WBLS Sale Appears Likely

[DavidEduardo]

I am looking at from a black perspective and a better job reaching both the older and younger demographic groups with a full-service rather than a limited 'adult contemporary' urban format. 

"Full Service" in an era of targeted, specialized media means pleasing no one fully, and giving everyone the choice of going to a station that is closer to their core preferences.

"Full service" is like the original Model T: any color as long as it's black.

Your can't serve everyone the same dish today.

[kilamanjero]

I am looking at from a black perspective and a better job reaching both the older and younger demographic groups with a full-service rather than a limited 'adult contemporary' urban format. 

"Full Service" in an era of targeted, specialized media means pleasing no one fully, and giving everyone the choice of going to a station that is closer to their core preferences.

"Full service" is like the original Model T: any color as long as it's black.

Your can't serve everyone the same dish today.

It all depends on how that 'full service" is programmed.  You can't judge all full-service urban contemporary stations by the same barometer.  Some are relics of the past that are just lucky to be the only game in town; whereas, others keep up and set the trends for their market.  I've heard too many disgruntle urban music listeners from various age groups in this market to know Kiss, Hot 97, UAC-version of WBLS, and Power 105.1 are 'all over the place' not in a good way. 

[Nathan Obral]

News/Talk will do well on FM in New York if it's mostly live and local.  Moving WOR or WABC to FM with all their boring, syndicated programming won't help their demos or ratings.  A reinvented WOR on FM, with mostly local NY area oriented programming would be very successful and rejuvenate the WOR brand.  Where's Bonneville when we need them?

Bonneville now operates in just Salt Lake (d/b/a fellow LDS arm The Deseret News), Phoenix, Seattle and Los Angeles. They unloaded most of their stations - including WTOP - to Hubbard Radio early last year. So it's a moot point.

The WOR calls are all but dead. You can't reinvent them just like Randy Micheals failed to revitalize WGN in Chicago (although, to be fair, WGN is a standalone AM signal, but it too caters to the 55-dead demos). WABC could be reborn if they had better ownership and a solid commitment to live/local programming, neither of which is on the horizon.

[radioguy39nj]

News/Talk will do well on FM in New York if it's mostly live and local.  Moving WOR or WABC to FM with all their boring, syndicated programming won't help their demos or ratings.  A reinvented WOR on FM, with mostly local NY area oriented programming would be very successful and rejuvenate the WOR brand.  Where's Bonneville when we need them?

Bonneville now operates in just Salt Lake (d/b/a fellow LDS arm The Deseret News), Phoenix, Seattle and Los Angeles. They unloaded most of their stations - including WTOP - to Hubbard Radio early last year. So it's a moot point.

The WOR calls are all but dead. You can't reinvent them just like Randy Micheals failed to revitalize WGN in Chicago (although, to be fair, WGN is a standalone AM signal, but it too caters to the 55-dead demos). WABC could be reborn if they had better ownership and a solid commitment to live/local programming, neither of which is on the horizon.

I'm aware Bonneville now operates exclusively in the west.  I just admire and respect how they took heritage AM brands and sucessfully migrated them to FM.  Might Hubbard possibly want in to the New York market?

WOR will be adding Dave Ramsey to their evening lineup this week.  I doubt Ramsey will draw big numbers in NY.  The move will do nothing to resurrect the WOR brand.  It might even do further damage.

Forget WABC!  Cumulus has it just the way it wants it, a 50 kW non-D blaster in market #1.  It's disgraceful that this is what passees for talk radio in NYC.

[Barry]

We may find out next month the fate of WBLS/WLIB, and the other Inner City stations.
Evidently the 2 options are to purchase Inner City in its entirety, or just KBLX, in San Francisco. Bids are due on February 13.

http://www.radio-info.com/news/bids-on-inner-city-stations-are-due-february-13.

[Tony Santiago]

Whoever buys these stations, I HOPE that they leave them alone.

'BLS and 'LIB mean TOO MUCH for the African-American heritage.  It's not just the music.  It's the personalities, it's the people, it's how they reach out to the communities.  In this day and age where it seems to be about commercialism and just "playing the music", for 'BLS and 'LIB to do what they have been doing is remarkable .

Yes I want a dance station badly but in the case of a BLS and LIB....LEAVE THEM ALONE

[WNTIRadio]

Isn't this the same company that LMA'ed WLIB to Air America a few years back?

I see they really cared about the African American community when they did that.  Like any company, they cared about a marginal AM property contributing to the bottom line.

And I don't see a new company leaving things alone, since the way things were got the present company into a heaping mound of debt.  Obviously, things are going to change at least somewhat in the operations of the stations. 

[xmusicmatt]

Sell WBLS to EMF .. Then move KLove to there.. and put Air1 on 96.7 --- ok I am gonna hush up now =)

[Tony Santiago]

And I don't see a new company leaving things alone, since the way things were got the present company into a heaping mound of debt.  Obviously, things are going to change at least somewhat in the operations of the stations. 

Granted, new management is going to operate things as they are used to.  I just hope that the format stays intact or at the very least get tweaked musically but remain strong in serving the African/Caribbean-American communities in NYC.

[JerseyDude]

February 13th is almost here. Sale time.