A couple of weeks after losing the rights to broadcast on 1090 XEPRS Rosarito MX, Broadcast Company of the Americas has pulled the plug on the streaming remnants of Sports “Mighty 1090“.
In a brief statement on the station’s website the company wrote, “For the last two weeks, Mighty 1090 programming has only been available online and through our mobile app. We can’t thank you enough for bearing with us through this ordeal. Unfortunately, we have ceased operations. We are forever grateful for your passion, loyalty, and all your support over the years.”
The stream was pulled just after 2pm this afternoon while Darren Smith’s show was broadcasting with no advanced warning. Employees have been told to report to a meeting at 11am on Tuesday and to bring boxes to pack up their belongings. The airstaff intends to find ways to continue their programs.
We were just told that our parent company killed the stream, officially killing our radio station. Will have more information as it becomes available. Thank you all for your support.
— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) April 29, 2019
2 pm is ‘high noon’ for @Mighty1090 but there has been zero communication from @mikeglickenhaus internally! All of us @ScottandBR @DSmithShow are sitting here, and not one word, other than now the stream is now down.
— Scott Kaplan (@ScottKaplan) April 29, 2019
— Scott Kaplan (@ScottKaplan) April 29, 2019
Original Report 4/10: After losing their leases to operate the Mexican licenses of Classic Hits “105.7 Max-FM” XEPRS-FM and Sports “ESPN 1700” XEPE Tijuana/San Diego, Broadcast Company of the Americas may have lost the rights to operate Sports “Mighty 1090” XEPRS Rosarito MX.
XEPRS’ Sports programming has been replaced by a simulcast of Bi-Media’s “Ultra 104.9” KJAV-FM Alamo/McAllen TX. Both XEPRS and Bi-Media are owned by the Bichara family. The station’s online stream is carrying ESPN Radio network programming.
Afternoon host Scott Kaplan is stating he will make an announcement at 3pm, while other staffers have posted various graphics indicating their lips are sealed.
I will make a public comment regarding @Mighty1090 today at 3pm.
— Scott Kaplan (@ScottKaplan) April 10, 2019
????
— Jordan Carruth (@JordanCarruth) April 10, 2019
— Darren Smith (@DSmithShow) April 10, 2019
pjc1961 
Eric Jon Magnuson 
Nathan Obral 
rdfrable 
nick 
Charles Everett
Darren Smith, Marty Caswell + Jordan Carruth posted an audio message on the Mighty 1090 website explaining the immediate situation – basic reason why they are off the air (for legal reasons not all details discussed):
https://www.mighty1090.com/episode/a-message-from-the-darren-smith-show/
In case the Mighty1090 website goes down, direct link to audio of Darren Smith/Marty Caswell/Jordan Carruth:
https://20313.mc.tritondigital.com/OMNY_DARRENSMITHSHOW_P/media-session/278efbab-b372-4e0e-a41d-a10614b66445/d/clips/0a1ff2f7-86d8-44d7-818c-a7b400db6241/534cdd64-7658-42af-baea-a7b4010f092b/31ec57c9-209f-4f23-afff-aa2b0157694a/audio/direct/t1554929458/A_message_from_The_Darren_Smith_Show.mp3
Just in case, a simpler link is https://omny.fm/shows/darren-smith-show/a-message-from-the-darren-smith-show.
Mon.-Fri. 3-6 PM “Scott and BR” host Scott Kaplan will be “live” on Twitter at 3 PM PT with a statement.
https://twitter.com/ScottKaplan/with_replies
Five sports stations in the market with only one pro franchise and poor ratings among them all, something was bound to happen.
The big irony is that 1090 tended to be the highest-rated (at least, in 6+). That said, I think that the only remaining Sports stations are now 1360 and 97.3; at the very least, 1700’s Sports format was apparently pulled during the first phase of the dispute.
Yeah, I was off by one on the sports station count, there were four, not five. Still, wayyyyyy too many all-sports stations in a market that has only one professional sports franchise.
Why iHeart has kept 1360 as-is despite their lousy ratings is amazing. 97.3 was basically slapped together after the “Machine” debacle, and is going to be a long-term build for Entercom (who are addressing their signal issues via in-channel boosters).
Link to Scott Kaplan Twitter video that ran shortly after 3 PM PT (length: 16:28):
https://twitter.com/ScottKaplan/status/1116099156961927168
Due to non-disclosure agreements not much can be discussed, but it is apparent that Kaplan is trying to put together a media company that could somehow get into an agreement with the current owners in the US + Mexico to run the station.
“Trying” in your post may only be that, pjc… the Mexicans (government, station owners, and fans of strictly-domestic programming [vs. US-based networks like Premiere and ESPN]) are too fearful of the Wa(r)shington government to allow any cross-border deals of any kind… we’ve smelled this coming since 2016…
B
According to the San Diego Reader, Bi-Media had been looking for a new operator for XEPRS as soon as Max 105.7 and ESPN 1700 fell silent in December. If Scott Kaplan and Co. can get $100K on a monthly basis, an LMA of 1090 would be doable.
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2018/dec/14/mexicans-cut-max-1057/
San Diego has too many sports stations. They lost the Chargers. They don’t have major college teams. LA needs more sports stations.
San Diego DOES have a pair of major college programs. San Diego State are in the Mountain West Conference (FBS football/Division 1 basketball) and heard on Xtra Sports 1360. University of San Diego, in FCS for football and the West Coast Conference for Division 1 basketball, were heard on Mighty 1090 before the plug was pulled.
With all due respect, unless you’re a college-centric town like Columbus (and even then, the Blue Jackets co-exist and thrive on Ohio State Flagship WBNS-FM), relying on college PBP ain’t gonna cut it. You need the big ticket teams, and Entercom has the only contract of value with the Padres.
Some of the shows have apparently started streaming again via the station website and app. Beyond that, as Mr. Kaplan told KGTV, “I’m going to be on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify; I’m going to be on platforms people haven’t invented yet.”
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-sports-talk-station-mighty-1090-returns-but-not-on-radio
The owner of the 1090 license has now said that Mighty’s operators have been completely behind on their lease payments since January–and that there may have occasionally been similar issues over the past few years…
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/story/2019-04-11/mighty-1090-wont-be-back-on-the-air-until-it-makes-its-payment-station-licensee-says
It’s a matter of time now before Entercom comes down and swoops up many of the displaced hosts for 97.3.
It’s also very much apparent that KWFN’s dismissal of Dan Sileo wasn’t an accident, one could easily tell there was a lot of bad blood between him and the majority of the 1090 airstaff.