Is 99.5 The Bear, in Hub City, dead?

[WhoDat!]

Manning was let go, Rick & Jane were let go, Bob Pickett's tracks were pulled. It seems as if they are going to just throw it into auto pilot like the station in Amarillo. However, this is just a guess, nothing more.

crowYou are Correct on ALL counts... Goodbye Bear, Hello Bird. andthere might be MORE to come over there. 

[DMcCloy]

Townsquare recently blew out Cat Country in Amarillo in favor of Blake FM right? Sounds like this may be the next affiliate. Putting people out of jobs. Bravo townsquare

[WhoDat!]

i understand they are claiming POVERTY and are swimming in Red Ink over there, if they're not, there's probably another word for what they're doing. most people there think its Bad Local Management, but somehow those people always seem to keep their jobs while blowing up people.

[crow]

I am not going to attempt to state what Local Management is or isn't doing over there. I know, personally, how Local Management WAS when I was working there. There were many good things about Local Management but there were also many bad things about Local Management. However, I believe that Townsquare is and has always been run by Corporate Jagofff's. Yes, I fully understand that is a juvenile statement to make. However, it is what it is. From day one, the GAP/Townsquare peeps never had their crap together. It came across as a bunch of so-called radio people who wandered into a large sum of cash and wanted to play like they were CC or CBS etc... It's like people seeing others buying and flipping houses... making tons of cash... so they do the same thing... thinking that it's going to be the same way for them... and when it comes down to it... they know nothing about flipping a house. So, after they have bought some decent real estate, screwed it up with their lack of knowledge, they then have to do what they can to get their money back.

I foresee Townsquare going away, selling off their broken and damaged clusters to some other Company.

However, this is just MY opinion.

[WhoDat!]

there's only ONE reason they're firing people and blowing up radio stations over there, sales are down, way down. 4-5 years ago those stations were the Top Billers in Lubbock. you've got to agree, its not a good record for local management. the way radio is these days Townsquare is NO different than anyone else, yes, they're trying to make a quick buck by buying and trading properties. and the next owners will be NO different.

[Ash]

Could it be even remotely possible that they found something that they think serves the community better?  Could they be giving other radio people a chance at running a radio station? It's amazing how negative on these boards are. Don't you guys realize that people will have to move on in order for there to be more opportunities? 

[WhoDat!]

ash.... this will not create ANY new opportunities for ANYBODY..which is the REASON they're doing it, they're CUTTING COSTS- I.E. PEOPLE... the ONLY thing this serves is their OWN business interests given i guess, the climate over there right now. 

[DMcCloy]

Could it be even remotely possible that they found something that they think serves the community better?  Could they be giving other radio people a chance at running a radio station? It's amazing how negative on these boards are. Don't you guys realize that people will have to move on in order for there to be more opportunities? 

I appreciate your optimism, but if they do indeed go with Blake FM like they did in Amarillo, it won't provide opportunities for anyone. It will be music and liners on a satellite coming from Townsquare.

This is just three people suddenly out of jobs. I don't see a silver lining here.

[crow]

Mean while... there's this... Townsquare and Cumulus swap 65 stations in 13 markets

Townsquare Media is acquiring the Cumulus clusters in these 11 markets: Augusta-Waterville (Maine), Bangor, Binghamton, Bismarck, Grand Junction, Killeen-Temple, New Bedford, Odessa-Midland, Presque Isle, Sioux Falls and Tuscaloosa. Cumulus gains the Townsquare Media clusters in Bloomington, Illinois and Peoria, and there's $116 million in cash involved, as well. Townsquare's Steven Price says "this transaction represents a continued investment in the local media business in small and mid-sized markets." Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey says the deal "represents strategic portfolio management which enables us to focus on accretive large market consolidation as well as further de-leveraging of our balance sheet."

[crow]

ash.... this will not create ANY new opportunities for ANYBODY..which is the REASON they're doing it, they're CUTTING COSTS- I.E. PEOPLE... the ONLY thing this serves is their OWN business interests given i guess, the climate over there right now. 

Your statement could be right. I, personally, hope new talent is given an opportunity. Yet, based on the actions of the industry as a whole, it only seems as if new talent or the chance for new talent to take over etc... is the last thing Corporate has in mind.

However, I hope you are right.