Yah, I'm a radio nerd. I'm also a computer / network / IT nerd. I also own a WISP so I guess I am a wireless ISP / radio link nerd too. I read it all. I try to find gossip and learn "behind the scenes" stuff. I've never made it "real high" in any of these circles - I've talked with some of these people - but not often. Back when I worked in radio (disclaimer-I now have an LPFM in Cullman), I always stuck to weekends and tried to avoid anyone in management....you'd keep your jobs longer.... LOL
That being said - I stole this from a crawford article that describes some of what we just witnessed in the WYDE move to WZRR. My girlfriend would be FANTASTIC in knowledge and information to replace that afternoon talk slot but she claims she does not have the voice for it. We've done a little informational/public affairs program on our LPFM but we haven't done it recently. That being said - here's the behind the scenes I "stole" from the other article:
Shocking Resignations
As usual, I said all that, not only because it’s
heartfelt, but to make a point. Several people left our
company in Birmingham in April and May, including
the station manager for WYDE-FM, who was also
doing a very popular afternoon talk show. He wanted
to go back to the large broadcast group that owns
several stations here in Birmingham. He took a
couple of other people with him, leaving us in a bind.
On the one hand, I certainly wished him
(and the others) nothing but the best. But I still
thought that he was making a big mistake. If you read
the trades, this particular large broadcast group isn’t
doing well financially (no, not that one; the other
one). More to the point, the loyalty from one of these
giant, thousand-station monsters can be non-existent,
too. They’ll bring you in, complete with the ol’ wine
and dine, give you a nice office and a salary ... and
then decide, at the drop of a hat, that they want to
change formats or sell the station. No thanks.
[ edit: i couldn't agree more - but WZRR does probably cover
t-town better, but they lost all of florence/decatur/hsv]
WYDE-FM has a monstrous signal. I’m still
trying to figure out why our new Nautel GV40 should
make a difference; it would seem that 28 kW TPO is
28 kW, whether it comes from a tube or from solidstate
devices. Maybe it’s just me. But even on the old
BE FM-30, the signal was amazing. We would
routinely get calls from listeners in eastern
Mississippi and southern Tennessee. The ERI antenna
that Cris selected is just incredible. It is noticeably
and audibly better than the old Shively that the
previous owners had been using.
Before this guy left, he had lobbied for 1260
to fully simulcast WYDE-FM in Birmingham. We
were in the process of canceling several of the
satellite programs on 1260, further leaving us in a
bind. Plus, as I mentioned last month, we just put a
translator on 1260 at 95.3. If simulcast with WYDEFM,
it would help fill in our coverage south of
Birmingham.
Instead, this guy left while we were working
on this, opting to go back to a nearly bankrupt
company to do his show on a multicast-plagued FM
signal in Birmingham. That was his choice, of course.
But honestly, it makes me sad that he couldn’t see
The Mission.
That being said - I stole this from a crawford article that describes some of what we just witnessed in the WYDE move to WZRR. My girlfriend would be FANTASTIC in knowledge and information to replace that afternoon talk slot but she claims she does not have the voice for it. We've done a little informational/public affairs program on our LPFM but we haven't done it recently. That being said - here's the behind the scenes I "stole" from the other article:
Shocking Resignations
As usual, I said all that, not only because it’s
heartfelt, but to make a point. Several people left our
company in Birmingham in April and May, including
the station manager for WYDE-FM, who was also
doing a very popular afternoon talk show. He wanted
to go back to the large broadcast group that owns
several stations here in Birmingham. He took a
couple of other people with him, leaving us in a bind.
On the one hand, I certainly wished him
(and the others) nothing but the best. But I still
thought that he was making a big mistake. If you read
the trades, this particular large broadcast group isn’t
doing well financially (no, not that one; the other
one). More to the point, the loyalty from one of these
giant, thousand-station monsters can be non-existent,
too. They’ll bring you in, complete with the ol’ wine
and dine, give you a nice office and a salary ... and
then decide, at the drop of a hat, that they want to
change formats or sell the station. No thanks.
[ edit: i couldn't agree more - but WZRR does probably cover
t-town better, but they lost all of florence/decatur/hsv]
WYDE-FM has a monstrous signal. I’m still
trying to figure out why our new Nautel GV40 should
make a difference; it would seem that 28 kW TPO is
28 kW, whether it comes from a tube or from solidstate
devices. Maybe it’s just me. But even on the old
BE FM-30, the signal was amazing. We would
routinely get calls from listeners in eastern
Mississippi and southern Tennessee. The ERI antenna
that Cris selected is just incredible. It is noticeably
and audibly better than the old Shively that the
previous owners had been using.
Before this guy left, he had lobbied for 1260
to fully simulcast WYDE-FM in Birmingham. We
were in the process of canceling several of the
satellite programs on 1260, further leaving us in a
bind. Plus, as I mentioned last month, we just put a
translator on 1260 at 95.3. If simulcast with WYDEFM,
it would help fill in our coverage south of
Birmingham.
Instead, this guy left while we were working
on this, opting to go back to a nearly bankrupt
company to do his show on a multicast-plagued FM
signal in Birmingham. That was his choice, of course.
But honestly, it makes me sad that he couldn’t see
The Mission.
