http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/06/04/cbs-radio-gains-cubs-broadcasting-rights/
This is pretty big news for Chicago, and baseball and radio in general. Tribune Company owned not only the Cubs, but WGN-AM, WGN-TV and the Chicago Tribune newspaper.
This company became vulnerable when they tried to get the State of Illinois involved in upgrading Wrigley Field. Governor Blago was in trouble over his trying to get money for selling the Senate Seat vacated by Barack Obama and demanded the Tribune fire its editorial staff “or else”. The company had just been taken over by a guy named Sam Zell who loaded the company up with debt and then declared bankruptcy.
That bankruptcy would drag on for about 4 years, but one of the first actions was for Tribune to give up their ownership of the Cubs.
With the Cubs having independent ownership, they want to maximize income and CBS jumped at the chance to take over the radio broadcast rights. WGN says it currently loses $2-3 million a year and wasn’t highly motivated to fight to keep the Cubs.
The games will be moving to WBBM-AM, the all news station, which is a curious move. The Cubs still play most of their home games in the afternoon. WBBM is one of the top grossing radio stations in the country. Unlike WCBS getting the Yankees rights in New York, CBS has a second all news station in New York (WINS) and most weekday games are in the evening. Having Cubs games airing during afternoon drive risks breaking the All News format with people wanting traffic reports and news. That could push people yet more to get GPS devices with integrated traffic and search for news and current events coverage at other places like NPR’s All Things Considered. Once that car radio is on FM, it isn’t coming back.
There is another wrinkle to this deal
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/27896259-573/new-cbs-radio-deal-could-mean-more-concerts-at-wrigley.html
Part of the revenue would come from CBS using Wrigley Field and and the Spring training stadium in Arizona as concert venues. That income – not related to baseball – would not have to be shared with the other team owners
It is another example of a media company (WGN) getting tax money from the politicians that their “news” outlets cover.
Often the quid pro quo is more subtle such as more than lifetime intellectual property rights for movies and music that we all pay for, or deciding that all cable subscribers need to pay monthly fees to the over-the-air broadcasters that provide the local and network news.
lifetimeinfiniteThat’s right. You get a longer stream of government mandated intellectual property payments if you create a song about cancer than you would if you created a cure for cancer. Why? The media companies control the news outlets that keep the incumbents in power until they chose not to run for re-election again.
As Tom Taylor pointed out, we will finally get some idea about how much of WBBM’s audience comes from their FM simulcast, since the Cubs will only air on AM. Taylor speculates that the FM news audience is small.
Morning drive and afternoon drive on all news stations have to be pretty different. As a mere civilian, I only see the top line numbers. In the morning, people are worried about getting to work on time, but employers in Chicago are more relaxed than other places, knowing that traffic problems happen. People are catching up on the news overnight.
In the afternoon, people are not generally focused on traffic – they be home for dinner whenever they get there. Weather is more relevant if there are storm clouds. Chicago is mostly flat and subject to flooding, especially railroad underpasses.
The Cubs playing lots of Afternoon games will draw away that audience. I wouldn’t be shocked if they slip in traffic reports during lulls in the action.
WGN and WBBM have huge daytime signals – reaching almost to Saint Louis and the western half of Michigan. WBBM-FM is only a 3 Kw Class B that covers the City of Chicago and not much more. WBBM-AM Has a slightly smaller footprint after the sun goes down, but still blankets all of “Chicagoland”. WBBM on 780 and WJR in Detroit on 760 compete in the overlap. Both drown out WABC on 770 if you were a DXer
“Both drown out WABC on 770 if you were a DXer”
Caught some Curtis & Kuby today. Curtis will be away tomorrow he said because Cumulus just bought a station in NYC that has (or will have?) the urban music format and he is trying out for a DJ slot. He said it will be the second urban format station in the city.
Curtis is such a troll. I’m confident John Dickey doesn’t begin to understand trickonology.
Of course, the reality is a lot of “urban music” hosts are white (“word up!”). It’s like people in radio management think black DJs can’t be trusted.
WABC’s ratings have cratered.
Another somewhat related Cumulus news tidbit. Cumulus is vacating their street level facilities on State Street in Chicago and moving to a secure bunker inside the Merchandise Mart. When you have a studio visible to the public and your “local” host is actually phoning in from Florida, eventually people catch on.