Will Cumulus be Selling Any GR Stations?

[handbanana]

Reports are that Cumulus is looking for a cash infusion and is selling stations in multiple markets to a 'National Religious' broadcaster.

WDRQ in Detroit has been reported as one of the stations to be sold: radioinsight.com/headlines/253013/rumor-mill-wdrq-detroit-to-be-sold/

Considering the traditionally poor performance in Grand Rapids you would have to think that perhaps 107.3FM may be in the list. The other option may be 105.3FM as they would shed the signal and multiple salaries (as is the case in Detroit).

[MWmetalhead]

Family Life Radio, owner of such stations as 99.7 WUGN in Midland, is buyer of WDRQ.

[48125er]

Maybe they'll do us a favor and put 107.3 out of it's misery or add a biblical rainbow and take out the Gray and green show on 105.3 for us.

Another option is to put WKLQ on 107.3 and let them buy 94.5 for religious programming as that is PRIME real estate for christian music.

[Feature/writer]

Back in the pre-KLQ days, I believe 94.5 was a Christian-formatted station..... the old WJBL-FM

[jaywmi]

I'm not sure how wise it would be to put 94.5 onto 107.3.

Reportedly, there are a fair number of listeners on 94.5 on the lakeshore (and some of the ads that are running currently on the signal are from businesses located in Holland, Spring Lake, Muskegon...), so it would seem like not the best business decision there.

Back when they thought it was a bright idea to move the original KLQ to 107.3, there were signal issues in parts of Kent County, and it only magnified the more south and west one would go.

I think simply selling off 105.3 and moving the format to 107.3 could work... or just selling off 107.3 itself.

[GnashManDu]

I think simply selling off 105.3 and moving the format to 107.3 could work...

This would be the ideal move as the 105.3 signal is the weakest, but do they have the stomach over there for ANOTHER frequency/format swap after the disaster that was executed by the carrot top regime just a few years ago? Plus, are they also looking to get rid of salaries as they've done in Detroit?

They would also lose the adjacency they have to 104.5 when people hit seek. I'm not sure if that's even a thing anymore, but it was one of the reasons they put CHR on that frequency. It was also the reason they used 94.5 when initially launching country, so that it was next to 93.7.

If they just want to dump a frequency and stay viable in GR, I think you have to sell 105.3 if you have a buyer. Figure out the formats with the remaining strong signals.

[andymuskegon]

all due respect, and no insult intended but -

"They would also lose the adjacency they have to 104.5 when people hit seek. I'm not sure if that's even a thing anymore, but it was one of the reasons they put CHR on that frequency. It was also the reason they used 94.5 when initially launching country, so that it was next to 93.7."

that's just a carnival game. build the best product and it won't matter where it is on the dial, or what it's next to. this idea of "flankers" and grabbing a haphazard audience by seeking on their car radio is proof of weak minded ownership that should have never been allowed to own media

I think simply selling off 105.3 and moving the format to 107.3 could work...

This would be the ideal move as the 105.3 signal is the weakest, but do they have the stomach over there for ANOTHER frequency/format swap after the disaster that was executed by the carrot top regime just a few years ago? Plus, are they also looking to get rid of salaries as they've done in Detroit?

They would also lose the adjacency they have to 104.5 when people hit seek. I'm not sure if that's even a thing anymore, but it was one of the reasons they put CHR on that frequency. It was also the reason they used 94.5 when initially launching country, so that it was next to 93.7.

If they just want to dump a frequency and stay viable in GR, I think you have to sell 105.3 if you have a buyer. Figure out the formats with the remaining strong signals.

[GnashManDu]

that's just a carnival game. build the best product and it won't matter where it is on the dial, or what it's next to. this idea of "flankers" and grabbing a haphazard audience by seeking on their car radio is proof of weak minded ownership that should have never been allowed to own media

I'm not arguing the efficacy of that mindset, just that it was discussed in the building with both formats at launch.

I will say that catching listeners with a seek button was something that could be done 10+ years ago, but would be much rarer now.

[MWmetalhead]

Don't forget who was running Shitadel's cluster at the time. 'Nuff said.

[MrsWarmth]

Cumulus would be stupid to sell any of the Grand Rapids stations as they're all positioned to be market leaders in their respective formats.

[jaywmi]

Yeah. Keep dreaming. There's only one where that may be true, and I am not certain of its long-term viability, anyway.

Cumulus would be stupid to sell any of the Grand Rapids stations as they're all positioned to be market leaders in their respective formats.

[Greg Buben]

I totally disagree with the post that said Cumulus would be stupid to sell any G.R. stations. The station that they should
sell the most is 107.3 FM for sure. I have suggested many formats that would be much more viable than their "Thunder
Country" nonsense and they haven't flipped it at all. Again if they continue this insanity of allowing the frequency to be
wasted on the same major label modern country hits that you can find on B-93 then there is no hope for Cumulus in
G.R. The music is bad enough but if you like it B-93 should be and is your station.
As far as any christian programmers buying "Thunder Country" like what's happening with WDRQ in Detroit I don't really
welcome because we have plenty of religion on the radio. Cumulus could sell all of their G.R. stations for all that I care
because the corporate fat cats in their offices don't really care about the Grand Rapids area at all as long as their
classic rocker WLAV does relatively well in the ratings. I'd be content if they didn't own any stations in G.R. and MI in
general. Furthermore, their "Thunder Country" not only plays music that the respectable B-93 plays they're full of a
bunch of automation, voicetracking,, and shows produced in markets far away from G.R Cumulus isn't worthy of any
ownership of radio stations in Michigan especially their "Thunder Country" nonsense. By the way I wonder if anybody
that attended the recent B-93 birthday bash listened for a moment on that day to "Thunder Country".

[MWmetalhead]

I was surprised at how flimsy LAV's signal was in Holland Charter Township earlier this week during the middle of the day. 96.9 from the Kenosha area was interfering a significant amount. Signal even fluttered a bit in Georgetown Twp, where it should be coming in like gangbusters.

[jaywmi]

Strong inversions can cause this. There have been these a bit more often lately with a prevailing east wind over the lake, creating upwelling of colder waters (and cooling the air in lower levels), and warmer than normal air flowing over the top. This can enhance signal conductivity for anything west of the lake, to where they can boom in like locals and create problems as far back as Grand Rapids...

I was surprised at how flimsy LAV's signal was in Holland Charter Township earlier this week during the middle of the day. 96.9 from the Kenosha area was interfering a significant amount. Signal even fluttered a bit in Georgetown Twp, where it should be coming in like gangbusters.

[audiophile]

Strong inversions can cause this. There have been these a bit more often lately with a prevailing east wind over the lake, creating upwelling of colder waters (and cooling the air in lower levels), and warmer than normal air flowing over the top. This can enhance signal conductivity for anything west of the lake, to where they can boom in like locals and create problems as far back as Grand Rapids...

I was surprised at how flimsy LAV's signal was in Holland Charter Township earlier this week during the middle of the day. 96.9 from the Kenosha area was interfering a significant amount. Signal even fluttered a bit in Georgetown Twp, where it should be coming in like gangbusters.

No, as others have pointed out there is no antenna panels toward that area. Only 140 watts leaks through the system toward that area.

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/datae ... bd49290204