OT: wcbs880 a.m. dropped by Audacy

[Improviser]

Don't know if anyone here has listened to this very interesting and apolitical, all new radio station in NYC. I woke up to them every morning for maybe the last 5-10 years.

They are having a special from 10 a.m. today until 1 with a recounting of their more than 50 years of broadcasting. Today is their last day, being replaced with a sports only talk show. Like we really need another sports radio show with all the others out there.

Wayne Cabot was my favorite. Sort of a Bob Steele kind of guy, folksy with a dry sense of humor and then his sidekick Paul Murnane complemented him.

Anyone have any thoughts about the station or its personalities? IMO, their onsite news reporters and meteorolists were spot on. Even the commercials weren't obnoxious and were well done.

Goodbye to another high quality show, replaced by a not uncommon type of show. I guess the demand and listening audience didn't bring in enough $.

 

[formerlurker]

The same company owns 1010 WINS and they don’t feel the need for two, all news stations

 

[Improviser]

I knew that, but the announcers are collegial and are almost like family, without the monetary requests and guilt trips.

 

[metsfan2323]

I have been listening to this station for at least a half hour per day for the past 30 years, they will be missed. I'll never forget hearing them announcing that the World Trade Center was on fire as I was driving to work. Oh well, time marches on.

 

[Improviser]

Cabot and Murnane's repartee was informative and amusing at the same time.

Cabot's unique conversational and warming tone should fit well for doing ebooks or stories for kids.

 

[husky8273]

their traffic reports every 10 minutes were invaluable

 

[Improviser]

their traffic reports every 10 minutes were invaluable

You could hear the blades of the traffic reporter's helicopter as he was narrating the report.

 

[cullaville]

The same company owns 1010 WINS and they don’t feel the need for two, all news stations

If that was the case - wish they had kept 880. You could hear 880 a much greater distance from NYC that 1010.

 

[karstenkibbe]

As a kid, I relied on Ed Ingles and Bill Schweitzer for my sports info. Wayne Cabot has been my friendly, funny news source, on and off, for about 30 years now. For those of us who love news radio, the last two weeks have been tough.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Damn I always listened to 880 over 1010. For sports radio, WFAN is king with ESPN radio there if you want something else. No idea why they want to add a 3rd

 

[Improviser]

Really too bad for the other newscasters and reporters at the station.

Hope they can find suitable employment elsewhere. Though, if at nearby local stations, probably with a pay cut because of the reduced broadcasting range.

With Wayne Cabot's radio personality and humor, maybe he can be a radio talk show host somewhere else. With his voice range, he sounds like he could do audiobooks too.

 

[UConnMike04]

Damn I always listened to 880 over 1010. For sports radio, WFAN is king with ESPN radio there if you want something else. No idea why they want to add a 3rd

They aren’t adding a 3rd. ESPN is moving from 98.7 FM to the 880 am signal. CBS News 880 signs off at 11:59 PM Sunday.

 

[Rico444]

They aren’t adding a 3rd. ESPN is moving from 98.7 FM to the 880 am signal. CBS News 880 signs off at 11:59 PM Sunday.

Isn't that the Jets' station? I wonder what they're going to do for Sundays where the Mets and Jets both play at the same time.

EDIT: Scratch that, looks like they moved to 104.3 at some point.

 

[Improviser]

Today, Saturday, August 24, from 8 to 11 a.m., on wcbs880, is a compilation of news broadcasts since 1927 from it predecessor station and continuing on through today.

Heard their preview about a broadcast of the flight of Amelia Earhart. Probably will be other broadcasts on the 1929 stock market crash and a lot more.

On Sunday at 11:59 p.m., the station goes off the air in its present form, to be replaced by an all sports station.

 

[pepband99]

As a longtime WCBS listener, especially for news events and traffic, this is a sad day.

One oddity here - ESPN going all-in on AM, when WFAN seems to be moving away from it. They've dropped all references to being on 660AM. They still are, and i suspect there will be howling if they ever moved off of it, but it's just a strange dichotomy.

 

[Kitaman]

their traffic reports every 10 minutes were invaluable

On the 8s. You know I will probably be checking 880 for looking weather for a few months. It was a part of my life.

I recall being in Amherst MA and Baltimore and getting the station all the way up there in my car. It had some range!

 

[J187Money]

Just economics - ESPN probably paid more for the LMA than it was worth to run the station. Now that Audacy is out of bankruptcy I imagine you will see more changes. Especially once they get FCC approval and the plan becomes effective and Soros folks get to take over.

 

[sledog]

Should have dropped 1010. 1010 voices always sound like a nuisance / irritating

 

[huskymedic]

If that was the case - wish they had kept 880. You could hear 880 a much greater distance from NYC that 1010.

Should have dropped 1010.

Coverage range in Greater New Haven sucks compared to 880. Nothing but bleed over and static this morning.

 

[Improviser]

Disappointing trying to find another decent station to wake up to.

Maybe, I am better off with a music station or setting an alarm on my phone to key into one of my Spotify Playlists.

 

[Taco]

Coverage range in Greater New Haven sucks compared to 880. Nothing but bleed over and static this morning.

Also, 92.3 FM is the same station as 1010 and sounds better if you’re in range. That and 1490 (which is barely audible in SW CT) are the only news stations I have in my presets now. Really sad that such a great station is gone.

 

[huskyjawz]

Just economics - ESPN probably paid more for the LMA than it was worth to run the station. Now that Audacy is out of bankruptcy I imagine you will see more changes. Especially once they get FCC approval and the plan becomes effective and Soros folks get to take over.

I apologize for my ignorance in these matters, but would you care to explain what this means?

 

[J187Money]

I apologize for my ignorance in these matters, but would you care to explain what this means?

An LMA is an agreement where someone "rents" the signal from the broadcaster. As an example - ESPN Radio generally doesn't "own" radio stations (they might not own any) but operate under LMA agreements. ESPN was paying 98.7FM (which is owned by Emmis) under an LMA for 12 years - which just expired. Given what they were paying for it - since they signed it 12 years ago when radio was in better shape - it was probably pretty expensive. In the arrangement, the broadcaster still has expenses - FCC license, costs to run the stick, etc - but all revenue and talent / operating expenses accrue to the renter (ESPN).

So if you are 880 - you get ad revenue but you are paying talent/programming/salespeople/operating expenses. Let's just say that 880 made $5M net a year. If you can lease the station to ESPN and make more than $5M a year net - the math works, and you don't have to do all of the "brain damage" associated with running a station.

As to the particulars of the Audacy deal - because they went bankrupt, the debt holders take over the equity. That's complicated enough in most bankruptcy situations, but in broadcasting you also have to deal with FCC approval, because the debt holders need to be "approved" as owners of the equity. Soros bought a lead position in the debt stack during bankruptcy so they are the lead equity holder upon emergence. But they can't take over the board / make real operating decisions until the FCC approval happens.

 

[2Infinity]

Nice explanation J187Money!

 

[huskymedic]

… So I tried waking up to WPLR 91.3 because it plays music and has a free for all repartee among the announcers, poses an almost Seinfeld-like question, and callers call in with their input. Chas and AJ is the show.

WPLR is 99.1