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950 AM THE AVENUE?

R

radiotower40

I just turned on 950 AM and they are playing jazz/standards remakes, lounge type music, and
calling it The Avenue. Does anyone know when this started? Is Relevant Radio now gone from
950 AM?
 
That's weird; it was still Relevant Radio earlier in the day when I was listening (around 11:30 a.m.).

Maybe part time format change?
 
audioguy said:
That's weird; it was still Relevant Radio earlier in the day when I was listening (around 11:30 a.m.).

Maybe part time format change?
Click to expand...

Interesting. As of 9:20PM they are "The Avenue".
 
At 5:00 AM WNTD switched back to the Relevant Radio feed. So perhaps the music format will be
on nights and weekends only, maybe RR decided to switch to only buying the daytime hours only.

I kind of enjoyed the music, I wish it was on 24/7. With the exception of the downtown area, the
AM 930 and AM 1270 signals cover most of the Chicago area during the day with a listenable signal.
I know RR is trying to sell those two frequencies, but; it is rather redundant to have the station on
3 different frequencies, not to mention expensive too buy time on a station when you already own
two stations in the area.
 
TR1992 said:
At 5:00 AM WNTD switched back to the Relevant Radio feed. So perhaps the music format will be
on nights and weekends only, maybe RR decided to switch to only buying the daytime hours only.
Click to expand...

There's no "buying." Sovereign City, who owns 950, is owned by Mark Follett who is the head of Relevant Radio. Sov City is the secular, commercial arm that tried a syndicated format called Oasis a year or two ago, mainly to make some commercial money to pump back into Relevant, and when that ended, they've been running the Avenue format on their flagship WOVM in Green Bay.
 
I listened and I was impressed to hear an AM station (of all things) playing music (imagine that?) in a major city, that adults (and some young folks, I'll bet) can listen to and enjoy.

Now that IS cool! I hope they keep it on the air! This could be the sleeper format change of the year in Chicago!
 
audioguy said:
I listened and I was impressed to hear an AM station (of all things) playing music (imagine that?) in a major city, that adults (and some young folks, I'll bet) can listen to and enjoy.

Now that IS cool! I hope they keep it on the air! This could be the sleeper format change of the year in Chicago!
Click to expand...

Who would've ever thunk it--an AM station playing music.
 
suigeneris said:
TR1992 said:
At 5:00 AM WNTD switched back to the Relevant Radio feed. So perhaps the music format will be
on nights and weekends only, maybe RR decided to switch to only buying the daytime hours only.
Click to expand...

There's no "buying."  Sovereign City, who owns 950, is owned by Mark Follett who is the head of Relevant Radio.  Sov City is the secular, commercial arm that tried a syndicated format called Oasis a year or two ago, mainly to make some commercial money to pump back into Relevant, and when that ended, they've been running the Avenue format on their flagship WOVM in Green Bay.
Click to expand...
Mark Follett did start Relevant Radio, he is not the head of it anymore. He has not been CEO of RR in over two years.
He now owns WNTD, and when RR moved there from WAIT AM 820 they were working on "A lease agreement with an option
to purchase the station(WNTD) in the future". "Buying" may have been the wrong word, but, they are leasing the time on WNTD.
As I pointed out Mark is no longer CEO of RR, he is not giving the time for free.

Back to the subject, as pointed out on Ross on Radio, the station will be Relevant Radio from 5AM until 6PM and The Avenue
from 6PM until 5AM.

I like the music they play, it is different than any thing else on right now. It somewhat reminds me of the former WBEE AM
1570 in Harvey before they switched to the current 24 hour religious format.

I agree with you guys it is kinda cool to have a music station on AM!
 
TR1992 said:
suigeneris said:
TR1992 said:
At 5:00 AM WNTD switched back to the Relevant Radio feed. So perhaps the music format will be
on nights and weekends only, maybe RR decided to switch to only buying the daytime hours only.
Click to expand...

There's no "buying." Sovereign City, who owns 950, is owned by Mark Follett who is the head of Relevant Radio. Sov City is the secular, commercial arm that tried a syndicated format called Oasis a year or two ago, mainly to make some commercial money to pump back into Relevant, and when that ended, they've been running the Avenue format on their flagship WOVM in Green Bay.
Click to expand...
Mark Follett did start Relevant Radio, he is not the head of it anymore. He has not been CEO of RR in over two years.
He now owns WNTD, and when RR moved there from WAIT AM 820 they were working on "A lease agreement with an option
to purchase the station(WNTD) in the future". "Buying" may have been the wrong word, but, they are leasing the time on WNTD.
As I pointed out Mark is no longer CEO of RR, he is not giving the time for free.

Back to the subject, as pointed out on Ross on Radio, the station will be Relevant Radio from 5AM until 6PM and The Avenue
from 6PM until 5AM.

I like the music they play, it is different than any thing else on right now. It somewhat reminds me of the former WBEE AM
1570 in Harvey before they switched to the current 24 hour religious format.
Click to expand...
I'd like to see something like this in the Washington, D.C. area, even if it was only on during the day. Maybe something the station might want to do is sponsor dances or car shows or maybe other public service events. If old AM stations would play music that the FMs won't touch with a 20-foot pole and do promotions that'll get them noticed better, MAYBE they could gain back some visibility and credibility.
 
TR1992 said:
I just turned on 950 AM and they are playing jazz/standards remakes, lounge type music, and
calling it The Avenue.
Click to expand...

Why not change the calls to WAAF? Oops...wait a minute, those are taken.
 
cyberdad said:
TR1992 said:
I just turned on 950 AM and they are playing jazz/standards remakes, lounge type music, and
calling it The Avenue.
Click to expand...

Why not change the calls to WAAF? Oops...wait a minute, those are taken.
Click to expand...

Maybe they can get them back along with tapes of Daddy O'Daily and Jerry Layton.
 
Why not change the calls to WAAF? Oops...wait a minute, those are taken.
Click to expand...

The station that already has the WAAF calls is on a different band than WNTD, so they could legally get the WAAF calls.

However, the owners or management of WNTD would have to contact the station in Westborough, MA to work out an arrangement.

Also, the Massachusetts FM station would have to change their call letters from WAAF to WAAF-FM.

The Chicago area already has few examples like this, with similar calls used in different cities and different ownership:

AM 1300 WKSC Kershaw, SC
FM 106.5 WKSC-FM Chicago, IL

AM 1280 WBIG Aurora, IL
FM 100.3 WBIG-FM Washington, DC

Channel 43 WCPX-TV Chicago, IL
Channel 25 WCPX-LP Columbus, OH

FM 105.9 WCFS-FM Elmwood Park, IL
FM 105.9 WCFS-LP Du Quoin, IL
 
avtosalon said:
The station that already has the WAAF calls is on a different band than WNTD, so they could legally get the WAAF calls.
However, the owners or management of WNTD would have to contact the station in Westborough, MA to work out an arrangement.
Also, the Massachusetts FM station would have to change their call letters from WAAF to WAAF-FM.
Click to expand...

WAAF (FM) is indeed licensed to Westborough, but it is part of Entercom's Boston cluster and its studios and offices are in the City of Boston.
 
Here's another one with duplicated call letters from another city that I forgot:

AM 1080 WLEY Cayey, Puerto Rico
FM 107.9 WLEY-FM Aurora, IL


Any others involving Chicago area stations?
 
avtosalon said:
Here's another one with duplicated call letters from another city that I forgot:

AM 1080 WLEY Cayey, Puerto Rico
FM 107.9 WLEY-FM Aurora, IL


Any others involving Chicago area stations?
Click to expand...
A couple I can think of off the top of my head,

AM 1200 WRTO Chicago
FM 98.3 WRTO-FM Goulds, Fl.

AM 1300 WRDZ Chicago
FM 98.3 WRDZ-FM Plainfield, IN.

I should add though, that the stations I mentioned are owned by the same companies, Univision and Radio Disney respectively.

On another note, when AM 1000 changed from the WLUP calls to WMVP, they made a deal with an urban contemporary
AM station in the Milwaukee to get them. This happened in 1992 when the station was still owned by Evergreen Media.
Before they did that, they tried to make a deal with AM 820 The Score, which was then still owned by Diamond Broadcasting.
Evergreen wanted to buy the assets of The Score, including the format, call letters and the contracts of their hosts.They of were
course turned down by The Score. I kind of wish The Score would have taken them up on the offer, maybe we would still have
WMAQ or WJJD around! I know wishful thinking again ;-)
 
I forgot about the WRDZ from Indianapolis. Chicago had the call letters first. But the Indianapolis station is one of only 3 FM Radio Disney stations in the entire country.

Likely Chicago would have 2 All News AM stations if it were not for CBS already owning a Sports Talk station here.

CBS owns 2 All News AM stations in both New York and Los Angeles:

AM 880 WCBS New York
AM 1010 WINS New York

AM 980 KFWB Los Angeles (will be adding talk shows leter this year)
AM 1070 KNX Los Angeles


I remember when the old WLUP(AM) used to carry ESPN Sports shows only on weekends, and they were talk/comedy on weekdays. I think the first full time ESPN Radio affiliate around Chicago was AM 1500 out of Zion.
 
TR1992 said:
avtosalon said:
Here's another one with duplicated call letters from another city that I forgot:

AM 1080 WLEY Cayey, Puerto Rico
FM 107.9 WLEY-FM Aurora, IL


Any others involving Chicago area stations?
Click to expand...
A couple I can think of off the top of my head,

AM 1200 WRTO Chicago
FM 98.3 WRTO-FM Goulds, Fl.

AM 1300 WRDZ Chicago
FM 98.3 WRDZ-FM Plainfield, IN.

I should add though, that the stations I mentioned are owned by the same companies, Univision and Radio Disney respectively.

On another note, when AM 1000 changed from the WLUP calls to WMVP, they made a deal with an urban contemporary
AM station in the Milwaukee to get them. This happened in 1992 when the station was still owned by Evergreen Media.
Before they did that, they tried to make a deal with AM 820 The Score, which was then still owned by Diamond Broadcasting.
Evergreen wanted to buy the assets of The Score, including the format, call letters and the contracts of their hosts.They of were
course turned down by The Score. I kind of wish The Score would have taken them up on the offer, maybe we would still have
WMAQ or WJJD around! I know wishful thinking again ;-)
Click to expand...

WSCR got their calls by making a deal with a station in Scranton, Pa which had those calls at the time.
 
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