Recently when I've tuned to 770, I've noticed that the station has been signing off the air earlier than their usual '2 hours after local sunset.' In addition, the Bosnian programming typically heard isn't there and has been replaced by the Overcomer Ministry programming of Brother Stair. Was there a falling out between the Bosnian group and the station owner (Birach), or has the pandemic affected the advertising between all the parties involved?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
WEW
- Thread starter spiritof67
- Start date
It very well could be the Bosnian programmer has quit the station or possibly moved to another station. Moving seems like a longshot since I understand they have been on for many years. Overcomer Ministry generally doesn't pay much for airtime. If anything, it my be a situation where they have the time until a higher paying client comes along. A buddy of mine at another station worked a deal at $20 an hour for Overcomer Ministry up to a certain number of unsold hours weekly (I think 50) plus any unsold overnight hours free. Then again that was years ago while I was managing a daytimer in Houston.
That programmer or programming has not moved to another station. These days it's possible to set up a stream and bypass a broadcast station entirely, and if that happened it wouldn't surprise me.
St. Louis has already had four AMs go dark as you already know. KXENs 50 kW signal is long gone, and financial woes could very well shut down a 100 year old radio station.
St. Louis has already had four AMs go dark as you already know. KXENs 50 kW signal is long gone, and financial woes could very well shut down a 100 year old radio station.
Have to wonder how long they can do that arrangement with the FCC before allocations are changed? Why protect a signal that is no longer there?
What are you referring to?
Eventually one of these scenarios are likely to happen. The FCC will take action against a station that uses an STA indefinitely to either put off repairs or changes to their signal. Another is for a station that is protecting another signal (by multiple towers/directional arrays) to request changing their signal to allow for better coverage, and perhaps fewer towers. This as land values are more valuable than towers for a radio station.
If KXEN no longer needs or uses a six tower array at 50 kW, and another station on or adjacent to their frequency wants to improve their coverage in their metro area, why work by outdated rules?
Of course, the AM band itself could go away on its own.
If KXEN no longer needs or uses a six tower array at 50 kW, and another station on or adjacent to their frequency wants to improve their coverage in their metro area, why work by outdated rules?
Of course, the AM band itself could go away on its own.
I might be wrong but it appears KXEN is licensed at 160 watts now. I figured the downgrade was the result of the land being worth more than the station. Their longtime religious format economics had really changed dramatically. The whole concept went from ministries buying time to a 'share' of revenue the ministry takes in from the zip codes your station reaches and finally to mostly talk show styled programming. Selling commercials for talk or ministry based formats is the hardest I've ever experienced. If you can find someone, chances are you don't have enough listeners in their trade area to produce results. And those that advertise in the Christian publications have already been milked of all they can spend. In my instance, we saw Christian ministry revenue drop 80% so we opted for programmers that did shows for their specific community (think Bosnia, etc.).
Such upgrades should be allowed. I heard of an FM in a small town that was licensed for a full C but only running at class A power levels. A station asked the FCC to allow them to go to a full C since the station that was a full C was not operating as such. The FCC gave the station the option to build out at 100,000 watts within a certain time frame or to show cause why the station should not be reclassified as a Class A. I heard the station asking to go to a fill C got the green light since the existing C was downgraded to an A.
I think the FCC is being very relaxed on these STAs and long wires. I suspect they'd rather a station stick around than be deleted.
Such upgrades should be allowed. I heard of an FM in a small town that was licensed for a full C but only running at class A power levels. A station asked the FCC to allow them to go to a full C since the station that was a full C was not operating as such. The FCC gave the station the option to build out at 100,000 watts within a certain time frame or to show cause why the station should not be reclassified as a Class A. I heard the station asking to go to a fill C got the green light since the existing C was downgraded to an A.
I think the FCC is being very relaxed on these STAs and long wires. I suspect they'd rather a station stick around than be deleted.
These days you may be right.
Didn't mention WEW as having one. They have had a CP to upgrade for quite some time to higher power days and a night signal. How long can a CP stay on the books before it gets canceled?
Again, how long can a former 50 kW AM have protected coverage over an area where it no longer chooses to broadcast? Or does that even matter?
In talking with an engineer there, I learned the Bosnian programming was dropped due to revenues not covering basic expenses for the station's operation. It's understandable, but a real loss.
Once KXEN is downgraded, its not protected anymore.. its not an allocation like an FM is per se.. if a station could upgrade by KXEN downgrading, they'd likely have already filed for it. Just because KXEN downgrades doesnt mean someone can automatically upgrade or wants to spend the money to
Good point.
I'm also thinking of stations with multiple arrays that may no longer need them to protect other stations, as land becomes more valuable.
When I got into radio as a business and hobby (ham/SW), it was during the era when frequencies were considered a limited natural resource, and I still think of it that way.
Off-topic from this thread--Paul, I've enjoyed the shows you've simulcast on WRMI. It's a cool thing to do, and far more enjoyable than Brother Stair.
It was the same way when I got in the business. If you had a frequency with a license with your name on it, you had a certain net worth. It's that way in the major markets but not like it was. And for AMs, they seem to just continue to decline in value. I have often wondered if consolidation helped minimize values since all the major corporations seem to have had financial issues. Any speculator is going to really think twice about investing in broadcast radio. I hear about small market stations where a retiring owner will pretty much take monthly payments from anybody they thing can keep it going. In the past it was much more if you have the cash we'll talk.
While that might well be true, I had heard almost all of KXEN's listening was to its FM translators. It’s just keeping the AM to feed its translators. That’s not by any means a unique situation either.
I wonder how many "bad" AMs (daytimers, high dial positions, low power, very directional, etc) might just turn in the license if they could keep the translator with a guarantee of its permanence. I'd wager that 50% or more of all AM stations would turn in their licenses.
Back when fm translators for ams were a glint in someones eye, i know one AM said theyd consider it up in new england
That is likely to happen in the future for most of these stations.
I think many AMs would love the rules to change with the translator going from translator to originator of programming and secondary to primary service. The requirement there would be an AM to feed the FM would have to be eliminated. Those are tall orders but I saw this as the future when those first translators came on. The bulk of listening is to the FM signal.
For at least patches of this (24 Jan 2022) morning and afternoon, WEW was not even on the air. The shame is that not only the linchpin Bosnian programming but also the Saturday morning specialty programming, the Sunday airings of Dick Robinson's show (over 15 years old), and the Polish/Slavic/polka programming are now gone as well. Sad way to approach a 100th anniversary in a few months.
- Status