Cumulus is pulling the simulcast of Talker WBAP-A/FM Dallas 10/21 and giving the frequency to a simulcast of sister Sports KTCK-AM “SportsRadio 1310 the Ticket”, reports the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram WBAP will now stream on Country KPLX-HD-2.
Cumulus also added Sports KESN-FM Dallas to its cluster with an LMA, but afternooner Randy Galloway called 10/7 his last day rather than at the end of the year as originally planned. KESN PD Tom Lee, host Landry Locker and anchor Kelly Webster are also exiting. KESN is a Class C licensed to Allen, TX on 103.3 with 98 kW @ 1,988’. The primary contour comes in from the north, gets a little over half of the metro.
Dan Bennett, VP/MM for Cumulus Media Dallas/Fort Worth, verified the move: “We have seen no ratings increase since adding the FM,” he told the paper. “WBAP at 820 AM still covers 114 counties in the day and has been heard in up to 38 states at night and early morning before the sun comes up. WBAP at 820 is one of the biggest radio signals in America.”
Cumulus has said all along that it intends to keep the ESPN Radio format on KESN. It’s still unclear is what will happen with KTDK Sanger/Dallas, TX 104.1 FM, which currently carries the Ticket simulcast. The Cumulus Media LMA takes was to take effect upon the closing of the pending sale of KTDK-FM. Cumulus tried to spin KTDK to Media Services Group broker Bill Whitley under the license name Whitley Media for only $100 until he can sell it on the open market and pay Cumulus the full amount–minus commissions and fees. However, the FCC, recognizing that the deal is basically the license to give the parties time to sell the station while Cumulus buys another, balked at the $100 payment: “It’s a nominal amount that bears no relationship to the station’s actual market value.” Since Cumulus would also receive whatever Whitley gets once he sells the station to a third party, less his fee, the FCC said Cumulus would in basically remain the owner of the station and dismissed the proposed transfer.
See the Star-Telegram story here.
RBR-TVBR observation: Unless Cumulus can sell KDTK, some have said it may go dark. The latest we’ve heard, as of 10/9 is they will be shutting off the station and turning in the license to the FCC.
