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1550 WZUM

AM radio is like an old shopping mall with only a handful of stores still open. How many stations on the AM dial are still trying to compete for an audience? KDKA, WJAS, KQV ... and the list starts to falter. (I could make a case for people like Frankie Day on KFB or Candy & Mike on WEDO, but those more properly are specialty shows and are offset by the paid programs airing the rest of the day.)

WZUM has opened another store. It's not a big store, but it's open for business, and hopefully offering a product that listeners like. Bishop Loran Mann is about to open yet another store on 1360. If his Gospel format draws more Black listeners to the AM band, that's more foot traffic in the mall and more good news for AM radio.

I used to say that you had to work twice as hard with AM to get half the results you would with FM. Today, you might have to work five times as hard for one-fifth the result. But I still hold the axiom to be true. You have to put something into AM radio to get something out of it.

C.
 
cingram said:
WZUM has opened another store. It's not a big store, but it's open for business, and hopefully offering a product that listeners like.
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WZUM does not subscribe to Arbitron. We wondered how the station did in September so my business partner called them. We only have one number and that is a .3. This was good enough to make "The Book". I can't remember when the station was last in the book. I had a business meeting at the Savoy Restaurant last night. As I was introduced to a number of people (it was an older crowd) in the restaurant, I was surprised by the number of people who are listeners of the station.

I am posting this to build on Clarke's theory of "You have to put something into AM radio to get something out." I know WDVE isn't worried about WZUM but I would like to dream they are. :)
 
Not sure how many AM stereo aficionados are here locally, I know my radio will actually decode it. I would hazard to guess that there a number of HD radios in newer vehicles that would decode it. I would think the typical listener would notice it as a quality improvement even though they had no concept of what AM stereo was.
 
If I mention WAMO and you think 860, this is meant for you. Brother Matt stopped by the WZUM studios to cut a commercial for the Steals Brothers' concert in November. I had never met him before so I was looking forward to the visit. I regret not recording everything because he had a ton of information about the early days of R&B in Pittsburgh. Maybe I will invite him back to chat about the old days.
 
I am adding a new rule to the WZUM operations manual. Never update the firewall rules on the MP3 streaming server from home. The server is so secure, no one can access it. It will be back later in the morning. Sorry for the grief. The good news if the Windows Media server is still online. http://wmencoder.1550wzum.com:8000
 
Put it underneath this rule: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" I can't tell you how many multi-hour repair projects have been caused by my ignoring this.
 
ArEng said:
Put it underneath this rule: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" I can't tell you how many multi-hour repair projects have been caused by my ignoring this.
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I knew this rule but ignored it since adding a firewall rule is easy and what damage could it do. The server was being unsuccessfully attacked. The increased attacks were coming from Asia so I wanted to nuke all connections from that IP block. For some reason, reloading the firewall rules caused the server to lock up the network. A reboot this morning fix it. From now on, I will follow your advice.
 
sparks said:
The server was being unsuccessfully attacked. The increased attacks were coming from Asia so I wanted to nuke all connections from that IP block.
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I can see the headlines now.

1550 WZUM ATTACKED BY ASIA; RADIO STATION RESPONDS BY LAUNCHING MORE WILSON PICKETT AND JAMES BROWN AT ATTACKERS

We'll have film at 11.

C.
 
cingram said:
I can see the headlines now.

1550 WZUM ATTACKED BY ASIA; RADIO STATION RESPONDS BY LAUNCHING MORE WILSON PICKETT AND JAMES BROWN AT ATTACKERS
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Let's keep our fingers crossed none of them get into it.

While the biggest number of listeners to the stream are local, the number of connections from outside Pittsburgh is growing. People in European and Asian countries are listening. The biggest growth is in Latin American countries with Mexico having a large number of connections.

More people listen to WZUM on smartphones and tablets than computers. The Internet Radio section of iTunes on both Macs and Windows systems is the largest referrer. Of all of the Windows versions in use, Windows Version 7 won for the number of Windows connects. Of the computer users, there are more people using Macs than Windows computers.

This was just an one day sample.
 
Boss Radio said:
Is this board becoming the virtual water cooler for WZUM staffers?
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Considering that the WZUM staff (at the moment) consists of the two co-owners, the consultant, and the guy who calls the Woodland Hills football games ... yeah.

C.
 
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Boss Radio said:
Is this board becoming the virtual water cooler for WZUM staffers?
Click to expand...

I second what Clarke posted regarding the size of the staff.

RadioDiscussions.com offers multiple topics to read and to post your thoughts. In the Pittsburgh category there are several subjects to choose from. No one is locked into this thread. Given the users of this website are interested in radio we feel comfortable in posting information about our station. Non-WZUM staff also post and I appreciate those comments and suggestions.

Few radio station owners let the general population peak behind the curtain. Maybe this has become a virtual water cooler for anyone interested in what is happening to one radio station.

When Stephen, Clarke, and I begin discussing what was on TV last night via this thread, it might be time to quit. For now, it is just about the station. I hope you enjoy the thread. I do.
 
Terrific article, but I feel a need to set the record straight: I never "programmed" in either New York City or Philadelphia. I was on the air in both of those cities, was Operations Manager in Phoenix, and programmed stations in Pittsburgh, Rochester, Tucson, and several other markets.

C.
 
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Kudos. Keep posting info about your station. I think it is great following the trials, tribulations,....and progress. You seem to have the passion, and enjoy what the station is doing. I am over reading boards about another syndicated host added to a corporate station, or another cooking cutter format added to a large market. It is a breath of fresh air.
 
"Around The Water Cooler" is where you 'hear' about what's going on "In The Trenches". Some folks ARE interested in the people that make the decisions, just as much as they care about the results of those decisions. :) Thanks for letting us peek behind the curtain.
 
The listeners and fans of 1550 WZUM are as much a part of the station as we are. Without an audience, we are nothing.

C.
 
Stephen and I met Bishop Loren Mann for lunch today. The only agenda item was for all of us to meet each other as we own AM radio stations in the Pittsburgh area and shared the Art & Entertainment section of the PG last Sunday. If you have heard rumors that he is a really nice guy I can confirm those rumors. We all enjoyed lunch, exchanged business cards, and each went back to their day jobs. The door is open to other future meetings and maybe common projects.

For those staying awake at night wondering when 1360 will return to the air, his goal is to have it on this Friday. It will simulcast WGBN 1150.
 
A new month (November) means new times for WZUM. Today and tomorrow, November 1 and 2, we'll be operating at full daytime power from 8 AM to 6 PM, then on Sunday with the end of Daylight Saving Time those hours will be 7 AM to 5 PM for the remainder of the month.

We're on the air 24 hours a day, but if you have problems hearing our nighttime signal, don't forget our stereo streaming audio at 1550wzum.com. We're also available on TuneIn and iTunes Radio, so take us along with you!

C.
 
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