KMCQ files Minor Change for Cougar & KAFE, Bellingham files for 104.1 Mhz

[Jackson Dell Weaver]

CCU is the clear buyer on this deal.  For whatever they may spin, they are under the limit in Seattle and could pick this signal up for a decent price.  Work it out - It's a $160MM market (or was!) -  so a 2.0 share is worth $5MM in revenue, CF 40% or $2MM and a 10X multiple makes it worth $20MM.  The boys and girls on Elliot would take that deal all day long. the problem is how do you get a 2.0 share in this market? And would First take $20MM?

At that price, it's not a home run for anyone but First Broadcasting - but they have risked alot of money and time for the past 6 years, so give 'em their due.

[notalent]

Your logic makes no sense Jackson. 

Now Entercom is also under the limit for FM stations...

Bonneville is now in the market and might like to add an FM Talk station to their porfolio...  They too are clearly under the limit. 

The Entercom/Bonneville deal happened while the 104.5 move in was in the works and i would think it has changed the picture for First.  Now they can play everyone against each other in a bidding war. 

Ultimately will anybody OVERPAY for the frequency without it being moved to a real FULL MARKET tower site? 

Also who's to say that Fisher or Sandusky would not like another signal??? 

[pbf1]

Anyone else notice that the parent company of KMCQ also owns Bustos?  Habla Espanol, anyone?

[FMSteve]

CCU is the clear buyer on this deal.  For whatever they may spin, they are under the limit in Seattle and could pick this signal up for a decent price.  Work it out - It's a $160MM market (or was!) -  so a 2.0 share is worth $5MM in revenue, CF 40% or $2MM and a 10X multiple makes it worth $20MM.  The boys and girls on Elliot would take that deal all day long. the problem is how do you get a 2.0 share in this market? And would First take $20MM?

At that price, it's not a home run for anyone but First Broadcasting - but they have risked alot of money and time for the past 6 years, so give 'em their due.

I'm going to have to go with Jackson Dell Weaver on this one. It's been a Clear Channel operation all the way. Or should I say Ackerley. Fisher wrote a letter to the FCC against these types of move-ins, and Sandusky is tight with KMIH. Entercom/Bonneville has too many plates spinning and a labor-intensive cost-structure, and CBS still has to deal with Kiss 106.1.

Ackerley will get some fresh cash by divesting the Monkey, put a nice down payment on the new 104.5, and either run the Funky Monkey or Sports Radio on the new channel.

But I wonder about Jackson's math. I've seen metric's up to 18x cash flow. And the numbers tossed around my station have been like 30 million dollars, which makes that 15x cash flow.

As for counter-tactics, is seems like KBSG is digging in their heels. So forget that KIRO simulcast. They don't have the guts to do that. Given the choice of the Funkey Monkey in a 3-way battle with KNDD & KISW where nobody wins, I'd go with the Sports Radio option. That's got great, broad demos, probably 18-49 men, and excellent appeal. And a fantastic FM signal so we can hear the games in stereo.

[e-dawg]

Does anybody has an answer why moving 104.1 has to be directional?

>>Whats up with KAFE being directional at 104.1? What stations does it have to protect in Canada. Also, is it directional towards Vancouver (Lower Mainland) or Victoria?

[ilovebeer]

Fisher wrote a letter to the FCC against these types of move-ins, and Sandusky is tight with KMIH.

i doubt sandusky being "tight" with KMIH would ever put a stop to sandusky buying KMCQ. Just because you're buddy buddy with a high school station doesn't mean that you would pass up potential profit and the opportunity to take a VERY valued frequency from a competator. If sandusky or fisher don't buy KMCQ it's merely for financial reasons and not because of local relationships.

[Stephen_TheMCO]

Whatever happens, I expect KMCQ sometime in the next month or so (pending the new application to Cougar Mtn.), to do some more transmitter testing, so we might hear them on the dial again soon before they officially sign-on.  Maybe another round of testing involving re-broadcasting KMIH's signal.   As for KAFE, I am not sure, but if they were to do any testing on their new 104.1 signal, I'd expect them to do it during the overnight hours, and maybe for only a couple hours each night since they are already an established commercial station.   If it's found that they might interfere with any operations that might commence on or near the same frequency in Nanimo, BC, where they want their own station, this whole situation might take a bit longer to resolve itself.  Stay tuned...

[radioplayer]

Does anybody has an answer why moving 104.1 has to be directional?

>>Whats up with KAFE being directional at 104.1? What stations does it have to protect in Canada. Also, is it directional towards Vancouver (Lower Mainland) or Victoria?

From the KAFE FCC filng, it looks like they're protecting allotments to the due north and northwest of their current transmit site.  The cities are Bralone, BC and Powell River, BC.  There are no call letters, so these are vacant allotment protections per Canadian agreement. 

Your other question is both areas have to be protected; therefore the power is actually directed away from Canada on the 315 and 0 degree bearing and nulled accordingly. 

I think you're really asking if the listeners in Victoria and Vancouver will notice a change and from what I can tell on paper, that answer is no.  KAFE's coverage in those areas will be pretty much the same as it is now.  Kelly, let us know if you see anything differrent here.  I think this is a slam dunk from an engineer's point of view.  The nulls look really simple to me.

I believe the bigger issue is one regarding a recent application for the use of 104.1 in BC that was recently filed near Vancouver.  Perhaps FM Steve can fill us all in on that one since he's been all over this thing from the start.

[Shiny Knob]

What I really, really want to know is whether KMCQ is testing from their Enumclaw site, or, more likely, from the future Cougar site. Seems to me that they would much prefer to skip building an expensive installation in Enumclaw and then move the whole shootin' match to Cougar if they can get the upgrade processed quickly at the FCC.

If anybody knows where those tests are actually originating, rather than just guessing, it would be verrrry interesting to find out.

If they're broadcasting from Enumclaw, then the signal in Seattle is going to be good on a car radio, probably non-existent on an iPod thanks to the radio shadow cast by Cougar Mountain. But up on Cougar, it's going to be pretty good just about everywhere the other stations are heard.


-The Knobster

[semoochie]

They can't test from the Cougar site without authorization.