WGCC sold to a Religious Broadcaster

[SirRoxalot]

Another educational FM bites the dust.

GENESEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE is selling noncommercial Rock WGCC-F (90.7 THE MUSIC FM)/BATAVIA, NY to FAMILY LIFE MINISTRIES, INC. for $55,000.

The facility is an 880 Watt FM at 50 meters above average terrain.

https://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=WGCC&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&zip=&arn=&party=&lmspf=&lmspl=&party_type=LICEN&latd=&lond=&lang=en

It seems likely they'll have to move the transmitter off the Genesee Community College premises. The college will maintain an online presence, so they're likely to retain the studio equipment. No word on if that price includes the transmitter and OTA processing.

Since it's in the non-commercial part of the spectrum reserved for educational stations, only WBFO or WXXI would likely be the only other parties interested in the frequency. Neither appears to have been willing to outbid Family Life Ministries.

 

[Marcos_C]

Below is the URL to an article that gives more detail regarding the sell of WGCC-FM.

Another College Sells Its FM Station | Radio & Television Business Report

Add a community college in Western New York to the list of colleges that will soon shed its 880-watt Class A facility — to a religious institution expanding again.

rbr.com

My understanding is that the station is silent by Special Temporary Authority. Adam Jacobson wrote the following regarding the sale.

"Family Life Radio emerged as the party that will resurrect WGCC from the dead."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[fybush]

There is more to this story, and that's all I'm at liberty to say.

(Except that the snarky headline quoted above isn't even accurate, as a simple look at FCC paperwork would have revealed.)

 

[TheBigA]

Since it's in the non-commercial part of the spectrum reserved for educational stations, only WBFO or WXXI would likely be the only other parties interested in the frequency. Neither appears to have been willing to outbid Family Life Ministries.

I don't know about that. In some markets, former radio employees have bid on LPFMs for hobby radio stations. All anyone needs to do is set up a non-profit organization. These days, the best funded non-profits are religious. There's this mythology that you need to have a big corporation to own a radio station, and it's not true. $55,000 is not a lot of money for a radio station.

 

[Marcos_C]

There is more to this story, and that's all I'm at liberty to say.

(Except that the snarky headline quoted above isn't even accurate, as a simple look at FCC paperwork would have revealed.)

To be clear, that quote is not the headline, but it is part of the body of the article. While I saw the symbolism of the quote, I also admit that I saw the funny side, having known how often resurrections take place in American soap operas. But, of course, we're talking about a radio station, not a person, fictional or otherwise.

 

[fybush]

To be clear, that quote is not the headline, but it is part of the body of the article. While I saw the symbolism of the quote, I also admit that I saw the funny side, having known how often resurrections take place in American soap operas. But, of course, we're talking about a radio station, not a person, fictional or otherwise.

Right. My point, as a review of the WGCC license renewal would clearly show, is that it wasn't Family Life that "resurrected" the license in question. (And the station never went silent, so it wasn't really "dead," either.)

 

[davideduardo]

Right. My point, as a review of the WGCC license renewal would clearly show, is that it wasn't Family Life that "resurrected" the license in question. (And the station never went silent, so it wasn't really "dead," either.)

I think the underlying point here is that colleges and universities are finding difficulty getting student volunteers to run small stations. Further, the interest in courses of study involving terrestrial radio has declined everywhere; students are far less interested in radio as a career or as an extracurricular activity.

I'm not seeing many universities redefining "radio" as "audio" where the course covers podcasts, streams, satellite, AM, FM... and, maybe, loudspeakers! (just kidding). It would seem that new curricula would be offered that focus on all aspects of content that are not accompanied by video... although streams can now contain a lot of data on the content, from artist pics to lyrics to other info ranging from weather to news.

I'm working on a project in a South American nation that uses FM and cellular streamed radio as the marquee for a bunch of retail and pseudo-banking services, using the sub-Saharan African model of credit carried on smartphone devices for people who do not use banks and need a substitute for cash. This is the kind of place students should be looking, not analog low power student FMs.

 

[TheBigA]

I think the underlying point here is that colleges and universities are finding difficulty getting student volunteers to run small stations.

I disagree with that. What is happening is these schools want to redirect funding from radio to other purposes. The radio station will continue, but on a cheaper platform. Instead of paying for towers & transmitters, they will pay additional music royalties.

I'm not seeing many universities redefining "radio" as "audio" where the course covers podcasts, streams, satellite, AM, FM... and, maybe, loudspeakers! (just kidding).

It depends on the schools. School curriculums are slow to change. I've been advocating a broader interpretation of the term "radio" to include those other things. The schools I work with have made those changes. There are a lot of new skills that need to be taught that have applications in the real world. I'd add social media to the list of new media that should be taught. We need to teach proper moderation procedures and legal oversight of digital media. So perhaps Genessee Community College lacks the budget, and that's understandable. But the marketplace is setting the standard. Perhaps there were too many college radio stations.

But there are other options for these stations besides religious outlets. One example I'd give is WFMU in New Jersey that was once owned by Upsala University. The school went bankrupt and the station was bought by a community group. It would be great if we'd see more of this happen.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

But there are other options for these stations besides religious outlets. One example I'd give is WFMU in New Jersey that was once owned by Upsala University. The school went bankrupt and the station was bought by a community group. It would be great if we'd see more of this happen.

Curiously, I suggested this possibility weeks ago. The City of Batavia or a citizens group might have purchased the facility and operated it in conjunction with the college, but as we well know, buying a radio station is one thing, operating and maintaining it is another; $55 thousand is a relatively affordable price for an FM signal. I hold no prejudice toward religious broadcasters, I simply believe there's more than enough RF proselytizing on the FM band to go around these days, and that the religious groups have found a keen way to manipulate FCC Rules and Regulations, much like large corporations end run the IRS tax code.

 

[TheBigA]

Curiously, I suggested this possibility weeks ago. The City of Batavia or a citizens group might have purchased the facility and operated it in conjunction with the college, but as we well know, buying a radio station is one thing, operating and maintaining it is another;

I agree. The way to do it is with a group of retired radio pros, one of whom is an engineer. All volunteer staff. No rules about music and no commercials. You don't think that would attract all of the grandpas in Batavia?

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I agree. The way to do it is with a group of retired radio pros, one of whom is an engineer. All volunteer staff. No rules about music and no commercials. You don't think that would attract all of the grandpas in Batavia?

This old radio pro likes that idea!

 

[ckg279]

All I'll say is this: Did the WNY market REALLY need another Family Life affiliate?

Consider: The Buffalo market has 3 stations running FLN(in Arcade, Attica and Silver Creek; it runs on the HD2 channel of WBUF; and then we have 5 translators(in Albion, Buffalo(at 106.1),Dunkirk, Lockport & Niagara Falls). As for Rochester, they have 2 starions, are on WBZA's HD2 channel, and have two translators(in Penn Yan and Rochester).

 

[ckg279]

I agree. The way to do it is with a group of retired radio pros, one of whom is an engineer. All volunteer staff. No rules about music and no commercials. You don't think that would attract all of the grandpas in Batavia?

My old alma mater, Buffalo State, is kinda going through the same things with WBNY-FM. They have automation, which does help keep the station on the air around the clock, but there doesn't seem to be enough students who want to be part of the staff. The good news is that the current station engineer is spending a lot of time making updates to the equipment to bring it up to the present day. AND we have a decent amount of alumni that stands ready and willing to step in to help out.

 

[JakeLongwell]

Hello, Everyone. It's been a while since I've been on these boards, but after hearing about the sale of WGCC, I went looking for more info, and found this thread.

I am extremely disappointed that this is happening. Not just in Batavia, NY, but in college towns all over America, and Beyond. I think there is something to be said about today's college and high school students not being as interested in radio as previous generations. To many young people these days, radio is seen as "old" and "not cool". On the other hand, I can also see where schools would want to redirect funding to programs and activities which they feel would be of greater interest to students. I think both arguments are valid.

I'm afraid we can expect to see more of this trend as the decade progresses. Sadly, most of the buyers of these NCE licenses will be religious organizations. Why? Simple. They have the money to buy these licenses. I would love to see community groups buy these licenses and start new volunteer powered radio stations in these towns and cities. I think back to some of the SUNY schools whose FM licenses were deleted last year because they were not renewed on time. Defunct stations like WCEB in Corning, WAIH in Potsdam, WQKE in Plattsburgh, and WETD in Alfred would have been ideal community radio stations for their respective cities of license. Likewise, WGCC could have served as a truly local and diverse radio voice for Batavia and the surrounding community. But, no. Instead, Batavia is getting another FLN outlet. FLN can be heard just fine in the area on WCOU (88.3), and the station's coverage map confirms this. It seems that Family Life wants to become "the noise you can't ignore" by acquiring new signals in area where they already have a strong presence. I can't help but wonder which SUNY school(s) will be next to either allow their radio licenses to expire, or sell them to Family Life.

WBNY in Buffalo has been mentioned in this thread. Sadly, I could see FLN or some other religious outlet wanting this license, as it would give them a strong signal in Buffalo peoper. If I may ask, does anyone know if WBNY allows community volunteers from the Buffalo area to be DJs on the station? If they do not, then perhaps they should consider opening the station up to community members, with a provision that SUNY students will always take priority when it comes to show slots. If the bi-laws governing WBNY do not allow community volunteers on the station, then this needs to somehow be changed at the administrative level. I know there is a community group in Buffalo that wants to bring volunteer powered radio to the city, and they have no realistic options available to them right now. If and when SUNY decides to sell WBNY, I would hope that this group would be given a chance to make the school an offer. Until then, or as a long term solution to benefit both the school and the community, perhaps some kind of partnership could be formed between the community group and the college to program WBNY as a "stuent and community" radio station.

Unfortunately, we all know that money talks, and Christian broadcasters generally have money to burn when it comes to buying radio stations. More often than not, groups like Family Life will be able to outbid any local community group for a radio license like WGCC or WBNY. Even so, this should not keep local activist groups from trying to bring diversity and localism back to the non-comm band.

I wonder if Family Life would sell WGCC if someone made them an offer greater than the $55k they paid for the license. My guess is, though, that that group would have to be another Christian broadcaster, as I doubt FLN will sell anything to a community group. After all, community radio is known for giving a voice to Liberals, Socialists, Feminists, the LGBTQ community, and others who are seen as 'the enemy" to the Evangelical Christian agenda. It might not look good if FLN sold one of its stations to "the enemy".

 

[TheBigA]

I think there is something to be said about today's college and high school students not being as interested in radio as previous generations. To many young people these days, radio is seen as "old" and "not cool".

I've been to a number of college stations in New York State, most notably WJPZ at Syracuse University, and I can tell you that the students there don't see radio that way at all. However, they see it differently from their parent's generation. They see radio as a technology business, integrated with online and satellite. Content creation (digital editing) is a skill that's taught at Syracuse, and it has applications in all media, not just radio. Syracuse has combined its broadcasting school with part of its music school, so students see the integration between the music business & media. Once again, that's broader than traditional radio. What I've seen at these colleges like Genessee is they're more concerned about the money and costs associated with running a radio station, as well as the legal responsibilities. If they can find people who can handle that for them, they're less likely to sell their radio stations.

I wonder if Family Life would sell WGCC if someone made them an offer greater than the $55k they paid for the license.

Typically religious broadcasters don't buy radio stations to sell them. This particular group is locally based, and tied in with a specific ministry, so they see a connection between the radio station and the people in the community. This station had been on the market for a while. In fact about a year ago, the college tried to turn in the license to the FCC. Then they realized there was value in the license and got it back and sold it to Family Life. But the time for local groups to buy this particular station is over.

 

[ckg279]

Jake: I'm the one who mentioned WBNY earlier on. Maybe I can assist.

Insofar as allowing community volunteers: As far as I know, no. That said, the staff that IS at WBNY now are doing what they can to promote the station on social media. Further, I'm a member of a Facebook group for WBNY alumni and I(as well as others)have offered to join the staff. I can also ask if any religious organization has made noise about purchasing WBNY's license. (And, BTW, WBNY's license WAS renewed until 2030. So it's not expiring any time soon. Also, the station's engineer has made the necessary upgrades to bring the station up to the present day.)

 

[TheBigA]

That said, the staff that IS at WBNY now are doing what they can to promote the station on social media. Further, I'm a member of a Facebook group for WBNY alumni and I(as well as others)have offered to join the staff.

The role of the alumni is very important for ANY college radio station. I mentioned WJPZ at Syracuse, and they have a very active alumni group that is filled with famous names that students know. Same with WSOU at Seton Hall and WRSU at Rutgers. The alumni have to help these colleges develop a PURPOSE for these radio stations. If they're just left to operate without direction, they aren't serving anyone, from the students to the college to the community. College radio alumni have to do more than just fill in on air staffs. The alums at Harvard provide money to keep the station running. Same with WPRB at Princeton. That's what I was talking about in my previous post. These colleges don't mind owning an asset if there are responsible people involved.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

The fact that Genesee Community College, a SUNY school, turned in the license, and according to reports, a day later retrieved the license, is telling. Most fortunate that the FCC allowed the college to regain the license, most likely because the de-listing process in Washington had not yet begun.

This begs a number of questions:
(1) Who on the faculty was responsible for the facility?
(2) was there a board of trustees or directors that oversaw the operation of the station?
(3) What did the college's legal counsel advise?

As Genesee Community College is a SUNY school it's likely the SUNY Board of Regents in Albany stepped in and retrieved the license. (Imagine the conversation between the Regents' legal counsel and a local GCC official. Says the legal counsel, "You did WHAT!?")

Nearly a year ago, a department head of another nearby SUNY school with a broadcast media department mentioned that the WGCC Public File had not been tended to for a considerable length of time. The Issues and Programming ("I&P") on-line file showed zero quarterly I&P entries. This is a particularly egregious offense in the eyes of the FCC, even for a non-commercial facility.

There are three components to maintaining a broadcast license that the FCC upon inspection holds paramount:
(1) The station's Public File, including letters/communications from the public; political commercials and rates with all pertaining contracts (clearly not relevant to a non-com), Issues and Programming reports, and access to those filez on-line;
(2) EAS capability and the proper operation of said equipment;
(3) Transmitter control and operation, and knowledge thereof.

Quite likely, the college did not have adequate and/or consistent management and supervisory chain of command in place. Running a radio station isn't brain surgery, but it requires knowledge of FCC Rules & Regulations, and constant attention to detail. These traits are ingrained in most of the legacy radio people I know, but as noted earlier in this thread, radio is a different animal these days, and Rules & Regs are things not necessarily paid attention to by the content creators.

What are the rules and regs for on-line operation? Considerably fewer than for RF operations. And there it is ... another reason to be rid of this massive responsibility. Pity, that. WGCC had its place in the school's academic and public relations/community architecture, if only it was properly administered. The students won't miss the RF ... until it's not there. Oh, "but we're on-line ... download the free app... and enable push-notifications."

 

[fybush]

As Genesee Community College is a SUNY school it's likely the SUNY Board of Regents in Albany stepped in and retrieved the license. (Imagine the conversation between the Regents' legal counsel and a local GCC official. Says the legal counsel, "You did WHAT!?")

That's not what happened. The FCC filings tell a different tale.

 

[TheBigA]

As Genesee Community College is a SUNY school it's likely the SUNY Board of Regents in Albany stepped in and retrieved the license. (Imagine the conversation between the Regents' legal counsel and a local GCC official. Says the legal counsel, "You did WHAT!?")

Or a well-meaning outsider contacted them after seeing the article in the trades about some licenses that had been turned in. These are educational institutions, not businesses. Some of the assets under their control are completely outside their knowledge base as educators. They didn't know a license is worth money. When they found out, they were likely surprised. $55k may not be a lot of money, but it's more than nothing. The point is they had made the decision to shut down the station a while ago.

What are the rules and regs for on-line operation? Considerably fewer than for RF operations.

The same people who were willing to turn in their FM license are also making this decision. Have they considered the money and paperwork involved in digital music royalties with SoundExchange? They must report all of the songs they play with the attached metadata. That's a lot of time and ultimately money. The reality I've noticed is if they think kids don't listen to FM, they should see the numbers for online college radio stations. There is really no motivation for a college student to listen to some amateur online student radio station with all of the other better options. It really drives down the value of the experience for their students.