810 AM

[SEMPERFIRADIO]

810 AM

IS THE CURRENT FORMAT ON 810 AM A GOOD FIT?
IF NOT THEN ANY SUGGESTIONS???

 

[Onesimus]

Re: 810 AM

I'm not sure I can't understand it! They do have a smoking-hot sales rep named Bonnie working for them. I need to give her a call and find out if she's single!

 

[IKE_IKE_Baby]

Re: 810 AM

IS THE CURRENT FORMAT ON 810 AM A GOOD FIT?
IF NOT THEN ANY SUGGESTIONS???

Dear Russ Dodge..... No one is going to bale you out here. Figure it out. Your "THE" super answer to Central Indiana radio are you not? I know the folks at Raven broadcasting are still so dreamy about your stunning performance there. Maybe you could call Barnett, or Isenhart and pay them a consultant fee to fix what you have broken. Or, or better yet, ask that high powered super PD you hired in, or call that consultant friend of yours and spend more money you dont have and are not making.

I figure you have about 45 to 90 days left. Tic Toc, Tic Toc.

 

[IKE_IKE_Baby]

Re: 810 AM

I'm not sure I can't understand it! They do have a smoking-hot sales rep named Bonnie working for them. I need to give her a call and find out if she's single!

Dude. Put down the pipe and just back away from it. You can get help, there are meetings for people in your condition.

 

[dave388]

Re: 810 AM

im confused..... what did i miss?

 

[Onesimus]

Re: 810 AM

Thanks Ike! Is 810 "Mexican Country"...or is that the format on the FM? I DO like Russ Dodge (not in the same way I'm attracted to one of his AE's though lol).

 

[IKE_IKE_Baby]

Re: 810 AM

Thanks Ike! Is 810 "Mexican Country"...or is that the format on the FM? I DO like Russ Dodge (not in the same way I'm attracted to one of his AE's though lol).

Ohhhh, I am not sure whether Semerfiradio is the PD over there or if its Dodge, either way in a sick twisted way its amusing to watch a Train Wreck.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

Re: 810 AM

Russ IS a good GM and salesperson. In the case of Raven and Continental both were/are train wrecks waiting too happen.

Raven is seeing all the Byrd money flushed down the hole. For their sake I hope they don't buy the FM and put something less expensive , with more return, on WXLW. Continental owns the station and doesn't have a large note. Yes they have been flashing cash lately.

Continental also has competition now that they didn't before from Davidson.

 

[Timewarp]

Re: 810 AM

I'd say with 100,000 Hispanics in Central Indiana Spanish is a good idea for 810. Really,
what else would you do with 250 watts on 810 AM?

 

[MACK184]

Re: 810 AM

Can you help out an old gentleman? I guess I'm missing something here. I was the OM at WSYW/WSYW-FM when the switch to spanish was done on the AM. Has something changed on 810? I haven't been in Indy for some years now. A little update would be nice.

 

[N_D_Radioguy]

Re: 810 AM

Dear Russ Dodge..... No one is going to bale you out here.

I don't follow... what does hay have to do with all this?

Oh... BAIL out... now I understand.

 

[Wazzie]

Re: 810 AM

what else would you do with 250 watts on 810 AM?

Seriously? Turn it off and help clean up the AM band a bit.

 

[kirkiefan]

Re: 810 AM

I have heard that 810 was hispanic programming. Years ago it aired beautiful music as WATI "Concept 810" which was a low key and modest operation of two reel to reel machines and an old vintage comsole from the 1940s or 50s. It formerly operated out of WTTV's South Indy studio building when both were still owned by Sarkes Tarzian. Later I think it aired soul gospel throughout a good part of the 1980s.

No Wikipedia article exists for WSYW let alone a website.

 

[MACK184]

Re: 810 AM

what else would you do with 250 watts on 810 AM?

Seriously? Turn it off and help clean up the AM band a bit.

Actually there's a bit of an interesting story here. When I was at WSYW, we got a temporary OK to operate with a low power night service, I seem to remember it being about 15 watts. I had bought an LPB transmitter to run the low power, and now I can't remember whether it was Mike Rabey or Max Turner who installed it, but it was one of those two. We also got an OK to gas up the day power to 984 watts. {which never happened} All of this was conditional on filing some necessary paperwork, and essentially getting permission from WGY in Schenectady. After I left, which was early in 1999, they never filed the paperwork, and they lost their opportunity to get 24hour service and a higher day power.

 

[IndyDan]

Re: 810 AM

I have heard that 810 was hispanic programming. Years ago it aired beautiful music as WATI "Concept 810" which was a low key and modest operation of two reel to reel machines and an old vintage comsole from the 1940s or 50s. It formerly operated out of WTTV's South Indy studio building when both were still owned by Sarkes Tarzian. Later I think it aired soul gospel throughout a good part of the 1980s.

I worked for WGRT in Danville when they (Universal Broadcasting, i.e. the Warshaws) bought WATI from Sarkes Tarzian. I know the late Paul Bohrer, engineer at the time, was glad to see it go.
The WATI calls were swapped with the FM, which became easy listening/big band using a mix of Drake-Chenault reels along with some homebrew reels running on 4-Otari 10" machines with a programmable sequencer and an old AMPRO board (which later shorted out and burnt up one night after sign off) There was a staff working there, but we only read the weather once an hour and ran what few spots we had on carts during breaks. Otherwise, we did not talk...it made for a nice, boring 8 hour shift. Larry Scott did the liners for us and was PD. Later on Howdy Bell was hired to do a live morning show. It pretty much was a flop and the station finally went to Satellite country, still using the WATI calls. It did eventually switch back to WGRT-FM.
Meanwhile, the AM (Now WGRT-AM) was located downtown in the Merchants building and ran black gospel music as a daytimer. I recall doing a fill-in shift there one weekend, mainly running taped programs.
Finally, the FM moved to new studios on Indy Court on the westside and became classical WSYW, Symphony 107. A new taller tower was built north of Danville and the audio was fed via a STL link. Later, the AM was moved from downtown to Indy court and became YO! 810. I know it ran Radio Aahs for a while, but cannot remember if it was before or after YO.
I was involved with the construction of the new FM studios on the westside and was there the night we put it on the air for testing and a general shakedown for some bugs. Nice place...new Auditronics consoles, ITC Deltas, Otari open reels, Technics turntables, custom furniture..unlike anything the station ever had before. The old tower and studio site is still just north of Danville, but the last I heard, the tower is being used for commercial repeaters and two-way equipment.
The AM always had a decent signal for only 250 watts. I could hear it in Cincinnati many times with no problem. Don't know if they're still using the Nautel transmitter or not. I remember about the time it was installed, a tower crew had to come in because the tower was leaning and had to be re-guyed before it crashed. Seems like Max became the contract engineer for the place not too long after Steve Ross left and a new GM was hired.

 

[Hoosierky]

Re: 810 AM

Is their tower now at Harding St and the White River??

 

[IndyDan]

Re: 810 AM

Is their tower now at Harding St and the White River??

Yes, same place it has been for years. I think it was further north many years ago when the station had the WIGO callsign...this would have been back in the 60's.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

Re: 810 AM

810 has a good but day signal only. Understand the programming is excellent but all I hear is Hispanic programming...lol.


Davidson Media bought the best signal for Hispanics 1590 5 kw.

Davidson "speaks the language" and has the unfair advantage over old white guys that don't. Am isn't a problem for the Latino pop.

 

[MACK184]

Re: 810 AM

I have heard that 810 was hispanic programming. Years ago it aired beautiful music as WATI "Concept 810" which was a low key and modest operation of two reel to reel machines and an old vintage comsole from the 1940s or 50s. It formerly operated out of WTTV's South Indy studio building when both were still owned by Sarkes Tarzian. Later I think it aired soul gospel throughout a good part of the 1980s.

I worked for WGRT in Danville when they (Universal Broadcasting, i.e. the Warshaws) bought WATI from Sarkes Tarzian. I know the late Paul Bohrer, engineer at the time, was glad to see it go.
The WATI calls were swapped with the FM, which became easy listening/big band using a mix of Drake-Chenault reels along with some homebrew reels running on 4-Otari 10" machines with a programmable sequencer and an old AMPRO board (which later shorted out and burnt up one night after sign off) There was a staff working there, but we only read the weather once an hour and ran what few spots we had on carts during breaks. Otherwise, we did not talk...it made for a nice, boring 8 hour shift. Larry Scott did the liners for us and was PD. Later on Howdy Bell was hired to do a live morning show. It pretty much was a flop and the station finally went to Satellite country, still using the WATI calls. It did eventually switch back to WGRT-FM.
Meanwhile, the AM (Now WGRT-AM) was located downtown in the Merchants building and ran black gospel music as a daytimer. I recall doing a fill-in shift there one weekend, mainly running taped programs.
Finally, the FM moved to new studios on Indy Court on the westside and became classical WSYW, Symphony 107. A new taller tower was built north of Danville and the audio was fed via a STL link. Later, the AM was moved from downtown to Indy court and became YO! 810. I know it ran Radio Aahs for a while, but cannot remember if it was before or after YO.
I was involved with the construction of the new FM studios on the westside and was there the night we put it on the air for testing and a general shakedown for some bugs. Nice place...new Auditronics consoles, ITC Deltas, Otari open reels, Technics turntables, custom furniture..unlike anything the station ever had before. The old tower and studio site is still just north of Danville, but the last I heard, the tower is being used for commercial repeaters and two-way equipment.
The AM always had a decent signal for only 250 watts. I could hear it in Cincinnati many times with no problem. Don't know if they're still using the Nautel transmitter or not. I remember about the time it was installed, a tower crew had to come in because the tower was leaning and had to be re-guyed before it crashed. Seems like Max became the contract engineer for the place not too long after Steve Ross left and a new GM was hired.

As far as the progression of programming on 810, YO! was first, then Radio Ahhs, then they put on ABC's Real Country, which is about the time that I came along there. When we were running Real Country, we also sold a ton of block talk programs. It was almost like cable access. Anyone with $50 could buy a half hour. We had nutrition shows, a guy who was a mechanic during the week who played music by new local bands, a group I refered to as "The Witches" a group of new-age women who talked about all sorts of stuff. Then, when the FM went Smooth Jazz, we put the classical format over on 810 for about 3 months. I always thought that was a horrible decision, but I was out-voted on that one. Finally came the switch to spanish, and I guess it has been that ever since. Max Turner was the contract engineer when I got there, and with Max being there that also included the services of Jeff Goode and all of the Susquehanna engineers. Mike Rabey also helped us out from time to time.

 

[IndyDan]

Re: 810 AM

Finally came the switch to spanish, and I guess it has been that ever since. Max Turner was the contract engineer when I got there, and with Max being there that also included the services of Jeff Goode and all of the Susquehanna engineers. Mike Rabey also helped us out from time to time.

All very good engineers. Not sure what Max is up to these days. I met him when I was working at WTUX and a crew was there to paint the WFMS/WTLC tower on Hawthorne Lane. He was concerned that some of the guys were drinking and he didn't want them up on the tower for obvious reasons, but I would drink (heavily) too, if I had to climb those things every day! I think 107.1 must hold the record in this area for the most format changes since it first went on the air back in '75.