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A Rumor Concerning 107.9 FM in Montgomery

R

R.D.P.

Just read that K-Love might be coming to the Gump at 107.9 FM. 

There's a rumor flying around on Montgomery TV and Radio, saying this may soon happen.

I'll get stoked and excited when the details are nailed in stone and are hammered out.

Still plan on establishing my own little radio station here in Selma.

Will be live and local, if things pan out for me.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. If this rumor is true, how will it effect The River.
 
Strictly by a coverage standpoint, the River would be 'washed out', which would indeed be a shame. In the polygon between Birmingham, Troy, Auburn, and Anniston - there are just too many stations crowded between 97.1 and 97.9 - both ends of which are occupied by full power stations in the River Region. Even in Montgomery 97.5 is often overridden at night by K-Love in Mobile, and during the day by Kowaliga country. KKR in Auburn reaches the east side of the city and county. And, the translator at 101.5 is just too close to 101.9 - most any non digital radio (I know, a dying breed) doesn't have much of a chance.

It would answer a lot of questions. (And generate probably twice as many more)
 
This is exciting news indeed.

Hope K-Love does well in the Gump.

Plan on checking them out, when I'm visiting the city and/or when I'm able to drag them in.

Once my project sees the light of day and makes its presence known, then I'll have to support it.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. Rooting for the new 93.1 FM to do well too.  Keep up the good work with your radio stations Bluewater.  Still love you.
 
robbie roundhouse said:
R.D.P. said:
This is exciting news indeed.

Hope K-Love does well in the Gump.
Click to expand...

Why? What on Earth is exciting about a canned format with no local identity?
Click to expand...

I fear for the sales of Unisom and Tylenol PM at local Walgreens and CVS locations
 
There's nothing wrong with a national program if it's something people would rather hear than what they have now. I'm pretty sure Montgomery already has more than one CCM choice, so it will be national and not local against whatever The River does, I guess. Personally I prefer certain national talk hosts to anything available locally where I love, so…

The thing that bothers me about K-Love, though… even if their approach is soundly rejected by the market, they have no incentive to change up and become competitive. Their approach is basically to eliminate one commercial signal in the market and who cares if people love it, it's already paid for. Maybe 107.9 is one station too many for Montgomery, but the loss of WABB here in the Mobile area was a really hard hit, and K-Love's takeover was seen very negatively by locals, despite it being a mutual agreement between them and the Dittman family. The number of people sad to see WABB go to people happy to see K-Love coming was like 1,000:1.
 
based upon the channel swap between emf and cumulus in mobile, i wonder if emf would try such a swap in montgomery?
 
mrlayne said:
based upon the channel swap between emf and cumulus in mobile, i wonder if emf would try such a swap in montgomery?
Click to expand...

Perhaps Bluewater could buy 107.9 for WJMZ/Jamz and spin off 97.9 to EMF? That would seem to be a win-win for the market (which likes WJWZ) and the owners involved (EMF gets full-power Montgomery coverage, Bluewater stays within the ownership cap).
 
Nate Wesley said:
mrlayne said:
based upon the channel swap between emf and cumulus in mobile, i wonder if emf would try such a swap in montgomery?
Click to expand...

Perhaps Bluewater could buy 107.9 for WJMZ/Jamz and spin off 97.9 to EMF? That would seem to be a win-win for the market (which likes WJWZ) and the owners involved (EMF gets full-power Montgomery coverage, Bluewater stays within the ownership cap).
Click to expand...

That really would be a good idea, only Bluewater would have to add something else to the deal (and money alone isn't going to do it) than just a signal swap to make it worth it to EMF because EMF won't give up a bigger signal. Their only concern is reaching a many people as they can with their programming. I think WJWZ would certainly do much better in ratings with a bigger signal though. Urban listeners I know in Montgomery prefer Jamz Over Hot but Jamz signal really limits them big time.
 
With K-love coming to Montgomery/selma it would be overboard for someone like R.D.P. to try and start up another CCM outlet.

technically if you count the urban gospel format on 104.3, the market will be oversaturated by religous formats.

as the say, 2 is a party, 3 is just damn stupid.
 
One issue I bring up,

107.9 FM doesn't have a city wide signal here in Selma.

I can only get them when the winds are blowing right.

Besides my own project is not going to be a CCM outlet only.

Plan on doing things that even K-Love has never thought of doing.

And...Unlike K-Love, my own project is going to be a live and local community based 100 watt LPFM station.

Meaning I will only cover Selma and an area within 10 miles of my transmitter/tower.

R.D.P. <><
 
R.D.P. , please don't take what i said in offense.

but at the same time, as much as you talk about what building your own station, LPFM's are dying out nationwide, and many LPFM's are going online as full service Net Radio stations anyways.
 
Thanks for your response.

I didn't take it in offense.

Have some ideas I wanted to run with.

Want to do some things that no one else would even dare to do.

That's all.

R.D.P. <><
 
Zach said:
There's nothing wrong with a national program if it's something people would rather hear than what they have now. I'm pretty sure Montgomery already has more than one CCM choice, so it will be national and not local against whatever The River does, I guess. Personally I prefer certain national talk hosts to anything available locally where I love, so…

The thing that bothers me about K-Love, though… even if their approach is soundly rejected by the market, they have no incentive to change up and become competitive. Their approach is basically to eliminate one commercial signal in the market and who cares if people love it, it's already paid for. Maybe 107.9 is one station too many for Montgomery, but the loss of WABB here in the Mobile area was a really hard hit, and K-Love's takeover was seen very negatively by locals, despite it being a mutual agreement between them and the Dittman family. The number of people sad to see WABB go to people happy to see K-Love coming was like 1,000:1.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with you. I prefer most national sports hosts to the ones available locally in Alabama. My point is that K-Love does nothing that compelling and bringing the format to Montgomery won't add anything to the dial that is at all compelling, so it is a lose/lose for the listeners and the industry in that area.

I grew up in Mobile, and like everyone that grew up in Mobile, I grew up on WABB. I think Bernie Dittman and his family did a lot to inspire generations of broadcasters and musicians in my hometown, but - and this is not an exaggeration - I think a large percentage of that good was undone simply by selling to an owner that not only didn't keep the station on the air, but by selling to an owner that killed one of the most active stations in the market.
 
robbie roundhouse said:
I grew up in Mobile, and like everyone that grew up in Mobile, I grew up on WABB. I think Bernie Dittman and his family did a lot to inspire generations of broadcasters and musicians in my hometown, but - and this is not an exaggeration - I think a large percentage of that good was undone simply by selling to an owner that not only didn't keep the station on the air, but by selling to an owner that killed one of the most active stations in the market.
Click to expand...

Have you read about Cumulus' bribing of EMF to move them to a smaller signal in Mobile so their "WABD" knockoff can "go home" to 97.5? Bernie Dittman must be rolling in his grave.

As for 107.9, I guess if it's an LMA that means that one day it could end and something more competitive could be put on. But with Montgomery being how it is, I'm not sure they could support another commercial station right now.
 
Zach said:
Have you read about Cumulus' bribing of EMF to move them to a smaller signal in Mobile so their "WABD" knockoff can "go home" to 97.5? Bernie Dittman must be rolling in his grave.
Click to expand...

I don't know. Dittman was certainly never a fan of Cumulus and rebuffed several attempts from Cumulus to buy WABB before he died. He even went as far as to give Cumulus stock away on-the-air after the stock scandal that hit the company in '99. However, I always heard he was well aware that his family didn't want to continue his life's work and was not happy about that. So, I know he would've been equally upset, if not more so, that they sold WABB-FM to someone they knew wouldn't continue it.
 
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