ESPN and Fox are not the only options for quality sports talk in this market. Munch on Sports is certainly NOT one of those options. If VKO is serious about putting a quality sports talk product in the market, they can do some good things. Sports fans in town are crying for an alternative to 1460. With WTDA chasing it's tail, and the inability of WYTS to let people know that Rome is even on-the-air in Columbus, VKO has an opportunity to hit a home run if they execute properly.
The key word here is "properly". D.B. Zwirn is not a radio company. The speculation all along was that they would get the station on the air "on the cheap" and turn around and sell it. I don't know that they will put a lot of money into it. I could be wrong but an investment company is going to be more interested in turning the biggest profit and not necessarily do what's best to serve the market.
C-Bus, you may be right about this. But define "what's best to serve the market"? With, 2 urban formatted or leaned FM's in Columbus taking up most of the available market share, even given WVKO's heritage (which I do seriously respect), can one truly say urban is the right choice? Maybe urban talk, possibly. But, if you'll recall, the old Z-103 did that (along with its' myriad of other urban format choices every broadcast day) and barely showed up in the numbers. (Of course, I'll admit, poor programming at the station was also a big part of the anemic ratings that station got.)
Under any circumstance, getting a 1 share on an AM way up on the band is, to say the very least, a challenge. I'm not necessarily sure sports would be the right answer, but if (as some have suggested here), the idea was to lean toward high school sports (which WBNS doesn't do and WTVN gives lip service to)...that's something that is local, (read as: serving the community), and sellable even if it doesn't draw big numbers. Clippers baseball would also bring some sponsors with it. (That's local, too...) And, if they could, for instance, grab the new Dan Patrick show, combined with some other programming, they might just survive. And, though Sean Gilbow and I have been at odds with each other a time or two, I'll even agree with him here. Ed Schultz might be a good choice for the station, from a talk standpoint.
I have no idea if this is all right. But, I'm sorry...just because the old WVKO aired urban programming for 40 years, doesn't mean the market is "necessarily" right for a #3 or #4 urban station in 2007. That was my big criticism of Percy Squire when I worked for him. I never doubted his passion or desire to serve the black community with his stations. It was laudable. But if there's not a large enough market for the programming that was being offered...why do it, and struggle to pay the electric bill with a 1 share? Why not do something, anything, that could make you money? Sometimes, you have to put on your "business" hat...
You have to have income to have money to spend on product.
