Supertalk radio to debut on local FM

By Rob Riggsbee

Cumulus Media Partners will officially debut its syndicated talk format in Cincinnati Thursday morning on its new home, 96.5 FM.

Country music station “Star,” currently being simulcast on both 96.5 FM and 94.9 FM, will be replaced by Supertalk FM on the 96.5 FM dial. The call letters for now will be WPRV-FM. Star 94.9 FM, formerly Jammin’ Oldies 94.9 FM, will be exclusive to the 94.9 frequency — at least for now.

Leading up to the official launch of Supertalk FM 96.5, Cumulus has begun a Halloween-oriented promotional campaign which began Tuesday morning and will run through midnight Wednesday.

Early Thursday morning, Cincinnati-area radio listeners will be able to tune into 96.5 FM and hear Cincinnati’s newest addition to the talk radio arena. Supertalk 96.5 FM will be the only all-talk radio station broadcasting on the FM side of the dial.

The featured Monday through Friday lineup is as follows:

6 a.m.-10 a.m.: Mancow Morning Madness
10 a.m.-noon: Glenn Beck
Noon-2 p.m.: Bill O’Reilly
2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Sporting News Radio
4 p.m.-7 p.m.: Phil Valentine
7 p.m.-9 p.m.: Sporting News Radio
9 p.m.-midnight: Rusty Humphries

Until late Monday, Dave Ramsey was schedule to air in the 2 p.m.-4 p.m. time slot, however, due to a last-minute contractual situation, Ramsey has been temporarily taken off Supertalk FM and replaced by Sporting News Radio.

Weekends, for now, will broadcast Sporting News Radio programming and content as well.

Supertalk FM will be competing for the news/talk listeners agains 700 WLW, 55 KRC, and (“Liberal Talker”) 1360 WSAI. “Mancow’s Morning Madness” will target listeners of WOFX (The Fox) morning drive show, “Bob and Tom,” and to a much lesser extent, WAQZ’s “Rover’s Morning Glory,” more so than Jim Scott, Jerry Thomas or Jerry Springer. With a possible format change coming to alternative station WAQZ, “Rover” may not remain on the air much longer.

Mancow is known best for being confrontational, controversial and as a “shock jock.” However, Mancow has reinvented himself over the past couple of years and is now considered more of a show host who covers all pop culture topics and broad-based issue. Nonetheless, he still maintains some of the Howard Stern edge and likeness.

His show is carried on about 24 affiliates coast to coast. His target demographic will be men (25-54), but will focus more on the men (25-44) end of the demo.

In the early evenings and on the weekends Supertalk FM will compete with both WLW and 1530 AM Homer.

The overall target demographic for Supertalk FM will be adults (25-54), with O’Reilly targeting the (35-54) end of the demo.

In other news, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based Entercom Communications (NYSE: ETM) is set to take over four CBS radio stations: WUBE, WGRR, WKRQ and WAQZ on Wednesday. There has been much talk and speculation recently about pending format changes, station swaps and station sales, but don’t count on any immediate changes between Entercom and Atlanta-based Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS).

The potential strategic plans are not yet final, and should take a little longer than originally projected — if a deal comes together at all. It is possible that some changes may go into effect this week, but only if the two broadcasters move to final contract and agree on the terms in the next day or two. Otherwise, with the exception of the anticipated, possible flipping of WAQZ’s “Everything Alternative” format, it should be life as normal for the next week or so.