Anybody happen to know what became of WAMG 890 this morining

[beantownradio25]

WAMG and WLLH should go Urban AC or Urban Contemporary, and give WILD the automated graveyard, a run for their money. Then Radio One would actually put some programming effort into WILD, possibly even bring back local programming.

WAMG and WLLH combined could give WILD a run for their money as an Urban AC or Urban Contemporary station, if programmed right. WILD signs off every night, WAMG and WLLH don't, and WAMG covers many Urban areas WILD doesn't. Plus there's WLLH in Lowell, and Lowell has a high Urban population.

I'm really crossing my fingers these stations return to the air as an Urban AC duo or Urban Contemporary. Hip Hop would never happen on AM though, that's definately stretching it, but R&B wouldn't be bad on the AM dial. Sure, WILD has Tom Joyner, but WAMG could get Steve Harvey and get a high rated afternoon drive show like Doug and DeeDee or whatever it is, from Citadel Media Networks. People would much rather hear that than an automated mix playing random songs, with bad audio quality.

What other format choices do they have? WILD is an easy beat both programming and signal wise, think about it

What else will WAMG do, go Spanish and become just another one of those wasted signals with no audience, because we all know no one wants to listen to blazing spanish on AM, when they could just put on an FM spanish pirate in stereo.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

That's fair...but do you really think that the majority of Bostonians would listen to music on an AM radio station when they could listen to it on an FM radio station?

They may listen if the type of music they're playing is NOT AVAILABLE on an FM station.

 

[MarcB]

They may listen if the type of music they're playing is NOT AVAILABLE on an FM station.

True. In Hartford Urban Music wasn't available on FM until March 2001 when Infinity launched Hip-Hop formatted HOT 93.7 Urban Music was available on AM station JAMZ 910 a 5KW day/night station that was owned by Mega Broadcasting. Mega launched the station in March 1997 after the Romantica Format they had been running since mid-December 1996 failed to catch fire. At the height of its popularity JAMZ 910 scored as high as the high 3s in the 12+ Numbers. JAMZ 910 was Urban Contemporary formatted as opposed to hip-hop and they didn't play a lot of hip-hop and rap. Prior to JAMZ 910's debut in 1997 the only place to hear Urban Music on commercial radio in Hartford was on a 500 watt daytimer out of Windsor. Non-commercially it was available on Weaver High School's WQTQ 89.9 QUTE-FM a low-budget, low-power station, which at the time was not on the air 24/7. Anyway after Infinity launched HOT 93.7 Mega gave up on JAMZ 910 and flipped it to Tropical (moving their MEGA Tropical format from 1230 AM which was 1KW day/night). In my opinion they should've flipped 910 to Urban AC and I believe they could've co-exited just nicely with HOT 93.7 FM. There is no Urban AC in Hartford.

 

[JIBGUY]

This conversation isn't the same without RAPKING ! Where'd he go?

 

[Deleted User]

JIBGUY, pick one or more of the following and just post it... same as his stuff

1) Pirate radio serves the community the big radio companies won't

2) Radio One screwed Boston

3) Boston needs a true urban station

4) Someone needs to do urban programming, profitability be damned, because I want it.

 

[beantownradio25]

I listened to WILD for hours today. The audio quality is bad and muddy sounding. An Urban station on 890/1440 with nice audio processing, and programmed right, and GOOD PROMOTION, will make a splash in Boston.

 

[JIBGUY]

Yup, Boston really does need a good urban-gold station.... could make some decent money. Even on AM, it would work, and work well. AM works with music when no one else is doing such a wide-appeal format.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Yup, Boston really does need a good urban-gold station.... could make some decent money. Even on AM, it would work, and work well. AM works with music when no one else is doing such a wide-appeal format.

But the flat-out best AM signal for this format would be 1260, which is dominant in Dorchester, Mattapan and other places in the inner city. Radio Disney would be better positioned on 890, because that signal is dominant in many affluent suburbs west of Route 128. BTW, a 1260/1400 simulcast would make just as much sense as did the former 890/1400 simulcast. If 1260 and 890 were co-owned, the format flips that would make this work would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, although Disney owns 1260, and despite 890's former connection with Disney (via ESPN), there is no special connection between 890 and Radio Disney.

 

[Deleted User]

OK I'll agree for the sake of argument that Boston needs a true "urban" format, but how does one take 890 and make it self sustaining, when you are competing against "Pirate" operations like Big City, who don't have to play by the same rules, and don't have the same costs.

Big City didn't have to buy EAS monitors, they don't have to keep a "main studio" manned during normal business hours in case the FCC wants to visit, or someone wants to see the Public Inspection File. Social Security employer contribution, Workman's Comp, Commercial rates on electricity and phone utilities, The're are a lot of costs they don't have that are enough to break a licensed broadcaster's bank.

 

[DanStrassberg]

how does one take 890 and make it self sustaining, when you are competing against "Pirate" operations like Big City, who don't have to play by the same rules, and don't have the same costs.

It would be easier to make 1260 self sustaining as an urban-formatted station than to make 890 self-sustaining with that format. If 890 were doing Radio Disney, Disney would take care ot 890's financial issues. If Disney were then to LMA 1260 to a broadcaster based in the community, Disney would, first of all, have to select someone as an LMA partner who has a lot of experience in running profitable radio stations--ideally profitable urban-formated radio stations in large markets. That person also needs good connections within the community and a recognition that the station cannot afford to run like a non-profit community-service organization; the management needs to rule with an iron hand. Employees who want to bicker with management can't be tolerated. I suggest that the programming decision should come down to finding a content provider that can immediately deliver a proven, successful urban format. At least at the outset, there probably would be no local "talent" per se. Outsource the entertainment content to a national outfit; outsource news/traffic/weather to Metro Networks or one of its competitors. Spend all available $$$ on sales and promotion.

 

[CTListener]

OK I'll agree for the sake of argument that Boston needs a true "urban" format, but how does one take 890 and make it self sustaining, when you are competing against "Pirate" operations like Big City, who don't have to play by the same rules, and don't have the same costs.

Why are these pirates so hard to track down and take off the air? Is the FCC even trying?

 

[Deleted User]

The FCC is not trying. When pirates are selling ads, sponsoring events, and giving out studio numbers and locations, they are not hard to find.

The last time the FCC acted against a Pirate in this market IIRC is when the pirate was screwing up radio traffic at Logan Airport.

The only time they will act is when a pirate parks itself on a first adjacent or assigned frequency and the station owners start complaining.

 

[beantownradio25]

Cough Cough Hot 97 WPOT Cough Cough

The FCC needs to get serious about pirates.

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

Cough Cough Hot 97 WPOT Cough Cough

The FCC needs to get serious about pirates.

As a matter of fact,

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-293314A1.html

#> On September 1, 2009, agents from this office confirmed by direction
#> finding techniques that radio signals on frequency 97.5 MHz were emanating
#> from 76 Esmond St., Dorchester, MA
<snip>
#> The field strength of the signal on frequency 97.5 MHz was measured
#> at 181,163 microvolts per meter (uV/m) at 66 meters, which exceeded the
#> maximum permitted level of 250 uV/m at 3 meters for non-licensed devices.

So, 181.163 mV/m at a dx of .066 km ≈ 2.91 (".00290555" kw) watts ERP?

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmtvcur2?l=1&k=1&m=2&s=1&f=1&o=1&e=501&a=.00290555&b=30&c=.066

 

[12 In a Row]

Coming from the business side, (don't you just hate that) you need to ask yourself:

1. IF I spend for staff, promotions, taxes, tower site, rent, lights, heat, air, blahblahblah,
will there be enough revenue/advertisers to sustain the party?
2. IF I'm passionate about the format, CAN I, WILL I (personally) hit the streets and sell it?
3. You're placing your format on a inferior band, AM for music.
IF by chance this causes a buzz and starts making money, what happens when someone with a high powered FM turns the switch and steals my format (and they will), do I have a Plan B?

I know, reality sucks.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Coming from the business side, (don't you just hate that) you need to ask yourself:
IF by chance this causes a buzz and starts making money, what happens when someone with a high powered FM turns the switch and steals my format (and they will), do I have a Plan B?

The trick is obviously to pick a music format that no FM is likely to copy. IOW, one that is good enough to attact an audience big enough to be profitable with a low-overhead operation, but not big enough to attract an FM operator. Something that pulls, say, a 1.6 or 1.7 share. Also, it would be good if that 1.6 share came from an older-than-average demo but not one with one foot in the grave. Older demos are a turn-off to FM programmers.

 

[12 In a Row]

What format would FM not likely to copy IF it's making money?
If the bulk of your 1.6 is older than average, what are your plans in 3,5, 10 years?
Do you and will you have a client base to support the format?
Just wondering?

 

[12 In a Row]

And for some odd reason, investors, vendors, and people all want to get paid. What a bummer.

 

[DanStrassberg]

What format would FM not likely to copy IF it's making money?
If the bulk of your 1.6 is older than average, what are your plans in 3,5, 10 years?
Do you and will you have a client base to support the format?
Just wondering?

How about Urban Gold? (Isn't this also called Solid Gold Soul?) IIRC, Solid Gold Soul is the format that did so well on 1150, a signal that has rarely, if ever, done very well in Boston. This was during a period when the license was in trust pending one or another of the many transfers of control. The substantial ratings were accomplished within a year and with absolutely ZERO promotion. I can't recall whether or not WILD was running a competing adult urban-music format at the time.

Now, you're going to say, that that was years ago, when the audience for such a format was much younger. Maybe so, but I don't believe that all of the potential listeners are dead yet.

And if you insist that there are no such formats, what is WJIB--chopped liver?

 

[Eli Polonsky]

How about Urban Gold? (Isn't this also called Solid Gold Soul?) IIRC, Solid Gold Soul is the format that did so well on 1150, a signal that has rarely, if ever, done very well in Boston. This was during a period when the license was in trust pending one or another of the many transfers of control. The substantial ratings were accomplished within a year and with absolutely ZERO promotion. I can't recall whether or not WILD was running a competing adult urban-music format at the time.

WILD was trying to run Urban Contemporary on AM, including Rap and Hip-Hop, with little success, when 1150 ran the "Touch" Urban AC/Gold satellite from Texas (no relation to the Boston pirate currently using the same name). With no promotion and no local programming, "Touch" on 1150 beat WILD in the ratings, which was what precipitated WILD's flip from Urban Contemporary to a half-decade of moderate success with Urban AC/Gold until Radio One moved the format (though modified in a way that lost its focus by mixing it with Urban Contemporary at certain times of day) onto the ill-fated WILD-FM 97.7.

And if you insist that there are no such formats, what is WJIB--chopped liver?

WJIB as a listener-supported model is not sponsor dependent, so therefore not age dependent. It doesn't matter if WJIB's audience is mainly seniors, as long as they support the station out of their pockets. I think that the Urban AC/Gold core audience is a little younger, but not by much for the most part.