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1110 New Format

Mike Sheridan said:
No, they were Adult Contemporary from 1970-1990. There were some Adult Standards and Oldies shows overnight and weekends. I should know because I often did them 1985-1990.
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I don't know what post you're responding to, but the MOR format was mentioned. When they played music prior to about 1970, that was the music played on WBT, according to what I read. Probably the same as what was later called adult standards.
 
vchimpanzee said:
They need to add more songs.,
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This present setup is just a placeholder, and isn't really intended to be listened to for any long period of time. As I said above, my hunch is that they had something all set to go, probably nationally syndicated conservative talk, but something went wrong and now they're having to put together something else, or wait until contracts (or whatever) allow them to proceed with the original plan. I don't blame them for not telling what's going on.
 
Mike Sheridan said:
No, they were Adult Contemporary from 1970-1990. There were some Adult Standards and Oldies shows overnight and weekends. I should know because I often did them 1985-1990.
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Roger on that, thanks for the info. I found, some time ago, on Youtube, a clip from a Sunday night on WBT, from probably back in the early '70s. I can't remember what it was/is called, so I went to my downloads folder on one of the backups (got an MP3 of it), but can't seem to find it now. I was gonna post the YT link of it up here, just for the fun of it and to help keep the old 'BT alive. I remember it had just the last few seconds of a Billy Graham broadcast, a jingle which mentioned their night-time coverage and part of a newscast.
 
tylerSC said:
So the ads were playing, but no other programming? I thought maybe they were off the air for maintenance or some other technical reasons, but sounds like there is no issue with the actual signal. Just a programming problem originating from the computerized automated system, if I understand you correctly. Sounds like Engineering needs to better monitor their overnight operations.
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I agree. Going back to the old days for just a minute and keeping the April 1 thing goin', one of the sponsors for the shows on 'BT, will be the B.D. Heath Motor Company. Years ago, I was listening to Hello Henry one Friday night and someone called in asking about a building he had seen with that name on the sign. I believe someone (or someones) called in with the history, from there in Charlette.
 
caudleweather said:
I wanted to follow up on my earlier posts regarding the overnight automation issues and the status of 1110 AM.

This morning I called the station about last night’s overnight problems. Mike Schaefer, Program Director of WBT, personally returned my call. He was professional, thoughtful, and engaged. He explained there was maintenance work involved and said plainly, “I can’t fix what I don’t know about.” He indicated they will work to address the overnight automation reliability issues.

One comment he made stood out: even one overnight listener deserves a flawless presentation.

Those of us who’ve programmed or engineered stations understand that overnights often aren’t staffed and issues don’t always surface unless someone flags them. That said, dead air is dead air — especially on a heritage news/talk brand. Reliability matters. I suggested that when maintenance is planned, a proactive social media note might help manage perception. He seemed receptive.

Regarding 1110 AM, he stated clearly:

• 1110 is not going off the air.
• It is not being sold.
• A new format is in development.
• Work is happening behind the scenes.

He wasn’t at liberty to discuss specifics or the reasoning behind not continuing the simulcast, which is understandable during development.

I’ve been critical of how the transition has appeared publicly — particularly the extended redirect loop and lack of visible communication. That perspective hasn’t changed. When you’re dealing with a 103-year signal, perception and messaging matter.

But leadership engagement also matters. A Program Director returning a call from someone who has been publicly critical speaks to professionalism.

If they’re building something intentional for 1110 rather than rushing a placeholder flip, that’s preferable to a quick band-aid format.

I’ll keep listening. And if something breaks overnight again, I’ll call again.
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Amen, Johnny, that's good to hear all the way 'round.
 
amos1001 said:
Probably Rockin' Ray and the Sunday night hall.if fame.

Mike did you ever do Ray's Hall of Fame show?
I don't know your history, although I know you were at SOC.
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1. I don't think that was it.
2. That's where I've heard that name!
 
New format in the works, behind the scenes. Yup, sounds like Talk 1110 Charlotte is coming. They just need to wait for the contracts on the outskirts AMs to expire for Hannity, Clay & Buck, and other programs.
Still should add some more music to the loop-de-loop. I have more than a few smooth jazz CDs if they want to work with ASCAP/BMI for royalty purposes :ROFLMAO:
 
Re: contractual obligations, as I've said before, iiiiiiit's possible.
 
amos1001 said:
BSW sells this nifty box called a silence sensor

Then WHY didn't they wait until it was ready before ending the 1110 107.9.simulcast?
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There is something to be said for making a clean and non-confusing break from the prior content on the AM. If 1110 will have a different format, then waiting to start it prevents listeners confusing the now-moved-to-FM format with whatever comes ahead on the AM.
 
davideduardo said:
There is something to be said for making a clean and non-confusing break from the prior content on the AM. If 1110 will have a different format, then waiting to start it prevents listeners confusing the now-moved-to-FM format with whatever comes ahead on the AM.
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No, I get that David. I'm just saying have your ducks in a row before you start the redirect loop, and then run it for whatever time you decided. This feels like they just dropped the ball. Making a clean break and not confusing the listeners is exactly why I don't expect a different form of conservative talk. That could work, sold as a combo. But if that's the plan why blow off 1110? Unnecessary.
But whatever they are going to do, there's this thing called opportunity cost and that meter is surely clicking.
 
vchimpanzee said:
I don't know what post you're responding to, but the MOR format was mentioned. When they played music prior to about 1970, that was the music played on WBT, according to what I read. Probably the same as what was later called adult standards.
vchimpanzee said:
I don't know what post you're responding to, but the MOR format was mentioned. When they played music prior to about 1970, that was the music played on WBT, according to what I read. Probably the same as what was later called adult standards.
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Just to clarify, @Mike Sheridan was responding to my question about the format.
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amos1001 said:
No, I get that David. I'm just saying have your ducks in a row before you start the redirect loop, and then run it for whatever time you decided.
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We don't know where the ducks are right now. There may be a well planned strategy, but they want to let a lot of time go by to disassociated 1110 with what is now on FM.
amos1001 said:
This feels like they just dropped the ball. Making a clean break and not confusing the listeners is exactly why I don't expect a different form of conservative talk. That could work, sold as a combo. But if that's the plan why blow off 1110? Unnecessary.
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Unless they want to firmly seat the fact that "WBT" is now an FM station and that old AM channel will be something else.
amos1001 said:
But whatever they are going to do, there's this thing called opportunity cost and that meter is surely clicking.
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What if they understand that paying the electric bill for a few months is a good investment in isolating the AM from the FM as a new and separate offering.

We are back at the point that the electric bill is not a big part of the cost of running a station. A prime location billboard there costs more per month than the electric bill for the transmitter.

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davideduardo said:
We don't know where the ducks are right now. There may be a well planned strategy, but they want to let a lot of time go by to disassociated 1110 with what is now on FM
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I agree and have said so in the past. It's possible that the length of this redirect is 100% part of the plan. And however long they want it to run, it's their business.
It's just that Mike Schaefer told Johnny Caudle that - quote - a new format is in development - unquote. That's why it seems to me that they've dropped the ball. I'm only speculating, and know nothing about the inner workings of R1.
When I spoke about opportunity costs I wasn't talking about Duke Energy. Whatever format they choose they'll still have fixed costs. But until they initiate the new format there's nothing coming in to the coffers. There are only so many ad minutes to sell on 1110, and the delay is costing them money. Now of course they may have factored that in before starting the redirect loop. But if the new format is a truly still in development they are wasting time and money.
You might counter with the fact that if they simulcast there's no additional ad revenue coming in, and that's true. But it just appears to me that they've bungled this. I have to keep in mind that they are a major company and certainly know.more about their business than I do. So I'm most likely completely off base. But it's hard not to feel this way.
Harder still when you consider they didn't have a silence sensor installed to safeguard against what's happened several times on 107.9. Heck we had silence sensors in 1980.
 
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