New FM News Station

[radiogooroo]

Maybe CBS radio will buy the KTRH newsradio trademark and associated intellectual property.  "KTRH-FM Newsradio 101.1" anybody?

Hopefully it will be a 24/7 ALL News radio station in the tradition of WCBS, KNX, WBBM, and KCBS instead of the half-baked News-Talk format that we've been getting recently.

I'm pretty sure the forecast for Hell calls for more heat.

[FilioScotia]

All these people calling for an all-news station -- AM or FM -- have no idea how much an all news operation costs. Even at stations that are not all news, the news department is frequently the most expensive cost center in the station.

An all news FM station in Houston -- 24/7 news -- would cost millions of dollars a year just to keep it on the air. Then there are the millions of dollars in advertising it would have to bring in to support a 24/7 news staff of at least several dozen experienced anchors, reporters, editors, etc, plus all the news cars, equipment and other bells and whistles a major market news op would need.  And let us not forget facilities. We are talking about a physical radio station after all. 

Don't forget it would also have to put money in the owner's pocket. Count me as who doesn't think it would fly.

That old joke is true: Know how to make a small fortune in radio? You start with a large fortune.

[KTN Corp]

An all news FM station in Houston -- 24/7 news -- would cost millions of dollars a year just to keep it on the air. Then there are the millions of dollars in advertising it would have to bring in to support a 24/7 news staff of at least several dozen experienced anchors, reporters, editors, etc, plus all the news cars, equipment and other bells and whistles a major market news op would need.  And let us not forget facilities. We are talking about a physical radio station after all. 

Are you saying Houston can't afford to support a 24/7 all News station?  There are more people here now compared to 15-20 years ago.  We definitely have money for the advertisers to comb through compared to the older, high COL cities that the all News stations have traditionally broadcasted in.

I will start listening to commercial radio again for news instead of KUHF once there is an all-news station since I prefer that format over long form news-talk.  I've been out of the advertiser's reach for a few years now since non-comm radio is the only game in town for comprehensive coverage.  Welcome me back!!!

[FilioScotia]

No I'm not saying Houston can't afford to support a 24/7 all news station.  I'm saying I don't think Houston WOULD support such a station.

I'm also saying this proposed new station would need some of the best time sales people in the country to sell the millions of dollars worth of advertising it would take to make a 24/7 all news station profitable and worth listening to.

Yes the money is out there, but I just don't think that's going to happen in Houston.

[jwmarsh]

With Radio One changing alot of there formats What make you believe they won't go news talk  It is coming to Houston

[FilioScotia]

You could be right in saying a 24/7 all news FM is coming to Houston, but I don't think it will last very long. If Houston radio listeners really wanted an all news station, we would already have at least one.

Personally, I believe the only people in Houston who want one are those who're calling for it here on Radio Info. 

[Kent]

With Radio One changing alot of there formats What make you believe they won't go news talk  It is coming to Houston

Aside from "urban talk," has Radio One EVER done a news/talk format?  Besides, I don't see that it's changing formats all over the place.  It swapped formats and changed the name on one station in Philly and dropped the currents on 94.5 in Dallas while reimaging the station, but those are about the closest to format changes I can think of.  I guess it also allowed the format to be changed on an AM in Boston it's been trying to sell for years, but that hardly seems like Radio One making a change.

What makes me think you won't see a news/talk format is that Radio One doesn't seem to do that format.  Now, I've always learned never to say never, but I'll believe it when I see it.

[FilioScotia]

****I've always learned never to say never, but I'll believe it when I see it.****

What he said.  If 24/7 All News was a marketable and profitable format, we would have them all over the dial. The fact that we don't have them says all that needs to be said about it.

[stan]

****I've always learned never to say never, but I'll believe it when I see it.****

What he said.  If 24/7 All News was a marketable and profitable format, we would have them all over the dial. The fact that we don't have them says all that needs to be said about it.

Except in other large cities like New York, Washington and Chicago all news is marketable AND profitable. Maybe something should happen in Houston as well but I would suspect CBS to be the one to do news, not a broadcaster not known for trying this format.

[smartestguyintheroom]

Would the listeners support it?  If done correctly, Yes!

Would the advertisers support it?  same answer!

Will anyone do it?  Highly unlikely because of the start up costs!  Only CC with KTRH has a reasonably close assemblege of bodies/talent in place because of KTRH, but they have no FM to put it on.  KODA, KTBZ and KKRW are all profitable (KODA and KTBZ ooze cash flow).  Yes, the debate on KKRW versus Eagle could come into play here, but they won't sacrifice the profitability of KKRW for a shot at news.  Beside, except at WLW, that company doesn't have any expertise in the format.

CBS does have the expertise, and the money to do it (plus that would put Mix out of it's misery) but won't, again because of the start up.

Bonneville (now Hubbard) launched their news station in DC with plenty of funding for everything, people, gear, vehicles, marketing, etc.  And they waited for a few years to reap the profits.  They could because they were a private company not subject to the scrutiny of CBS shareholders, nor the scrutiny and impatience of the flash drive mentality of the Thomas Bain MBAs.  Hubbards success in DC has made all these also rans THINK they can do it, but they never reviewed the costs, the waiting period and the amount of red ink bleeding until it takes hold.

Dream on, but it will probably not happen here.