Could the Reds leave WLW?

[keys2]

Interesting article in last week's Cincinnati Business Courier. There is speculation that the Reds new owner may pursue a different media strategy and look at doing what the Cards did in St. Louis. Part of that involved the Cards leaving KMOX for KTRS. Why? Because the organization bought a 50 percent stake in KTRS. The dynamics here in Cincy are much different though, where Clear Channel already owns all the good AM signals.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/11/28/story1.html

[gr8oldies]

Unless the Reds want to go to an FM flagship, it doesn't seem likely. WGRR or B-105 might be possibilities.

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..from the Ball Park Franks sponsored gr8oldies keyboard...

[microbob]

I don't see it happening for them as there are very few stations up for grabs in this market with good signals. One possibility could be they they could start from scratch with the newly announced 100.3 FM coming to Norwood or maybe 97.7 when it moves to Mason.










> Unless the Reds want to go to an FM flagship, it doesn't
> seem likely. WGRR or B-105 might be possibilities.
>

Edited by microbob on 11/30/05 04:24 AM.

[schmave]

> Interesting article in last week's Cincinnati Business
> Courier. There is speculation that the Reds new owner may
> pursue a different media strategy and look at doing what the
> Cards did in St. Louis. Part of that involved the Cards
> leaving KMOX for KTRS. Why? Because the organization bought
> a 50 percent stake in KTRS. The dynamics here in Cincy are
> much different though, where Clear Channel already owns all
> the good AM signals.
>
> Anyway, here's the link:
>
http://cincinna> ti.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/11/28/story1.html

You have to hope to goodness this NEVER happens. Those of us in much of Ohio wouldn't be terribly, terribly affected because there are affiliates to cover us, but if 700 indeed doesn't carry the games someday the Reds will have to pick up a lot more affiliates to fill in gaps in coverage.
Luckily Clear Channel pretty much owns Cincinnati AM radio, so WLW is covered in many respects.
If the Reds want to look anywhere at improving their media/marketing, try increasing your presence both on FSN Ohio and local over-the-air TV. If FSN loses the Indians, as is being heavily speculated in Cleveland, the Reds need to increase their presence with weekly shows, more live pre- and post-game shows, off-season things, etc. And put some games back on free TV!

[gr8oldies]

The Reds leaving the big one would be a bad move. The Reds need those busloads of people driving in from all over Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, and even if they could make up for a lot of WLW's coverage by having more affiliates, there are a lot of people who count on WLW's signal to hear the Reds, especially while traveling.

KTRS has a reasonably comparable signal to KMOX's, at least throughout Missouri and Illinois. There's no similar opportunity in Cincinnati.

 

______________
..from the Ball Park Franks sponsored gr8oldies keyboard...

[collegeDJ86]

> The Reds leaving the big one would be a bad move. The Reds
> need those busloads of people driving in from all over Ohio,
> Indiana and Kentucky, and even if they could make up for a
> lot of WLW's coverage by having more affiliates, there are a
> lot of people who count on WLW's signal to hear the Reds,
> especially while traveling.
>
> KTRS has a reasonably comparable signal to KMOX's, at least
> throughout Missouri and Illinois. There's no similar
> opportunity in Cincinnati.
>

I've not ever listened to KTRS, nor do I know how far it reaches...

But wouldn't the switch from KMOX to KTRS in St. Louis be comparable to a WLW to WCKY switch in terms of coverage?  I mean, 1530 is also a clear channel like 700 isn't it?  I don't even think KTRS is a clear channel...

[gr8oldies]

It'd actually be like a switch to WKRC (KTRS is also on 550). Checking the Radio-Locator.com maps, daytime coverage between KMOX at 1120 and KTRS is pretty similar. No big skywave at night for KTRS, but they seem to have decent coverage in the metro and into Illinois and parts of Missouri.

______________
..from the Ball Park Franks sponsored gr8oldies keyboard...

[KJCB]

> It'd actually be like a switch to WKRC (KTRS is also on
> 550). Checking the Radio-Locator.com maps, daytime coverage
> between KMOX at 1120 and KTRS is pretty similar. No big
> skywave at night for KTRS, but they seem to have decent
> coverage in the metro and into Illinois and parts of
> Missouri.

God no, you can't preempt Dave Ramsey!

[Inventor989]

> But wouldn't the switch from KMOX to KTRS in St. Louis be
> comparable to a WLW to WCKY switch in terms of coverage?  I
> mean, 1530 is also a clear channel like 700 isn't it?  I
> don't even think KTRS is a clear channel...
>

KTRS at 550 with their 5kw does very well on groundwave, not so well on skywave due to the frequency's regional status and the resulting QRM...but it's a much better 550 than WKRC in terms of coverage both day and night.  And it's every bit the equal of 50kw KMOX due to low dial position (and, I suspect, antenna problems on KMOX, which has always been one of the weaker clears).  WKRC has real problems at night that KTRS does not have relative to its metro.  WCKY 1530, being at the high end of the dial, has much poorer groundwave coverage than WLW or WKRC, even though it's 50kw on a relatively clear frequency, due to its wavelength.  You need a lot more power at the high end of the dial to get the same coverage.  WCKY does provide excellent distant coverage, however, as skywave propagation increases significantly above 1400.  If the Reds leave WLW, I'd be looking for them on one of the full B FMs...with a lot more affiliates to fill in the gaps WLW would leave behind.

[almaniac27]

> > It'd actually be like a switch to WKRC (KTRS is also on
> > 550). Checking the Radio-Locator.com maps, daytime
> coverage
> > between KMOX at 1120 and KTRS is pretty similar. No big
> > skywave at night for KTRS, but they seem to have decent
> > coverage in the metro and into Illinois and parts of
> > Missouri.
>
> God no, you can't preempt Dave Ramsey!
>

It would be nice to not have that idiot Michael Savage on every night.  And I'm sure Scott Sloan would be pleased if the Reds moved.