Five of the top 10 stations on BIA/Kelsey’s highest billers of 2015 come from iHeartMedia’s New York and Los Angeles clusters, totaling $234.9 million. CBS owns four of the top 10 billers, making up another $175.3 million in revenue. Three CBS stations come from New York City, the other from Chicago. Four of the top 10 stations were from the AM dial. Here’s a chart of all 10 of the 2015 top billing radio stations in the country.
While this reflects mostly major markets and ihearts success, which I don’t want to take away from, but I think Hubbard is the better and more interesting story here. I don’t think they compete in the top 10 markets but still competitive markets against the major companies and do well.
Also DC is is a different animal/marketplace with WTOP, but I think Hubbard could be teaching the major broadcast companies a thing or two in many areas. I’m not an Hubbard employee but somehow they have inherited the Susquehanna mantle (who I did work for) in my mind of real balance of needs of the listeners and their investors. I’m not saying they are perfect because nobody is but what they seem to be doing is being well executed and committed to the listener and investor.
When the Cumulus and IHeart debt issues are resolved (and they will be), I’m thinking the real smart investor money will come in and hopefully elevate Hubbard along with other medium/small broadcasters to pick up some of the pieces and this nonsensical dramatic period will be put behind us. Iheart and Cumulus has good folk working them. There has been some good moves by iHeart and some by Cumulus in the past and recently. These good folk deserve better and I think it is coming.
A better industry based on better operators will be the outcome. Better for employees, listeners and investors.
Is this the first time WFAN out distanced it’s NYC sisters? If not the first time when was the first time? Who in the 1980’s would have expected to see an all-sports station be this successful. Remember who started it. Was it not Emmis? Didn’t the format start on 1050 and move to 660 in a big station-swapping deal?