Last month, WGN-AM and Tribune Broadcasting did multi-year
renewals for the exclusive local rights to broadcast the Chicago Blackhawks
hockey games and Northwestern Wildcats football and men's basketball games. The
station is already in a deal to broadcast the Chicago Cubs baseball games for
many years to come (although that currently unprofitable contract may have to
be renegotiated in the future). These teams alone give the station a solid core
audience of sports fans.
CRM sources 'insiders' saying that Tribune Broadcasting has already
begun talking with experienced and successful sports talk program directors,
including at least one local one.
This could also be seen as a preemptive strike against
Cumulus Media's considering adding the syndicated CBS Sports Network
programming (which Cumulus co-owns) to either WLS-AM in 2014 or to a FM station
they would possibly purchase from another company.
WGN-AM's revenues and profits have fallen hard in the last
two years -- well below the national average. There are a great many reasons
why this could be, from losing key sales executives, some unpopular hosts (with
both fans and advertisers), and corporate changes. Regardless of the reasons
why, Tribune Broadcasting wants to correct that problem. Assuming the station
is not sold, going more toward sports broadcasts and sports talk could be a
fast way to fix the revenue problem. The fastest growing programming for
raising revenue is sports.
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