Times are tough for CBS Broadcasting. Over the last six months, the company made massive cuts to their televisions stations and radio stations across the country. In some cases, 20 people were let go in one market alone. Locally, the cuts were mainly only felt on television, as CBS-3 parted ways with Sports Director Beasley Reece, Meteorologist Kathy Orr, and prime time news anchor Chris May. Yesterday, another shoe dropped as CBS Radio let go 94 WIP and 1210 WPHT operations manager Andy Bloom. If finances are so bad, will the Phillies have to change their radio home in 2016?
One year ago the Phillies and CBS Radio signed a one-year contract, reported the Philadelphia Business Journal, with hopes of an extension:
“While we can’t provide specifics, I am pleased to report that we have agreed to an extension of our partnership with the Phillies,” CBS Radio Philadelphia Senior Vice President and Marketing Manager Marc Rayfield said in a statement.
Dave Buck, senior vice president of marketing and advertising for the Phillies, said the two sides agreed on a one-year deal because time was running out on the current deal and it will give them more time to negotiate a long-term extension, hopefully well before the 2015 season ends.
"We were trying to get our ducks in a row and we'll start negotiating a long-term deal right away," Buck said. "We would hope to have something worked out by the All-Star Break [next July]."
As far as we know, the Phillies and CBS yet to have such an extension. July is when CBS began making major cuts.
If CBS does not get the contract, there are only a few companies in Philadelphia who own radio stations anymore and might have the dollars to land a Phillies contract: CBS, iHeartMedia and Greater Media:
Greater Media: 97.5 the Fanatic, 93.3 WMMR, 95.7 BEN-FM, 102.9 WMGK
Greater Media actually had the Phillies contract back in 2004, for one year. Games were broadcast on 950, WPEN, long before the station flipped to sports. The company sold off their 950 AM station a while back. 97.5 the Fanatic already carries the Flyers and Sixers; it is unclear if they would be able to carry all three. The company already uses 93.3 WMMR for some Flyers games if there is a conflict, so that remains an option.
iHeartMedia: 102.9 Q-102, 106.1 WISX, Radio 104.5 WRFF, WDAS-FM, WUSL Power 99, WDAS-AM
There is no particular clear fit for iHeartMedia in terms of format, and the ratings for every station on the FM dial are pretty decent. WISX has the lowest ratings of any of the stations, but they are still doing pretty well. iHeartMedia does own some sports stations elsewhere and carries local sports on some stations.
CBS Radio: KYW 1060, 1210 WPHT, 94 WIP, Amp 96.5, 92.5 WXTU, 98.1 WOGL:
With so many stations, CBS is doing what they can to save money. After buying 96.5 FM, CBS changed the name from "WIRED" to "Amp", to match the other CBS stations around the country with the same format. One logo, some shared programming and some shared advertising…it's all to save money. Several personnel work for multiple stations, too. The question will be if they have cut back enough to make a difference.
The only other big player in Philadelphia radio is Radio One, who owns 100.3, 103.9, and 107.9. All three stations focus on Urban programming. Radio One owns no sports stations among the 54 stations across the country in 16 media markets.
Independent stations: WHYY-FM, WBEB (whatever B101 is called right now), and college stations WXPN (Penn) and WRTI (Temple).
Only two AM stations register in the ratings at all, in KYW 1060 and 1210 WPHT; AM stations seem almost irrelevant anymore.
So, the Phillies may not have too many bidders. Greater Media, who reticently spent some money to bring aboard talkers Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis, might be the ones poised to make a deal. The Phillies tend to like tradition, and losing WPHT might not be their favorite outcome, but if CBS Radio does not have the money to spend, they just may.
h/t to Julius May, who brought this to our attention last week.
