Family Stations Will Sell 94.7FM WFME Newark

[badjef]

Strength in numbers.

No place else in the country does that exist as it does in the 5 boroughs.

New York is the hub. New York is the exception, not the norm.

Car ownership and use is freedom. Not New York, it is an unnecessary expense.

Buy gasoline in The City, not on your life.

Where is The City? I didn't have to tell you, you already knew.

"Breathe fresh air", cut your own grass, "cook your own food".

Except in New York City.

Where are the people?

New York City.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[reelyreal]

New York is the hub.

Boston disagrees!

Now back on topic...

[WNTIRadio]

WPLJ bills pretty well on an audience that is mostly in the suburbs.  They don't do well in NYC proper at all, but do hit the money demos in the money pockets.

I'd rather have 800,000 people in NJ than 800,000 in the Bronx if I were a luxury car dealer or similar type of advertiser. 

It all depends upon who you are trying to reach. 

[badjef]

WPLJ bills pretty well on an audience that is mostly in the suburbs.  They don't do well in NYC proper at all, but do hit the money demos in the money pockets.

I'd rather have 800,000 people in NJ than 800,000 in the Bronx if I were a luxury car dealer or similar type of advertiser. 

It all depends upon who you are trying to reach.

Imagine the scenario that WPLJ were on 94.7 instead of 95.5. Would they be billing as high?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[WNTIRadio]

If the numbers were the same, then yes.  Agencies buy on numbers and demos, and numbers within those target demos.  They don't care whether the signal comes from Empire, South Mountain or underground.  If you're #2 in 18-34 women, then you're #2 in 18-34 women and you'll get the buy.  As long as you get numbers in the New York metro PPMs and rank in the top 5, what does it matter?

[WNTIRadio]

Interesting....

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101487975&qnum=5230&copynum=1&exhcnum=2

[badjef]

If the numbers were the same, then yes.  Agencies buy on numbers and demos, and numbers within those target demos.  They don't care whether the signal comes from Empire, South Mountain or underground.  If you're #2 in 18-34 women, then you're #2 in 18-34 women and you'll get the buy.  As long as you get numbers in the New York metro PPMs and rank in the top 5, what does it matter?

If the signal wasn't from Empire, it wouldn't have the numbers. Why do you think they are there?

I doubt they are doing signal manipulation.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[WNTIRadio]

Maybe, maybe not.  Depends on the format.  If it's a format that doesn't do well in the city proper, then it can have decent numbers with the signal it has now.

If ESPN goes on it, people will tune in.  WEEI-FM in Boston doesn't have a "full signal" either, but it does well.  Signal is very important, but good programming is more important.  FM News has a full signal, and gets beat by WALK and other "out of town" stations.  WBAI has a full signal too, and less listeners than a lot of college stations.

I'm not saying that WFME won't have a handicap compared to other stations as far as reaching Long Island, but that can also be turned into a plus because now you also reach farther into NJ.  Is it worth the same as a signal on Empire?  No.  Is it still worth a crapload of money?  Yes!  Would it still be valuable to an ESPN or other major owner?  Hell yes!! 

Here's an idea: 

WFME should do a signal swap with WBAI for the station and a couple million. The radicals can save on Empire tower rent, which they are frequently behind on, pick up some much needed cash and Family Radio would get a much higher price for 99.5, given both its physical location and dial position.

[DavidEduardo]

FM News has a full signal, and gets beat by WALK and other "out of town" stations.  WBAI has a full signal too, and less listeners than a lot of college stations.

It is not the same thing to say that a bad signal with good programming can do well as to say that a good signal that is badly programmed or too narrowly targeted can do poorly. In the former, the number of people who can not hear the programming is critical. In the latter, it's about the programming being obtainable but uninteresting.

I'm not saying that WFME won't have a handicap compared to other stations as far as reaching Long Island, but that can also be turned into a plus because now you also reach farther into NJ.  Is it worth the same as a signal on Empire?  No.  Is it still worth a crapload of money? 

No. Advertising is so seldom bought across markets that there is just not a strategy for market straddling stations. Were there many many cases of this, and many many advertisers looking for cross market buys, there would be an opportunity. There exists neither.

[mets18]

WFME should do a signal swap with WBAI for the station and a couple million. The radicals can save on Empire tower rent, which they are frequently behind on, pick up some much needed cash and Family Radio would get a much higher price for 99.5, given both its physical location and dial position.

In the same vain, is there any chance that the City of New York would consider selling WNYE to WNYC so they could move WQXR to 91.5 and clear up another possible commercial slot at 105.9?  I'm sure the city could use the money.