Anyone know why Drl-24 is off the, would it be $$$$$ 
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Anyone know why WDRL-TV went off air....
- Thread starter FRM-Yankey
- Start date
T
TarlekInSales
Guest
There was a story in the Roanoke Times. http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/255186
As I recall, the owner at one time was involved in rebroadcasting programs in a European company without permission.
The station has been sold twice, as I recall, but neither one has closed. Bankruptcy complicated issues, I guess. Quite a train wreck over there.
As I recall, the owner at one time was involved in rebroadcasting programs in a European company without permission.
The station has been sold twice, as I recall, but neither one has closed. Bankruptcy complicated issues, I guess. Quite a train wreck over there.
The owner didn't pay royalties on copyrighted programming the station was airing. I understand the bill went back to 2004, and was in excess of one million $$$.
The owner of the station fought it in the courts, and even set up a new corporation and transferred the station to it...the bill followed to the new corporation.
Then the owner agreed to sell the station to gain the $$$ to pay it, but insisted that a management contract for him and his company be in the sales agreement. The two religious organizations he tried to do the sale with balked at that provision, and backed out.
With all options exhausted, the courts placed the monetary judgment on the owner's corporation, and placed the station in receivership...the receiver being an employee of the company that alleged the debt.
Two things are going on right now with the station... 1) The station is off the air, because employees and power to run the transmitter are the two biggest expenses. Without revenue you can afford neither, and 2) Management of station assets is in the hands of a "recovery specialist", who will either find a buyer for the station or sell its assets piecemeal. The goal is to satisfy the judgment. Any further proceeds, after attorney's fees and receiver's commissions go to the owner, and probably won't be much.
The station will return to the air. That much is a given. The FCC license is the most valuable asset of the station. My opinion is that the sale of the license will likely happen quickly, regardless of what happens to the other assets (studio, transmitter, office, etc.). If new owners purchase everything in place, return of the station to the air will probably be in six months or less. If someone purchases the license and builds the station from scratch, you could see up to a year pass before the station rebuilds its facilities and returns.
A year will be the limiting factor though, because congress requires all FCC-licensed broadcast stations to return to the air within a year of their last broadcast, or lose their license. There are some ways around this, but none of them are easy or cheap.
Well, that's probably more than you wanted to know about this screwy situation.
Later . . . .
The owner of the station fought it in the courts, and even set up a new corporation and transferred the station to it...the bill followed to the new corporation.
Then the owner agreed to sell the station to gain the $$$ to pay it, but insisted that a management contract for him and his company be in the sales agreement. The two religious organizations he tried to do the sale with balked at that provision, and backed out.
With all options exhausted, the courts placed the monetary judgment on the owner's corporation, and placed the station in receivership...the receiver being an employee of the company that alleged the debt.
Two things are going on right now with the station... 1) The station is off the air, because employees and power to run the transmitter are the two biggest expenses. Without revenue you can afford neither, and 2) Management of station assets is in the hands of a "recovery specialist", who will either find a buyer for the station or sell its assets piecemeal. The goal is to satisfy the judgment. Any further proceeds, after attorney's fees and receiver's commissions go to the owner, and probably won't be much.
The station will return to the air. That much is a given. The FCC license is the most valuable asset of the station. My opinion is that the sale of the license will likely happen quickly, regardless of what happens to the other assets (studio, transmitter, office, etc.). If new owners purchase everything in place, return of the station to the air will probably be in six months or less. If someone purchases the license and builds the station from scratch, you could see up to a year pass before the station rebuilds its facilities and returns.
A year will be the limiting factor though, because congress requires all FCC-licensed broadcast stations to return to the air within a year of their last broadcast, or lose their license. There are some ways around this, but none of them are easy or cheap.
Well, that's probably more than you wanted to know about this screwy situation.
Later . . . .
Rumor has it that DRL-24 won their appeal in Court and will be starting up again in a week or so, anyone have anything on this?
Apparently the Judge has ruled in their favor, they are fighting for their license back from Charter that will be decided on Oct. 19 of this year. Dont know if they can get back in tune due to the damaged that this setback has created.FRM-Yankey said:
R
Radio-X
Guest
Yuhonn123 said:
You mind explaining? Because from what I see on here, it appears WDRL brought it upon themselves.
Radio-X
Apparent-ly charter sent the case back to West Virgina to be heard, another speed bump added for Mel"s 24. One step forwards then four backwards. :'(
Well the W.V. Court system has sent back this action back to Roanoke VA, to be heard on or about 12-15-10. DRL-tv has one more chance, according to Mel E. Quote were ready to turn on the transmiter at a moment notice. Just cant wait as to what Charter will throw in to block this one...
Well here we go again, apprently the Court system of V.A. on 12/14/10 (Im sure through the high price laywers of Charter advisement) has sent this case back :-\to W.V. Just another legal game that can be done in these type of cases. Looks like TV-24 will stay black for another couple of month or so.....
It has now been 10 months since WDRL-TV signed off the air. If they go 12 months +1 Day without puttling a program on the air, the FCC will cancel the license and the value of the station will go to $<0>, certainly something no one connected with the station wants to see.
Has anyone heard any plans for returning WDRL to the air?
Later . . . .
Has anyone heard any plans for returning WDRL to the air?
Later . . . .
Mel, does not answer his e-mails any more, and has drop the WDRL-TV website, sounds like he went to retire in FL.Matt Smith said:
Charter has to to do something very soon or it could be a lose lose situation:-\
FRM-Yankey said:
It was only on for a few hours yesterday at 4.00 their were off the air, not sure if they were on the air Wed. There not on today as of 11.00 AM.tripinva said:
Just like Charter to pull this ploy off to save the license!!!
The "proper" way to do that is to put a local interview program on, show something like a current daily newspaper on screen and video tape it as proof that the station actually DID transmit a program. With that in hand, they are supposed to notify the FCC that the station has resumed programming.
Of course, they can turn around a week later and apply for another Special Temporary Authority from the FCC to be silent for another year. Mebane, NC-Based WGSB Radio station does this from year to year to keep the license active without the expense of actually programming the thing.
I have heard, however, that the FCC now requires stations renewing their licenses to certify that for at least half of the term of their previous license the station broadcast at least a minimum program schedule as specified in the Rules and Regs. Stations that didn't operate that way will run the risk of being designated for a hearing and would have to prove that they operated in the "...interest and convenience of the public." in order to have their license renewed.
Hopefully WDRL will be unloaded onto new ownership soon.
Later . . . .
Of course, they can turn around a week later and apply for another Special Temporary Authority from the FCC to be silent for another year. Mebane, NC-Based WGSB Radio station does this from year to year to keep the license active without the expense of actually programming the thing.
I have heard, however, that the FCC now requires stations renewing their licenses to certify that for at least half of the term of their previous license the station broadcast at least a minimum program schedule as specified in the Rules and Regs. Stations that didn't operate that way will run the risk of being designated for a hearing and would have to prove that they operated in the "...interest and convenience of the public." in order to have their license renewed.
Hopefully WDRL will be unloaded onto new ownership soon.
Later . . . .
I've always found WDRL-TV an interesting case. In the days of analog TV, its transmitter was actually just across the state line in Pelham, N.C. (and, in the Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point DMA), yet it targeted Roanoke-Lynchburg.
Something else about this station. I live in Durham, but was never able to pick up as much as a faint image on channel 24 from WDRL. If I ever got anything on UHF 24 in Durham, it was WTAT in Charleston, S.C. I know WDRL used a directional antenna at Pelham, but even so one would expect at least some ocassional sign of a full-power broadcast with Danville a scant 50 miles or so away from Durham. I remember Fayetteville's WFAY-TV 62 and Greensboro's WLXI-TV 61 were also very rare catches, but DID show up, albeit barely.
Something else about this station. I live in Durham, but was never able to pick up as much as a faint image on channel 24 from WDRL. If I ever got anything on UHF 24 in Durham, it was WTAT in Charleston, S.C. I know WDRL used a directional antenna at Pelham, but even so one would expect at least some ocassional sign of a full-power broadcast with Danville a scant 50 miles or so away from Durham. I remember Fayetteville's WFAY-TV 62 and Greensboro's WLXI-TV 61 were also very rare catches, but DID show up, albeit barely.
I live in Charlotte Co., VA, and WDRL was a no-show here as well. The signal covered almost nothing and went nowhere. I caught it once or twice during very intense tropo, but otherwise never saw it. As with you, WTAT was a much more frequent visitor for me as well.
Oddly enough, once they put that extra transmitter on Poor Mountain, all of a sudden the main Danville transmitter appeared enough to interfere with the Poor Mountain transmitter to make it unwatchable. It was quite a sight and quite a mess.
I don't know that I ever received the digital on 41, even after it moved to Smith Mountain. It wasn't until after the move back to 24 and some work to the transmitter that I was finally able to barely receive it.
What a mess.
- Trip
Oddly enough, once they put that extra transmitter on Poor Mountain, all of a sudden the main Danville transmitter appeared enough to interfere with the Poor Mountain transmitter to make it unwatchable. It was quite a sight and quite a mess.
I don't know that I ever received the digital on 41, even after it moved to Smith Mountain. It wasn't until after the move back to 24 and some work to the transmitter that I was finally able to barely receive it.
What a mess.
- Trip
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