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In theNEWS |
New Website Offers Station Owners, Buyers and Media Brokers With Easy-To-Use Online Marketplace
Portales, New Mexico, April 21, 2010. RadioTVDeals.com is now live and serving potential buyers and owners/direct sellers of broadcast stations and media brokers. The new website is “The Nation’s Largest Marketplace for Radio and Television Stations for Sale.” The unique key to RadioTVDeals.com: the owner/direct seller or media broker is in total control of the information being disseminated. http://www.radiotvdeals.com
The website is being launched at a time of uncertainty among radio and television station owners. Some broadcasters view the future of the industry as bright, albeit challenging. They are prepared to move forward, taking full advantage of the new technologies now available to them. Other broadcasters are unsure of what is to come, and ready to retire or move on to a new type of business venture. As a result, literally thousands of radio and television stations are currently for sale. And in today’s economic climate and broadcast marketplace, it is more challenging than ever for owners/direct sellers and media brokers to find qualified buyers.
"It is ironic that although broadcasters are in the business of communication, they often fail at getting the word out to suitable potential buyers when attempting to sell," states Sandi Usrey Bergman, President of RadioTVDEals.com, "Now is a great time to invest in broadcast properties. It is a buyer’s market, making it an uphill battle for the seller. To assist sellers in their efforts, and to streamline the process for buyers, we created RadioTVDeals. This easy-to-use online marketplace presents stations for sale or lease to a larger number of prospective buyers, thereby increasing the seller’s chances of signing a deal.”
Most owners/direct sellers and media brokers are concerned about keeping their stations’ identity confidential. According to Bergman, ”we fully understand concerns about discretion and have taken steps to assure confidentiality.” The minimum requirement for listing a station with RadioTVDeals is the identity of the state where the property is located and the type of station. When a prospective buyer sends an e-mail inquiry about a particular listing, the owner/direct seller or media broker representing that station can choose whether or not to respond.
Another key component, notes Bergman, is the fact that owners/direct sellers and media brokers have the choice to advise potential buyers whether the station owner will consider seller financing. The same is true for local marketing agreements (LMAs). Many of the over 160 listings currently on the site have a “Consider Seller-Financing” designation.
The site has generated considerable interest in the short span of time it has been online. “The response has exceeded our expectations,” adds Bergman. “We’re doing something that is good for the industry. We are helping current and prospective broadcasters achieve their goals concerning ownership, and that is something that we are proud of.”
### | 2010-04-20
New website brings sellers, buyers together
People in the market to buy a radio or television station now have a place online to start their shopping. RadioTVDeals.com provides a central storage house for sellers post listings, whether they are a media broker or an owner handling the sale unassisted.
“It is ironic that although broadcasters are in the business of communication, they often fail at getting the word out to suitable potential buyers when attempting to sell," states Sandi Usrey Bergman, President of RadioTVDeals.com. "Now is a great time to invest in broadcast properties. It is a buyer’s market, making it an uphill battle for the seller. To assist sellers in their efforts, and to streamline the process for buyers, we created RadioTVDeals. This easy-to-use online marketplace presents stations for sale or lease to a larger number of prospective buyers, thereby increasing the seller’s chances of signing a deal.”
The website contains a list of states – simply click on the state you’re scouting and see what’s available.
Bergman notes that confidentiality is a key for sellers sending out feelers – seeing if anybody might be interested in purchasing their station – most would prefer not to send ripples of uncertainty among members of the staff during this early phase of a possible transaction.
“We fully understand concerns about discretion and have taken steps to assure confidentiality,” said Bergman.
The seller has complete control what is in the listing, as long as the state and station type is listed. Sellers can also indicate finance options they’d consider (including seller paper) or whether they’d consider an LMA instead of a straight sale.
“The response has exceeded our expectations,” noted Bergman. “We’re doing something that is good for the industry. We are helping current and prospective broadcasters achieve their goals concerning ownership, and that is something that we are proud of.”
| 2010-04-20
New website looks to pair station sellers and buyers. The radio industry is getting its own version of the Multiple Listing Service with 21 brokers agreeing to begin putting their listings along side "for sale by owner" ads on the just-launched RadioTVDeals.com. "It is a buyer’s market, making it an uphill battle for the seller," creator Sandi Bergman says. "It is ironic that although broadcasters are in the business of communication, they often fail at getting the word out to suitable potential buyers when attempting to sell." RadioTVDeals.com launches with more than 160 listings. Bergman says, "We are pleased to see that the media brokerage industry sees the real value of a central marketplace." Craigslist and eBay have proven, just about anything can be sold on the internet. Bergman says some aspects of the business will never change, such as the need for brokers who handle super-secret listings. "However, there is plenty of room for direct sellers and media brokers who have listings that they need to move," she says. Bergman is a former New Mexico station owner who transitioned to brokering herself. While the listings will be very public, some things about station sales never change. Call letters and a seller’s identity won’t be revealed. When a prospective buyer emails about a particular listing, the seller or broker can pick whether or not to respond. In a sign of the current state of the deal market, the listings also include whether the seller will finance a deal or if they’re willing to offer it under a local marketing agreement.
| 2010-04-20
Confidentiality, flexibility and control in the station sale process are important to the new RadioTVDeals.com. Sandi Bergman owned stations herself for nine years and experienced the buying and selling process from the inside. She knows that today’s climate is “a buyer’s market, making it an uphill battle for the seller.” She believes the new online marketplace improves the chances of success by exposing the listing to “a larger number of prospective buyers.” Those buyers might swing by and see just the minimum details for a listing – the state the station’s located in and the type of station. The shopper then emails to find out more, and it’s up to the listing owner or broker to respond, so they stay in control of the process. That can include discussions of seller financing and LMAs. Bergman says “many of the over 160 listings currently on the site have a ‘consider seller financing’ designation.” The site (here) has links to financing, FCC attorneys, valuations, engineering assistance, equipment, consulting and programming. Last night’s “featured station listing” was the CP for a new non-com FM in Girard, Kansas, with an asking price of $45,000.
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