850 WAIT.

[flip_flop_fly]

Fred Eychaner is a sharp business man. I know it is probably wishful thinking in today's radio world, but I wish he would do with
WAIT what he did with NINE-FM. That is take a chance, he might not be getting great ratings but he is giving Chicago something
different especially for the people who liked ENERGY 927/5 with Dance Factory. I don't listen to dance music that often but I know
a lot of people who listen to it all the time, and sometimes I like to turn it on when I'm in the mood for something different. I
think if he was not making a profit on the FM stations he would have pulled the plug on them already. I don't really want to see
another brokered AM station, I think we have enough already. I know that is probably what he will do with WAIT,but as a person
in my twenties I wish he would put an ez hits/ nostalgia format on, with a real Chicago feel about it, just like with Dance Factory, it would be nice to have the option to listen to something different on the radio. I know some people will say get XM or Sirius or an
Ipod, but if radio owners especially local guys like Fred don't start programming stations that people want to listen to and not just
cookie-cutter formats radio is going to keep losing people. I really love radio and I would like to see it viable for a long time to come.
Unfortunately Fred is was one of the last of the local owners and if he doesn't help save radio as we know it who will Clear Chanel and CBS?

I agree with what you are saying. It would be nice if Eychaner would take more chances.

What I know of him, Eychaner, whose wealth was self-made(no idiot son of a millionaire, he), has contributed to a number of Progressive political candidates, and has been generous to charities, almost to a fault. But when it comes to business, he has very tight purse strings.

That's not to say that he won't take a chance, as evidenced by launching Nine-FM. He is willing to spend when he can be convinced that he is making a solid investment. This is a guy who took Channel 50 from its humble beginnings, and eventually sold it to Fox for nearly a half a billion dollars.

NewsWeb, when it decided to break into radio, found itself in a situation in which deregulation brought about a frenzy of station acquisitions. The price for the city-grade signals that had been up for sale were terribly inflated. And Eychaner is certainly not one to engage in Clear Channel's philosophy of, "buy them now, figure out what to do with them later".

Now, if Clear Channel, or some other massive media conglomerate, were to self-destruct, you might see Fred with his checkbook in hand, if he can pick up a property that he believes is a good value.

Also remember, that despite having only a number of day timer AM stations(the triumvirate that makes up Nine-FM not included) , NewsWeb has tried, unsuccessfully, to change the COL of WNDZ, WAIT, and WCPT, with the intent of eventually going full time. They were able to change the COL of 820-AM to Willow Springs, but were unable to get a night time license. They were unsuccessful at changing the COL of WNDZ 750-AM from Portage, IN to Calumet City, but were able to get a power boost to 15,000 watts during the day. And they got nowhere at all when it came to changing the COL of 850-AM from Crystal Lake to Addison. You have to get them credit for trying to make what they have better, successful or otherwise.

Doing something other than brokered time for 850-AM, and especially WNDZ, would be nice, but having day timer only stations sort of hogties you in a way, especially this time of year, when they have to shut down so early. WCPT probably wouldn't have ended up on 820-AM, as it did recently, had NewsWeb received its approval of a night time license on that frequency. So, looking at it that way, one AM signal that properly covers the city, albeit only during the day, has changed from brokered(Relevant Radio) to commercial(WCPT). I consider it a victory, regardless of political bent. I am hoping that if WCPT can show that it can grow on a better signal, it might convince Mr. Eychaner to loosen those tight purse strings and pay for a local host or two. But I know that will take time.

 

[Link]

Don't blame newsweb for loosing the nostalgia format on 850. It was the current owners of 95.9, 96.7,102.3, 98.3, 1220, 1340 that did it. At the time they said they could not make enough money with the format.

I personally think newsweb is loosing money big time with 9 fm and even on progressive talk. I can't see them taking more chances.

When the government allowed consolidation, because of the limited nature of "public" airways wall street loved its guaranteed profits. Now that people don't care about radio, wall street does not like its declining revenue and its impossible for the government to undo consolidation. I don't believe in the government deciding who "deserves" to broadcast. The only thing you can do is listen to independently owned stations and listen on the computer.

 

[cyberdad]

Regarding a few previous posts....

It is truly unfortunate that in a nation where one one of our founding principles was freedom of speech and expression, that there are those who refuse to respect the opinions of those with whom they might happen to disagree.

 

[StevenGastreich]

Be glad that we actually have some local ownership of radio. There's very little of it, and pissing and moaning about 850-AM not playing Christmas music or Kate Smith or Guy Lombardo or whatever looks like nothing but sour grapes.
I'm not pissing or moaning. I'm simply suggesting Christmas Music. For all I care, they could symocast one of their other stations until they know what they are doing, or ready to roll it out. It just seems like anything would be better than constant bumper music and liners telling people that CPT moved down the dial three places.

 

[SuperRabbitRadio]

Of course, I am not whining about anything, it's others on this board who are whining about Christmas Music.
If Newsweb wants to go all ethnic broker station, so be it! I don't give two peas in a pie! in what they do.
because I don't listen to this station anyway. I just want to see what others on this board have to say,
because I used to listen to AM-850 when it was adult standard music a long while back.....

Previous post of yours...

Well! that's what happens when you get those Cockroaches, who had invaded the airwaves on 850.
and they've stoled from the poor senior citizens who used to listen to nostelgia music when it was used
to be an adult standerd radio station back then.

For someone who doesn't care what happens to the station, your ambivalence seems to carry a lot of bitterness.

By the way, Fred Eychaner didn't "invade" 850-AM; he bought it. As far as I know, that allows him to do what he damned well pleases with it. If Eychaner's acquisition of 850-AM was done nefariously, I suggest you turn over what information you have to authorities immediately.

If the "theft" of adult standards from "poor senior citizens" on 850-AM was such an earth-shattering event, why, after so much time has passed, hasn't it reappeared somewhere else? There are a number of formats that I think belong on the airwaves that don't appear, simply because they would not prove profitable.

Radio is an expensive proposition, and in order to break even, much less turn a profit, one needs to play by the rules of the game. And one of those rules is that older demos don't sell well. Not fair? Perhaps. But it is what it is.

Let me ask you, since you seem to believe standards should reappear on 850-AM, what have you done personally to contact Eychaner and convince him that he should "give back" what he so nastily "stole" from the seniors? What information can you present to him that would disprove what any number of media buyers would tell him? I mean, short of just belly-aching about it. How many of your friends have you convinced to do the same?

Call them him and NewsWeb what you will, but Eychaner and Co. are the cockroaches that hold the license and own the broadcast facility. And until you pony up the cash and buy it from them, it makes you less than a cockroach in this situation.

There is nothing I or any other senior citizens, we can't do nothing about it anyway. If I called Eychaner & Co. on the phone, they've would of told me or any other seiniors to go to hell and hang up! because Newsweb & Eychanar do NOT really care anything about us Senior Citizens and they don't even give a Damn!

Thats why most Senior citizens pack up their bags and move down south were the nostelgia standard are.
you can find these little rinky dink nostelgia standard stations, which are located down in southern Illinios or any southern States AWAY from the BIG CITY were all the young folks are at!!!...

I REST MY CASE!!!!!!!!!!.........

 

[flip_flop_fly]

There is nothing I or any other senior citizens, we can't do nothing about it anyway. If I called Eychaner & Co. on the phone, they've would of told me or any other seiniors to go to hell and hang up! because Newsweb & Eychanar do NOT really care anything about us Senior Citizens and they don't even give a Damn!

Thats why most Senior citizens pack up their bags and move down south were the nostelgia standard are.
you can find these little rinky dink nostelgia standard stations, which are located down in southern Illinios or any southern States AWAY from the BIG CITY were all the young folks are at!!!...

I REST MY CASE!!!!!!!!!!.........

Whatever, pal.

I must say, I also find your theory of senior migration patterns based on available radio programming most fascinating. You must send me the test data on that one.

Looks like you have the perfect formula for getting things done-complain about it, call the people you want help from "cockroaches", then fail to do anything, because you have already convinced yourself that it is a lost cause.

With an attitude like that, you have no right to complain. Just continue to play the victim. You're just so good at it.

I REST MY CASE!!!

 

[flip_flop_fly]

I'm not pissing or moaning. I'm simply suggesting Christmas Music. For all I care, they could symocast one of their other stations until they know what they are doing, or ready to roll it out. It just seems like anything would be better than constant bumper music and liners telling people that CPT moved down the dial three places.

My comments weren't directed at you. Sorry if that impression came across.

I just have no patience for those who spend their time calling people "cockroaches" for attempting to conduct a business the way they see fit. Let me say that I think the politics of a company like Salem are repugnant, but I don't go around reducing their personnel to the level of filthy insects.

But, I guess that's the risk one runs when living in a nation where one of our founding principles was freedom of speech and expression. When one expresses an opinion, another has the right to counter that opinion with their own. I respect anyone's right to speak their mind, just as I have the right to call them out for it. Free speech is a bitch sometimes, ain't it?

You can't really blame NewsWeb for doing what it's doing right now. The signal at 820-AM could probably be more profitable for Eychaner if he brokered the station, so he is taking the chance that Progressive Talk will succeed on this better signal. They want to be sure that every listener of WCPT, including the casual ones that might tune only once in a great while, are aware of the change.

The move from 850-AM to 820-AM occurred less than two weeks ago, though to some, it might seem longer. I would imagine that you might hear the bumper music and liners throughout the month of December, considering they had no lingering commercial inventory left from Relevant Radio that requires airing.

On a related note, I saw the first WCPT billboard in my area, along I-57, just north of Tinley Park. It's the boringest damned billboard you've ever seen, but I'm glad that NewsWeb is trying to get the word out there.

 

[SuperRabbitRadio]

There is nothing I or any other senior citizens, we can't do nothing about it anyway. If I called Eychaner & Co. on the phone, they've would of told me or any other seiniors to go to hell and hang up! because Newsweb & Eychanar do NOT really care anything about us Senior Citizens and they don't even give a Damn!

Thats why most Senior citizens pack up their bags and move down south were the nostelgia standard are.
you can find these little rinky dink nostelgia standard stations, which are located down in southern Illinios or any southern States AWAY from the BIG CITY were all the young folks are at!!!...

I REST MY CASE!!!!!!!!!!.........

Whatever, pal.

I must say, I also find your theory of senior migration patterns based on available radio programming most fascinating. You must send me the test data on that one.

Looks like you have the perfect formula for getting things done-complain about it, call the people you want help from "cockroaches", then fail to do anything, because you have already convinced yourself that it is a lost cause.

With an attitude like that, you have no right to complain. Just continue to play the victim. You're just so good at it.

I REST MY CASE!!!

[size=10pt][size=10pt][size=10pt][size=10pt][size=10pt]THANK YOU!!!
CASE CLOSED!!!
AND I'M OUTTA HERE!!!
GOOD BYE!!!....[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size]

 

[radiotower40]

I saw one of the new billboards on the outbound Kennedy a couple miles north of downtown, I am guessing it's the same type your
seeing flip_flop_fly and yeah they are really boring and generic looking, but like you said at least there trying to get there station
out there. I am not a fan of the station, but what you said is true AM820 has a great signal in the city and I give them credit on
trying the format on the station, because they probably could make a lot more money brokering it. I do think it is going to fair
pretty well though, because for one there transmitter located so close to downtown (Central and Belmont) that you can hear it on
the "L" which is hard to do with AM, and the coverage in the densely populated north side neighborhoods is 100% better than on
AM850, which I have a feeling will boost WCPT'S ratings right away. I think that a lot of people in the areas I just mentioned
will be more willing to listen to the station now that it is clear and you don't lose it every time you drive under power lines.
I have a strange feeling I am one of the few radio geeks who will put up with that kind of static to listen to what I want. My
friends pick on me all the time for it with comment's like "Oh thats great this station comes from Toronto it sounds like bleep
turn on FM. ;D

 

[StevenGastreich]

My comments weren't directed at you. Sorry if that impression came across.

I just have no patience for those who spend their time calling people "cockroaches" for attempting to conduct a business the way they see fit. Let me say that I think the politics of a company like Salem are repugnant, but I don't go around reducing their personnel to the level of filthy insects.

But, I guess that's the risk one runs when living in a nation where one of our founding principles was freedom of speech and expression. When one expresses an opinion, another has the right to counter that opinion with their own. I respect anyone's right to speak their mind, just as I have the right to call them out for it. Free speech is a bitch sometimes, ain't it?

You can't really blame NewsWeb for doing what it's doing right now. The signal at 820-AM could probably be more profitable for Eychaner if he brokered the station, so he is taking the chance that Progressive Talk will succeed on this better signal. They want to be sure that every listener of WCPT, including the casual ones that might tune only once in a great while, are aware of the change.

The move from 850-AM to 820-AM occurred less than two weeks ago, though to some, it might seem longer. I would imagine that you might hear the bumper music and liners throughout the month of December, considering they had no lingering commercial inventory left from Relevant Radio that requires airing.

On a related note, I saw the first WCPT billboard in my area, along I-57, just north of Tinley Park. It's the boringest damned billboard you've ever seen, but I'm glad that NewsWeb is trying to get the word out there.
[/quote]

No problem! I guess in all fairness, I can't actually here what 850 sounds like, so my comments are based on the info received. And, I don't have a problem with the reminders, but maybe if they played whole songs in between might make it more listenable for the time being. But, I do agree with you for the need to notify the casual CPT Listener. And as for Super Rabbit Radio, I'm guessing that he is the poster formerly known as Grandpa Squirel! That Real Old Man thing kind of gave it away!

 

[b344077]

Geez....Nostalgia Radio?

Many would consider me a "Senior" citizen but believe me, I don't live in the past. Sure, a couple of oldies but goodies here are there is fine but to have an entire station programmed that way.....I suppose there are a few who are just dying to listen to that stuff. Maybe it is good programming for "god's waiting room".

I know these are nothing but cliche's. The point is that old radio is just that, old radio. I'm 65 and have no interest in the stuff. I tend to listen to WDRV and WNUA. My guess is that they probably skew older but stuff like the old WJJD gave me the creeps.

If there was one format that I might find appealing is a smoother/softer format. My guess is that would be a good alternative to the "in your face" approach most stations have today.

 

[StevenGastreich]

I see in Feder today that the station is doing all CNN, and will put in brokered programming as it becomes available. Good move.

 

[greenboy]

I like the headline news on am 850 it is a nice news alternative to 780, I wish they would keep this format and add local news
weather and traffic a couple of times an hour. does anyone think that format would work?

 

[PhilJSmith67]

I like the headline news on am 850 it is a nice news alternative to 780, I wish they would keep this format and add local news
weather and traffic a couple of times an hour. does anyone think that format would work?

This is what Eychaner has been doing with WKIF Kankakee since the end of Onda 92 -- Cnn Headline News with a few local bits here and there.

 

[LibertyNT]

Heres something i find funny....
Liberal by day
COnservative by night...
Because of WBAP of Dallas
WCPT could practically NEVER get a nighttime
licence because that has the potential of Causing
interference to WBAP which has "Clear CHannel" Status
If it DID however get a Night Licence it would probably be a
Very low Power Signal.
Heh Libral by day....
Conservative by night...
lol

 

[cyberdad]

Never say never....

The Chicago 820 did indeed operate at night for a few years back in the '80s. Not very successfully, however. The problem isn't the Chicago signal causing interference for WBAP. Its basically the other way around. WBAP's nightime signal strength in Northern Illinois is such that for a local station to effectively cover the entire Chicago area is next to impossible. At least that was the case under the old setup where the previous 820 powered down (to 1kw, if memory serves), and beamed to the Northeast from a stick north of Elmhurst.

 

[ddybas]

Back in the 80's the "old" WAIT on 820 did have a 1KW 4-tower night time signal on Church Road next to the Greek Church. The signal was very narrow and didn't cover Chicago very well, the WBAP skywave clobbered WAIT as you headed east from Elmhurst towards the lakefront. Driving down Lake Shore Drive at 2AM, WBAP was the stronger of the two signals on that channel. The nightime signal was given up on Jan 1st 1991...and the station went "dead" for a year.

Trying to get a nightime signal, that will cover Chicago on 820 now, would certainly be a challenge.

 

[LibertyNT]

Thats a very good reason why its a daytimer
WBAP is hard to overpower... and the FCC wouldnt Allow it

 

[greenboy]

Why won't the FCC let them build the transmitter further south? AM 820 had 1,000 watts nighttime before, but like was pointed out
it was in Elmhurst, not good enough to cover greater Chicagoland. Newsweb has tried to to get a 1,500 watt transmitter built by
Joliet and they were turned down. If I remember correctly when they were The Score they had a CP for a 1,200 watt transmitter
in Lemont. Is this short distance going to make that big of difference in the skywave? Is something else going on here because
suddenly WYLL AM 1160 got to boost there power from 5,000 watts in Des Plaines to 50,000 watts in Lockport at night. Is that not
causing any changes in the skywave? I am just asking but something seems to be a bit odd about this situation.

 

[jd]

I agree with you about the relatively short distance where skywave is concerned. I can't see that as being an issue. But when I first looked it over back in '05 I saw two real problems with Newsweb's nighttime proposal. One involved an unbuilt station on 850 in Escanaba MI, and the other was a Canadian co-channel allocation. The WAIT application contained an "interference" agreement which said that the Michigan station would still be able to deliver a nighttime interference-free signal to virtually all of the city. Newsweb also offered up an alternative frequency for the Canadian 850 allocation.

So why wasn't the application approved? Maybe the FCC wasn't convinced by the interference agreement or they didn't think Canada would be receptive to a frequency change for the new station in Ontario. There could have other issues but your 1160 analogy is on target: the skywave protection needed for KSL didn't change but WYLL's pattern definitely did. With that in mind, I can't see why WAIT couldn't do something similar, providing the problems noted earlier were solved.