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By Kent Larsen
Bonneville Buys Chicago's WNIB, Fans Fear Format Change
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS -- LDS Church-owned radio company Bonneville
International agreed last week to purchase Chicago classical music
station WNIB-FM and its sister station WNIZ-FM for $165 million
increasing Bonneville's presence in Chicago to five stations. But the
announcement left fans of the 45-year-old station certain that it
will not keep the classical format, instead choosing a more
profitable format that fits better with Bonneville's other stations
in Chicago.
The purchase is the latest move in the restructuring of Bonneville
and the radio industry. The deregulation of the radio spectrum in
1996 allowed companies like Bonneville to own up to eight stations in
a single market. And, like other radio owners, Bonneville has bought
and sold stations in order to concentrate its holdings in a few
markets. In the past few years, Bonneville has sold stations in New
York City and traded its Los Angeles station for four in St. Louis.
It also owns stations in Salt Lake City, Washington DC and San
Francisco. Normally, a company's stations in a single market share
overhead, office space, management, advertising sales staff, etc.,
significantly cutting costs while increasing revenues.
The sale of WNIB to Bonneville has classical music fans in Chicago
already mourning the loss of the station to a new format on February
1st, when the sle will be completed. Although Bonneville hasn't
announced that any decision to change formats has been made, most
observers, including the station's current owners, Bill and Sonia
Florian, believe the format will change to a more contemporary
format. Bonneville's president and CEO, Bruce Reese, did speculate,
however, that it is "harder to justify" staying with the less popular
classical music format when there is another classical music station
in the same market.
Kal Rudman, publisher of the radio industry trade magazine Friday
Morning Quarterback, says that its not a matter of if WNIB will
change formats, but when -- and to what kind of music. "The hot new
format is '80s rock, all over the country," Rudman said. "Why? It's a
demographics game and the people who grew up listening to '80s music
-- 35 to 54 -- are a prime demographic target."
But some Chicagoans hold out some hope that WNIB will stay with the
same format. Industry veteran Danny Newman hopes that Bonneville will
see the cultural position that the station has in the city, "I would
hope that the new owners would carry on the basic classical music
policy that has made WNIB an important factor on the Chicago cultural
scene," Newman said. "I don't know what they'll do, but I hope
they'll do that." He observes that Bonneville kept the classical
music format on two stations it acquired, in Washington DC and in San
Francisco. But in those cities, the stations are the only classical
music stations in the city.
Source:
R.I.P. WNIB
Chicago Tribune 10Dec00 B3
By John von Rhein: Tribune Music Critic
Time to challenge station WFMT to higher standards
Classical Dearth
Chicago Tribune 9Dec00 B3
By Patricia Jana Hassler
WNIB Sale Leaves Classical Music Fans Out On A Limbo
Chicago Tribune 4Dec00
By Lou Carlozo: Tribune Staff Writer
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