Friday, June 21, 2013

The Ticket. Mark Cuban. Big Deal. No, I Really Mean, Big Deal.

Mark Cuban buying Cumulus is not such an odd idea.  It might be a bargain for him.

Richie Whitt is teasing a scoop for next week stating that something's in the work that will re-shape the radio landscape we've known for three decades.

My only clue the Cuban is involved comes from the mysterious Confessor known as Gypo Nolan, who made reference to October 28, 1962 -- the day the Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved.

I have no other scoops or clues and certainly no inside information.



But think about this for a minute:

As of today, the market capitalization of Cumulus is $585 million.  (That's the value of all its stock at the current market price.) 

It is nowhere near beyond imagining that Cuban could put an investor group together to purchase (or tender for) those shares, albeit at some premium to that price.  Or maybe just the Dickeys' shares.

Yeah, that's a lot of money. 

But folks, that is approximately how much Nolan/Greenburg paid for the Rangers ($385M cash plus assumed debt of $205M = $590M), outbidding a group of which Mark Cuban became a significant part.  There's a lot of money sloshing around among Cuban and his friends, money that could be put to work rehabilitating a mismanaged property bought on the cheap.

Although Cumulus stock is down slightly today, suggesting no rumblings of a buyout amongst those in the know.

I will point out to you, however, that Cumulus has been shedding talent like crazy around the country, and the general feeling is that the Dickeys overpaid for Citadel and other acquisitions and are now in some distress.

So it's not crazy to speculate that Mark Cuban may purchase Cumulus.

Wrong, maybe, in keeping with this site's track record, but not crazy.

 
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Twitter:  @Plainsman1310

128 comments:

  1. the news has nothing to do with mark cuban.

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  2. This is just silly. Mark Cuban is not going to buy Cumulus.

    It seems pretty obvious that the Cuban Missile Crisis date simply points to 2 competing entities coming to an agreement together. Seems like the whole CBS/Cumulus thing that's been floating around for awhile.

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  3. Agreed. The Cuban Missile Crisis reference has to do with some kind of inner conflict reflective of the historical crisis in my opinion.

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  4. Alright So Anon, if you know what it is then say it. You're anonymous (so anonymous, in fact) so what's holding you back? Perhaps not actually knowing? Bluffing? Posturing? Prove me wrong.

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  5. What's obvious about it, Shaggy?

    Everything I know I learn from the Musers. MTC is the only entity with the courage to draw enormous conclusions based on scant evidence.

    But it is more evidence that anyone else has adduced to date.

    All right, you don't like the Cuban clue, how about this:

    Scott Ferall, CBS guy, is in town for Summa Bash. His visit will coincide with the announcement of the CBS/Cumulus merger.

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  6. Sorry Plainsman, it is a very odd idea, cause the price would be way higher than the market cap. Cumulus has $2 billion of bank debt out according to their most recent financial filing. They aren't going to be happy if the Cumez sells for less, and probably wouldn't allow it to happen.

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  7. some might say that by saying nobody has written anything close to correct so far ive said quite a lot.

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  8. If it's not CBS related, not Cuban related, and not Mavs related, maybe one of the main hosts leaving? Ticket finally getting a real signal? What else? I don't know, maybe I'm not being imaginative enough (I would assume not being close would include any other potential buyout scenarios).

    This is a fun game though.

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  9. @Shaggy +1

    This has to do with Cumulus/the Dickey's and CBS Radio/Sports merging. And it goes down along the following lines: Cumulus and CBS merge, The Ticket and The FAN become sister stations, the former staying the same, the latter focusing more on national, syndicated shows with some local weeknight, weekend programming and hosting Cowboys and Stars games.

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  10. Your last idea hit the nail on the head. There's a reason why Ferrall is here. A syndicated host from NYC who is on at night, isn't a part of the crew proper, doesn't just decide to fly down to said station's little summer shindig.

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  11. If the merger/national angle with the Fan is true then why would RW only say this is Ticket news? Wouldn't he say Fan & Ticket news or local sports radio news? Any hints I have seen online haven't mentioned the Fan at all just the Ticket.

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  12. 215, you may be right, it's certainly a reasonable scenario, but to me that doesn't sound like the earth-shattering event Richie is promising.

    If this is in the works, it has been for awhile. However, local PDs may not have known about it. If, for example, Mr. Spittle had been aware of the possibility of a format change, (1) would he have bothered to fire RaGE with its attendant risks, and (2) done a deal with Ben & Skin? Or would he have waited until the deal went down and just RIF'd all of the Fan
    shows out of existence at zero risk?

    As I say, he may not have known.

    But if you're right, then Kevin Turner made an unfortunate move.

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  13. Not to mention that the CBS/Ticket angle has already been brought up several times so if "so anonymous" is to be believed, it's not related to that.

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  14. Still think my RW/GW this is an Andy Kaufmann bit is far-fetched? Check this out. He's already reaching out via Twitter to his ex:


    eets
    Cassie Roach ‏@mavsfan85 2h
    @richiewhitt fascinating read. Blog only addresses the last 6 months of rage. How'd you feel about @TCUWhiteTrash for the first 2.5 yrs?
    Expand
    Richie Whitt ‏@richiewhitt 39m
    @mavsfan85 @TCUWhiteTrash as I wrote, we got along "swimmingly."
    Hide conversation Reply Retweet Favorite More

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  15. A CBS-Cumulus merger seems wrought with anti-trust issues IMO. I don't think it would be a slam dunk...but when is the last time the feds actually put their foot down on a merger.

    I'll throw out a random guess - Catlin or Bennett are moving on/up/out of the company.

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  16. Gypo is apparently reluctant to let go of his butt long enough to type out a further tease.

    [Insider reference to comment to previous post.]

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  17. And, in support of those who say this has nothing to do with any merger or acquisition of Cumulus, by Cuban, CBS, or anyone else, I note that as of this writing, Cumulus's share price is virtually unchanged today on below-average volume, which is not what one would expect if there were rumblings in the financial community of a deal.

    Suggesting something of more concentrated, local interest. What that could be that would alter the 30-year radio landscape, as promised by Richie, is hard to fathom.

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  18. Very hard to fathom, indeed.

    On another, GW related, note, it looks like one Mr. Will Riggs has soured on The Hammer.

    http://www.rsbsports.com/2013/06/rock-hard-place.html

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  19. WAIT A MINUTE . . . I got it, I got it. Not only do I got it, this site has argued for it for years:

    Signal swap! Or moving The Ticket's signal to a big-boy frequency, leading to the demise of some decades-old former market leader.

    That's the great thing about speculation: No matter what happens, the chance is good that you read it here first.

    Thank you for shopping at My Ticket Confession.

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  20. How about a Norm retirement or move? 3 decades certainly applies to him...

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  21. If you are looking at this as a Ticket/FAN issue, you are looking at a "branch" as opposed to the "tree" in the "radio forest".

    The idea of Cumulus purchasing CBS Radio is real, as I have talked about here for the last six months.

    The concept of placing local sports talk on FM and national sports talk is also real and CBS already does that in Tampa as an example. CBS...Les Moonves, would love to sell toxic assets to the Dickey Brothers so that they would have a much debt as ClearChannel.

    That said, MCC brought up anti-trust which the FCC would have a say in. Plus, a company/individual can only own a maximum of 8 stations in a market and only 5 of them can be of one band (FM or AM).

    That Mark Cuban idea was farcical since Cumulus is AM heavy and AM is dead.

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  22. Finally, finally, finally, we have something interesting to discuss!

    If, as we're being led to believe, this supposed epochal, landscape-changing event does not pertain to a Cumulus/CBS merger or have anything to do with Cuban (personally I find the first more plausible than the second--no offense meant, Plainsman), then what on God's green earth could it be?

    Landscape-changing. Thirty years of DFW radio significantly altered. I honestly can't think of anything that could occur that might fit that description. The only thing that comes to mind that drastic is the shuttering of station or the likes. And it would have to be a heritage station like KLIF, WBAP, or KRLD on the AM dial and WRR or KZPS on the FM side. Excepting WRR every single station on the FM dial has had multiple format changes. All the AM stations mentioned have gone through significant changes over the last 30 years. In some cases in excess of five different overhauls. But how would this affect The Ticket? Even though it is a sister station with WBAP and KLIF (I think it still is with KLIF), again, how would it affect 1310? The short of it is I don't think this is a very plausible scenario either. Then what? Anyone have an idea(s)?

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  23. @Shaggy
    Actually, that's not a bad guess.

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  24. Shaggy, that's not a half-bad idea.

    DA, you may be right, but everything has a price. Like Cumulus, debt and all, AM stations and all, is valued by the stock market at damned near $600 million. The question is -- is that price, plus some kind of premium, a bargain in the eyes of the purchaser?

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  25. Just would like to point out that earlier this year, Norm took off a week or so for his Hawaii vacation then a few weeks later, took off two weeks for S America. Might have the order wrong but you get what I'm saying. At the time, there were even on-air jokes about "who burns all their vacation days in the first two months of the year?" Norm said something like he wanted to just get them out of the way but in the mix with the Musers they joked about him cramming them in before he quit.

    Rumors of Norm's retirement have been rampant and ramping up with each passing month. Norm retiring meets the 30 year criteria and the big local changes. As far as the Cuban missile crisis, I think too much was read into the Cubes. But if someone long considered a competitor of the show (probably not Galloway since he's retiring too) is being brought in as an elder statesmen to replace Norm, that meets the "two long time rivals coming to an accord" clue about the historical date reference.

    But you know, I'm just talking out of my back hole. Also, don't give every anonymous instant "insider" status, myself included.

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  26. I think you guys are reading Richie's tease incorrectly. I don't think the "three decades" refers to 30 years, I bet it's to the three separate decades that the Little Ticket has been on the air.

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  27. "Three decades" would be a surpassingly odd way of saying "less than two decades."

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  28. the hug was about as big of a clue as you could have ever gotten

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  29. What was that all about? Dan leaving?

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  30. There is no premium when the business is built on debt within a dying industry.

    Cumulus already has 60+ stations on the CBS Radio agreement (specifically for Jim Rome) and have another new agreement in store. Ferrall there is basically a one year anniversary of the original deal's announcement.

    And last June, Cumulus agreed to handle the syndication and ad sales for the syndicated CBS Sports shows.

    http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2012/06/21/cumulus-handling-syndication-sales.html

    *-WTDS talked about Tom Chambers and the "community" loves the Tom Chambers

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  31. What is this hug? Who hugged whom? When?

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  32. Dan hugged Mike and Corby at the end of WTDS, told Mike he was his leader and got a little choked up.

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  33. I paste a part of a comment from Whitt's blog. I think it sums up rather nicely Whitt's posturing. The second paragraph is what I find most interesting. I remember a few of those segments. Whitt doesn't seem like a very teammate himself.


    AnonymousJune 21, 2013 at 8:52 AM
    The Hard Lie 2: The Cliffs Notes Version

    Even after Richie wrote extensively about Greggo's lying, deceitful, drugged up behavior at his previous 4 radio gigs that all ended badly (Ticket, ESPN, Rational Radio, Wichita Falls ESPN), Richie decides "What the what?" and to shack up with Greggo in another radio gig. Oops!

    Greggo arrives high on air frequently and is very unprofessional. Indeed, this is a very serious matter that will not be tolerated...but for on-air entertainment it's perfectly acceptable to stick a tape recorder in Greggo's face and replay audio while he's Ambien'd up for comedy radio gold! But, no, indeed, this is a very serious non-joking matter...indeed.

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  34. Dan from BaD radio hugged Rhyner on the air today. No word yet on whether it was a "you broke my heart, Fredo" hug or a "let's hug this out bitch."

    Curt Menefee and Skip Bayliss were seen arriving at DFW Airport today. I think KTCK is going back to its original show lineup. Shot clock got me!

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  35. @Ignatius
    Really? I missed that. Huh. What the heck is going on? Surely BaD isn't gone? RHYNES??????? His departure DOES go back 3 decades... KZEW to KTCK. W H O A ! ! ! I think that's it. WOW. WOW. WOW.

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  36. Yep. It was really odd and out of place. To quote Rhynes, "This is delicious!"

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  37. Love all the possible scenarios here. I know we've all been wanting the Ticket to have a strong FM signal, like forever, but they won't go to the 93.3 signal, because they're still selling to advertisers.

    Could they finally, finally, be doing something, anything, satellite?

    The most plausible out of all of these scenarios is someone retiring. Obviously odds would be on Norm, I think OGW has a few more years in him.

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  38. And Dan said something about how he thought Jake would like that passive aggressive shot or something like that.

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  39. So this could finally be the curtain call for the Old Grey Wolf huh

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  40. Hmmmmm. They sure seemed to make sort of a deal about today's What's on Mike's Mind. They played the music but didn't get into it. Holding it till the break's over. Could we be about to witness the end of THL as we know it? Hang onto your butts is what we were told. I'm holding fast. Gotta feeling this one's gonna be a bumpy ride.

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  41. To add on, if this is what's going down, maybe he wasn't gonna do this till next week but doesn't want his retirement scooped by the likes of Richie Whitt or anyone else for that matter. Figured he get ahead of the game.

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  42. Well, I'll be switched. After all the fumbling around, we may have stumbled on it, no thanks whatsoever to Your Plainsman (provision of this forum aside) -- and it meets various clues and criteria, other than Gypo's reference to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    Aware that we're still not certain of what the big news is, I will say that I had on my list to write that I thought Mike has sounded a little off the past few months. And the man is not all that old. So I was a little worried about him, and if indeed his departure is the big news, I can only hope that it's prompted by a desire to enjoy a well-earned retirement, and nothing more dire.

    I'd still like to see Cuban buy Cumulus.

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  43. Mike Rhyner leaving.

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  44. You're all thinking TOO big. It's big, but not that big.

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  45. Just like radio talent, I think richies got nothing. If there was really some big scoop, why Sit on it over the weekend. All it takes is some on air host, or one of the 100plus cumulus employees to spill the beans and the what does he have? A claim that he had a scoop?
    A scoop is only good if you actually scoop the competition. What if Corby slips this "news" go Wilonsky and the morn news prints it? Where's riichie then except a dsy late and a dollar short

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  46. I posted this before.....Dan's action today leads me to believe Rhynes is hanging it up on radio.


    Longhorn4 said...
    When D&M mentioned Greggo today during retirement discussion, Jer played a Rhynes drop and all three made audible comments or moans and Craig said something to the effect of "don't go there Jer"......anyone else get that? Any upcoming Rhynes news??

    June 19, 2013 at 8:33 PM

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  47. Maybe this is a prank of the highest order. The Ticket got word of Whitt's alleged "scoop" and is doing a bit to fuel speculation.

    Sometimes, Whitt's "scoops" blow up in his face-remember "The Last Supper"?.

    I suspect something more along the lines of more Cumulus-CBS programming stuff or the Ticket getting a bigger signal.

    Personally, I don't see Mike walking away anytime soon-especially from a station he founded.

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  48. From that little exchange between Mike and Corbles about what he plans on talking about during WOMM and Mike saying he'd address the other thing later gets me to wondering if 356 is on to something. Could we actually be hours, minutes away from a major announcement from one Michael Rhyner? I wasn't thinking along those lines, but now that I read about the hug and words between Mike and Dan, Mike's retirement would fit the criteria of RW's tease.

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  49. I think it's Mike. It makes the most sense. I think I remember what Longhorn4 is talking about too.

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  50. It would seem odd for the Ticket to break personnel news at Summer Bash.

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  51. Plainsman, I've been thinking the same thing. Mike seems to have hit another one of his "down periods." Periods where he doesn't seem too terribly excited to be doing radio. BUT. Did anyone besides myself notice a super energized Mike at the onset of today's show? I sure did. For that matter he seems more into it and engaged than he has in a long time now. I don't know about you people, but whenever you know something is over, it's at that time when you take a deep breath, actually relax, and let it all hang out and run with it. Sounds to me like that's exactly what Mike's doing.

    OK. Now he teases the next segment as the future of Diamond Talk. Either those guys are reading these and RW's comment sections and having a goof, or something is going down and going down today.

    Better pop your corn, folks.

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  52. But wouldn't it be Mike-esque to just rip the bandaid off and walk away?

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  53. It's a 4 - way trade. Norm goes to the Celtics, the Celtics package Norm, Doc Rivers, and Garnett and send them to the Clippers for CP3 and cash cash considerations, Norm is then sent to The FAN, and, finally, Ben and Skin are sent to KTCK to fill Norm's old spot.

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  54. Here ya go......

    Rhyner's retiring and BaD is going to move into PM Drive. Write it down.

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  55. @Longhorn

    I sure do remember that. Yeah, this is all starting to make too much sense. I think we snuffed this one out. Now as to what happens to THL...
    BaD takes their place? What about Corby and Danny? New THL? No way. Maybe that's why Danny went down the bar route? He knew what was on the horizon.

    REALLY interesting times.

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  56. @Longhorn

    I remembered it as a Greggo "Yeah..." drop and a quick besmirching from Gordo filled by Junes. I, too, thought it was very curious at the time...

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  57. What happens to Corby ?

    He can do drive time at the FAN :)

    Corby might survive with limited air time - take part of Norms show ?

    I don't see MR retiring anytime soon , maybe backing off his workload , but I don't think he can function without an on air gig ?

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  58. IJB's take on the RW series is spot-on. I highly recommend listening to it.

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  59. BAD to afternoon drive is a good move. Corby to the unemployment line is a better move!

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  60. So, I guess Paula Deen is moving into Rhynes' seat now and teaming up w/ Corby.

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  61. Noooooo! My lunches are going to be ruined! I'll go from usually hearing 3-5 segments of BaDD to only 1-2.

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  62. you guys are idiots.

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  63. This also probably helps Danny out, no? And look at the convenient timing with his bar opening tonight.

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  64. @Franky You mad, bro?

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  65. +1 Tommy Lee.
    Corby and RW could work together. If the rest of the world realizes the radio talent those two think they have, they could have the greatest show ever. They could put it on ustream with greggo.
    It only makes sense that Mike is turning the page. He's been hinting at "changes on the horizon" for some time now.

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  66. Still not sure how Mike(or Dan) leaving relates to the Cuban missile crisis date, though.

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  67. Myko makes great points.

    and Franky, that's funcking idiots to you.

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  68. Thought about that too, Shaggy. The only related thing I could come up with is that Mike finally answered one of Greggo's calls and decided that he (Mike) wanted to clear all decks and come to at least some sort of peace with everyone before calling it a day. Other than that, I'm not sure how the two relate. Then again, the thought of Rhyner retiring never crossed my mind until it was brought up here an hour ago.

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  69. So what was that agents screwing up contract talks in the radio industry comment about that Mike R just made?

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  70. OGW just said, "We call our agents to screw up contract talks." Nobody responded. Perhaps all of THL have chosen to move elsewhere?

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  71. Franky - Is that the word of the Day on your calendar ?

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  72. I'm speculating that the end of The Cuban missle crisis analogy was thrown out there, anonymously, by RW. He sees himself as a fellow p.m. drive heavyweight, and his getting the "scoop" is both sides putting their weapons down. Just a theory, but I think that's how Richie thinks.

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  73. Eh I doubt there will be any answers until next Monday. If it is anything big like the merger then it wouldn't be released on a Friday evening

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  74. definitely not the merger

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  75. FWIW I spoke to someone at the station today who told me it wasn't Mike or Norm

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  76. A merger would have been all over Wall Street and the Secondary Markets ,,,

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  77. If either Mike or Dan is leaving, I can guarantee that Richie is not going to announce their leaving. Now he might know that one of them is leaving and what The Ticket's next move will be. That info he would break. Meaning that after whatever announcement is made on we'll just say Monday, he'll give the scoop on what's to come. To me, if in fact Mike or Dan is leaving the above scenario is the only one that makes sense. The thing about Dan or anything BaD related being what this is all about doesn't make sense to me if you take into consideration Richie's comment about 3 decades. Only Mike or Norm fit that bill.

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  78. How long has Danny been there? Did Corby say something about waiting for him before MM?

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  79. Oh, and for whatever it's worth, count me in among those who are starting to wonder if Gypo Nolan is Richie. We get a hold on to your asses (which is a very Richie kind of thing to say) comment and the very next day Richie posts up his teaser. Couple that with the fact that since someone wondered aloud if Richie and Gypo are the same person, Gypo's been silent. As the kids are wont to say: "Just sayin'."

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  80. @ThePlainsman,

    You gained traffic today with no news.

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  81. I don't think I've ever heard Richie use a phrase like "hold onto your butts". That's Ticket centric, Grubes centric kind of talk. In general, I don't like the speculation of who anonymous commenters might be, there's just WAY too little information to go off of.

    I can't really see Dan leaving... where would he go? The Ticket is a perfect fit for him and he's not going to fit in at some sports obsessed station.

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  82. Cant see Bob and Dan doing Stars postgame if they move into evening drive... kinda makes some sense.

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  83. Bob & Dan host the post game show for Stars home games and all playoff post game shows (remember these?)

    I guess that means Bruce LeVine is out of work.

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  84. Interesting opening at The Ticket. Recall that Bob and Dan all but said during the last post game show of this past season that they wouldn't be back. I wonder what this means, if anything, for Bruce Levine and the late season addition Allie Lucia?

    I'm beginning to wonder if Bob hasn't taken a position somewhere else (like in an NHL booth) and Dan is going to be the odd man out? At this point anything seems possible.

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  85. I can't imagine Bob would give post game duty. That would mean having to watch the games like the rest of us-on TV.

    I also believe that the Stars have the final say on who hosts pre & post game.

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  86. Well, well well! Stuff happened since the pressed ham at noon.
    One Anon up thread somewhere said we were thinking too big. Let's see if I can sum up the current speculations.

    1) Cuban buys Cumulus: debt laden as they are, no whispers or rumblings from the bidness world and I tend to disbelieve this one.
    2)Retirements: OGW, Norm or whoever. Why? I still maintain that Norm will retire when they pry his Polish fingers smeared with cheese and pickle juice from the microphone stand and wheel him out on a gurney. OGW? Not buying that either. If he is going through the post divorce phase, which on average lasts about 2 years, I can fully understand why he is not engaged some days. Gigging on the side is not going to pay the bills over the long run. I just don't see it. The hugs of Dan were a bit. Just Dan showing off for the crowd.
    Danny leaves: maybe. But why tease Big Dumb Danny leaving? I wouldn't exactly call that compelling. Possible yes. But nothing I would think would use as a tease.
    3) Mergers and hybrids: Maybe. That seems to be the trend overall. Cross-pollination is fine by me if it means the Ticket gets a decent signal.
    4)Signal flip: That would be spectacular. Park the KLIF format on that squirrel powered, sundown fade out of a transmitter that the Ticket manages to overcome. As much as I would like this to happen, I am going to maintain my cynicism until proven otherwise.
    5) something we haven't considered yet.

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  87. 4. Is what makes most sense to me. The end of a historic DFW station and The Ticket gets the signal. Could be KLIF or WBAP. Meets both aspects of RW's tease: decades old and landscape altering.

    The only other thing is OGW retiring. That too makes sense. Norm. No how, no way. No scenario involving BaD conforms to RW's hints. So that's not it, either.

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  88. Wouldn't the Stars job be to replace (permanently) Matt McClaren (sp?)

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  89. There are more former Dallas Stars available within the Metroplex who may take less money than Sturm for a job in which they have more knowledge of the sport.

    Those former players do not have jobs. Bob does.

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  90. I don't think KLIF has much of a signal, does it? 5000w? Although it at least has the advantage of being heard in the populated parts of Cool Metro, which is a challenge for 1310.

    Yeah, headed to a record-setting day. Already over 600 original hits and almost 2,000 page views. Not only on no news, on WRONG news. Days like this, we get a lot of new readers. Wish we were -- no, make that: wish I were giving a better account of myself.

    Ah, everyone loves a mystery.

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  91. I listened to Ferall on the roundtables. I rarely hear him at night. I hear he's doing OK numbers for The Ticket.

    I had two thoughts:

    (1) You can see why the guy doesn't have a co-host.

    (2) I hope he can talk about sports.

    Agonizing.

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  92. Mike re-upped around the end of 2011, I think. So he's only about half-way through a three-year deal if he did a three-year deal.

    On reflection, it is very difficult for me to imagine him leaving the station before the 20-year mark is reached, and before the end of a contract term. Failing, of course, extraordinary circumstances whose extraordinariness would not on the positive side of the ledger and which I'd prefer not to speculate about.

    I didn't get to hear the whole Hardline today, but -- and this could be entirely the power of suggestion, reading all this speculation (which we kinda got underway, didn't we, further fueled by Richie) -- I sure got the feeling that there was an elephant at the broadcast table. All kinds of odd, out-of-context comments, inside stuff. Then there was the surreal slab of nonstop oration by Ferrall. Corby allegedly under the influence. A very peculiar afternoon.

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  93. The KLIF move would qualify as something that was big, but not THAT big, as someone above suggested.

    Yeah, these anons need to nut up and tell us what they know. It's not like I'm going to turn them in or anything.

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  94. They need a substance abuse roundtable with Ferrall and Doyle King.

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  95. It might only be 5000w but its signal reaches much much farther than KTCK. Here is a list of stations in the area and info about them. Click on the i for info, over on the left hand side.

    http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Dallas&state=TX

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  96. Here is a listing of stations in the Dallas area. Compare KTCK and KLIF. I can pick it up clear as a bell west of FW past sundown in the winter, the little Ticket starts disappearing at Benbrook.
    Click on the little boxed i over on the left hand side for the info on that station.
    http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Dallas&state=TX

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  97. uh, It gave me an error response when I posted. Only had one beer so far.

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  98. 3 strikes against the signal change scenario:

    Does not make fit with the Cuban Missile Crisis idea

    Not something that would necessitate a collective holding of butts

    Not something that wod change the landscape of local radio

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  99. Don't get wrapped up on thinking Richie knows something. He's just building his blog on the speculation of "something changing". Richie is not the lead character in this plot. He's just making a cameo.

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  100. One must face Morton's fork.

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  101. Oh, swell. It is not meaningful to advise us to "face" Morton's Fork, (dual inconsistent lines of reasoning supporting the same, probably unwelcome, conclusion). It's like asking someone to "face" a Catch-22. There's no content there.

    Well, I invited Gypo to be toss us another bone, but he hasn't given us anything to chew on.

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  102. In other words, he's got nothing.

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  103. Gypo, there's being clever and coy, and then there's being asinine. You madam or sir have crossed over into asinine side of the aisle. If you have real info just say it. Ditto those anons who are making the cryptic "almost there" and "thinking too big" claims. If these anons actually had something they'd spill the beans. As to Gypo, while I think this cryptic schtick is silly and I honestly don't get it, you have made pronouncements here before and right as rain they've come to pass. Besides you made your initial comment the day prior to RW's teaser.

    From what's been pieced together today, I'd say that the best guess is that Rhyner is going to announce his retirement or a signal swap. You guys keep talking about KLIF. Why? Think WBAP. It's now in the Cumulus family and it has a whopper of a signal. On certain nights it can be heard all up and down the midwest. Actually, it's signal is legendary with truckers and radio geeks. As to the retirement, Pman is definitely on to something on the Rhyner has seemed disinterested or disengaged for the last few months and that there was most certainly an odd, almost uncomfortable feel to today's show and roundtables. Was it because of Farrell's hijacking of the tables he sat in on? Maybe. But it was like that before the roundtables and during the ones following Farrell's departure. And I'm sorry, the Dan hug thing was no bit. That was very strange and very much real.

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  104. this reminds me of when Josh Hamilton got ALS

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  105. Great. The douche Anon Troll is back. Loser.

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  106. You are all SO off...there is NO merger. Everytime u nuts get on this roll or someone "knows" someone in the "know" this gets brought up. NOT happening. Would cbs already have cut checks on new Fan studios in the same building? You don't build out a huge fully functional talk studio to syndicate national shows. There are tons of other holes. Including the telecom act which only allows 6 stations per market. You guys all dream so big. Its juicy. There's also the grand possibility that richie has bad info. Like when dez bryant was going on dl or half of his misleading blog this week.

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  107. I suppose I never accounted for the fact that ANYONE could write "Gypo Nolan" in the NAME/URL box and write whatever nonsensical cryptic bullshit they want.

    This is why you can't have nice things, Internet.

    Big shit going down. If the Russians cave, you'll never know you were in danger. If they don't, you're radio world blows up on Monday. Have a super weekend.


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  108. Ok, so sounds like it's definitely the agents negotiating salaries for the hardline. Makes sense. I have a feeling it will get worked out and this will end up a non-issue. Can't believe Cumulus would let the nukes go off -- the ratings and money are too much of a sure thing.

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  109. I do wonder if this is a case of Mike and Corby trying to bring Danny somewhat into the deal. I could see a scenario where he has his bar opening, he knows it will be a serious time commitment, and he's informed Mike and Corby that unless something significantly changes with his deal at Cumulus, he's out. They could certainly try to make the case to Cumulus that he's a major part of the show and deserves a significant bump (at least based on the hints he gives at how little he makes).

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  110. I've got old recorded cassettes of old school Hardline when it was just Hammer and Rhynes. You would not believe the difference from "that" Rhyner and "todays" Rhyner. It wouldn't surprise me if Mikes getting tired. Only thing is...what would he do? Maybe move to California and spend time with the squid?

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  111. How about a couple of the Ticket shows being syndicated? I could see the Musers syndicated across the country with the polished format, funny bits etc.

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  112. Mike's not retiring

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  113. @Gypo 157am
    I guess you returned home from the bar right at last call, not staying till closing time. You're right. Anyone can just type in a name and pretend they're that person. Kinda what you did, huh. Not even clever by half, pal. Not even. Go home, grow up, and stop trolling.

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  114. Has anyone consider that all of this may have to do with Corby's private DM to GW being published by RW? As in, Corby retaliates by privately "reaching out" to RW, and during the conversation reveals some "big news" that is not news at all, just so that RW may reveal it then look like a moron when it doesn't happen.

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  115. How about KTCK and WBAP swap signals and Hal Jay retires?

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  116. If that be the Case !

    Kudos to Corby !

    Well played !

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  117. I'm starting to wonder if Gypo Nolan is Jake Z. A guy like him with all that fancy book learning would use such a name. Also, the story of Gypo Nolan is similar to what Jakes position might be if THL goes away.
    I'm still leaning towards Rhynes calling it quits.

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  118. Ok, I missed WTDS yesterday, but thanks to the greatness of The Unticket, I caught up. My read on this is exactly the opposite: sounds like Bob and Dan are on the precipice (there's no way...). Dan said "just in case I need to this". So I think BAD is being wooed/reupped/in negotiations. Anyone know their contract status?

    P1Rick

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  119. The only thing is, P1Rick, that wouldn't fit the criteria for the tease. Namely, that it would change the landscape of DFW radio as we've known it for the last 30 years.

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  120. Being a dedicated IJB listener, I would be surprised if Jake Z even knew this site exists.

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  121. BaD Radio moving to drive time PM on the Fan would be a huge deal. You got to think a douche like Richie speaks in hyperbole to drum up excitement. You're taking "change radio landscape as we've known it for the last 30 years" too literally. If BaD radio were to compete with Hardline, that would be the biggest competition The Ticket has had ever.

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  122. Well, three decades *could* mean 90s, 00s, and 10s. And the Cuban Missle face-off/back down certainly had a contractual loggerheads aspect that a flat-out retirement would not have.

    Of course, TPTB might be trying to talk Rhynes out of such a move.

    And just now Dave said "RIP" when Danny mentioned Corby. Hmmmm.

    P1Rick

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  123. There are tons of good points on here, which makes for tons of speculation, but we're all over the board. Addressing P1Rick's latest comment, I would love a shuffle of THL where Corbles is not included.

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  124. Richie Whitt just revealed the news: Bob and Dan are going to The Fan unless Cumulus meets the offer this weekend.

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  125. Here is the link:

    http://www.dfwsportatorium.com/2013/06/breaking-news-bad-radio-on-verge-of.html

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  126. IF this is true, then MAYBE this is hey there wasn't much promotion of B&S going to the FAN. They all knew that th big plan was to bring over BAD radio and move B&S to middays. If et promoted them heavily, then moved them, it would seem like a failed attempt.

    But, who knows.

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