I will post an update after next week's meeting and share what I can.
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AM 1110 Off The Air?
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
Please be sure to give Rollye an update.
I just finished emailing her.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Sir, your sarcasm is showing. Not that I mind one bit.
There is a lot of sarcasm over here. What a fun group.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Well, in this case I believe it is justified. It has been pointed out, many times, that these sort of petitions never lead to any action. 1000 signatures on a petition is not going to stop sale of the WBT transmitter site when there is money to be made from the real estate value.
Look at it that way and please give me your best counter argument.
The best counter argument is that there's no harm in trying. Here in NJ there's now a mostly vacant shopping center sitting on top of where Marconi made his historic transatlantic radio transmissions, because no one thought to preserve any of it.
To use an old cliche...
You miss all the shots you never take. (something like that).
I have a lot of admiration for people who pursue their dreams and goals no matter how many people tell them to give up and say it'll never happen.
You miss all the shots you never take. (something like that).
I have a lot of admiration for people who pursue their dreams and goals no matter how many people tell them to give up and say it'll never happen.
All sarcasm aside, I can appreciate the emotional attachment and wanting to preserve history. I really can. The problem is that not everything can (or should) be saved. One can rationalize just about anything's perceived historic value, but just because something is old or has been around for a long time does not necessarily make it worthy of preservation.
I would encourage you to read the petition and some of my updates on social media, because this effort has never been about stopping the sale of 1110 AM or the property. It has never been about bringing programming back to 1110 AM. Moving WBT to FM was a smart business decision, and honestly, it made sense.
I also want to say this clearly: there are no villains in this story. Radio One, Beasley Media Group, and everyone involved have decisions to make, and I respect that. This effort has never been about stopping progress or interfering with anyone's rights.
It has always been about asking a simple question: is there a way to preserve a meaningful part of a place that played such an important role in Carolina broadcasting history?
My goal was simply to ask the parties involved — the current owner, those involved with the property, and historic preservation leaders — to have a conversation and explore what, if anything, might be possible.
You're right that a simple online petition isn't going to determine what happens with privately owned property. I understand that. But it is something. I never expected 1,000 people to sign, but here we are. I'm sure media attention helped bring awareness to the effort, and I will admit the interviews have been well outside my comfort zone.
For whatever reason, I received an invitation last week to meet with representatives from Radio One and Beasley Media Group "to discuss preservation opportunities for the WBT AM transmitter site." That's all I've been asking for — an opportunity to have a discussion.
It's still a long shot. Next week, I could sit down with them and hear that there is nothing that can be done. I'm realistic enough to understand that is possible. But just because something doesn't end the way we hope doesn't mean it wasn't worth the effort.
I've heard the comments telling me I should buy the station or that I should just sit down and be quiet. Neither of those things are realistic. But I've also heard from so many people who have shared their memories of WBT, thanked me for trying, and told me what the station and that site have meant to them over the years. Those messages are what keep me going.
So again, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have this conversation with the people who are making decisions about the future of the site. If the outcome isn't what supporters hope for, I will still be proud that I tried, that I approached this respectfully, and that I did everything I could to make sure the conversation happened.
Very well stated...Thank you for your effort.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Without overquoting, I still believe the petition will fall on deaf ears, to mix metaphors.
I do not believe that the players wanted the situation on 1110 to happen as it did. I very strongly suspect that there were programming plans in place and an unknown "something" happened to derail same.
The petition would do little more than aggravate them by reminding them that they have a mess to clean up.
IF they read it. Your presumption about "the people who are making decisions about the future" reading this thread is probably wishful thinking; the suits have better things to do than read the posts here. They'll treat the petition the same way.
I do not believe that the players wanted the situation on 1110 to happen as it did. I very strongly suspect that there were programming plans in place and an unknown "something" happened to derail same.
The petition would do little more than aggravate them by reminding them that they have a mess to clean up.
IF they read it. Your presumption about "the people who are making decisions about the future" reading this thread is probably wishful thinking; the suits have better things to do than read the posts here. They'll treat the petition the same way.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Yes. And has a great background in radio, much of it here in Los Angeles.
Thanks, didn't know the former. Thought the latter, from reading comments up here and listening to the portion of the show I downloaded, after someone posted the link up here.
UPDATE: 1,000 SUPPORTERS AND COUNTING
When this effort started, the goal was simple: have a conversation about preserving the historic WBT AM transmitter site. Today, I am incredibly grateful to say that we have reached 1,000 supporters. Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition, shared it with others, told their stories...c.org
This should be its own thread/conversation.
Not with 234834578435 other WBT threads all over the place. you fracture/splinter the audience .. theres no need. keep the discussion in one place, like the moderator already told you
Stale threads... No interest.
Fracture/Splinter the audience. LOL.. here? <eye roll>
Stale threads? Its 10 pages long... thats hardly stale
I was honestly surprised to get any media attention from this effort. I was surprised when the petition reached 100 signatures, much less 1,020 signatures. I was even surprised when I received an email inviting me to meet with representatives from Radio One and Beasley Media Group.
I don't believe the people making decisions about the future of the site are sitting around reading every post on a radio discussion board. But somewhere, someone read something, heard something, or saw the attention this effort was receiving — otherwise they would not have known how to reach me and extend the invitation "to discuss preservation opportunities for the WBT AM transmitter site."
What they do with the information I bring to that conversation is completely up to them. I can't control the outcome or the decisions that are made. All I can do is respectfully share why I believe this site has historical significance and ask whether there is an opportunity to preserve a meaningful part of it.
I also understand that preservation does not always look like we hope it will. Maybe the outcome is preserving the building and towers. Maybe it is something smaller. Maybe someday all that remains is a marker telling people what happened there. I understand that the final answer may not be what everyone hopes for. But I would rather know that we made the effort to recognize this history than look back and wonder if anyone ever asked the question.