AM 940/ WKZV 1110

[PHIL Z]

I was in Washington County Sat 7/9/11, AM 940 [WESA ?], and WKZV 1110 were both Off the Air. Today WKZV still off. Not Close Enough to Tune in 940. What A Waste WESA was a Very Well Run local Station, With Local News , Stock Reports, Good Music and Talented DJ'S.

 

[trefdawg]

Chad and Jeremy worded it well..."Now that was yesterday and yesterday's gone!" sad stuff

 

[kenhawk1160]

Hopefully, they can find buyers for these stations soon...but I don't think that's going to happen until the selling prices drop substantially. The longer (and more frequently) a station is off the air, the more it depreciates.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Considering the size of the signal, and the fact that the Mon Valley was kind of
depressed even back then, WESA did a fairly remarkable job as a full-service station.

 

[johnsummers]

Having been the PD there for about 5 minutes circa 1984-85, I can tell you that, at one time, WESA billed between $800,000 and $1 Million per year!! That's a LOT of Highway Appliance spots and Ron Pacek remotes!

 

[Jkf]

Any truth to the rumor 940 will separate and flip to a "regional" station based out of Maryland?

 

[Whiplash]

Even in the late 80's/early 90's when I programmed WESA, we were still doing solid dollars.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Even in the late 80's/early 90's when I programmed WESA, we were still doing solid dollars.

Well, having the FM piggybacked with it certainly helped. But no one can tell me convincingly that that AM doesn't have potential as a standalone. Of course, you'd have to be realistic with your expectations.

 

[WCWalker]

Ken. Yes, a standalone AM even one at very low power can still find a niche market and earn enough advertising dollars to stay afloat even in this day and age. There are still quite a few of these operations in the Midwest and I even know of a couple in New England and NY. Surprisingly some of these are still running a Full Service and music format.

It sounds like both of these stations could stay off the air permanently which is unfortunate for the Washington, PA market. I guess this leaves only WJPA AM and FM to serve the area.

 

[PHIL Z]

Even in the late 80's/early 90's when I programmed WESA, we were still doing solid dollars.

Well, having the FM piggybacked with it certainly helped. But no one can tell me convincingly that that AM doesn't have potential as a standalone. Of course, you'd have to be realistic with your expectations.

The Last year as WESA it was billing 40,000 a Mo.

 

[KeyTimes950]

I remember both WESA ("The Voice of the Monongahela Valley") and on a couple occasions visited its old studios on the other side of the railroad tracks in Charleroi. It was an admirable AM-FM combo with a good daytime AM signal and a 3-kw FM that covered the mid-Mon Valley nicely at night. Sadly, it now is a memory as are so many of the stations that once served once-vibrant cities of license (WEDO and WMNY-the former WMCK/WIXZ/WPTT- come to mind in McKeesport).

WKZV (as WKEG) had a pretty good news director in Earl Bugaile, who was very effective as local newscaster for one-time CBS affiliate WEDO and now still graces the KQV newsroom. WKEG once had half-hour news blocks, one in morning drive, one at noon and the third in afternoon drive, all of which seemed to work out very well in winter as well as summer.

To quote that duo from the '60s, however, "but that was yesterday, and yesterday's gone."

 

[Whiplash]

940, the former WESA and 1340, the former WCVI in Connellsville, BOTH were pulled off the market today. No longer for sale!

 

[kenhawk1160]

940, the former WESA and 1340, the former WCVI in Connellsville, BOTH were pulled off the market today. No longer for sale!

Why Chris...have you been busy transacting? ;-)

 

[Whiplash]

Tried.....

 

[cingram]

WKZV has a 40-year-old transmitter (apparently the original one they signed on with) and it's prone to
regular breakdowns. I wouldn't attribute their being off the air to any other cause unless someone has
specifically heard otherwise.

C.

 

[hypwr]

The last time I worked on their xmtr. the tubes were getting near the end of their lives. New tubes are $900 each, which comes out to $3,600. I offered to buy a new solid state Armstrong unit and lease it to them.

 

[kenhawk1160]

The last time I worked on their xmtr. the tubes were getting near the end of their lives. New tubes are $900 each, which comes out to $3,600. I offered to buy a new solid state Armstrong unit and lease it to them.

If they're to have any hopes for survival, they need to take on a third investor...someone willing to do things like this. Someone with pockets deep enough to invest in a new transmitter, but also willing to work hands-on with them side-by-side. A true radio person. Not simply someone with money.

 

[cingram]

My impression, right or wrong, of WKZV is that most likely it's a money pit. It could be something more
than it is now, but that would require a lot of work and dollars.

C.

 

[Whiplash]

My estimates are $75,000 to get WKZV to where it needs to be. This just in improvements.

 

[trefdawg]

Howevere, their must be a good amount of ad money to be spent in the market. JPA always sounds loaded with local advertisers. If an investor had deep, really deep pockets and could higher a few good sales reps 1110 could make some money, but it would be a long long painful journey...maybe a conservative talker with the likes of Neil Bortz, Clarke Howard Mike Gallagher etc.