult that i might actually need $$ from a third party, along with the dollar amount you attch'd to the original purchase of 105.3 fm, leaves me with the one & only conclusion...  

clueless!

as to the other...   as far as anyone caring, just look @ all the tweets, posts, stories, texts, calls (i even saw someone driving around this afternoon with THE SPY IS COMING blasted across the back of their Lexus) again brings to mind one word...

clueless!

and lastly...  a whole hearted Irish Thank You to all of you well wishers  :  )  

[ferrisobrien]

reply to knife&fork:

the assumption of the depth of my pockets & the insult that i might actually need $$ from a third party, along with the dollar amount you attch'd to the original purchase of 105.3 fm, leaves me with the one & only conclusion... 

clueless!

as to the other...   as far as anyone caring, just look @ all the tweets, posts, stories, texts, calls (i even saw someone driving around this afternoon with THE SPY IS COMING blasted across the back of their Lexus) again brings to mind one word...

clueless!

and lastly...  a whole hearted Irish Thank You to all of you well wishers  :  ) 

i am going to need them!!!!  cheers
 

[NightAire]

ferrisobrien, if YOU'VE bought this station, then more power to you...  you have millions more than I do.

My only question is: do you think you don't need the entire OKC metro to compete?  I'm not questioning your passion... but you realize at some point even the deepest pockets can be drained, & the advertising has to pay the electric bill...  right?

I've seen exciting, creative formats staged by creative, passionate people die horrible, slow, painful deaths because, as one rather intelligent PD out of my past said:

"People won't listen to what they can't hear."

Do you have an ace up your sleeve we don't know about?  Or do you think Kingfisher & El Reno will provide the advertising dollars you need?

I'm not being sarcastic about Kingfisher & El Reno; I don't know the communities, so maybe they will.

...Will they?

[OKCRadioGuy]

I'm just very concerned for ya bro.  Any business is has it's risks, however this one has a ton of them involved.  The ad revs are down in the first place which is stike one.  Strike two is you have 900 some watts of power in Kingfisher.  Strike three is the format you have passion for has a limited niche audience.  I'm sure they will be loyal, but will there be enough advertisers wanting that small niche audience that may be able to hear the station when they weather is right and ducting isn't wiping your signal out?  I wish you well Farris.  You and your backers have considerably more guts than I ever would!  I'd come closer to wanting to pay somehting like 8 million or so for 104.9 or a similar signal (if I had the resources to borrow this much!) than 2 for 105.3.  My odds actually would be better I could make a go of it, even with the debtload.  Dude... If you can pull it off on 105.3 then YOU ARE THE MAN.  Good luck!

[ionosphere]

ferrisobrien, if YOU'VE bought this station, then more power to you...  you have millions more than I do.

My only question is: do you think you don't need the entire OKC metro to compete?  I'm not questioning your passion... but you realize at some point even the deepest pockets can be drained, & the advertising has to pay the electric bill...  right?

I've seen exciting, creative formats staged by creative, passionate people die horrible, slow, painful deaths because, as one rather intelligent PD out of my past said:

"People won't listen to what they can't hear."

Do you have an ace up your sleeve we don't know about?  Or do you think Kingfisher & El Reno will provide the advertising dollars you need?

I'm not being sarcastic about Kingfisher & El Reno; I don't know the communities, so maybe they will.

...Will they?

Okay, you act like the only towns that can pick up 105.3 or El Reno and Kingfisher. 105.3 gets good reception in all but the far SE metro (from my own personal, non-scientific tests). And truly, the only part of town that matters for this format is the north side of the metro. Sorry, but it's true.

I hope it works. It's a format that is fighting a bit of an identity crisis, in my opinion, but I like Ferris' passion. Best of luck.

[NightAire]

ionosphere, if the primary audience for the format is on the north side of OKC, then I'd say he has a fighting chance.

I was looking at missing Norman, THE college town, a town I assume would be a big audience for alternative rock. Also, it really depends on where a lot of your business owners are; if they don't go to SE OKC regularly, you're OK.

(I've found business owners often feel the only coverage that matters is where there are...  crazy but true.)

There are formats which, placed properly, can survive as rimshots on various towns.  In Tulsa, an urban format could survive hitting mostly north Tulsa (or Muskogee, as 105.3 here does).  A Christian format could limp along inbetween south Tulsa & Broken Arrow.  These are all generalizations, & full metro coverage is ALWAYS better...  but I get what you're saying.

Chances are, the survival of this format on this stick is going to depend a lot less on hot jocks & killer programming than clever sales reps.

[ferrisobrien]

all good points...

but simply put....  I BELIEVE!

also

i got my start in radio in 1989 @ The Edge in Dallas (The Original), back when we were stuck on stick (94.5fm) that had less than desirable coverage of the DFW metro...  some would have argued back then that our meat & potatoes audience was in the dark, plus coupled with the fact that, most if not all of our Core Artists were virtually unknowns!  we proved them all wrong.  the similarities between The Spy on 105.3 & The Edge on 94.5 to me are clearly, eeriely the same...  maybe lightning can strike twice... i realize if you look @ radio coverage maps, maybe this looks like a bad idea...  i never have a problem getting 105.3, i know it has limitations... but doesn't everything! nothing is perfect.  Spy Artists are not unknowns anymore either, i remember when people said U2 was too weird, too out there, to ever have any "real" success in the US!  i keep getting, "whats your demo" easy, EVERYONE! in my years @ The Spy i have talked with rabid listeners ages 15-60... moms & daughters, dads & sons... the famous Sub Pop records used to stream us in their offices!!!  radio needs an enema, a wake up call, to become better simply for the sake of being better!!!   i know from my experience @ The Edge that WE made them better if for no other reason other than existing! 

hopefully The Spy can too!   

again & i really really mean this... THANK YOU all for the well wishes

"if you build it they will come"