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Big Hits to return on 104.3

OK, so maybe they should rename it BIG HITS, LITTLE STICK. But if West Jeff does come through. they'll have significantly better coverage than 107.9, let alone 104.3. The current coverage map for 104.3 is almost embarrassing to look at.

So I guess this means Bill Shannon is gone. Too bad. He was good, and talented.

The new morning guy, Bulldog, would be OK except that he does one thing I find highly annoying: He frequently pronounces "s" as "sh." "Coming up next, on B-I-G Hitsh..." I don't think this is a speech impediment. I think it's a highly-misguided attempt to add oomph to a statement.
 
Allfirdup said:
Dont know if they are running it in a closet, but the web site lists an air staff

http://www.bighits1043.com/Air-Staff/3770801
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I would suspect the Big Hits folks will use the old Smooth Jazz studio and they will run Smooth Jazz out of a rack (or maybe an extra prod room) since the only show I know of live on 103.5 WJZA is Fritz's show on Sunday nights and they could easly run it out of the Big hits studio.

It was interesting to see the website list talent that we all thought where gone last week with the flip to Mix.

Will also be more interesting to see who SAGA brings on for 'mix' when the 5000 songs in a row end.
 
One difference is that SNY's Tony Florentino is now the PD for all four SAGA stations, adding in Mix and apparently taking over for Bill Shannon at Big Hits and Smooth Jazz.
 
WJZA has come to grips with reality and has dropped mention of 104.3...although some of the liners are obviously doctored to remove such references.
 
Nu_Roo_2 said:
The new morning guy, Bulldog, would be OK except that he does one thing I find highly annoying: He frequently pronounces "s" as "sh." "Coming up next, on B-I-G Hitsh..." I don't think this is a speech impediment. I think it's a highly-misguided attempt to add oomph to a statement.
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All I can add to that is a chuckle when hearing them call it "the more music morning show," which is a direct copy from Cool 92 (WCOL-FM) in 1991, but in the case of the 104.3 version of it, maybe "the minimum wage morning show" might be more fitting.
 
Of course I'm sure all of you realize that if any one of the small signals start doing well, a big signal will just take the format, probably CC, trash it after the small signal has changed and we'll lose another format. Radio seems very stale to me, no personality sounding the same in all markets, same type of production, same sounding jingles, liners, you get it, very very stale especially in this market. What is most interesting of all to me is there are still some people who think a corp like Radio One or any radio station will listen to anybody!!!

I congradulate 97.1 for airing play by play, imagine that on a sports station, God what a concept, airing sports on a sports station, wow!!!! It's about time!!!!!
 
To sum up FM Radio in Columbus Ohio. One "Class B" station broadcasting 175,000 watts (WNCI) and numerous Class A FM stations.

Now this is a handy guide to listen to Big Hits 104.3:

1. Have a radio that have a detachable dipole antenna (i.e RF port) remove the dipole antenna.

2. Purchase a C Crane FM Reflective Antenna. The antenna original forum is T shape. Take the two ends and fold it into a loop. Use twist ties to hold the loop together.

3. Get a six to twelve inches (or more) of coaxial cable and connect it to the radio RF port.

4. Get a male to male connector or a splitter and connect the coaxial cable to one of the output port.

5. Then connect the FM reflective antenna to the input port.

6. Now walk around your house/apartment to get reception. For me the kitchen area of my downtown fourth floor apartment is the best place for the C Crane Reflective Antenna to pick up Big Hits. It is a great place as well to pick up WCRS/WCRX LPFM as well.
 
willcail said:
To sum up FM Radio in Columbus Ohio. One "Class B" station broadcasting 175,000 watts (WNCI) and numerous Class A FM stations.

Now this is a handy guide to listen to Big Hits 104.3:

1. Have a radio that have a detachable dipole antenna (i.e RF port) remove the dipole antenna.

2. Purchase a C Crane FM Reflective Antenna. The antenna original forum is T shape. Take the two ends and fold it into a loop. Use twist ties to hold the loop together.

3. Get a six to twelve inches (or more) of coaxial cable and connect it to the radio RF port.

4. Get a male to male connector or a splitter and connect the coaxial cable to one of the output port.

5. Then connect the FM reflective antenna to the input port.

6. Now walk around your house/apartment to get reception. For me the kitchen area of my downtown fourth floor apartment is the best place for the C Crane Reflective Antenna to pick up Big Hits. It is a great place as well to pick up WCRS/WCRX LPFM as well.
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I agree with your observations on listening to Big Hits 104.3 in downtown the Columbus area. There is no way the general public will go to that much trouble in order to listen that station/signal into the downtown area.
Are they streaming yet?
 
gabigley1 said:
I agree with your observations on listening to Big Hits 104.3 in downtown the Columbus area. There is no way the general public will go to that much trouble in order to listen that station/signal into the downtown area.
Are they streaming yet?
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They are finally streaming.. I saw the link on their site.

Side note, getting most of the Class A's downtown would be a challenge with all that steel and RF and IF madness (with the big towers downtown).. about the only ones you would have success with would be 98.9, 105.7 and 107.5 which are located downtown.
 
willcail said:
To sum up FM Radio in Columbus Ohio. One "Class B" station broadcasting 175,000 watts (WNCI) and numerous Class A FM stations.

Now this is a handy guide to listen to Big Hits 104.3:

1. Have a radio that have a detachable dipole antenna (i.e RF port) remove the dipole antenna.

2. Purchase a C Crane FM Reflective Antenna. The antenna original forum is T shape. Take the two ends and fold it into a loop. Use twist ties to hold the loop together.

3. Get a six to twelve inches (or more) of coaxial cable and connect  it to the radio RF port.

4. Get a male to male connector or a splitter and connect the coaxial cable to one of the output port.

5. Then connect the FM reflective antenna to the input port.

6. Now walk around your house/apartment to get reception. For me the kitchen area of my downtown fourth floor apartment is the best place for the C Crane Reflective Antenna to pick up Big Hits. It is a great place as well to pick up WCRS/WCRX LPFM as well.
Click to expand...

They should run a spot explaining this to listeners.  But then they would have to remove all the ads or half the music.  Maybe a seminar instead, in the community they (cough) serve, Richwood.  BTW, has anyone ever actually seen Richwood?

Seriously, this is a good demonstration of why I get cranky when people say "Columbus" has plenty of radio stations and has all the format bases covered.
 
willcail said:
I have a better chance to pick up WINF LPFM out of Delaware Ohio than Big Hits.
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I agree. How far is WINF LPFM from Downtown Columbus? About twenty to twenty five miles or so? That should give some of you an idea how weak the 104.3 signal is in downtown Columbus area. They call themselves a "Columbus" radio station.
 
Been to Richwood and met some very nice folks. It's a town of about 2200 people (give or take a hundred) and the 104.3 tower is about 4 miles north of Marysville (on Route 3 I believe) and south of Richwood. George Scantland put the antenna up on an existing tower (it was originally a CC station and they moved further south down 33) and the original studio site was 655 Metro Place (right by 33 and 270) because it was the tallest building in the area and they needed the height for the STL shot. There's a ridge just below Marysville and if you stood on the top of Metro Place at night, you could just see the light at the very top of the 104.3 tower. Remember that Scantland got the original signal to keep it out of Marion where he still had WDIF at the time. He then realized he could move it in but also started looking for an alternative as soon as he signed it on at the end of November 1995. It took a couple of years for the 103.5 deal to come about and start the simulcast which lasted until a few weeks ago.
 
Bill Harmonic said:
Been to Richwood and met some very nice folks. It's a town of about 2200 people (give or take a hundred) and the 104.3 tower is about 4 miles north of Marysville (on Route 3 I believe) and south of Richwood. George Scantland put the antenna up on an existing tower (it was originally a CC station and they moved further south down 33) and the original studio site was 655 Metro Place (right by 33 and 270) because it was the tallest building in the area and they needed the height for the STL shot. There's a ridge just below Marysville and if you stood on the top of Metro Place at night, you could just see the light at the very top of the 104.3 tower. Remember that Scantland got the original signal to keep it out of Marion where he still had WDIF at the time. He then realized he could move it in but also started looking for an alternative as soon as he signed it on at the end of November 1995. It took a couple of years for the 103.5 deal to come about and start the simulcast which lasted until a few weeks ago.
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Interesting. What was 104.3 doing, and what was its target geography, before the Saga deal?
 
A little bit of history! 104.3 was a brand spanking new sign on in November of 1995. It started out smooth jazz and stayed that way until the frequency split. As it stands, what you hear is what you get, in the sense of the 104.3 signal and it's been that way from the beginning. (Cue the tounge in cheek...Lots of hip cows and corn grooving in the fields and they did well in Marion. That and a $1.70 gets you a large drink at Mickey D's.) George Scantland wanted to control its reach in Marion as his initial interest in buying it. The simulcast was set up perfectly with the 104.3 signal being to the northwest and the 103.5 signal down in the southeast but a lot changed when 103.5 moved in (twice).There's always been an honest discussion that after the move in of 103.5 along with how Arbitron records simulcast listening, that the two were not getting correct reporting. It will be interesting to see them apart after all these years. It's always been the mindset to move it in and it's no secret that's still very much the thrust. That picture has not changed over the years and Saga has the best chance of making the move but it's still a long way off with a lot on the list to be checked off. But things are moving forward and I wish them all the best. If they can achieve their goals then 104.3 has the possibility of becoming a viable signal in the Columbus metro.
 
Bill Harmonic said:
George Scantland put the antenna up on an existing tower (it was originally a CC station and they moved further south down 33) and the original studio site was 655 Metro Place (right by 33 and 270) because it was the tallest building in the area and they needed the height for the STL shot.
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Actually, that tower was built by Robb Case for 105.7, and it moved to the closer in tower (which has since been taken down) along US 33 just north of the US 42 interchange before CC bought it. Having the original tower still in place was a lucky break for 104.3 since it affords city grade coverage for Richwood to satisfy the license requirements, plus it gives them the same NW Columbus coverage that 105.7 started out with.
 
What ever happened to those studios? I helped build the place but much of was done by an engineer out of North Carolina. I have been to Richwood as well and can vouch for the friendly and courteous citizens.

Anyone know what George is up to now?


Bill Harmonic said:
Been to Richwood and met some very nice folks. It's a town of about 2200 people (give or take a hundred) and the 104.3 tower is about 4 miles north of Marysville (on Route 3 I believe) and south of Richwood. George Scantland put the antenna up on an existing tower (it was originally a CC station and they moved further south down 33) and the original studio site was 655 Metro Place (right by 33 and 270) because it was the tallest building in the area and they needed the height for the STL shot. There's a ridge just below Marysville and if you stood on the top of Metro Place at night, you could just see the light at the very top of the 104.3 tower. Remember that Scantland got the original signal to keep it out of Marion where he still had WDIF at the time. He then realized he could move it in but also started looking for an alternative as soon as he signed it on at the end of November 1995. It took a couple of years for the 103.5 deal to come about and start the simulcast which lasted until a few weeks ago.
Click to expand...
 
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