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another format flip -- not that it matters
- Thread starter FLjack2
- Start date
You're kidding right? All the Broward and some of the small Dade AM stations were doomed the second they came out with the Dade-Broward combined ARB. You can't win where you don't have a signal.
Mike Sheridan said:
And, the managers of the Dade and Miami stations voted on consolidation in 1981, IIRC, at a meeting at the Airport Radisson on 36th! So our vote that day determined much of the future of stations for the next nearly 30 years. The immediate effect was to move the market up solidly into the top 20, meaning lots more national dollars for the larger stations.
The daytimers and highly directional stations and the Class IV's were the victims.
DavidEduardo said:
That was the prudent direction to go but Broward lost a local voice when 1400 could no longer compete. WFTL when I was there had a strong news and sports department, much bigger than it's tiny signal. Just like Hollywood lost it's local newspaper.
When it comes to news, most radio stations don't bother to do it anymore. Those that do only provide minimal reporting.
Funny how the old WFTL had a tiny signal and big department. The "new" WFTL has a big signal and a tiny department!
But to go music on an AM station today? AND country? In South Florida? ??? That's just stupid. I hope it's just a rumor.....
...then again, it IS James Crystal, so anything is possible. ;D
But to go music on an AM station today? AND country? In South Florida? ??? That's just stupid. I hope it's just a rumor.....
...then again, it IS James Crystal, so anything is possible. ;D
Are there any ideas as to which genre of Country WFLL will cater to. Personally, I doubt a Mainstream Country format would be feasible in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. If anything, if they are indeed flipping to Country, they may have a better chance targeting the 35+ demo with Classic Country with a 60's,70's,and 80's focus.
-Travis
-Travis
FLjack2 said:
Yes you wouldn't believe the staff that little station on 1400 had. It was the WIOD of Broward. As they say, that's history.
Music on AM hasn't made sense in South Florida since 1980. Probably the best use of 1400 would be as a repeater for one of the stations in Dade or Palm Beach that have coverage holes. 1400 can't support a format of it's own, those days are over.
TALLRED said:
I meant to say "I doubt a mainstream country format would be feasible on AM in Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale.
-Travis
The format change makes more sense than one might think. WFLL has surprisingly good coverage for a local-channel AM station. With an excellent signal for just about the entire population of Broward County and the northern areas of Miami-Dade, especially on a car radio. This means that although they only cover about 60% of the region's population, they reach about 80% or more of the English-only or primarily English speakers. Since there is only one country station with strong ratings, it is a logical audience to split.
samb15 said:
There is a reason for this. Back in 1973 the transmitter site was moved from SE 17th street near the ocean to where it is today between Oakland Park Blvd. and Sunrise Blvd. just west of I-95. This gives 1400 coverage in Margate, Coral Springs, and Pompano. The money was spent and the job was done right. A new transmitter a Collins 820-D was installed as the main but became the aux just a few years later when one of the first solid state transmitters was installed a Harris MW-1. I'm sure the MW-1 has been retired by now. The antenna and ground system is first rate I'm sure. However someone did mention the many cell phone antennas hung on the tower have probably had an undesirable effect.
max88 said:
That's assuming they are going for ratings which is doubtful. Instead their might be some potential local advertisers willing to buy time on a station with a format they like or compliments their business.
Mike Sheridan said:
The MW series was, frankly, not terribly good sounding. I had an MW10 and was disappointed in how it sounded... it was solid state to the final, which was hollow state. Nice technology, not an advance in audio.
DavidEduardo said:
I think the MW series could sound good if everything was set up correctly. In addition to the MW-1 I was in charge of an MW-10 and it sounded nice with just an AM Optimod. When WINZ went from their old RCA Ampliphase to the MW-50 it really sounded great, almost FM quality.
Same with the Rockwell-Collins Power Rock 5KW. When WGMA 1320 retired the old junk Gates BC-5H and turned on the Power Rock, you could hear a huge difference! Not that it mattered because the format (The Lady on 1320) was junk!
Mike Sheridan said:
I had MW-10 s/n 001, and that was before the Optimod existed. We had early multiband processing from Greg Ogonowsky which improved the sound, but the box was not a significant improvement other than in effeciency.
An Amplifuzz tended to dislike High-Q directionas and reactive components. I was asked to periodically look at a 10 kw Amplifuzz non-directional on 560 into a quarter wave tower on a salt marsh, and I've never heard anything nicer. The problem is that "nice" tended to last only briefly, as the transmitter would drift and age itself out of that state fairly readily.
Like the Vanguard I, a widow-maker. But it sounded good, even in a severe directional. Had one at WHTT-1260 in Miami, and it was great until we got firebombed.
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