1460 goes progtalk 8/1

[raccoonradio]

Nathan: here's proof of the 1150 website goofup, from Scott Fybush, July of 2007:

Pic:
http://www.fybush.com/images/2007/wttt-genericskyline-sm.jpg

>>Speaking of pictures, Salem's WTTT (1150 Boston) was apparently having some trouble with them as the station launched its new website. Thanks to regular reader Laurence Glavin for noting the lovely skyline photo on the talk1150.com site, which featured a beautiful waterfront view of - er, Baltimore's Inner Harbor. It didn't take long for Adam Gaffin's excellent Universal Hub to catch wind of the gaffe (and to preserve it for posterity)
http://www.fybush.com/NERW/2007/070709/nerw.html

 

[Rusty Muck]

As for the new information reported by Nathan [ ... ] on 1460, good call. Any attempt to specifically serve the station's strong signal area with local programming is a very smart move by Gary, and yes, I assume he'll sell/call Lake County sports, too. Glad to hear that Gary Webster is still aboard, too.

I totally agree. He has to make the format work in Painesville and Mentor first.

The big question is, how relevant can Gary R. make the station? He's going to have to use his sales experience to try to build a client base that otherwise has avoided 1460 like the plaque for nearly a decade. Not to mention reviving the Indians/Cavaliers/Browns/tOSU play-by-play that Dale Edwards dropped to assume the WABQ gospel format, and other vital local elements.

The studios and towers are 52 years old (and look like it), the signal is underwhelming, the listener base is non-existent. I hope he's ready for the challenge.

It won't be easy. He has to compete with WELW/1330 well before he can even dream about competing with WTAM/1100.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

It won't be easy. He has to compete with WELW/1330 well before he can even dream about competing with WTAM/1100.

I was just thinking about that as I was heading home today. With a Lake County oriented morning show, he's going direct up against WELW - which started its own local AM drive show not long ago ("Wake Up, Lake County" from 7-9 AM weekdays).

As far as spots go, my guess is that HS play-by-play will be Gary Richards' entry into local businesses. How this translates to the rest of the day, I don't know.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Update: An OMW reader points out that the "Talk 1460" site has been revamped, though no streaming audio, yet.

http://talk1460.com

Some more clues to "Joe Cleveland"'s identity in this tongue in cheek bio, but some stations on his resume:

http://talk1460.com/page5.php

...moments of joy and sorrow in radio, while living in places with unlikely names, like Eugene, Oregon, and Ketchikan, Alaska. I was also fortunate to work at great stations, including CD101 in Columbus, KINK in Portland, Oregon, and 103.7 the Mountain in Seattle.

And lookie here!

http://talk1460.com/page2.php

At the bottom of the "History" section, mostly borrowed from Wikipedia:

On July 26, 2011, both Cleveland Scene Magazine and Ohio Media Watch reported that WABQ would flip to a progressive talk format on August 1, 2011. The change came about due to an LMA agreement with veteran radio station executive Gary Richards, who had prviously run Columbus station WVKO AM 1580 as a progressive talk outlet.e

The actual flip occured on August 4, which ended a nearly five year run for AM 1460 with the gospel format.

Maybe Gary doesn't hate me after all.

 

[vjm]

Update: An OMW reader points out that the "Talk 1460" site has been revamped, though no streaming audio, yet.

http://talk1460.com

Some more clues to "Joe Cleveland"'s identity in this tongue in cheek bio, but some stations on his resume:

http://talk1460.com/page5.php

...moments of joy and sorrow in radio, while living in places with unlikely names, like Eugene, Oregon, and Ketchikan, Alaska. I was also fortunate to work at great stations, including CD101 in Columbus, KINK in Portland, Oregon, and 103.7 the Mountain in Seattle.

And lookie here!

http://talk1460.com/page2.php

At the bottom of the "History" section, mostly borrowed from Wikipedia:

On July 26, 2011, both Cleveland Scene Magazine and Ohio Media Watch reported that WABQ would flip to a progressive talk format on August 1, 2011. The change came about due to an LMA agreement with veteran radio station executive Gary Richards, who had prviously run Columbus station WVKO AM 1580 as a progressive talk outlet.e

The actual flip occured on August 4, which ended a nearly five year run for AM 1460 with the gospel format.

Maybe Gary doesn't hate me after all.

WABQ copied all of their personal history on their website from their Wikipedia page.

I should know...I am the one who put a lot of the info on the Wiki page (giving credit where credit's due, Nathan Orbal also filled in some details) I included the links to The Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) and Cleveland Scene as references, as well as the little blurb about Gary.

So Gary...you're welcome.

On Wiki, I'm known as vjmlhds (vjm was taken).

 

[gabigley1]

Update: An OMW reader points out that the "Talk 1460" site has been revamped, though no streaming audio, yet.
Maybe Gary doesn't hate me after all.

Yes, that is very shocking. How dare you call his old Columbus progressive talker, WVKO-AM, a "3,200 watt internet repeater!"

BTY, I tried to email Gary at the email address on the site but it bounced back. I'm curious how soon he plans on streaming this station. He dose plan on streaming the station, I have been told by one of his contacts. Sure would like to hear his new station in Columbus, again. I'm sure
he will have it up and running in the Fall, at the latest, for his HS Football broadcasts. He going to need all the help he can get in the evening time, when the Night patten is on.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Update: An OMW reader points out that the "Talk 1460" site has been revamped, though no streaming audio, yet.
Maybe Gary doesn't hate me after all.

Yes, that is very shocking. How dare you call his old Columbus progressive talker, WVKO-AM, a "3,200 watt internet repeater!"

Well, it was "Columbus' 3,200 Watt Internet Transmitter."

WVKO somehow didn't have a satellite receiver, which made for some odd program transitions (i.e., being unable to run Bill Press one day because his show's public webstream was down, so The Young Turks aired instead).

As the Primary(tm) put it, this wasn't 'Hooterville.' This was Columbus. Even with the built-in audience WVKO had vis-a-vis the "Ohio Majority Project," that was still a cheap and shabby way to run a station based in a Top 40 market.

BTY, I tried to email Gary at the email address on the site but it bounced back. I'm curious how soon he plans on streaming this station. He dose plan on streaming the station, I have been told by one of his contacts.

I think his first priority is to get enough working equipment first. The only times the station sounds "normal" is when there is live-assisted board-oping. Listening to Thom Hartmann's show, it's just a straight up feed from his show, with no automation, no station IDs or CNN newscast. To overcome THAT will be a significant task.

The studios in Painesville were built in 1959, and sure look like it today.

Sure would like to hear his new station in Columbus, again. I'm sure
he will have it up and running in the Fall, at the latest, for his HS Football broadcasts. He going to need all the help he can get in the evening time, when the Night patten is on.

The high school football season is too darn close for him to be able to schedule games this year. You need permission from the schools districts first, then get enough ad clients in order to afford the broadcasts. Trust me, I'm involved in the racket - he can't just go to a random football field and call a game via an un-equalized telephone line, and expect $$$ to flow into the station.

That takes months to set up. Not two weeks.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

The high school football season is too darn close for him to be able to schedule games this year. You need permission from the schools districts first, then get enough ad clients in order to afford the broadcasts. Trust me, I'm involved in the racket - he can't just go to a random football field and call a game via an un-equalized telephone line, and expect $$$ to flow into the station.

That takes months to set up. Not two weeks.

Gary must be lurking, as he's put up a rather extensive season schedule of HSFB games, with all but one slot filled (one TBA). Looks like all games involving at least one Lake County or nearby team.

If there's one thing Gary can do pretty much with his eyes closed, it's setting up a high school sports schedule. He's been doing it nearly longer than you've been alive, Nathan. He's probably been working on this for longer than two weeks, since before the LMA was announced.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The high school football season is too darn close for him to be able to schedule games this year. You need permission from the schools districts first, then get enough ad clients in order to afford the broadcasts. Trust me, I'm involved in the racket - he can't just go to a random football field and call a game via an un-equalized telephone line, and expect $$$ to flow into the station.

That takes months to set up. Not two weeks.

Gary must be lurking, as he's put up a rather extensive season schedule of HSFB games, with all but one slot filled (one TBA). Looks like all games involving at least one Lake County or nearby team.

If there's one thing Gary can do pretty much with his eyes closed, it's setting up a high school sports schedule. He's been doing it nearly longer than you've been alive, Nathan. He's probably been working on this for longer than two weeks, since before the LMA was announced.

Haha! I just saw that as well (it must have just been posted). Indeed, he probably worked on that for quite some time.

I stand corrected.

 

[gabigley1]

The games are posted here:

http://talk1460.com/

I figured 1460 would have a full weekly schedule of HS football because the station signed on in early August. Also, I expect he will have a full schedule of HS Basketball this Winter, like he did when he ran WVKO-AM in Columbus... Not necessary a huge technical endeavor for Gary.
When he ran his basketball games in 2008 on WVKO-AM, it appeared he used a low quality cellphone because the audio quality was that bad. With all the noise, and very poor audio quality, I could hardly understand a word he said. Those basketball games on WVKO-AM almost sounded like just pure noise to me. Not sure why he would even bother with them and I doubt he had many(if any) listeners.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The games are posted here:

http://talk1460.com/

I figured 1460 would have a full weekly schedule of HS football because the station signed on in early August. Also, I expect he will have a full schedule of HS Basketball this Winter, like he did when he ran WVKO-AM in Columbus... Not necessary a huge technical endeavor for Gary.
When he ran his basketball games in 2008 on WVKO-AM, it appeared he used a low quality cellphone because the audio quality was that bad. With all the noise, and very poor audio quality, I could hardly understand a word he said. Those basketball games on WVKO-AM almost sounded like just pure noise to me. Not sure why he would even bother with them and I doubt he had many(if any) listeners.

While as WBKC (when it was a WCLV/104.9 repeater) the station did stream audio. I don't know how he'd try to stream WABQ, but it would have to be the same means that he streamed WVKO.

Remember... WABQ's studio/transmitter facility is technologically inferior, and that's being charitable.

 

[Tim]

I drove down the driveway at WABQ while out on a drive a month or so.

The long driveway was muddy, full of ruts, the stations' parking lot was in bad shape, several bullet holes were in the front door, and weeds were grown up all around the front of the building, several windows were broken, paint faded...it was sad looking. Frankly, it looked like the stations was out of business (without turning the radio on).

 

[gabigley1]

Wow, How much is this station worth? It doesn't appear the present owners are maintaining the station at all.

Gary said he will be streaming "soon". I can't wait!

But wait, This was just posted(NOT BY ME) on the 1460 progtalk website forum page:

Does Liberal Talk really stand a chance? Especially against giants such as Clear Channel? Unfortunately, I say no. It won't be long before this frequency will be blasting gospel music or second rate sports talk...sorry, but I have seen this story before in Columbus....nice try...

Maybe 1460 will be blasting blasting gospel music again and before they are able to stream progtalk on 1460

 

[gabigley1]

Talk/ProgTalk 1460 is now hiring. Maybe they will concentrate on Lake County after all! When they had WVKO-AM in Columbus, they frequently
aired announcements on the station saying they paid "THE TOP SALES COMMISSION IN TOWN"(Columbus) for ADVERTISING SALES representatives.

http://jobs.morningjournal.com/jobwall.asp?ID=1048

Employer: Talk 1460 WABQ
Position: ADVERTISING SALES

ADVERTISING SALES
Talk 1460 WABQ is looking for a local Lake County Sales Representative. Outside sales exp. required. Send resume to:

SALES COMMISSION IN TOWN"

 

[Rusty Muck]

Talk/ProgTalk 1460 is now hiring. Maybe they will concentrate on Lake County after all! When they had WVKO-AM in Columbus, they frequently
aired announcements on the station saying they paid "THE TOP SALES COMMISSION IN TOWN"(Columbus) for ADVERTISING SALES representatives.

http://jobs.morningjournal.com/jobwall.asp?ID=1048

Employer: Talk 1460 WABQ
Position: ADVERTISING SALES

ADVERTISING SALES
Talk 1460 WABQ is looking for a local Lake County Sales Representative. Outside sales exp. required. Send resume to:

SALES COMMISSION IN TOWN"

Ooooookay. I saw that a few days ago. He'll need all the help he can get in the sales department.

The Lorain Journal likely had the ad because they are sister papers to the Lake County News-Herald (which actually is in the same service area that WABQ is), so it might make sense that he got a two-for-one deal.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Wow, How much is this station worth? It doesn't appear the present owners are maintaining the station at all.

We've covered this before, and I've said it over and over again. The station has received very little attention since the late-90s, and has been ignored IN LAKE COUNTY ever since it became a repeater of WCLV. Dale Edwards tried to unload it two years ago, but had the farcical dream of valuing it at nearly $2M dollars - and no takers ever came forward.

Gary said he will be streaming "soon". I can't wait!

Give him time to get the proper working equipment. By "soon," he might mean the end of the month, or the end of the year. Please be patient and not repeatedly beg on here for an inconsequential web stream to be established.

For all we know, it could be something far, far beyond his control. None of us on here are capable of turning on a webstream to satisfy your desire.

But wait, This was just posted(NOT BY ME) on the 1460 progtalk website forum page:

Does Liberal Talk really stand a chance? Especially against giants such as Clear Channel? Unfortunately, I say no. It won't be long before this frequency will be blasting gospel music or second rate sports talk...sorry, but I have seen this story before in Columbus....nice try...

Maybe 1460 will be blasting blasting gospel music again and before they are able to stream progtalk on 1460

Relax.

gabigley, you're probably the only one on here that has been so run up into a panic about the station, and by some random anonymous post by a random anonymous person no one will ever know or care about. This isn't that hard to understand... it isn't rocket science.

So, to explain for the 10,000th time:

The station will NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER be competitive as a full-market Cleveland signal. It can only succeed by targeting the far east side of Cleveland, portions of eastern Cuyahoga County, and Lake County. And Lake County isn't a liberal hotbed by any means.

WABQ has been neglected FOR DECADES and is severely outdated. Outside from the handful of people that tuned into the morning news block, the station has had ZERO audience for years. It didn't bill anything, and it has languished on the market for two years with no takers.

The station has so many problems, it's a miracle that they are still on the air.

Are you not taking into consideration all of the obstacles that Gary R. has to be going through? For crying out loud, just because he has so many problems to deal with, streaming is probably not a top priority for him... if it's even possible. And there are still stations out there that are successful without streaming their audio online.

I'm sorry, I try to be nice with you and others who get so panicked about insignificant stuff like this, but this is really starting to get on my nerves.

THE STATION WILL NOT FAIL JUST BECAUSE GARY IS NOT ABLE TO STREAM IT. GIVE HIM THE TIME AND PATIENCE TO RESOLVE THE MYRIAD OF PROBLEMS AT ONE RADIO PLACE, IF IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE. WHO KNOWS EXACTLY HOW BAD A SITUATION THIS IS FOR HIM? I DON'T RULE OUT HIS ACTUALLY MAKING IT COMPETITIVE, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE A LONG WAY AWAY.

Remember... 'baby steps.'

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

A SLIGHTLY different view than my own Secondary Voice...but only slightly.

WABQ does need some form of streaming to A) help overcome its broadcast facility's weaknesses, even in Lake County and B) to reach out to its niche audience.

But a turn back into reality here - that's about 286th on Gary's "to do list", and will probably only happen because it's pretty easy to set up and not all that costly for the bandwidth a small station like WABQ would use.

So, the word "need" above is pretty weak. And as much as gabigley and other fans of the former WVKO want it, Gary has no "need" to cater to his former audience in Columbus. He's not running "WVKO North" here, he's running a Lake County radio station that can be heard in Cleveland if you're not under a power line.

 

[gabigley1]

A SLIGHTLY different view than my own Secondary Voice...but only slightly.

WABQ does need some form of streaming to A) help overcome its broadcast facility's weaknesses, even in Lake County and B) to reach out to its niche audience.

Agree with you 100% on that one. WABQ needs all the help it can get to be heard in the Cleveland Metro area, because as this poster on the WABQ site said, most of all of it's potential listeners will be Cleveland, and NOT Lake County. Lake County is not much of a Progressive Radio market
so streaming is a must.
I thought Columbus was the most Progressive of the major cities in Ohio. Looks like I'm wrong and Progressive Talk will have a fighting chance in Cleveland, unlike Columbus where it failed on two different radio stations.

via WABQ forum:
Sean O'Connell
8/17/2011 7:09:03 PM

Hey, lets remember that Cleveland is the most Progressive of the major cities in the state! If the station had more power i'm sure that The Cleve would welcome a change for the Drugster and TRIV on the "other" station!!
(WABQ you gotta have a live stream online)

 

[gabigley1]

So, the word "need" above is pretty weak. And as much as gabigley and other fans of the former WVKO want it, Gary has no "need" to cater to his former audience in Columbus. He's not running "WVKO North" here, he's running a Lake County radio station that can be heard in Cleveland if you're not under a power line.

I noticed Gary did not include WVKO-AM, WVKO-FM and WWCD in his WABQ bio. It appears he wants to forget all the years worked in Columbus radio. Why else would he want to change the name he used in Columbus from Gary Richards to Gary Webster when he gets back to Cleveland?

http://talk1460.com/page5.php

Gary Webster

Gary Webster is a graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in electronic communications.

Prior to the new Talk 1460 WABQ, Gary worked for WBKC in Chardon, Ohio, 1979-1982 as both morning and afternoon drive disk jockey, sports director including play by play of Chardon High basketball, program director, music director, and interview show host.
Gary has been with WBKC/WABQ in Painesville since 1990 as both a contributor and later host of both the morning and afternoon news blocks, disk jockey, producer, interview show host, sportscaster (play by play and color commentator for high school football and basketball) and operations manager.

 

[zrl]

[/quote]

Why else would he want to change the name he used in Columbus from Gary Richards to Gary Webster when he gets back to Cleveland?


[/quote]
Gary Richards & Gary Webster are two different guys.