102.5 WHIZ Move in...

[xmusicmatt]

Just was thinking today.. Haven't heard anything lately about WHIZ's move in to Columbus.

Looking at their CP ... "Construction Permit Expires: 10/02/2009"

Any word on when they will flip the switch? I know the tower is already in place and the last time anyone mentioned anything here that work was being done on it to prepare for WHIZ-FM's move.

 

[lovejamminoldies]

I hope they make moves soon. What format will WHIZ be?

 

[V.Riley]

Hmmm, let's see, although we could use another country station like a hole in the head, I'm guessing a talk format, either political or sports talk.

 

[lovejamminoldies]

We DON'T need anymore FM Talk/Sports and DEFINITELY not a country. CHR? Urban? Rhythmic? Please!

 

[knowbetter]

We DON'T need anymore FM Talk/Sports and DEFINITELY not a country. CHR? Urban? Rhythmic? Please!

seems like the rumors are that wilks is buying them, if that's the case, I'd expect a country, since I don't know how they could expect to leave that translator on 102.3, with 102.5 in the area....

if they bought 102.5, and changed the translator to an on channel booster, they might have a pretty good signal...to wit, i would expect them to move the programming from 95 to 102.5..

but that's just a guess.

pretty much the same if it goes to saga, I could see them moving the jazz station again, but really, what's the point of that...

you're right, we don't need any more of what we already have....a decent 24 hour LOCAL FM news talk, maybe, but I doubt that anyone will spend that kind of change to make that happen, although there is no love lost between carriage land and fifth street...you know that "payback is a bi***" phrase....it would be a strong gotcha for CC. Ditto on a decent CHR!

IF the current owners keep it, i'd expect AC...but I don't expect that...

Would wilks do an urban flavor...they might, it wouldn't be a bad move...and they are based in atlanta, so it might not be an impossible sale...it would compliment what they are doing, by adding a demographic they can't reach...which could translate into a revenue source they don't have... It could probably put some flavor of urban on 107.1, between the R1 stations, which could only help...but I would expect them to put country on their high power sticks

 

[kentuckymedia]

What I have been told is this:

If Wilks happens to get the station, they will put Wink 107 on 102.5. It will broadcast off the current 95.5 tower if they can't clear the Bloom Township hurdle. They need to file for an immediate operation waiver from the FCC for this to happen allowing "WHIZ Inc." to still own the station but LMA it to Wilks.

If it goes to WCLT which also has been rumor...they could potentially move it onto the WCLT tower, but with one small stipulation, the power has to be reconfigured and downgraded to a different class. Still a good signal, but a little thinner on the edges.

 

[knowbetter]

What I have been told is this:

I thought they were building/had built a tower for this move in...

did that not happen?

 

[lovejamminoldies]

Well that should be interesting! Whats the ETA for this move?

 

[CatFM]

What I have been told is this:

I thought they were building/had built a tower for this move in...

did that not happen?

Yes, the site has been operational since last spring, but they have only fired it up for testing so far. Everything is in place and ready to go. They hadn't decided what kind of STL to use when I saw it. Some sort of Internet connection was being considered.

 

[gabigley1]

What I have been told is this:

I thought they were building/had built a tower for this move in...

did that not happen?

They hadn't decided what kind of STL to use when I saw it. Some sort of Internet connection was being considered.

From what I heard, their studios will initially be in Zainesville until the station is sold. It sounds to me like they don't know what they want to do
with the station because they are dragging their feet and waiting for the last minute to get WHIZ-FM on the air.

Not surprising there has been no takers to purchase the station so far. With radio ad revenue down in Columbus this is to be expected.
Here is an article the Columbus Dispatch did on the topic of radio ad revenue falling in Columbus:
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/liv...DAZE.ART_ART_08-03-09_A6_4OEL2HP.html?sid=101

 

[Goldilocks94941]

Does nobody on the board care that the good people of Zanesville will be without their hometown radio station? WHIZ has been "Here in Zanesville" for decades - whether or not you liked what they offered, they were pretty much the only local service for a relatively wide area 50 miles east of Columbus. And it's a decently large city, for Ohio standards, to lose its class B FM service, which also covered areas into Appalachian Ohio. I used to hear it pretty clear down into Athens County.

Same goes for Tiffin and 103.7, now licensed to tiny Pemberville, as an excuse to make it a Toledo station, instead of a nearby signal. And Monroe County, Michigan doesn't even have local radio anymore, apart from a couple of low power high school and religious outlets, after WVMO/WTWR was moved to "Luna Pier", ie, Toledo.

Seems like most of the people who most need a local radio service is small cities and rural areas are being denied anything other than what they can DX now. Is it any wonder why fewer people care about what's on commercial radio now a days when all they get is genericized, predictable stuff that has little to do with where they live? Why not just stick all of these formats on the satellite, open it up as a new nationwide band for free and subscriber-based listening, and save us the RF interference on the ground? Isn't the FCC trying to stop this shutting down of local signals? Anyone know if they've started to act on this, or just not granting the corporate types whatever they wish in terms of licenses?

 

[xmusicmatt]

Zanesville keeps their local radio station. Z102's format has been on Z92 for many months (92.7 WCVZ) that they purchased.. My understanding and I have not gotten to listen since the change but 102.5 is currently running automated country format as a place holder to keep the station hot until they sell it or move it and do something else with it.

 

[CatFM]

Isn't the FCC trying to stop this shutting down of local signals? Anyone know if they've started to act on this, or just not granting the corporate types whatever they wish in terms of licenses?

Please tell me you're kidding! While the FCC claims they don't allow small market stations to move to larger markets in order to increase revenue, their actions of the past decade have proved what a complete lie that claim is. The FCC has been rubber stamping the applications for those moves all over the country, and some have been completely contrary to their own Rules & Regulations. A change of city of license is supposed to be allowed within the primary service contour of a station, yet I have seen instances where a city of license change was granted for a new location far beyond even the fringe service area of the stations. Who are they trying to kid, and who is stupid enough to believe the big lie?

 

[rubberchicken]

As Matt mentioned, Z92 continues to air the HAC format, and will likely get the WHIZ-FM calls at some point.
Also, in WTWR's case, they gave up trying to knock off WVKS in Toledo, and have re-focused on Monroe County, Michigan, complete with "Monroe's Hometown Countdown" and more.

I'd like to see Saga pick up 102.5 or 101.7 and move the Mix format to a bigger signal. They have a good product there.

 

[V.Riley]

I'd like to see Saga pick up 102.5 or 101.7 and move the Mix format to a bigger signal. They have a good product there.

What I'd like to see is where your tower's power is not the deciding factor of your success, but the content of your signal is how your listeners rate you. Oh wait, thats Internet Radio.

I agree the Mix format is really good. I'm glad that SAGA picked it up when 'BNS dropped the ball.

 

[inquisitor]

Does nobody on the board care that the good people of Zanesville will be without their hometown radio station? WHIZ has been "Here in Zanesville" for decades - whether or not you liked what they offered, they were pretty much the only local service for a relatively wide area 50 miles east of Columbus. And it's a decently large city, for Ohio standards, to lose its class B FM service, which also covered areas into Appalachian Ohio. I used to hear it pretty clear down into Athens County.

I wouldn't worry too much, as you're gaining WKOV which will have decent enough power.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WKOV&service=FM&status=C&hours=U

 

[xmusicmatt]

Does nobody on the board care that the good people of Zanesville will be without their hometown radio station? WHIZ has been "Here in Zanesville" for decades - whether or not you liked what they offered, they were pretty much the only local service for a relatively wide area 50 miles east of Columbus. And it's a decently large city, for Ohio standards, to lose its class B FM service, which also covered areas into Appalachian Ohio. I used to hear it pretty clear down into Athens County.

I wouldn't worry too much, as you're gaining WKOV which will have decent enough power.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WKOV&service=FM&status=C&hours=U

With the transmitter site of WKOV planned.. They can easly serve Zanesville and Newark.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I haven't been down there for a few weeks, but last time I was in 102.5's signal area...yes, they're automated country as "Highway 102". The former WHIZ-FM hot AC format is indeed now on WCVZ/92.7 as "Z92".

The 92.7 signal isn't as powerful as 102.5, of course, but it does just fine in town and through pretty much all of Muskingum County. It looks like that WKOV move-in will provide a strong player in that region, signal wise. So, basically, all the Zanesville area "loses" is the CCM format on 92.7, which mutated into a CCM/talk/teaching format on the company's 89.3/Newark.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear automated country show up on the new 102.5/Baltimore facility at first, until whichever Columbus-market owner-in-waiting takes it over. If it's a signal upgrade for 107.1's format or whatever, it'd be a good placeholder format.

The move would be temporary (sending "Highway 102" west for the placeholder). The WHIZ folks have no interest in running a Columbus radio station.

 

[willcail]

WHIZ should do an talk FM format that is 70% non opinion news. Air some counter programming to WTVN and WTDA.

BTW the only WHIZ station I can get is their DT station.

 

[gabigley1]

WHIZ should do an talk FM format that is 70% non opinion news. Air some counter programming to WTVN and WTDA.

Please be more specific. What kind of news and talk shows are you talking about? The only TALK format to have a reasonable chance of being
a viable format on that station would be progressive talk. Now all the disgruntled progressive talk listeners may again have some hope for the return of that format to Columbus radio airways and for a third go around. Hopefully Gary Richards is looking into programing that station as a progressive
talker.