Talk show hosts on 101.1 WYDE-FM of Birmingham/Cullman/Huntsville are saying their goodbyes today on-air.
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Looks like a format change is about to occur
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Probably going to become the "New FunStar 101"...
Seriously, though...listeners are reporting on the WYDE-FM Facebook page that the station is moving to a christian talk format (I'm guessing christian preaching mostly mixed with christian talk similar to what WXJC-AM/FM is airing?).
Or right-wing talk -- because everyone knows Jesus was a Republican, right? -- as is the case with Salem's talkers.
Just heard one of the announcers state that 101.1 will change call letters to WXJC on Monday, so it sounds as though Crawford is merely moving the 850/92.5 programming to 101.1 (and I'm assuming to WYDE 1260 as well). Crawford has been noted for doing these call sign and format switch-a-roos for a long time now, so no surprise there. Obviously, 92.5 will require new call letters, but who knows what happens with the WXJC call sign on 850 or whether it moves to 1260 and 101.1 become WXJC-FM. Maybe the WYDE calls return to 850 once again...anybody's guess with Crawford.
yes, The "Caravan" is no more as of yesterday. I wasn't terribly surprised the southern gospel program didn't carry forward to 101.1, as Crawford has been slowly cutting back the number of hours it is on every day (the program was down to three hours per day on 850/92.5).
I just saw a post from the "other radio board" with WXJC's new logo, which has AM 850 amd FM 101.1 on it, with the website shown as wxjcradio.com. So evidently, the WYDE calls are not returning to AM 850 [SIGH].
The article says that WXJC-FM and WYDE-FM will swap calls. No word on what, if anything, happens to WYDE 1260 (if it continues to simulcast 101.1 following the FM's format change to christian talk/preaching) or what type of programming the new 92.5 FM WYDE-FM will be carrying. Or..if all four frequenices will be simulcast. Maybe 1260 goes with new programming to simulcast on their recently added FM translator at 95.3 (W237EK), along with 92.5, or 92.5 goes with entirely new programing. Confused yet? Just think how the WXJC and WYDE listeners will feel come Monday, sorting out all the changes on 850/1260/92.5/101.1.
I just saw a post from the "other radio board" with WXJC's new logo, which has AM 850 amd FM 101.1 on it, with the website shown as wxjcradio.com. So evidently, the WYDE calls are not returning to AM 850 [SIGH].
The article says that WXJC-FM and WYDE-FM will swap calls. No word on what, if anything, happens to WYDE 1260 (if it continues to simulcast 101.1 following the FM's format change to christian talk/preaching) or what type of programming the new 92.5 FM WYDE-FM will be carrying. Or..if all four frequenices will be simulcast. Maybe 1260 goes with new programming to simulcast on their recently added FM translator at 95.3 (W237EK), along with 92.5, or 92.5 goes with entirely new programing. Confused yet? Just think how the WXJC and WYDE listeners will feel come Monday, sorting out all the changes on 850/1260/92.5/101.1.
I've said it once, I'll say it again: The 101.1 frequency may be the biggest waste of a 100kw stick in America. It doesn't adequately cover Birmingham. It doesn't adequately cover Huntsville. It doesn't adequately cover the Shoals.
From the Crawford head CE a few minutes ago:
They [92.5 and 101.1] swap at Midnight, early Monday morning. 101.1 becomes WXJC FM and 92.5 becomes WYDE FM. For now, 92.5 and 1260 AM (in Birmingham) will be running inspirational music. If you've ever listened to 850, the new 101.1 will be much like that.
They [92.5 and 101.1] swap at Midnight, early Monday morning. 101.1 becomes WXJC FM and 92.5 becomes WYDE FM. For now, 92.5 and 1260 AM (in Birmingham) will be running inspirational music. If you've ever listened to 850, the new 101.1 will be much like that.
Don't forget the translator for WXJC on 96.9, which may or may not be rendered redundant by 101.1 now.
The station iD this morning didn't mention W245CS, the translator at 96.9 that has been rebroadcasting WXJC-AM. Isn't that particular translator one of those which have to be "married" to the AM and must rebroadcast the AM for so many years time before any changes can be made as far as what station it rebroadcasts?
WYDE-AM 1260 and FM 92.5 are both carrying the inspirational music (contemporary praise and worship music mixed in with southern gospel). Believe it or not, Crawford just ran the TOH ID that is meant for WXJC, but aired it on 1260 and 92.5, giving the 850 and 101.1 frequencies in the ID. What a mess!
Seems like it would have made more sense to swap the WXJC and WYDE calls on 850/1260 and have 101.1 continue simulcasting with AM 1260, so Crawford could continue to take advantage of 850's signal to fill in the gaps where 92.5 doesn't cover. Most of the WXJC listeners aren't going to listen to either AM signal now that the WXJC programming is on 101.1 anyway, so why not just use 1260's weaker signal to simulcast with 101.1? During the night hours, no one will hardly be able to hear WYDE AM/FM, as 1260 only uses 41 watts at night and 92.5 doesn't even cover metro Birmingham with that class A signal. I never understood why the FCC allocated that 92.5 frequency to then-city of license Dora, with Docket 80-90. The signal only gets into the very far western portions of Jefferson county and doesn't even cover Birmingham with a 60 dBu contour.
No mention in the station ID, either of W237EK at 95.3 in Birmingham which had been rebroadcasting WYDE-AM 1260. I'm assuming it is still rebroadcasting 1260 as previously.
So here's the rundown. The Crawford call sign switch-a-roo thus far (over the years) is as follows:
WDJC: used on three frequencies in Bham...850, 1260, and 93.7
WXJC: on three...850, 92.5 and now 101.1
WYDE: on four frequencies...850, 1260, 101.1 and now 92.5
There have certainly been a lot of complaints over the years about how the FCC allocates FM allotments. Normally I'd say Dora would get an allotment because it didn't already have something licensed to it, and in the FCC's eyes that's all that matters — whether there is a "local service" regardless of what it actually serves. But Dora already had 1010 WPYK on the books, so who knows how it wound up with an FM, too.
That 92.5 frequency is certainly one of the worst examples of a bad rimshot that exists in this state, or anywhere for that matter. At least in my opinion.
Now, in addition to wondering about the fate of the two translators tied up in all this mess, I'm also curious about the redundant HD subchannels Crawford had been using. WDJC's HD2 had been carrying 101.1. 101.1 WXJC-FM had subchannels but turned them all off a while back. And 92.5 had been running WDJC on the HD2 and 101.1 on the HD3.
I'm going to assume that like the translators, they remain as-is but with Crawford, you can never tell what other tweaks they might perform. All this has been a headache to keep up with.
That 92.5 frequency is certainly one of the worst examples of a bad rimshot that exists in this state, or anywhere for that matter. At least in my opinion.
Now, in addition to wondering about the fate of the two translators tied up in all this mess, I'm also curious about the redundant HD subchannels Crawford had been using. WDJC's HD2 had been carrying 101.1. 101.1 WXJC-FM had subchannels but turned them all off a while back. And 92.5 had been running WDJC on the HD2 and 101.1 on the HD3.
I'm going to assume that like the translators, they remain as-is but with Crawford, you can never tell what other tweaks they might perform. All this has been a headache to keep up with.
Well, I live i Cullman, and I'd love to do something with 101.1. But my pockets certainly aren't that deep. That being said, here are my observations. Editorial note: I've been on a cruise for the last week so this just hit my newsfeed recently.
* This station has next to NO advertisers. I think the time it had the most income was when Leland was at the station. I thought then it might have a chance but, of course, Leland moved on. I know this ruffled some people the wrong way. I even saw a note in their engineering newsletter that the Bham cluster thought Leland was making a bad decision to go work "for that other station/company". Of course, that is where he had come from initially.
* I run an LPFM in Cullman. No advertisers, no money, no flexibility. I'm sure Crawford Broadcasting has enough income from all of their clusters to be able to float that ship (pun intended, i miss my ship out of Mobile already haha), but it was clear listening to it there were no advertisers, no income. I can't see the current format performing any better.
Sales are not easy. Especially when you're me and limited by the LPFM rules. But if I had a larger signal like 101.1, I'd at least try to hit markets like Jasper, Guntersville, Huntsville (lots of city grade there), certainly Decatur, Oneonta. Yes Florence and half of Birmingham are not in city grade but focus on the people who are. Of course having sales people work those areas is a challenge all to itself. The key is live and local. Live costs money. I have no idea how WQLT is doing now-a-days but when I worked up there as a spare jock back in 2007-2008 time frame they had live and local down.
They had sales down too....
Now - Crawford is mostly religious and I acknowledge that. I understand that. But that is going to limit what you can do for a station right off the bat.
Wonder if they'd LMA me the frequency? Of course then I'd not have an LPFM anymore. Man, that would be tough.
I don't see this format doing any better. I understand they got the station and equipment for a steal back in the early 2000's. STG Media had failed on it as had Reality Radio.
The Eddins family that built it had 40+ years of income in the bank to build it from. Radio is not now what it was then. But if I had that frequency, I'd certainly be doing some different things with it.
It is what it is. One can dream. Then realize what a nightmare it might actually be.
* This station has next to NO advertisers. I think the time it had the most income was when Leland was at the station. I thought then it might have a chance but, of course, Leland moved on. I know this ruffled some people the wrong way. I even saw a note in their engineering newsletter that the Bham cluster thought Leland was making a bad decision to go work "for that other station/company". Of course, that is where he had come from initially.
* I run an LPFM in Cullman. No advertisers, no money, no flexibility. I'm sure Crawford Broadcasting has enough income from all of their clusters to be able to float that ship (pun intended, i miss my ship out of Mobile already haha), but it was clear listening to it there were no advertisers, no income. I can't see the current format performing any better.
Sales are not easy. Especially when you're me and limited by the LPFM rules. But if I had a larger signal like 101.1, I'd at least try to hit markets like Jasper, Guntersville, Huntsville (lots of city grade there), certainly Decatur, Oneonta. Yes Florence and half of Birmingham are not in city grade but focus on the people who are. Of course having sales people work those areas is a challenge all to itself. The key is live and local. Live costs money. I have no idea how WQLT is doing now-a-days but when I worked up there as a spare jock back in 2007-2008 time frame they had live and local down.
They had sales down too....
Now - Crawford is mostly religious and I acknowledge that. I understand that. But that is going to limit what you can do for a station right off the bat.
Wonder if they'd LMA me the frequency? Of course then I'd not have an LPFM anymore. Man, that would be tough.
I don't see this format doing any better. I understand they got the station and equipment for a steal back in the early 2000's. STG Media had failed on it as had Reality Radio.
The Eddins family that built it had 40+ years of income in the bank to build it from. Radio is not now what it was then. But if I had that frequency, I'd certainly be doing some different things with it.
It is what it is. One can dream. Then realize what a nightmare it might actually be.
You know , I looked at those HD subchannels too and how all of that works. I think the licensing for an FM is quite a bit. If the station isn't generating any money, that could explain why they shut the HD subchannels down. Today I noticed it was still broadcasting HD-1 (same as analog) but it still showed WYDE.
Maybe Crawford is looking at the christian preaching/talk as a more stable source of income. As long as those ministries are willing to pay for their programs to be aired, it's revenue coming in. WXJC-AM/FM has survived with that particular format for over fourteen years now (92.5 a little less so, when it broke away from the simulcast with AM 850 and became WPHC for a brief period of time). Also to consider: Crawford could now command a higher price for those programs, too, since 101.1 obviously has a much wider footprint than 92.5 does.
WDJC HD2 is still mentioned in the new hourly WXJC-AM-FM station ID, so it's possible that the HD2 is still carrying WXJC programming.
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