Anyone here listen to AM 700, WFAT Orange-Athol?

[Kemosabe]

Apparently WFAT's 99-watt translator on Pocumtuck Rock is pumping out oldies on 92.3 MHz to the I-91 corridor from Greenfield to Whately.

 

[Gunsmoke]

I listen all the time on line, I notice they use the same service, same music, same time, same liners, voices as WKCE 1120 and FM 97.1 Maryville/Knoxville, so they are not in-house like I thought they were. Or are both stations co-owned??

 

[b-turner]

I tried looking them up to get an idea of the revenue. It seems the company has other stations including FMs. While it appears the company has over $2 million a month, I gather that WFAT is generating just under $6,000 a month. I'm doubtful that pays the bills. There's so much nickel and dime stuff after you pay the stuff you think of like electric, water, sewage, annual spectrum fee,music licensing, engineering and repairs, possibly tower lighting and painting, taxes,insurance, phone and stuff like mowing the tower site before you even pay a commission to the sales person or any talent or management. Then consider you are not getting a decent rate per spot when you find a willing advertiser. And who knows how many try the station. I worked a station that just couldn't produce enough listeners per trade area business location about 97% of the time.Only about 3% would renew. Once we figured that reality out we changed our format to brokered time. If you love the station, send then a donation each month and maybe they can stick around.

 

[b-turner]

By the way, just checked the song list and WKCE and WFAT are identical.

 

[davideduardo]

I tried looking them up to get an idea of the revenue. It seems the company has other stations including FMs. While it appears the company has over $2 million a month, I gather that WFAT is generating just under $6,000 a month. I'm doubtful that pays the bills. There's so much nickel and dime stuff after you pay the stuff you think of like electric, water, sewage, annual spectrum fee,music licensing, engineering and repairs, possibly tower lighting and painting, taxes,insurance, phone and stuff like mowing the tower site before you even pay a commission to the sales person or any talent or management. Then consider you are not getting a decent rate per spot when you find a willing advertiser. And who knows how many try the station. I worked a station that just couldn't produce enough listeners per trade area business location about 97% of the time.Only about 3% would renew. Once we figured that reality out we changed our format to brokered time. If you love the station, send then a donation each month and maybe they can stick around.

Northeast Broadcasting Company seems to bill around $5.5 million a year, with 12 stations plus 6 translators. About 80% of the revenue comes from one FM, WXRV. The rest bill $0 to $300 k a year.

WFAT's 5 mV/m contour covers around 30,000 persons. Not much of a market, so one wonders the reasoning behind keeping it on the air other than justifying W222CH, which covers even less people.

 

[CTListener]

By the way, just checked the song list and WKCE and WFAT are identical.

And it certainly seems to have been put together for a rural, Southern, 70+ audience, what with all that twangy country gold in it. I wonder if anyone at all is listening in the Athol-Greenfield-Whately metroplex.

 

[b-turner]

I pulled a 24 hour playlist up. There might be 1 country song an hour. Some might have actually have had some top 40 exposure on some stations wen they were released. It appears they do the same 'seasoning' of the format with R&B tunes. Given the fact it is the only station of it's type on the dial, I doubt you have listeners tuning away because of a song each hour they may not like. When there are several choices you switch the station. When there are no others, you stay put because the next song is one you like.

 

[b-turner]

Wow, billing $0 to $300,000 a year is sure not easy street. You'd think they just simulcast what makes them money instead. I've heard of little AMs in small towns doing around $1,500 to $2,500 a month and only able to keep going because the there's no note to pay and the owner doesn't need to take a paycheck from the station or the FM was making up the difference. In those instances they have operating costs to a bare minimum and generally can break even or lose a few bucks. Then again these are 1 kw or less, non-directional, high on the dial without painted and lit sticks and mostly daytimers or minimal night wattage. I guess if the ground system had to be replaced on such a station, they'd call it a day.

 

[CTListener]

I pulled a 24 hour playlist up. There might be 1 country song an hour. Some might have actually have had some top 40 exposure on some stations wen they were released. It appears they do the same 'seasoning' of the format with R&B tunes. Given the fact it is the only station of it's type on the dial, I doubt you have listeners tuning away because of a song each hour they may not like. When there are several choices you switch the station. When there are no others, you stay put because the next song is one you like.

I was just up in the area the past few days and gave the station a listen. Looks like the playlist I remembered from earlier has been given a significant tweak and is now a fairly deep mix of '50s and '60s pop oldies. For example: Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel," Peter Paul & Mary's "Blowin' in the Wind," Young Rascals' "Groovin'," Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain." They're using the "True Oldies" branding, but no "Channel" and no Scott Shannon, so it must be a non-trademarked knockoff.

 

[DavidZ]

According to the other board, Saga bought WFAT.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170860/station-sales-week-of-9-28/

 

[CTListener]

According to the other board, Saga bought WFAT.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170860/station-sales-week-of-9-28/

For $210,000. Given the sparse population both the AM and FM reach, one wonders what Saga could put on that signal and make any more money than Northeast has been. Kind of surprised a leased-time or religious broadcaster isn't the buyer, rather than a small chain. Although Saga also owns WHAI Greenfield, in the same general area, along with Northampton and Springfield stations, so maybe that will help sell WFAT and its translator as part of a package to advertisers.

 

[Kemosabe]

For $210,000. Given the sparse population both the AM and FM reach, one wonders what Saga could put on that signal and make any more money than Northeast has been … Although Saga also owns WHAI Greenfield, in the same general area, along with Northampton and Springfield stations, so maybe that will help sell WFAT and its translator as part of a package to advertisers.

Perhaps Saga will simulcast one of its Northampton-Amherst signals, such as W232BW (WLZX-HD2) "Hits 94.3," W245BK (WLZX-HD3) - "Pure Oldies 96.9," or even WLZX ("Lazer 99.3") itself.

Kind of surprised a leased-time or religious broadcaster isn't the buyer …

Thank God it wasn't the latter.

 

[DavidZ]

I listened for just a short time late last week and they’re now simulcasting WFAT on 92.3 W222CH- FM Greenfield.

 

[DavidZ]

And Saga has flipped the station to country.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/173613/saga-debuts-92-3-the-outlaw-in-greenfield/

 

[CTListener]

And Saga has flipped the station to country.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/173613/saga-debuts-92-3-the-outlaw-in-greenfield/

Website is up, but no live feed yet and most of the pull-down menus are empty. Saga is running the same format in Des Moines on 93.7. I'm listening to the stream right now -- "Boot Scootin' Boogie," (Brooks & Dunn) "Beaches of Cheyenne," (Gartb Brooks) "Sweet Country Music" (Alabama). The Last Played list is interesting. Heavy on '80s country hits but quite a few unconventional choices such as Johnny Cash's "Get Rhythm," Billy Joe Shaver's "Ride Me Down Easy," Willie Nelson's version of "Crazy," Chris Ledoux's "Life Is a Highway" and Vern Gosdin's "Right in the Wrong Direction. Right now, they're playing Jason Aldean's "She's Country," so the slogan of "Country Legends and Young Guns" is the real deal.

This is definitely a different approach than iHeart's or Nash's versions of the format. I like it a lot, but I wonder if it's a bit too twangy for the market, even for the older country fans it seems to be going after.

 

[Bill Sample]

WFAT Format Flip

Well, the old format was fun while it lasted for some of us. Similar format is still available on WPLB, listenable on line.

 

[Kemosabe]

I imagine the operation will be (or perhaps has been) merged into the WHAI / WPVQ building in Greenfield.