Posted on 04/25/2012 10:10:20 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Time to change the dial. The Yankees appear bound for FM radio.
Local sports radio is on the precipice of radical change as ESPN, according to a strong wind blowing from the radio industry, is nearing the completion of a long-sought deal with an FM channel to give it a clear, full and far-reaching nighttime signal — something 1050 ESPN could not provide.
The deal, upon completion — and that could be by the end of this week — would give ESPN long-term programming rights on the FM station, allowing the sports network to chase — and hard — Yankees rights.
The Yankees, heard on WCBS-AM 880 since 2002, are radio free-agents after this season.
It’s also fully anticipated that Knicks’ and Rangers’ nighttime radio broadcasts would switch from 1050 to ESPN’s new FM spot.
ESPN, reached late yesterday afternoon, declined to comment.
It’s highly unlikely that ESPN, if it lands the Yankees — especially attached to a big price tag — would be bound to retain the team’s current longtime broadcast duo of John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman. Sterling has been calling Yankees radiocasts since 1989 and been partnered with Waldman since 1999.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
It is high...it is far...are they gone from WCBS?
"Rawjah Clemens is in Steinbrenner's box! Oh my good, goodness gracious!
Some are speculating the FM home, if it happens, could be WFME 94.7 or WBLS 107.5 (the call letters are name checked in
U2’s Angel of Harlem)
WFME is Family Radio, up for sale...as was their Philly station which got bought by Merlin Broadcasting and is converting to conservative talk (now WWIQ 106.9. For now
Hannity 106.9 but Rush and Beck expected to join them,
again in Philly)
Suzyn gets emotional at Joe Torre’s departure (lampooned
by the gang at WEEI Boston)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PePGaKx1JpQ
Sterling is a clown - but I hope he stays on.
A big lib politically from what I’ve heard.
http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/57106/rumor-mill-espn-to-finally-add-new-york-fm/
>>Phil Mushnick of The New York Post reports that ESPN is on the verge of closing a deal to acquire an FM signal in New York. As we discussed earlier this year, with the contracts for the Mets and Yankees radio rights up at the end of this year the time to strike against CBS’ WFAN is now. ESPN is currently heard on 1050 WEPN, a 50kW AM that is tightly directional away from 1060 KYW Philadelphia and 1050 CHUM Toronto making the signal hard to get in much of New Jersey.
>>WEPN holds the play-by-play rights to the New York Jets, Knicks, and Rangers and has done as well as it can with the 1050 signal. In March, it registered a 1.2 share to WFAN’s 2.7 in what is a down month for Sports stations between the end of the football season and beginning of baseball.
>>While not mentioned in Mushnick’s column, the likely target of ESPN is Family Radio’s 94.7 WFME. That station is the last of the commercial stations in Family’s portfolio following the sale of WFSI Annapolis, MD to CBS and WKDN Camden, NJ to Merlin Media. WFME changed its license from non-commercial to commercial in January and has been making engineering improvements in preparation of a sale. 94.7 and 1050 compliment each other as 94.7 is strongest in New Jersey and the western portions of the New York market, while 1050 is best on Long Island and the eastern sides.
This is not the first time we’ve expected ESPN to acquire an FM in New York. It registered domains connected to 96.3 before the station was sold by the New York Times Company to Univision in July 2009. It was also connected to 101.9 prior to it being sold to Merlin Media last year.
I’m a lifelong Yankee fan, and if this is a way to get rid of Sterling I am 100% all for it. He makes listening to games on the radio impossible for me. Along with “Oh my Gawd, Raja Clemens is a Yankee- look at that- Derek Jeter is smiling! This is an unbelievable moment” Waldman.
It’s an insult to see the clear air of New England contaminated with Yankees radio waves. Clearly, we need to establish high power jamming stations near Stamford.
The Red Sox are providing enough contamination on their own.
BTW, do you know who owns WDRC 1360 AM in Hartford, CT? That station has gone completely to the dogs. No more conservative talk radio to speak of - their audience now seems to be crazy old women who don't give a rat's ass about politics. WDRC is nothing but a clucking hen party now... horrible.
My husband and I are Red Sox fans, but we find Sterling to be amusing, although he's definitely not the best baseball broadcaster. Susan Waldman (sp?) is awful, in our opinion. Why do Yankees' fans put up with her? Just to be PC?
I do like both the Red Sox and Mets' radio broadcasters...
Oh man, I'll never forget that, LOL! I wonder what Susan thinks of "Rawjah" now, as he's on trial? I'll bet she hasn't mentioned him in quite some time...
Buckley Broadcasting owns WDRC and I know they simulcast on stations in Waterbury, Meriden and Torrington. Looks like they do have Ingraham and Savage. They run Huckabee on a delay. Buckley also owns WOR in NY, WDRC-FM Hartford, and some stations in Calif. But as for WDRC looking at their site it does look like, perhaps other than Laura and Savage, they’ve gone to the dogs.
from radio-info.com
The Post’s Phil Mushnick says ESPN could have a deal for an FM by the end of the week. Further, he says that would let ESPN pursue the Yankees contract that is available at the end of this year. Mushnick also says that Merlin Media’s “FM News 101.9” WEMP is “no longer in the picture” for the Yanks. Daily News writer Bob Raissman reports “industry rumblings concerning ESPN purchasing a local FM stations as the new home for its ESPN New York radio outlet” - and then putting its Spanish-language ESPN Deportes lineup on current New York flagship WEPN at 1050 AM. Raissman also hears that events are moving very fast. He reports that on the talent side, Stephen A. Smith would be “the featured player” in a revamped ESPN lineup, moving from nights to team with Ryan Ruocoo for 1-3pm. Smith’s new global deal with ESPN would offer him more time on ESPN cable. If ESPN can’t land a deal with the Yankees, now on CBS Radio’s all-news WCBS-AM (880), they could turn their attention to the Mets - on CBS-owned “Fan” WFAN (660). Which New York FM might ESPN buy? Speculation centers on Family Radio’s WFME/94.7. Harold Camping’s ownership group recently filed to convert it from non-commercial programming to commercial. That could signal a potential sale. To raise money after last year’s end-of-the-world predictions, Family Radio has already sold its commercial-band FMs in Baltimore-Washington and Philadelphia.
WDRC cancelled Dan Lovallo. A real conservative, concentrated on local issues. He is a class guy and has perfect diction. I miss him.
After they spent all that money on Yankee Stadium?
I figured they were going to Japan, since last night Yu Darvish owned them.
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