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Bankrupt WVKO-AM signs off until the fall

G

gabigley1

WVKO-AM 1580 abruptly sighed off the air today at 10:00 AM and has gone dark for the foreseeable future... The impending sign off was never mentioned by the 8:00AM to 10:00AM talk-show host, Charles Traylor so listeners were not able to call and say goodbye to the station. Calls to management confirmed the station going dark for the foreseeable future.... Will they may it back on the air by this fall?? This has just been posted on the web:Bankrupt WVKO-AM signs off until the fallThe Columbus DispatchFriday, May 5, 2006 2:28 PMWVKO (1580 AM) went off the air at 10:05 this morning. The radio station airs Columbus Clippers games and is a home for talk-radio in Columbus' black community.Brad Scher, a restructuring officer assigned to the station by the bankruptcy court, told employees today. He said the station's transmission tower lease expires at the end of May and that WVKO continued to lose money.A new WVKO is to go on the air this fall after a new transmission tower is built on Morse Road. It will provide a stronger signal, Scher said.The Spanish-language WVKO-FM (103.1) is not affected.The station's ownership group filed for bankruptcy last year. A new owner that submitted the winning bid in bankruptcy court earlier this year is taking over.
 
Just received this reply from Mr. Chris Anders of the Columbus Clippers. This is what he has to say about the loss of their only Columbus area affiliate. Good afternoon. We just received word this morning about WVKO going off the air. We are trying to line up an alternate station to cover the Clippers games, but that might not happen during the remainder of the 2006 season. Until then, Clippers games will be broadcast exclusively over the internet on our web page, www.clippersbaseball.com Chris AndersColumbus Clippers1155 West Mound StreetColumbus, Ohio 43223-2298Phone: (614) 462-5250 Fax: (614) 462-3271 www.clippersbaseball.com
 
Cash-strapped station pulled from airwaves in Columbus « on: Today at 09:33:29 am » Quote Modify --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click here for the rest of the story:http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/06/20060506-A1-03.htmlWVKO (1580 AM) Cash-strapped station pulled from airwaves Saturday, May 06, 2006Mark Ferenchik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The plug was pulled abruptly on WVKO radio (1580 AM) yesterday, leaving the Columbus Clippers without a radio home for the rest of the baseball season and a void for talk radio in Columbus’ black
 
You know the stations signal did not suck that bad, though sadly half the time I'd tune in there would be a stuck CD Changer playing or DEAD AIR when I tuned in prior to the bankrupt stuff going down... Cant make money easly that way. WVKO-FM (103.1) 1580s sister station used to have many issues with dead air under previous formats as well. (I dont tune in much now that their spanish) It's really not that hard to keep a radio station on air, yes I know it costs, but if your transmitter is running, computers are cheap and even basic automation systems can be had for a reasonable price.Hopefully whomever ends up with WVKO-AM and FM when its said and done will get these stations up to par. Yes I know their not power house signals but still they can be used to provide some radio programming to the area and I am sure make a few bucks.Looking at the info on file with the FCC for AM 1580 WVKO looks like they have applied to build a tower up off Morse Rd between Cleveland Ave and Westerville Rd.Best wishes to them, hate to see a license go dark and never come back.Matt
 
gabigley1 said:
Good afternoon. We just received word this morning about WVKO going off the air. We are trying to line up an alternate station to cover the Clippers games, but that might not happen during the remainder of the 2006 season. Until then, Clippers games will be broadcast exclusively over the internet on our web page, www.clippersbaseball.com
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That won't have any trouble lining up an affiliate when the move to their new stadium downtown. One would think that this would be a good time for a station to "get in on the ground floor" and try to secure a multi-year deal to broadcast rights because it's sure to be a hot ticket once in the arena district.
 
An AM option in this town will be tough to find, unless the Clippers go with 920. Their signal isn't much better than 1580; I live in Pickerington and couldn't get either of them at night. Right now, 1230 has the Reds, 1460 has the Indians and I can't see 610 taking the Reds back so 1230 could carry the Clippers. But you never know.
 
gabigley1 said:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click here for the rest of the story:http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/06/20060506-A1-03.html
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You know what I find funny about this whole story? Percy Squire is fighting the takeover when Stop 26 has done nothing to help their cause. Mired in debt and did nothing for the stations, what makes him think they are better owners than Bernard Ohio? The new owners take over and see NOTHING has been done to build the new tower and the current lease was expiring. Percy would have had no other choice than to turn the station dark either unless he planned on broadcasting from a "van down by the river". What a sham of an ownership group. It's sad really.
 
WVKO towersStation still hopes to move operationsThursday, May 11, 2006 By RANDY NAVAROLIThisWeek Staff Writer Moving its antennas from Upper Arlington to a Morse Road site may be more dependent on radio station WVKO's financial situation than on whether it can gain approval for a zoning variance. Financially troubled WVKO (1580 AM), which is owned by Bernard Radio LLC, could seek permission from Columbus City Council as early as May 22 to move its operation and four antennas from Upper Arlington to a 9-acre site at 2708 Morse Road, just west of Chesford Road. Click here for the rest of the story:http://www.thisweeknews.com/?editio...6/Northland/News/051106-News-152005.htmlClick here for a recording(air check) of one of WVKO's locally produced talk show:http://odeo.com/audio/1113492/view
 
Can WVKO come back? BY TOBI OLUWAContributing WriterColumbus PostSupporters of WVKO say they will fight for the station." We can still win this. This fight is a long way from over," commented Percy Squire, president of Stop 26-Riverbend, former owners of WVKO.Since 1948, WVKO has been the radio voice for the black community in Columbus. It has been the starting point for many of Columbus' African American media personalities such as James "Eddie" Saunders, Kirk Bishop, Bill Moss, Rev. Mike Reeves, Bob Cunningham, and current motivational speaker Les Brown.Click here for more:http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines173.html
 
i don't know if i would waste my time following the former owner of the station...the man who drove it into bankruptcy.........in fact.....i would give serious thought to running the other way.....sorry..but the former owners track record would indicate he is a lost cause..
 
WVKO’s future uncertainBy Tobi OluwaContributing WriterColumbus PostMay 25, 2006The saga continues for Columbus' oldest Black radio station WVKO. With the station currently off the air as of May 5, many speculate about the future of the station and the direction it will take. Percy Squire, president of Stop 26-Riverbend, who currently owns the FCC license but no longer the station, is fighting to maintain that control. However, it seems to be a losing battle. Click here for the rest of the story:http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines176.html
 
Great story, here are two interesting nuggets but I encourage everyone to read the whole thing."Scher said inquiries pertaining to the deal Squire supposedly had with the city, regarding the construction of the Northland Mall tower, proved to be non-existent. 'Therefore we aggressively accelerated plans to locate a satisfactory alternative site,' said Scher. The site for the new tower is located at 2708 Morse Rd"and this nugget: "WVKO AM is expected to be back on the air in the fall with a transmitting tower that has two to 10 times the range of the previous tower."There is no way Squire regains control of these stations. He may be well intentioned but he is not the right guy for the job to get things done. I guess I would be interested to know if anyone knows the details of the new tower.
 
Council tables radio tower legislationThursday, June 1, 2006By RANDY NAVAROLIThisWeek Staff Writer Columbus City Council has indefinitely tabled action on legislation that would allow financially troubled radio station WVKO (1580 AM) to move from Upper Arlington to a site on Morse Road. WVKO, owned by Bernard Radio LLC, is seeking rezoning and variance approval from city council to move its operations and four 150-foot antennas from Upper Arlington to a 9-acre site at 2708 Morse Road, just west of Chesford Road.Click here for the rest of the story:http://www.thisweeknews.com/?editio...060106/Northland/News/060106-News-164003.html
 
Does anyone know if a Dave James work there in news?Thanks!
 
WVKO battle continues
By Tobi Oluwa
Contributing Writer
Columbus Post

With WVKO-AM officially in the hands of its' creditors, D.B Zwirn (DBZ), the battle over the future of the station is even higher. Officially acquiring the station during a May 31 auction, Bernard Radio LLC, a subsidiary of DBZ, is actively seeking to erect four transmission towers located at 2708 Morse Rd., but that effort is currently on hold by Columbus City Council.

Former station owner Percy Squire defaulted on a $12 million loan made by DBZ.
Federal court has issued a stay on all activities and appeals until a status conference can be held on July 7. Squire has challenged the legality of the auction and numerous procedures in the bankruptcy court.

Click here for the rest of the story:

http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines183.html
 
This article is just laughable. Percy Squire's world must be a strange looking place:

Squire retorts, "We know that we were losing money but the fact that WVKO was still on the air shows you that our team was subsidizing the radio station, and the fact that we were putting our own money in, should count for something. For them to come around now and say that it was this poorly run operation, the fact of the matter is, it was on the air."
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On the air? When WinAmp didn't puke on them?

So ridiculous, he says that he had to deal with an unscrupulous lender because he couldn't get money from conventional banking institutions but then couldn't pay it back and that's somehow Zwirn's fault. If you can't afford to borrow the money, then don't. You owe someone $12 million that you default on and you want to blame the lender? How about this Percy... can I borrow $12 million from you and then not pay you back? Then when I can't pay you back I can blame you for not recognizing that there was no way I could possibly pay you back.

This quote I tend to believe to be closer to the truth:
DBZ continues to accuse Squire of having "a history of wasteful legal pleadings" and acts of "gross misconduct" in his business dealings.
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I would listen to 1580 WVKO AM off and on when it was on air and for many months it was nothing but it sounded like a CD Changer running (there was dead spots between songs and the legal ID at the TOH was played ontop of whatever song that was playing) There was also times I'd tune in and hear a stuck CD playing for like hours until either it fought thru the skipping and jumped to another track or someone I assume noticed and fixed it.
 
Radio station's move to area remains in limbo
Thursday, August 3, 2006
By RANDY NAVAROLI ThisWeek Staff Writer

A historic but financially troubled local radio station's plan to move to a site on Morse Road remains in limbo.

In May, Columbus City Council indefinitely tabled legislation that would allow radio station WVKO (1580 AM) to move from Upper Arlington to Morse Road.

Click here for the rest of the story:

http://www.thisweeknews.com/?editio...080306/Northland/News/080306-News-200478.html
 
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