a problem with local radio websites

[kyleP]

I just moved back into the area after being away for about a year. I was checking out the other sites that I thought were around, found out they aren't.
And some of the ones I saw, either many pages were not there or they still haven't been updated. Wonder whats up?

ESRTV ( eastern shore, MD ): I saw a posting on the DC/Baltimore board that said that the reason that site was taken down was due to the webmaster working in radio and he can not do both his job and do ESRTV. True? The site is gone now.

WMRTV.com ( Hagerstown-Frederick ): they do have the latest ratings but much of that site still hasn't been updated for quite some time. Now I know the guy who runs the site has a full-time job, but if that gets in the way, why not get someone to run it on a more regular basis?

Btvonlinemedia.com ( Winchester-Harrisonburg ): site is still there but now it's "Wanda & Debbie" no longer a radio/TV site. Was the site sold or something? I did hear a rumor awhile back about one of the West Virginia stations there getting upset with that site and threatened to shut it down over some remark. How can a station actually shut down a site? After all many radio stations around Dc and Baltimore over the years have expressed their problems with DCRTV, didn't Infinity for example actually put a filter on their PCs so their employees can't look at DCRTV? But still none of them actually got to the point that they tried to shut down that site.

Svrtv.net ( Shenandoah Valley ) I know some of BTVonline's stuff are on it now but is it me or is that site is more of a "according to DCRTV" & "according to VARTV" website? In other words most of their news have already appeared on DCRTV and SVRTV. Why bother with SVRTV? Also many of their pages aren't even there.

I seem to remember about a year ago visiting a site that dealt with Roanoke. Looks like that has been wiped off the face of the map.

well at least there is DCRTV & VARTV !!

 

[VARTV]

>
> well at least there is DCRTV & VARTV !!
>

Thanks! Anybody around Roanoke, NRV, Winchester, etc send me poop and I'll get it on VARTV...

<center></center>

 

[leach]

> WMRTV.com ( Hagerstown-Frederick ): they do have the latest
> ratings but much of that site still hasn't been updated for
> quite some time. Now I know the guy who runs the site has a
> full-time job, but if that gets in the way, why not get
> someone to run it on a more regular basis?
>
> Btvonlinemedia.com ( Winchester-Harrisonburg ): site is
> still there but now it's "Wanda & Debbie" no longer a
> radio/TV site. Was the site sold or something? I did hear
> a rumor awhile back about one of the West Virginia stations
> there getting upset with that site and threatened to shut it
> down over some remark. How can a station actually shut down
> a site? After all many radio stations around Dc and
> Baltimore over the years have expressed their problems with
> DCRTV, didn't Infinity for example actually put a filter on
> their PCs so their employees can't look at DCRTV? But still
> none of them actually got to the point that they tried to
> shut down that site.

There was a problem awhile back between the Martinsburg, WV am stations and some media related online gossip website. I thought it was WMRTV but I guess it could have been Btvonline but one of the sites posted an email about "suggesting" the two AM stations in town Am 740 WRNR and Am 1340 WEPM merge. The thought of two am stations that so few actually listen to and both of which more/less do the same format coming together, well at first it would seem like a good idea. If you think it would be, well you do NOT know Martinsburg.

What the poster didn't know, well maybe he/she did but wanted to start something was that those two stations really hate each other. How bad? Well one promo WEPM actually aired a few years back said "..if the other guys in town have to brag about themselves on the air..then they suck". And on top of that I heard that WRNR has turned down many offers from those interested in buying the station ( which shouldn't be much in the first place ) only to continue the feud with WEPM. The feud between those two stations is about the only thing interesting that comes out of that small town.

Anyway, the email was posted and both stations were so pissed that both stations actually bashed the website on air calling them "liars" and such. Oh, one station ( WEPM? ) from what I remember actually contacted the hosting company and tried to shut the site down that way. Well, what about sending an email to the site itself? Duh !!

I guess that is the difference between tiny towns and big towns. Big towns and big stations may look at the sites but pay little attention while small stations with nothing better to do, well it gives them something to bitch about.

 

[bp37918]

Sorry if this is off the subject but my dad was from Martinsburg and
while on vacation to visit family I frequently listened to radio in the area,
WRNR was rock and WEPM was country at the time. This was back in the 60's and 70's. When I got out of high school and was looking for a radio job I applied at both stations but I never got in the door.

Thanks for letting me ranble and remember.

> There was a problem awhile back between the Martinsburg, WV
> am stations and some media related online gossip website. I
> thought it was WMRTV but I guess it could have been
> Btvonline but one of the sites posted an email about
> "suggesting" the two AM stations in town Am 740 WRNR and Am
> 1340 WEPM merge. The thought of two am stations that so few
> actually listen to and both of which more/less do the same
> format coming together, well at first it would seem like a
> good idea. If you think it would be, well you do NOT know
> Martinsburg.
>
> What the poster didn't know, well maybe he/she did but
> wanted to start something was that those two stations really
> hate each other. How bad? Well one promo WEPM actually
> aired a few years back said "..if the other guys in town
> have to brag about themselves on the air..then they suck".
> And on top of that I heard that WRNR has turned down many
> offers from those interested in buying the station ( which
> shouldn't be much in the first place ) only to continue the
> feud with WEPM. The feud between those two stations is about
> the only thing interesting that comes out of that small
> town.
>
> Anyway, the email was posted and both stations were so
> pissed that both stations actually bashed the website on air
> calling them "liars" and such. Oh, one station ( WEPM? )
> from what I remember actually contacted the hosting company
> and tried to shut the site down that way. Well, what about
> sending an email to the site itself? Duh !!
>
> I guess that is the difference between tiny towns and big
> towns. Big towns and big stations may look at the sites but
> pay little attention while small stations with nothing
> better to do, well it gives them something to bitch about.
>

 

[orangemonster2k1]

> Svrtv.net ( Shenandoah Valley ) I know some of BTVonline's
> stuff are on it now but is it me or is that site is more of
> a "according to DCRTV" & "according to VARTV" website? In
> other words most of their news have already appeared on
> DCRTV and SVRTV. Why bother with SVRTV? Also many of their
> pages aren't even there.

Kyle,

I am a one man newsroom, if you will, and design the website myself, so there are times that Bob from VARTV gets a story before I do...and I will always give credit on a story I get from VARTV. I only add a story from DCRTV, if it affects our area. But not all of our stories are from DCRTV or VARTV. We do have stories that we have done on our own and some we have broken.

I am aware that a couple links do not work...again, like I said, I design the site myself, so as I am moving everything over to the site, it will show up and I will put a blurb on the front page when a new page is up.

I do apologize for the slowness of everything getting transfered and will make it a point to work a little faster.

If anyone has any radio and TV news from the Shenandoah Valley, Central VA, Potomac Highlands, and Central or Western Maryland, send it in to [email protected] and I will get it online ASAP.

Thanks...and I will again make it a point to work faster for you all.

Rock on,

Tybois Uphold
Editor/News Director
SVRTV-Winchester, VA
www.svrtv.net

 

[Mark_Ericson]

> >
> > well at least there is DCRTV & VARTV !!
> >
>
> Thanks! Anybody around Roanoke, NRV, Winchester, etc send me
> poop and I'll get it on VARTV...

Well, I see a placeholder for Roanoke/Lynchburg page, and I'd be glad to help you build that if you'd like...

I of course keep you updated on everything I know about the market. Hopefully in the next few weeks, I'll be able to send you a notice that WFXR-DT is at full power, albeit behind schedule. (Tip: Check one of the most recent posts at AVS--the guy from WFXR posted about why they're delayed--might make a good news story for VARTV)

- Trip<P ID="signature">______________
Visit my website, www.rabbitears.info! It's eventually going to be your one resource for television info! Digital television, histories, and technical information for the entire USA from one source!</P>

 

[leach]

> Sorry if this is off the subject but my dad was from
> Martinsburg and
> while on vacation to visit family I frequently listened to
> radio in the area,
> WRNR was rock and WEPM was country at the time. This was
> back in the 60's and 70's. When I got out of high school and
> was looking for a radio job I applied at both stations but I
> never got in the door.
>
> Thanks for letting me ranble and remember.
>
>

Not missing much when it comes to both WRNR and WEPM today. I remember both stations back in the 70s. WRNR was a top notch top 40 daytimer while WEPM wasnt bad as a country station. Patsy Cline worked at WEPM back in the 50s ( paid in chickens I heard ) even though WINC in Winchester tends to take full credit of that one.

Despite the feud over the years both stations in a weird way changed and went down a similar path. WRNR dropped the rock to go all news/talk/sports in 1995 while WEPM would do the same with their country a year later. WRNR did get an ok from the FCC to go around the clock years ago but unless you live inside Martinsburg itself, you can't get the signal. Well they are on the local Adelphia cable 10 but only half the time it seems, plus with so many people in the area having Direct TV and Dish Network, few notice WRNR's place on TV.

Really the biggest difference between the two stations is behind the scenes. WRNR still has board-ops I believe around the clock, even to run syndicated shows and they still provide local weather and community announcements. I give them credit for that.

WEPM with the exception of local sports coverage is totally automated. Even the Baltimore Orioles and WVU games are automated.

Last year while I visiting my in-laws who live just outside of Martinsburg, I did hear a story about some local church offering I think $250,000 to buy WRNR and turn that station into a religious outlet. WRNR turned them down.

Politics play a BIG role with both stations. From what I understand, some members of the Martinsburg town council also work at WRNR while Berkeley County has ties with WEPM.

For two stations that are almost like twin brothers, myself, it would make sense to merge the two into one. But just like many twins I know, not getting along is a problem. It certainly is a case here.

 

[bp37918]

Does anyone know of any airchecks from WRNR or WEPM in the 60's , 70' or 80's that I can get a hold of?

 

[leach]

> Does anyone know of any airchecks from WRNR or WEPM in the
> 60's , 70' or 80's that I can get a hold of?
>

There aren't many airchecks out there from Martinsburg but there are a few you can check out online right now.

www.svrtv.net has an aircheck of Paddy Alter from WRNR. Short but interesting.
The site says "1994" but it really is from 1984. svrtv.net I believe also has a few airchecks from the now defunct WXVA-FM out of nearby Charles Town.

The site www.reelradio.com has an aircheck from WKMZ 97.5 ( another defunct station ) from back in the late 80s/early 90 when that station was top 40.

Good luck finding ANYTHING from WEPM. Even though that station was actually one of the first in the US to have their own website, for some reason they wont allow any airchecks or really any info to appear online about them unless it is their own site. There was some website ( I forgot where ) a number of years ago that had one of "Johnny G" from about 1985 back in their country days but WEPM forced the site to take it off. Why? Good question !! I have met their news director several years back and I remember him teling me how much he can't stand radio based websites. Could be a reason right there.

Steve Williams who is the PD at Lexington, VA's 3WZ was at one time a program director at WEPM. He may be able to help you out. 3WZ's website is www.wrel.com

However, with that said...the site www.svrtv.net does have a vintage 1978 WEPM jingle as part of their 40 years of local jingles. That is available in their airchecks section.

hope all of this helps.

 

[bp37918]

Thanks for all the info..I am mostly interested in WRNR air checks. I remember going to the studio on Eagle school road..it was at the tower site. Small trailer and block building for the transmitter. Is it still there or have they moved? I was in Martinsburg briefly back in 2002 but didn't get to listen much.
Back in 1986 was the last time I got to spend any time there.


> > Does anyone know of any airchecks from WRNR or WEPM in the
>
> > 60's , 70' or 80's that I can get a hold of?
> >
>
> There aren't many airchecks out there from Martinsburg but
> there are a few you can check out online right now.
>
> www.svrtv.net has an aircheck of Paddy Alter from WRNR.
> Short but interesting.
> The site says "1994" but it really is from 1984. svrtv.net I
> believe also has a few airchecks from the now defunct
> WXVA-FM out of nearby Charles Town.
>
> The site www.reelradio.com has an aircheck from WKMZ 97.5 (
> another defunct station ) from back in the late 80s/early 90
> when that station was top 40.
>
> Good luck finding ANYTHING from WEPM. Even though that
> station was actually one of the first in the US to have
> their own website, for some reason they wont allow any
> airchecks or really any info to appear online about them
> unless it is their own site. There was some website ( I
> forgot where ) a number of years ago that had one of "Johnny
> G" from about 1985 back in their country days but WEPM
> forced the site to take it off. Why? Good question !! I
> have met their news director several years back and I
> remember him teling me how much he can't stand radio based
> websites. Could be a reason right there.
>
> Steve Williams who is the PD at Lexington, VA's 3WZ was at
> one time a program director at WEPM. He may be able to help
> you out. 3WZ's website is www.wrel.com
>
> However, with that said...the site www.svrtv.net does have a
> vintage 1978 WEPM jingle as part of their 40 years of local
> jingles. That is available in their airchecks section.
>
> hope all of this helps.
>

 

[leach]

> Thanks for all the info..I am mostly interested in WRNR air
> checks. I remember going to the studio on Eagle school
> road..it was at the tower site. Small trailer and block
> building for the transmitter. Is it still there or have they
> moved? I was in Martinsburg briefly back in 2002 but didn't
> get to listen much.
> Back in 1986 was the last time I got to spend any time
> there.
>

WRNR is still there on Eagle School Road. I do think they have since moved into a bigger trailer though.

WEPM hasn't moved either for that matter ( still on King Street )though they do share space with two FM stations, WLTF Lite 97.5 and WICL Cool 95.9 ( this was WKMZ until last year ).

Both stations haven't had a change of owners since 86. Actually I think WRNR is still owned by the same people who put them on the air in 1976.

Considering all the growth that has occured around Martinsburg, this alone is surprising. Then again, Martinsburg still lags behind both the Hagerstown,MD and Winchester,VA areas as far as growth goes. Still though, there have been rumors over the years such as those offering to buy WRNR. One such rumor was Clear Channel. Back in in 2000, there was a rumor about them buying WRNR and merge them with Winchester's WTFX-AM 610 to create a Martinsburg-Winchester sports talk station. That didn't happen. Though Clear Channel did go over to Charles Town and bought the old WXVA-FM and WMRE-AM. Today what was WXVA is now 98.3 KISS-FM with the WKSI calls. Clear Channel even moved the city of license from Charles Town to Stephens City, VA which is a suberb of Winchester. They share the same tower as Winchester's Q102. WMRE's tower remains in Charles Town.

Likewise I remember reading in DCRTV years ago about Winchester's WINC-AM/FM looking at buying both WEPM and then WKMZ. If I remember correctly their plan was to turn 97.5 country to go up against Q102. WEPM, my guess was that they would have combined WEPM with WINC-AM. That didn't happened either as Prettyman ( WEPM ) wanted too much money from the Lewis Family ( owners of WINC ).

WINC then went on to buy Berryville-Strasburg,VA's WAPP/WBPP 104.9/105.5 and turned that country. It failed and that is a whole different story.

glad to help you out.

 

[orangemonster2k1]

We do have a couple WRNR and WEPM airchecks and I am working on putting more from a couple of defunct TV and Radio sites in the Richmond and Norfolk area up right now.

Rock on,

Tybois Uphold
Editor/News Director
SVRTV-Winchester, VA
www.svrtv.net

 

[leach]

WEPM airchecks & SVRTV

> We do have a couple WRNR and WEPM airchecks and I am working
> on putting more from a couple of defunct TV and Radio sites
> in the Richmond and Norfolk area up right now.
>
> Rock on,
>
> Tybois Uphold
> Editor/News Director
> SVRTV-Winchester, VA
> www.svrtv.net
>

I went to your site. The WRNR aircheck was interesting. Barry Manilow no-less !!

However I couldn't find anything from WEPM other than the jingle.
No surprise here. Besides WEPM will never allow it in the first place. Not as long as they are still in that "..don't talk about us" whatever you want to call it. I am friends with Senator John Unger, he does a show there and from what I heard they still do have a problem with ANY website that even as much as talk about them other than forums like these where WEPM or any other station for that matter don't have that much of a say unless it is slander or something like that. Even the Senator has told me in the past how strange that station is But they give him airtime so with that, he doesn't complain. All that much anyway.

This does make me wonder though. Have there been anyother stations out there who do NOT want their station on the web such as their history, airchecks?

Most radio stations could care less what one says on the web about them. Most announcers don't mind a bit that some website out there features their aircheck as long as it is in good taste. But..there is always some odd-ball out there who has to be different.

WEPM is the odd-ball of the valley.

 

[orangemonster2k1]

Re: WEPM airchecks & SVRTV

Hey,

Our former editor, Tanner Miller, made that aircheck....I will, though, do my best to get new ones from WEPM and WRNR as soon as possible. I actually thought we had more than just the one.

We actually got an email from WEPM saying that they didn't want to be included in SVRTV. I am not sure what the whole deal with that is, but I have decided to add their calls, freq., and technical information (which you can get from the FCC) and leave it at that, when I start on the Station List section (which I am saving for last).

Rock on,

Tybois Uphold
Editor/News Director
SVRTV-Winchester, VA
www.svrtv.net