This morning at 10am the 1600 WULM staff walked out. The station was set up so it could run on its own through Monday. Months of not getting pay on time, the expectation to bring our own paper towels and toilet paper to work,bathrooms not being cleaned for months, the owners not helping sell when we needed the help, staff being expected to carry 3 job titles another carrying 7, pay of only $6.00 an hour (until minimum wage went up), the weight of a $700,000 loan on our backs and the truth that the owners with no involvment in the day to day operation of their own station was to much. The hope is that others don't look down upon us for walking away. We love radio but the burden of dealing with years of mistakes under the light handed management of the owners has brought this station to its knees. We did not want to go down with the ship! The station is currently in the process of hoping it can be sold.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
1600 WULM Staff walked out today!
- Thread starter gr8oldies
- Start date
I don't blame you. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
You should be commended for your love of radio that kept you going for so long under those circumstances. Don't think I could've last that long. I enjoyed the station. Keep your collective chin up...something better is out there somewhere but it may not be in radio, you know. Best of luck.
P
PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
The webstream sounds like s**t. Just tuned in, it's muddy and WAY over modulated... and the volume is too low.
Well, even my worst radio story can touch that. That sucks. Good luck to you guys.
Good for you, Gr8! It sounds like the owners could give a damn about the station or its employees. If they want to keep the station going, they can sweat it out and find out how difficult it can be to carry out the day-to-day operations of the station, especially one that, from the sound of it, was incredibly short-staffed.
Best of luck to you and the rest of the WULM staff. I hope you guys land on your feet soon under better conditions.
Best of luck to you and the rest of the WULM staff. I hope you guys land on your feet soon under better conditions.
P
PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
What's this $700,000 Loan about? I see Urban Light Ministries ownbership of WULM(Ex WBLY) turns 5 years old in 2 months. They purchased the station accordung to the APA ( http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=66573 ) for $250,000!!
They own stations in Georgia too,m not to ofar from me. Oh puke, I wonder what those places are like!
They own stations in Georgia too,m not to ofar from me. Oh puke, I wonder what those places are like!
P
PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
Under the name Urban Light Ministries, Inc.. they only own WULM-AM.
However, under the names Tifton Broadcasting Corp and Omega Broadcasting Corp, they own WTIF-AM&FM and WYJF-FM..
However, under the names Tifton Broadcasting Corp and Omega Broadcasting Corp, they own WTIF-AM&FM and WYJF-FM..
As I understand it from sources who are probably knowledgeable:
The station, as it sits, has little tangible property (other than a transmitter and, perhaps, some associated
audio and STL equipment). Urban Light Ministries has been leasing studio space from Clear Channel. They
lease tower space from Radio One.
In short...all the station is: a piece of paper (the license) and the little tangible property that exists.
A station that is (basically) a daytimer at 1600 on the AM Band with no multiples and limited, if any, cash
flow is worth about $75,000. That's it. Due to the outrageous loan that financed the station, the bank
won't accept gracious offers that are well more than what Urban Light Ministries originally paid for.
The station has not shown up, nor does it currently show up in any Dayton area ratings survey, nor has it
since the WBLY era. In fact, as I understand, most Springfield residents still refer to it as WBLY.
The bank is crazy. They will never see $700,000 grand from anyone who knows anything about radio.
So, line up suckers! You, too...can own a radio station if the price is right!
I'd love to see someone get a hold of this property and provide good local community radio on that frequency.
Music is unimportant. No one listens to AM for music. Put a solid base of community information on, do the Ag markets, the school lunch menus, high school football and basketball, and play some recognizable adult oriented tunes to fill the gaps between the information...and you might turn a profit with it.
Otherwise, (and I truly hate to say this), it should go silent.
The station, as it sits, has little tangible property (other than a transmitter and, perhaps, some associated
audio and STL equipment). Urban Light Ministries has been leasing studio space from Clear Channel. They
lease tower space from Radio One.
In short...all the station is: a piece of paper (the license) and the little tangible property that exists.
A station that is (basically) a daytimer at 1600 on the AM Band with no multiples and limited, if any, cash
flow is worth about $75,000. That's it. Due to the outrageous loan that financed the station, the bank
won't accept gracious offers that are well more than what Urban Light Ministries originally paid for.
The station has not shown up, nor does it currently show up in any Dayton area ratings survey, nor has it
since the WBLY era. In fact, as I understand, most Springfield residents still refer to it as WBLY.
The bank is crazy. They will never see $700,000 grand from anyone who knows anything about radio.
So, line up suckers! You, too...can own a radio station if the price is right!
I'd love to see someone get a hold of this property and provide good local community radio on that frequency.
Music is unimportant. No one listens to AM for music. Put a solid base of community information on, do the Ag markets, the school lunch menus, high school football and basketball, and play some recognizable adult oriented tunes to fill the gaps between the information...and you might turn a profit with it.
Otherwise, (and I truly hate to say this), it should go silent.
P
PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
Ok, I stand corrected.....
They sold them in 2004. If you look back to FCC apps from '04.. it shows WTIF-AM&FM and WJYF-FM as being owned by a corporation and 1051 Shine Road in Springfield, Ohio.
Or, maybe am I horribly mis-reading this.......... could WTIF-AM&FM and WJYF-FM have been owned nby the people who sold 1600 to ULM?
They sold them in 2004. If you look back to FCC apps from '04.. it shows WTIF-AM&FM and WJYF-FM as being owned by a corporation and 1051 Shine Road in Springfield, Ohio.
Or, maybe am I horribly mis-reading this.......... could WTIF-AM&FM and WJYF-FM have been owned nby the people who sold 1600 to ULM?
K
kirkiefan
Guest
I hurt for you guys there in Springfield....you gave it your best shot. Hope someone buys the station soon and keeps it in Springfield. I enjoyed listening to WULM since the summer of 2003. Hope they keep the oldies and classic hits too!
D
DaytonRadio
Guest
kirkiefan said:I hurt for you guys there in Springfield....you gave it your best shot. Hope someone buys the station soon and keeps it in Springfield. I enjoyed listening to WULM since the summer of 2003. Hope they keep the oldies and classic hits too!
best wishes to the current (or now former) staff. coming from someone who worked there, albeit three years ago, i feel your pain.
D
darrentandy
Guest
Are you serious? You were expected to bring your own toilet paper????!!! I will NEVER call my employer cheap s.o.b.'s again! Hang in there Gr8. You're going to find something much better.
K
kozmickitsch
Guest
Gr8, I know where your heart is right now. It's agonizing to walk away from something you love to do. I hope that no one looked down on me when I did the same thing, but I'm sure there were bad feelings surrounding it. Minimum wage going up must have made getting paychecks on time, or at all, even harder. And I remember many Saturdays during Larry's show that I spent scrubbing toilets.
Food for thought, however: Urban Light purchased WBLY from the Yontzes for only $400,000. Leaves one to wonder where the other $300,000 went? And the Yontzes do own the Georgia stations.
Again, I hope you guys have forgiven me for walking out on you, I just came to the same conclusion sooner. Some days I would give up anything to be back in radio, but most of them I remember how burned out I became working 80 hour weeks and getting paid for 40 and rarely getting a day off. Not a great first experience in radio.
I wish you all the best, please pass that on to the others.
Michelle
Food for thought, however: Urban Light purchased WBLY from the Yontzes for only $400,000. Leaves one to wonder where the other $300,000 went? And the Yontzes do own the Georgia stations.
Again, I hope you guys have forgiven me for walking out on you, I just came to the same conclusion sooner. Some days I would give up anything to be back in radio, but most of them I remember how burned out I became working 80 hour weeks and getting paid for 40 and rarely getting a day off. Not a great first experience in radio.
I wish you all the best, please pass that on to the others.
Michelle
M
MaskMan
Guest
Dear Gr8 and Former Staff: I used to work at a station where the Owner wouldn't get involved and we all watched the once decent ratings drop to nearly nothing. It was sad and frustrating and filled us with anger. At least now you can hold your head high with dignity. I'm in a completely different market, but when I saw the headline on Radio-Info's home page, I just had to post and wish you and the others better days ahead. Good luck to you all!
Dear WULM staffers:
Thanks for the opporitunity to let me do the liners for you in 2004-05. It was a pleasure getting to meet and be with you all. Bob,Michelle,Brad,Larry,Dale and Joe. You all have a passion for this business and even more so for the music you played. Only wish I could have had the opporitunity to meet and talk with John Hall before he passed away. I know he was an inspiration to you all...and I'm sure he's smiling up in Heaven for everything you have done to keep local radio in Springfield under such overwhelming odds. Thank you for letting me be a freind of 1600 WULM.
Peace be with 'ya!
Limp73
Thanks for the opporitunity to let me do the liners for you in 2004-05. It was a pleasure getting to meet and be with you all. Bob,Michelle,Brad,Larry,Dale and Joe. You all have a passion for this business and even more so for the music you played. Only wish I could have had the opporitunity to meet and talk with John Hall before he passed away. I know he was an inspiration to you all...and I'm sure he's smiling up in Heaven for everything you have done to keep local radio in Springfield under such overwhelming odds. Thank you for letting me be a freind of 1600 WULM.
Peace be with 'ya!
Limp73
- Status
- This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.