Cumulus filed an extension of their STA today. Anyone think Cumulus will sell off WAPI? Turn in the license?
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Birmingham Cumulus files an extension for WAPI to remain silent
- Thread starter passtheword
- Start date
From a purely logical perspective, why should I hang on to the license another year when I couldn't sell it this year. The fact that Cumulus is holding on to the license (with an STA) makes me wonder if someone has approached the company about purchasing the license and Cumulus wants more time for negotiations to take place.
WAPI is 50,000 watts non-directional by day and 5,000 watts directional at night. That's a good AM station. And Birmingham is a good city for population growth and income. But I guess in 2025, one of the best AM stations in Birmingham has nobody interested enough to buy it.
More than 4000 AM stations are on the air and only a handful of them will go dark this year. But to start a new format on AM from scratch, that's maybe too much work for too little return. After all, Cumulus has also terminated 560 AM in San Francisco, a low-on-the-dial 5,000 watt station that the company doesn't think anyone wants either.
More than 4000 AM stations are on the air and only a handful of them will go dark this year. But to start a new format on AM from scratch, that's maybe too much work for too little return. After all, Cumulus has also terminated 560 AM in San Francisco, a low-on-the-dial 5,000 watt station that the company doesn't think anyone wants either.
Each STA is for six months. After a year, the licenses will be canceled unless Cumulus or a buyer turns them back on.
From what I've heard, Cumulus has had offers on some of the stations it took silent in March. I don't know, though, if WAPI 1070 is one of them. Cumulus also doesn't seem to be in a major hurry to decide which, if any, offers it's willing to accept.
No translator, but its programming has been simulcast on FM, first on 100.5 from 2010-13, and then on 99.5 since 2016. It's as if ownership was acknowledging that they owned a 50,000 watt white elephant. Still, it's bittersweet for me to possibly see WAPI go away altogether, if only because it was the longtime Birmingham radio home for Auburn football and Braves baseball when I was a kid.
The problem is that Birmingham is divided between the downtown and areas to the north, NE and even SW by a mountain. There is huge population "over the hill" and a translator, unless one could be located on the mountain, would have only helped partially.
Yes, but it could have been moved farther north, but the relatively low night power would have been an issue to the south.
Remember, a huge percentage of those AMs that stay on the air are only operating in order to sustain a translator.
"On air
" is the more appropriate description, if my experience across Alabama is any indication.Yes, the fact that WAPI-AM didn't have an FM (even a translator) didn't help them any. I do remember when Cumulus decided to drop the talk format on WAPI-FM at 100.5 and shelved the programming back to the AM that many of their listeners on the station's Facebook page were none too happy about having to listen to the AM, even with some of them originally listening to WAPI on AM, anyway.
A christian or nonprofit group might be interested in WAPI. Maybe Guadalupe Radio Network who owns WMMA-AM 1480 licensed to Irondale might be interested in buying the station, or another Catholic group such as the one which owns the former WTIX-AM 690 (now WQNO) in New Orleans. There are probably also several other nonprofit chrisitan groups who would be interested in WAPI for a christian talk/preaching format such as Bott Radio based in KS who owns the former WAMB-AM 1160 in Nashville (now WCRT) which broadcasts with 50 kw days/1 kw nights.
A christian or nonprofit group might be interested in WAPI. Maybe Guadalupe Radio Network who owns WMMA-AM 1480 licensed to Irondale might be interested in buying the station, or another Catholic group such as the one which owns the former WTIX-AM 690 (now WQNO) in New Orleans. There are probably also several other nonprofit chrisitan groups who would be interested in WAPI for a christian talk/preaching format such as Bott Radio based in KS who owns the former WAMB-AM 1160 in Nashville (now WCRT) which broadcasts with 50 kw days/1 kw nights.
But...is there really an audience for yet another Christian radio format in Birmingham? It seems to me that, with the exception of Spanish-language programming, nearly all of the bases are covered almost to the point of supersaturation, either by commercially-licensed and non-commercial channels.
Full disclosure: I've never worked in any facet of the broadcast industry; I've spent nearly 40 years working in retail, the last 29 at the corporate level, but I think that there is somewhat of a correlation: you don't open a new store close enough to an existing store that you run the risk of cannibalization, nor do you open a new store close to where all of your major competitors are unless you truly believe that you can take marketshare from them and still be profitable. In a metro area of roughly 1.2 million people, would there be enough ad dollars and "love offering" moneys to support yet another Christian station, regardless of the focus of their programming?
I made an offer for one of their dark stations (not this one). They turned it down. And it was all cash, none of this 10 year pay out stuff.
What range was the offer in and what market was the station in?
Christian broadcasters aren't in the market to compete. It's done as ministry. If they are able to keep a station financially afloat with donations, they really aren't concerned too much about how many christian radio outlets there are in a particular market.
There are still a few christian ministries who purchase AMs. Bott Radio I mentioned previously bought KUYO 830 in Casper, WY this past May. Some of the Catholic groups have purchased AMs as well.
I realize those who don't care for "religious stations" as many people refer to them don't like the prospect of WAPI being sold to a christian group and format, but it's better than the alternative, with the station license being turned in or canceled and signing off permanently.
There are still a few christian ministries who purchase AMs. Bott Radio I mentioned previously bought KUYO 830 in Casper, WY this past May. Some of the Catholic groups have purchased AMs as well.
I realize those who don't care for "religious stations" as many people refer to them don't like the prospect of WAPI being sold to a christian group and format, but it's better than the alternative, with the station license being turned in or canceled and signing off permanently.
It was 200K for an AM and it's translator. I'd rather not say the market, let's just say it's in Nielsen market 120 to 150. It's still not sold according to FCC filings.
That stinks you didn't get it.