Update: New York Newsradio signing off

 

(We're back from Japan, more comments later. Thank you for the many kind words about our work there!)

Granted, WCBS is in New York, not SoCal, yet there has been a lot of reaction to the announcement today that the legendary all-news station is signing off on August 26. The station will get new call letters, WHSQ (though that's tentative), and move all of the sports programming currently heard on ESPN / 98.7 (WEPN) to the 50,000 watt AM signal.

Good Karma Brands, who locally operate 710 / ESPN (KSPN), had been leasing the 98.7 FM signal from Emmis Broadcasting in New York for their sports programming. When that lease expires, the WEPN programming will shift to AM 880, starting a new lease with station owner Audacy. It's worth noting WCBS is already the flagship station for the New York Mets, the team will now be added to the WHSQ schedule.

WCBS anchor Steve Scott

"I thnk the legacy of WCBS will be nearly six decades of just trying to tell stories that people need to hear," said WCBS midday anchor Steve Scott, adding "it's a painful day." 

Audacy New York Market President Chris Oliviero offered this statement: 

New York has always been proudly unique in supporting two all-news radio brands, but the news business has gone through significant changes. The headwinds facing local journalism nationwide made it essential to strategically reimagine how we deliver the news for the most impact. WCBS 880 has been one of the most respected radio stations in history, with a legacy cemented by the hundreds of world-class journalists, on and off the air, who willed it into existence over the decades. If it happened in New York or the world, you heard about it on WCBS 880. Today, 1010 WINS@92.3FM, equally iconic, moves forward as New York’s only 24/7 all-news station with the best distribution platform, the largest audience and the most recognized brand in the industry. All-news is a pillar of Audacy, and this decision, though difficult, fortifies that leadership position for generations to come.

There are some similarities, yet some significant differences between what happened in New York and Los Angeles. When Westinghouse bought CBS in 1994, it meant all-news operations on both coasts were now under the same ownership. In Los Angeles, it was KFWB and KNX which became "CBS NewsRadio LA." Eventually, the two former rivals would share facilities at the "CBS Broadcast Center" on Wilshire Boulevard.

In 2009, KFWB would modify their programming to a news / talk format, which gave way to all-sports "The Beast 980" in 2014. Subsequently the frequency changed hands twice, and is now the property of Lotus Communications presenting regional Mexican music as "La Mera Mera ('the best of the best') 980."

 

Audacy surprised many when 97.1 NOW FM (KNOU) dropped their urban music format in December 2021 to allow KNX to simulcast on both the AM and FM bands. Which leads to speculation about the future of 1070 AM, more about that in a moment.

Back to New York. When WINS and WCBS became sister stations after Westinghouse purchased CBS, they were separate operations in separate buildings. Eventually the two stations occupied the same building on Hudson Street, WINS on the 10th floor, WCBS on the 11th floor. When WINS started simulcasting on 92.3 FM (the former "ALT 92.3" WNYL) in October 2022, Audacy also re-negotiated the SAG-AFTRA contract to allow the two news operations to share talent and newsrooms. 

Last year, WCBS billed almost $30 million, making it the tenth highest billing station in the U.S. (WINS was number three, at $40 million). It does seem curious for Audacy to accommodate a rival sports outlet, particularly since Audacy-owned WFAN dominates New York sports radio. But we can speculate.

The quality of WCBS programming is not cheap. They may have shared newsrooms, but WCBS was still distinct from WINS, plus the two stations had different anchor and host lineups. Although Audacy will lose the income from WCBS, they will also save the cost of running AM 880 with the Good Karma Brands local marketing agreement. It's pure income for Audacy. Also, some of the WCBS billing will go to WINS, now the only all-news operation in town. The decision to close down WCBS continues Audacy's ongoing cost-cutting, though this is far more dramatic than another round of layoffs. 

So what does this mean for the Los Angeles market? Right now, Audacy is paying for the electricity for the 50,000 watt signal on prime Torrance real estate, which isn't insignificant. Still, there's no programming costs for AM 1070. Though the 97.1 FM signal offers 21,000 watts from Mt. Wilson, it doesn't cover all of Orange County, whereas the AM is essentially a local signal from Santa Barbara to San Diego, plus much of the Inland Empire. It's estimated 30 to 40 percent of the KNX audience is still listening to AM 1070. 

On the other hand, there is no local outlet (other than 93.1 HD-3) for Audacy's "The BetQL" (referred to as "The Bet" on its national affiliates). The network provides "wagertainment" (I didn't come up with the term, so help me), often combined with select CBS Sports Radio programming, featuring SoCal native Jim Rome. There is a belief gambling will be the next innovation for sports talk on all media platforms, maybe AM 1070 could be a good "Bet" (sorry about that). It seems hard to believe, yet recall the once dominant 50,000 watt KGO-San Francisco is now "The Spread 810," featuring Audacy's "wagertainment." Having a Los Angeles affiliate would be a big boost for the BetQL network.

When Bill Paley was in charge of CBS, having all-news operations on powerhouse AM stations in the biggest markets complimented the pride he took in his network's news division. Charles Osgood, Ed Bradley, and Pat Summerall were among the well-known voices heard on "Newsradio 88." If not the crown, WCBS was at least a prominent jewel for Paley and CBS News. Diamonds may be forever, but apparently, and sadly, not WCBS.

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