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Another AM License surrendered by letter

J Boyd, is that the station that started Cy Bahakel on his broadcast ownership career?

I seem to remember he owned Kosciusko before WABG AM.

Bob
 
Dr: I think that is correct. Cy went on to own a few stations in the Delta...the records are hazy.
I appreciate your visit a few weeks ago...and encourage old timers and "newbies" to visit here in Batesville. My time is short. Thanks and good luck! JBI
 
Another one bites the dust. As far as I can tell, that leaves just WXTN in Lexington, WJBI in Batesville and WSAO in Senatobia as the only active AMs in central Mississippi between Memphis and Jackson/Canton.

And jboyd, I sure wish I could have stopped in to say when I was in the area last week, but with a car full of family pulling me in a hundred different directions, I had to once again put my own wishes aside. Maybe you'll still be around when I finally get to make the trip on my own. ;)

(And since it isn't worth starting a new thread over, I'll say I was surprised to see the often-silent WKXG 1540 was active with southern gospel when I spun the dial in Greenwood last week. And WABG finally fixed their audio issues and sound like a real station now.)
 
There are getting to be a lot more AM stations that is turning in their licenses. They must have their hands full with the FM's they own. Here in Forest, WQST-AM, and in Philadelphia, MS, WHOC is the only local AM radio between Forest and Jackson. And not too long ago WIZK-AM, Bay Springs, turned in their license. And the AM at Newton has been gone for awhile. It is getting to the point that local AM radio in the smaller towns is slowly disappearing.
 
I guess when Walmart is the only game in town it's hard out there. I can only imagine.

There just aren't enough advertising dollars being spent by small town Banks, Car Dealers, and farm implement places to keep some stations going.
 
Zach: Hope you make it next time. You know a lot about this business...were you ever in it?
Thanks JBI
 
I believe WIGG in Wiggins is also gone due to being silent too long. AM is off the air, not sure about the FM sister in McClain.
 
Flytrap, you are correct. Is was WKOZ-FM until I think sometime in 1984 when it became WBKJ and remained that until it was sold to Clear Channel.
 
{"WIGG in Wiggins is also gone due to being silent too long."}
The FM for McLain and WIGG both went to D status earlier
this year. I tried to get them to put both on air for a day to
salvage the licenses, but their attorney of record said that
there was no interest by the licensee! ( Not A.R. Byrd but
his daughter. )
Kinda sad.
 
Thats a shame. WIGG was 5000 watts, An AM station might not be worth much anymore but I'm surprised they couldn't have at least sold the FM station instead of letting it die.
 
I recall that the Late Joel Netherland, of Yazoo City, {he was also in the Mississippi legislature} also mailed back the license to his companion AM (the FM was & is 92.1 (now part of Jimmy Swaggart's SONLIFE) the AM
was in the 1500's as I recall ( this was around 1988 OR SO)
 
Thanks, Zach. Here is how you evaluate a small market operation....If the owner is not there, and they have a cute girl at the front desk,plus two salespeople, a traffic person, and a station manager, plus an engineer....and they are in leased quarters....suspect! just watch...JBI
 
I knew Joel from the early 60"s....and he was a great radio man...back in the Greenville and North Delta days...his story is sad indeed...it is in the archives...and I like to remember him in his good days...RIP. JBI
 
{ WIGG was 5000 watts }.
That it was, I did the field measurements to get the power
increase. Excellent ground field and tower to play with after
sign-off. Made a bunch of 160 and 75 meter contacts using it!
For those that may not know, it was originally put on air by the
late "Dizzy Dean" and his brother Paul, and some other investors.
Went into bankruptcy and somehow A.R. got it.
 
richllewis said:
There are getting to be a lot more AM stations that is turning in their licenses. They must have their hands full with the FM's they own. Here in Forest, WQST-AM, and in Philadelphia, MS, WHOC is the only local AM radio between Forest and Jackson. And not too long ago WIZK-AM, Bay Springs, turned in their license. And the AM at Newton has been gone for awhile. It is getting to the point that local AM radio in the smaller towns is slowly disappearing.
Click to expand...

The money just isn't there. Plus a lot of businesses in small towns don't think they need to "waste" the money on advertising because they depend on word of mouth. It's sad but the state of the business.

Local AM radio will be all but extinct within the next decade.
 
Which stations will be next to turn in the license? I would bet WSJC in Magee. it only broadcast a few days or weeks out of the year just to keep the license. It's been sproratic since the 90's. 1220 Hazelhurst was simulcasting 92.9 the last I checked. and since the owners already shut down the AM in West Point I guess it's only a matter of time. WQBC Vicksburg? It's been silent for a while.
 
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