I am hearing that the 102.5 LMA will come to a end NOV 1ST. Wonder if this is the return of the Prior format .
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102.5 WWLG
- Thread starter radioislife2020
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Short answer no, the previous format was another LMA and that company has long since folded. 102.5 will either be LMA'ed to someone else, a place holder automated format there or sold. The owners of 102.5 sold off their Zanesville properties years ago so personally I see no interest in them keeping that signal if they don't have another LMA lined up (if it's true Radio One ends the LMA).
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What would you think a LMA on a full power like 102.5 Would cost in Columbus? 20-25K a month maybe?
My guess is that EMF will purchase the 102.5 signal and put their K-LOVE format on it.
I would not count it out - but generally EMF has been reluctant to enter markets with established localized CCM formats (Which we have with 104.9 The River) but there are very few who would be interested in this stick - but hey never say never. EMF has started to be even more strategic about what they hold onto and where they are purchasing.
My understanding is one of the reasons they put Air1 on 99.3 when they got the former Cedarville University licenses was not to compete directly with 104.9. But in recent years they have 'entered' larger markets with already established CCMs so I am not 100% sure if they are still adhering to that these days.
EMF, who is changing their corporate name to K-LOVE btw, has been trying to purchase larger signals in markets where they have either a small signal or more often, only translators. Columbus and Cleveland come to mind in Ohio. They currently own 5 translators in the Akron/Cleveland market and have been unable to obtain anything larger. Despite popular belief, EMF does not actively pursue buying stations but waits for owners or brokers contact them in hopes of selling a minimally profitable or totally unprofitable facility. This is often after much effort has been expended to unload the station(s) to traditional owners. Normally a station sale price for is determined by a multiple of cash flow but that's difficult to determine if a station has little or no cash flow. The price that EMF pays is mostly determined by a multiple of the population count (read "donors") that the signal covers. This is often a boon to the station owner with little or no cash flow and is the reason that EMF has been able to obtain so may stations over the past few years. Southeastern Ohio Broadcasting moved the 102.5 signal from Zanesville to Baltimore years ago to get into the Columbus market with plans of making the facility more profitable and increasing its value. When no buyers could be found, they ended up LMAing it other broadcasters with the hope that they might end up purchasing it. It appears that Radio One isn't interested in extending the current LMA so we'll just have to wait and see.
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New call letters of WKVR were just requested. The WKVR call letters have been on a K-Love station in Flint MI.
That has not been the case in many years. EMF has gone into many markets where there was a local competitor as it has run out of places to grow otherwise. Now the mission is to get as close to national scale.
Only three. K-Love on 103.7 in Cleveland, Air 1 on 92.7 Cleveland and 102.5 Akron. They swapped 101.1 to iHeart last year and another was running EMF programming as filler but not affiliated with organization.
Also not always the case anymore. There are certain markets that EMF has actively pursued and one upcoming deal in another market may also give them a full-powered Cleveland signal.
Look at the recent Spanish language change in Cincinnati and you'll see why Radio One needed to remove WWLG from its attributable holdings.
I also counted K-LOVE translators 90.7 Wadsworth and 89.1 Hinckley in the EMF group of Cleveland stations. Air 1 92.7 is licensed to Parma btw.
I wonder what La Mega is going to do with 103.1 I can't see there being two La Mega's in Columbus if Radio One goes the La Mega route like they did in Cinci with 101.5 (which actually is advertised on La Mega Media - Columbus | Cincinnati | Cleveland website.) Or is it in Radio One's agreement with La Mega Media that "since we have 103.1 in Columbus you can't compete with us anymore so please end your LMA" Clearly it does not appear it's in Radio One's interest to try and put another format on 102.5 thus what appears to be possibly EMF taking over as a new LMA holder (or purchaser).
Yep, looks like EMF filed a request with the FCC to change the Flint, MI station to "WLFN" so that 102.5 could become "WKVR"
I got an email today from a client with a notice that La Grande is going away and its place LA MEGA will now be on 2 signals. Talk about an under-service for the audience who for the first time had a decent signal. Not sure who told radio one LA MEGA was a better brand i have heard them both and can say LA MEGA is a tired brand. Wonder what DJs get to stay the LA MEGA djs or the La Grande ones.
Ah so La Mega will be 103.1 which recently applied to change it's calls to WWLA and an undetermined Radio One signal. I would suspect La Mega will keep the La Mega talent - they are the same talent that is on La Mega 101.5 in Cinci and are based out of Columbus. (at least the morning show is)
Akron/Canton is covered by their signal 90.9 out of Wooster and 95.9 New Philadelphia
I was pulling up various KLove coverage maps and 102.5 is actually a decent coverage fit for them. It sits between what they have up north with 98.7 Crestline, 90.9 Wooster, 95.9 over in Canton and to the SW they have power house 90.3 Cedarville and south they have 104.1 Portsmouth. 102.5 if it does become KLove fills in a nice gap for them and gets them into the Columbus market.
Well, today i was able to confirm that 103.1 will be simulcasting with 107.1 under the LA MEGA BRAND but Radio one will manage the brand. I'm still confused on how this deal was made or why it was needed since radio one with 102.5 had the coverage advantage. I guess radio one lost faith in the spanish formats
Radio One is taking over the operations of La Mega Media's radio properties. Adding 103.1 would've put them one over the ownership cap so they needed to end their LMA for 102.5 (which was set to expire at the end of the year anyway). The Mega brand will also be launching in at least two additional markets they were not in.
Yeah, Cleveland is next. No surprise on that one. Indy apparently will also become la mega Nov 1. They are taking over but not buying. How does that work La mega just gives up everything like a rent for a term?
103.1 does well north part of Columbus with it's Johnstown based signal so pairing with 107.1 which broadcasts from north of Circleville makes sense. 107.1 should cover the heavily populated Latino areas just fine on it's own though. 106.3 would had been a good choice too - kind of sad to see the gospel format go through
Would be nice if they would break 106.3 off from WCKX and put the Gospel back there - Joy was on 106.3 before moving to 107.1.
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That makes sense - I didn't know it was deeper then just a marketing agreement. I wonder if this means La Mega will move into Radio One facilities. Currently they have a studio here in Columbus in NW Columbus near Upper Arlington.
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