1550 WZUM

[cingram]

Darn. I guess that means no Eminem.

I'm glad it's not Black Sabbath Month.

Now that it's June, WZUM is operating at its full daytime power from 5:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. This is as long as the day gets for us, so enjoy!

C.

 

[sparks]

Happy Birthday WZUM!!!! Yes our little station is one year old today. It went on the air in its current form on July the 4th 2013. The great news is we have an audience that continues to grow. We have several PSAs running for local organizations. A women drove to our building this week to let me know they have the station on all day at work. The phone has been busy too. I love walking into a store and hearing the station on or having a car pass me with the station on. The station IS providing a service to the community. Not bad for an 1000 watt day / 4 watt night AM station.

There are a lot of things we need to do in order to help the station grow its audience at a faster rate. I had hoped we would have done a few before now but we will get there. The good news is the station does have a revenue stream so it will continue.

A little AM station can live in a crowded metropolitian market. I would like to thank Clarke Ingram for sharing his WZUM dream.

 

[cingram]

With the demise of the adult standards format at WJAS, WZUM is one of only a few remaining stations playing music on the AM dial in Pittsburgh. (The others are WAMO, which exists only to service its FM translator, and WDDZ, which is Radio Disney from a satellite feed.)

I'd like to thank Ed DeHart for taking a chance with the R&B Oldies format, which I thought would find an audience, and indeed it has. The initial work on that format was conducted for the original WZUM on 1590, when several parties thought they might acquire the station (before it went dark and was deleted forever). I'm glad that work wasn't wasted and that the format found a home at 1550.

I'd also like to thank the readers who have pushed this thread over 20,000 views. That speaks to the level of interest in our little AM station.

Long live WZUM!

C.

 

[sparks]

I'd like to thank Ed DeHart for taking a chance with the R&B Oldies format, which I thought would find an audience, and indeed it has.

My business partner, Stephen Zelenko, and I wanted to do something other than talk. We loved your idea of R&B oldies and got the WZUM call.

The good news is the ratings continue to climb. We don't subscribe so I do not have the exact numbers. Stephen calls them and begs for the recent numbers. Last September we found we had a .3. The recent call yielded a simple "higher" ratings report but without the exact number. I can appreciate their reluctance on giving out the information.

We do a lot of local PSAs. The number of groups using our PSA service is increasing too. The groups using WZUM report they do get a response. We have many repeat users of our PSA service. In yesterday's mail was a thank you card from one group thanking us for keeping WZUM on the air for them. We might have a small audience but they do appreciate the format. These groups like having a real local radio station.

Brother Matt from the old WAMO 860 days and 104.7 before it discovered talk, was in today. He has some ideas and might be our first voice over DJ. I would love to find a few more of the former WAMO860 DJs.

The bottom line is WZUM is fun. It serves a community. It is doing what radio should be doing.

 

[meathead]

FYI, taking a cheap shot at one of the best bands in history is not funny in my book, oh!!! but why would you support them, your one-sided format has no room for great music, just yelling and screaming sounds is your bag. For the record, you have no ratings and no listeners, I give this rat trap another few months polluting the dial with that ir·ri·tat·ing sound. If you and your staff would program great oldies, as; Teen Idols, British Invasion, Surf, Country, Garage and other non-R&B talent oldies, you might get some interest

 

[sparks]

FYI, taking a cheap shot at one of the best bands in history is not funny in my book, oh!!! but why would you support them, your one-sided format has no room for great music, just yelling and screaming sounds is your bag. For the record, you have no ratings and no listeners, I give this rat trap another few months polluting the dial with that ir·ri·tat·ing sound. If you and your staff would program great oldies, as; Teen Idols, British Invasion, Surf, Country, Garage and other non-R&B talent oldies, you might get some interest

1. Clark's comments regarding Black Sabbath should be taken as a joke and not as he meant it.

2. There are several stations in the Pittsburgh market playing great oldies so it does not make sense to add one more oldies station which is why the R&B format was appealing. Another oldies station would be lost in the crowd.

 

[sparks]

I was sorry to hear that WJAS went talk. Well until this morning when I received a couple of calls from people looking for a WJAS replacement and found WZUM. One of the callers found WZUM late last night. Never underestimate what a 4 watt signal can do.

 

[KeyTimes950]

To the earlier critic who clearly cannot take a joke, may I suggest you actually turn on AM 1590 and hear what "old school R&B" can sound like. It's not the Teen Idols, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the brand new WPGB bid for overkill or garage bands (some of which can be quite good), but WZUM filled a void formerly filled by WAMO-860 before St. Joseph's Missions bought it. It is a nice place to go when other stations drive you nuts. I also admire WZUM's bid to emulate what WAMO-AM used to do on Sundays. Nicely done.

 

[sparks]

To the earlier critic who clearly cannot take a joke, may I suggest you actually turn on AM 1590

Please turn to 1550 WZUM. The original 1590 is gone even though a number of people tried to save it including Clarke.

The critic might be someone who has been sending very racist e-mail. This mailing list was referenced in an e-mail. The subject matter regarding Black Sabbath and the rest of the rant is similar to the e-mail without the "over the top" comments. Turning on WZUM will not make make a difference. Neither the critic nor the e-mailer understand finding a whole in market place and filling it is good business. His concern is the type of music, the race of the artists, and the race of the listeners.

Thank you very much for the kind comments KeyTimes950. They are very much appreciated.

 

[cingram]

FYI, taking a cheap shot at one of the best bands in history is not funny in my book, oh!!! but why would you support them, your one-sided format has no room for great music, just yelling and screaming sounds is your bag. For the record, you have no ratings and no listeners.

For the record, you have no credibility.

If you want Black Sabbath, WZUM obviously isn't the place to get it. I would humbly suggest that, instead of anonymously spewing hate on a message board, you turn the dial and find a station you like.

Best wishes,

C.

 

[cingram]

I was sorry to hear that WJAS went talk. Well until this morning when I received a couple of calls from people looking for a WJAS replacement and found WZUM. One of the callers found WZUM late last night. Never underestimate what a 4 watt signal can do.

Although the music is different, the demographics are right. I'm also sorry to see WJAS give up playing music, but I have no doubt that some of those people will find, and enjoy, WZUM.

C.

 

[DoctorJamie]

Although the music is different, the demographics are right. I'm also sorry to see WJAS give up playing music, but I have no doubt that some of those people will find, and enjoy, WZUM.

C.

Nice dream, I don't think so, its definitely not the same great music that WJAS played, you must be on some good stuff. Unless I went deaf for awile and missed Frank Elvis John Paul George and Ringo Dean Ricky Steve and Edie Ames Brothers The Andrews Sisters Tony Bennett Pat Boone Teresa Brewer Carpenters Patsy Cline Rosemary Clooney Perry Como Harry Connick, Jr. Bing Crosby Vic Damone Bobby Darin Doris Day John Denver Tommy Dorsey Percy Faith Connie Francis Judy Garland Benny Goodman Tom Jones Frankie Laine Brenda Lee Peggy Lee Henry Mancini Barry Manilow Al Martino The McGuire Sisters Glenn Miller Patti Page Les Paul & Mary Ford Kenny Rogers Artie Shaw Carly Simon Barbra Streisand Mel Torme Andy Williams Roger Williams and all the "OTHER" great artists JAS played THAT YOU DO NOT.... you are definitely "COLOR" blind.

 

[John Gallagher]

DoctorJamie... Nice of you to hide behind your apparent doctor of music credentials. Perhaps 40s on 4 might be more to your liking? Too bad, I think Clarke and everyone at WZUM do one heck of a job.

 

[sparks]

I think Clarke, without listing the artists, simply stated "the music is different". This should have been enough but I guess not. What is "good stuff" is a matter of opinion and you have stated yours. The point being made is WJAS' music format is gone from the Pittsburgh airways. With their absence, given the age of most of their listeners, some of them have found 1550 WZUM. We hope more will find the station in the future.

Thanks eriedj for your comments.

 

[Avid Listener]

DoctorJamie... Nice of you to hide behind your apparent doctor of music credentials. Perhaps 40s on 4 might be more to your liking? Too bad, I think Clarke and everyone at WZUM do one heck of a job.

They do one heck of a job playing one particular, specific genre of music. There is nothing wrong with that. They do not even attempt to play any other genres of music. And, there is nothing wrong with that, either. However, the comment about "the demographics are right" comes across as very disrespectful of the audience, especially people whose taste leans towards genres other than the only one that WZUM plays.

 

[sparks]

the comment about "the demographics are right" comes across as very disrespectful of the audience, especially people whose taste leans towards genres other than the only one that WZUM plays.

Perhaps Clarke should have stated the general age of the former WJAS audience is similar to the age of the typical WZUM listener. No disrespect was meant in using "the demographics are right". He was pointing out based on the ages being similar, many, not all, may find WZUM a reasonable alternative to the now defunct WJAS.

I believe WJAS covered the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. WZUM starts in the mid 1960s and covers through the early 80s. This is why we looked at the age overlap. As far as genres, you might not know my likes and dislikes but Clarke has been a big time PD at places like the old B94 and you can hear voice when 770 plays oldies. I believe he is the last person who would consciously disparaged any music genre.

Thanks for your comments and sorry we did not communicate as clearly as we should have.

 

[cingram]

Ed correctly assessed my intentions. By "the demographics are right," I meant that the audiences are similar in age. So is the music (in age). Not all of WJAS' former listeners will find WZUM, or will like it if they do, but I have no doubt that some of them will. As Ed notes, some already have.

Sorry for any confusion.

C.

 

[KeyTimes950]

My pleasure ... but sorry for misstating the frequency.

 

[spurg]

With respect to demographics, it should be noted that the original WZUM's coverage in Pittsburgh's principal black neighborhoods of the time was somewhat compromised. Much of WZUM's audience for the 1960s R&B format was in mostly white suburbs. As was a substantial part of WAMO's.

 

[sparks]

t should be noted that the original WZUM's coverage in Pittsburgh's principal black neighborhoods of the time was somewhat compromised. Much of WZUM's audience for the 1960s R&B format was in mostly white suburbs. As was a substantial part of WAMO's.

Good point. I think we got it right this time with 1550 WZUM being located in the Braddock area. Pittsburgh has a relativity small minority population. Our 1KW day signal does a great job covering that population. This helped us accept Clarke's proposal for a R&B Oldies format. We had several other suggestions like a top-40 oldies format and one person really wanted us to play polkas all day. Nothing against polkas but it did not seem right for where the station is located.