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WSM - FM translator?
- Thread starter Slade65
- Start date
1) You can only apply for a translator during a translator filing window, which there hasn't been since 2018.
2) There would need to be an open frequency in Nashville, which there doesn't appear to be any of.
The broader reason is that the former Gaylord Entertainment, now Ryman Hospitality, no longer owns broadcasting radio & TV stations, other than WSM. They once owned 95.5 WSM-FM. They could have held on to it, and used it for Opry broadcasts. They decided to sell the Nashville cluster to Cumulus. I've been told that the online listeners to WSM exceed the broadcast audience. That's good enough for them.
650 bought the ratings last month. Maybe they might want some "Nashville market Money". I remember when WSM AM was chicken rock daytime during the 1970s and county at night. I don't think try would go to a "daypart or block" programming, but classic county sells well in some markets. The problem is procurement of the FM signal.
WSM isn't a radio station inasmuch as it is a 24/7 marketing tool for the Opry. And that's not a bad thing at all.
I guess we should be thankful for that. Any time you can have "extra" income is a good thing. Can anyone accurately predict the ownership of radio clusters in the next 3 to 5 years? I predict some organizations with cash on hand might end up owning parts or whole clusters in a lot of markets
Yes agree, WSM programs 'heavy' on the Opry. I guess the station can now be heard on the iheart app, so a quick button on cars with a touchscreen and Hotspot. Personally too much time to connect to the app on a phone in the car.
Wasn't aware the window closed. Would seem like a worthy option in promoting the importance of radio and the history of the Opry. Listening to WSM on 650 with the Opry now seems more like a novelty , just to say you heard a show on 650AM at least once.
Correct about the overload of stations already there. What a town-wide racket that must be.
According to the entertaining Radio-Locator, New York City has a bursting load of 116 AM & FM stations on the commercial frequencies. With 16,000,000 people.
Nashville, with 1,600,000 people in the market, has 93 stations, three dozen of which consist of licensed extension speakers and streams.
That's easy math. Crazy easy. Pretty much the same number of stations for one-tenth of the available audience.
A traditional C&W station up this way (actually licensed as WWSM) made its final roundup two years ago. The place was heavily sponsored, if not entirely, by a glorified truck stop / interchange that sold sheepskin coats. But the station was a 5000-watt directional daytimer almost hanging off the end of the dial. At that, they would show up as well as could be expected but steadily, in the Harrisburg ratings, with five (5) other country stations there.
WSM, with 24-hours of 50,000 omni watts, should have retirement leisure time to go just moseying along by itself.
According to the entertaining Radio-Locator, New York City has a bursting load of 116 AM & FM stations on the commercial frequencies. With 16,000,000 people.
Nashville, with 1,600,000 people in the market, has 93 stations, three dozen of which consist of licensed extension speakers and streams.
That's easy math. Crazy easy. Pretty much the same number of stations for one-tenth of the available audience.
A traditional C&W station up this way (actually licensed as WWSM) made its final roundup two years ago. The place was heavily sponsored, if not entirely, by a glorified truck stop / interchange that sold sheepskin coats. But the station was a 5000-watt directional daytimer almost hanging off the end of the dial. At that, they would show up as well as could be expected but steadily, in the Harrisburg ratings, with five (5) other country stations there.
WSM, with 24-hours of 50,000 omni watts, should have retirement leisure time to go just moseying along by itself.
That was owned by the station's owner, Patrick H. Sickafus, a.k.a. Pat Garrett. He's also a country music singer/songwriter who probably fancied himself being on the Grand Ole Opry, and when that didn't pan out, he made his own little version of WSM and used it as a promotional tool for his other business ventures.
I remember the station by a billboard on I-78 that simply said in big block letters "TRUCKERS 1510 COUNTRY".
Maybe just enter into an LMA with an FM station in the market, maybe even a rim shot type signal that would want the "prestige" of being part of WSM
Once again, they are not interested in getting an FM. They owned one and sold it to Cumulus (along with their other FM station)
Amazing...
IIRC Gaylord used to proceeds to build a Hotel somewhere.
IMHO the only reason for keeping 650 was the hotel tie in. National Life should have build OpryLand and the new Opry building somewhere where flooding wasn't an issue and like Disney had room to expand the the theme park. Even a small insurance company has access to large amounts of cash. I don't know why they built it in a flood plain. Anywhere within 20 miles of down town would have worked. They should had added a new "ride" every year. Hindsight is 20/20.
Correct: The Gaylord National Harbor outside of DC. Gaylord was reinventing itself from a media company into a hotel & hospitality company.
So now they're called Ryman Hospitality, and the Opry is one of their properties. It was originally a radio show on WSM, but they use it as the basis for a lot of other things, including TV and even a movie.
BTW WSM is no longer located inside the Opryland Hotel. They just moved into a small house near the front door of the Opry House.
WSM Radio Inside Opryland Hotel Announces Move to a New Studio
WSM Radio is Moving to a New Studio.
williamsonsource.com
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If that was true, it would have been the better investment for the long haul than anything radio.
Really? Is that why insurance companies are dropping customers and insurance rates are going through the roof?
I also worked at a longtime classic country station for a few years. It’s probably the only music format you could get away with on AM. Many parts of the south, including where I live, are very traditional
Insurance companies survive by taking in more premiums than claims they pay out. If an insurance company thinks they are going to pay a claim they will drop the policy. They want to invest the premiums not pay out claims.
If you live in a area prone to natural disasters except to pay more for insurance.
A M Best rates the financial stability of Insurance Companies.
BTW I'm not aware of any insurance companies that still own radio.
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