CD101 to go exclusive on 102.5 FM on Monday Dec. 13

[Nu_Roo_2]

The diaries have gone away.  For three months Arbitron has captured Columbus radio listening solely via its Portable People Meter device.

 

[xmusicmatt]

The diaries have gone away. For three months Arbitron has captured Columbus radio listening solely via its Portable People Meter device.

the PPM is the only way CD101 err 102.5 is getting away with what their doing.. THEY would be messed under the old book system... 101 would count towards 101.1 FM I am pretty sure even if they actually were listening to 102.5 Now the PPM meter picks up what frequency your on... on air you could ident yourself as "the station that is america's #1 Channel 273 your rock alternative" and the PPM would catch the listenership as long as the person was tuned into 102.5 and listening.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The diaries have gone away. For three months Arbitron has captured Columbus radio listening solely via its Portable People Meter device.

the PPM is the only way CD101 err 102.5 is getting away with what their doing.. THEY would be messed under the old book system... 101 would count towards 101.1 FM I am pretty sure even if they actually were listening to 102.5 Now the PPM meter picks up what frequency your on... on air you could ident yourself as "the station that is america's #1 Channel 273 your rock alternative" and the PPM would catch the listenership as long as the person was tuned into 102.5 and listening.

I guess. But what major-market radio station out there - any station, for that matter - uses an obsolete channel number as the core of their brand? None that I know of. It's cumbersome and unnecessary.

And again, if they wanted to use an obsolete channel number, then WWCD should have arranged the deal with tOSU in a different way. If they go to court (where WWCD will obviously lose, and big) Mr. Vaughn only has himself to blame.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

All so true.

Well, at least we have theme music for this goofiness, courtesy of Hall & Oates' old AC hit "One o One":

101 I wanna play that game tonight
I think I might know you too well
101 I wanna play that game tonight
I want you can't you tell

 

[gabigley1]

I asked Dan Eaton if the word "CD101" would be prohibited in the new WWCDs branding announcements and he said, "yes" based on what he read in the contract. He said he is not a lawyer and neither are most of us here...
But it just stands to reason it would be prohibited because WOSA 101.1 is using the moniker "Classical101".

Here is the article he wrote on this topic:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2010/12/cd101-ready-to-complete-move-to-1025.html

Business First - by Dan Eaton Date: Friday, December 10, 2010 Read more: CD101 ready to complete move to 102.5 as WOSU takes over frequency | Business First http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2010/12/cd101-ready-to-complete-move-to-1025.html

"The move gives WWCD a stronger signal than it had for the previous 20 years, though it does give up its 101 branding per the agreement."

I also found a cool CD101 TV commercial from 2006 that some of you may remember.... They also wanted to brand themselves as "Not Clear Channel". 8) Click here to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At7VXJqzvOU&feature=related

and here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/WWCDFM#p/u/8/zsjw4WUG1hw

Maybe they will be calling themselves "CD102.5" after the first of the year?? Any more guesses?

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Back before digital readouts became the norm it was fairly common to have two stations using the same rounded frequency.  I believe both WSNY and WHOK may have used "95" at one point.  I'd imagine this still occurs in some places.  Of course, using 101 when you're at 102.5 is another story, and I'd be surprised if that doesn't stop sooner or later.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Despite a multitude of big signals, Chicago doesn't have two soft or mainstream AC's unless you count some suburbans that don't even show in the ratings. What are the two soft/mainstream AC's in Cleveland? Cincinnati? Etc...

As always, CC should be ashamed of how they're wasting 93.3 in a market that really comes up short for its size (probably shorter than any other) when it comes to city-grade signals

Don't know what made me think of this right now, but for the record the huge market of Chicago actually does have two mainstream ACs -- CC's WLIT and CBS's WCFS. I had forgotten about Fresh when I posted this. Definitely mainstream, though it plays some gold titles that are far edgier than anything 93.3 or 94.7 would touch, i.e., there's more differentiation there than between Columbus's ACs. And while there a couple exceptions, as the marv pointed out, having two soft/mainstream AC's is pretty rare these days even in markets three times Columbus' size.

 

[Rusty Muck]

What are the two soft/mainstream AC's in Cleveland? ...

CBS Radio's WDOK/102.1 and CC's WMVX/106.5. Yes, WMVX is a gold-based AC - way too much 80s for my liking - but they still play 90s and currents.

WDOK's sister station WQAL/104.1 could also loosely be called an AC station, but they are of the "Adult Top 40" category so as not to cannibalize WDOK.

Also, Canton has CC's WHOF/101.7 and NextMedia's WHBC/94.1... plus WKDD/98.1 Munroe Falls still targets both Akron and Canton.

 

[Rusty Muck]

I asked Dan Eaton if the word "CD101" would be prohibited in the new WWCDs branding announcements and he said, "yes" based on what he read in the contract. He said he is not a lawyer and neither are most of us here...
But it just stands to reason it would be prohibited because WOSA 101.1 is using the moniker "Classical101".

Here is the article he wrote on this topic:
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2010/12/cd101-ready-to-complete-move-to-1025.html

Business First - by Dan Eaton Date: Friday, December 10, 2010 Read more: CD101 ready to complete move to 102.5 as WOSU takes over frequency | Business First http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2010/12/cd101-ready-to-complete-move-to-1025.html

"The move gives WWCD a stronger signal than it had for the previous 20 years, though it does give up its 101 branding per the agreement."

I also found a cool CD101 TV commercial from 2006 that some of you may remember.... They also wanted to brand themselves as "Not Clear Channel". 8) Click here to view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At7VXJqzvOU&feature=related

and here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/WWCDFM#p/u/8/zsjw4WUG1hw

Maybe they will be calling themselves "CD102.5" after the first of the year?? Any more guesses?

Dude, Dan wrote about this back in AUGUST. (read here)

It's hardly *news* by any stretch of the imagination. Again, Mr. Vaughn knew this was coming all along.

What good is being accomplished here by pointing out the painfully obvious?

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

What are the two soft/mainstream AC's in Cleveland? ...

CBS Radio's WDOK/102.1 and CC's WMVX/106.5. Yes, WMVX is a gold-based AC - way too much 80s for my liking - but they still play 90s and currents.

WDOK's sister station WQAL/104.1 could also loosely be called an AC station, but they are of the "Adult Top 40" category so as not to cannibalize WDOK.

Also, Canton has CC's WHOF/101.7 and NextMedia's WHBC/94.1... plus WKDD/98.1 Munroe Falls still targets both Akron and Canton.

When comparing to the Columbus soft/mainstream AC duplication we can start by eliminating the Akron-Canton stations, since they are not really a factor in Arbitron's Cleveland market.  Also -- as you explained -- WQAL is nowhere near the mainstream/soft realm, so we can eliminate that one too.

That leaves WDOK -- which certainly fits the soft/mainstream category, and CC's WMVX.  If 93.3 here was more like WMVX, the local situation wouldn't be quite as "me-too" and frustrating.  While I haven't heard it in awhile (and it's in Christmas mode now), it's hugely more uptempo than the local AC's.  It  plays songs that are far, far edgier than anything either 93.3 nor 94.7 would get near -- even though it's gold-heavy as they are. WVMX and WDOK are nothing alike...it's a very different situation than we have with 93.3 and 94.7

Again, the core issue is CC's continuing "forever" to use its 93.3 "big signal" for an approach that's so texturally similar to traditionally soft-leaning WSNY.  If 93.3 would finally try a MUCH more uptempo version of AC (but still gold-based to avoid stealing from NCI -- and could still even be called "Soft Rock" since that's such a nebulous moniker), we wouldn't have *quite* as ridiculous a situation -- even though Classic Hits is such an ultra-obvious hole in this market and attractive to both Sunny's demo and workplace listeners...and even though Gen-X's obvious potential is being unnecessarily capped by the sometimes-iffy 106.7 signal (e.g., it was frustrating watching the stereo indicator fade in and out for 106.7 a few days ago as I was driving up 315 from downtown -- worst around Lane Ave, and not completely clean until north of Bethel...while the Christmas audio on 93.3 was pristine).

And getting back to Cleveland for a second, even to the extent any stations may "hug" each other formatically there, it's not as egregious a situation since Cleveland has plenty more city-grade signals than Columbus.

 

[gabigley1]

As for the legality of the WWCD legal ID on 102.5, they could well be throwing in a quick "WCVZ Baltimore" elsewhere, and that can be their legal ID, no? And the FCC would have no problem with the "extra" currently-not-on-the-license WWCD Baltimore, particularly since they are in the process of changing to it.

OMW, I checked the link you so kindly provided last week and today's FCC search search for "WCVZ" shows:

Call Sign WCVZ is not available.

Call Sign Service Fac ID City State Effective Date Assigned To
WCVZ FM 61230 BALTIMORE OH 09/30/2009 SOUTHEASTERN OHIO BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.

Our records contain the following address(es) for above licensee(s):
CALL SIGN WCVZ
LICENSEE SOUTHEASTERN OHIO BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.
MAILING ADDRESS 629 DOWNARD ROAD
CONTINUED ADDRESS
CITY ZANESVILLE STATE OH

They may now LEGALLY use the WWCD call sign as of today:

WWCD 12/23/2010
WCVZ 09/30/2009
WHIZ-FM 05/31/1979
WHIZFM

 

[gabigley1]

Overnight, "CD101 @ 102.5" is still using that branding, but the 2 AM legal ID now says "102.5 FM, WWCD Baltimore, Ohio/Columbus".

One problem. The call letters are still WCVZ... listed as such in the FCC database. BIG TIME FAIL.

They used the 'WWCD' call letters for a whole eight days before they were officially assigned to them on December 23, 2010.

The FCC Audio Division has this to say about this type of allegation:

"Using a call sign that has not been assigned to that particular broadcast station would be a violation of FCC rules. According to the FCC’s Audio Division, this type of allegation typically is addressed when the station submits an application to renew its broadcast license."

Also noticed the Columbus Dispatch reported on the FCC approval of the WWCD call letter here:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten.../24/1a-showtell24-art-gceavs3b-1.html?sid=101

Note, they didn't mention they were using them for a least a week before they were ever approved by the FCC.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Umm, give it up, gabigley. Unless you can come up with an actual case where a station got in trouble for using calls it eventually received, a few days early, your link means nothing.

In the real world, the FCC likely cares not one whit that a station jumped a few days early to a call sign which was legally assigned to it later.

 

[Rusty Muck]

I'm far more critical for how WWCD handled the frequency switch overall. The call letters are the least of my concerns.

Obviously WHIZ (which, again, handled the paperwork on behalf of WWCD) got the A-OK somewhere to allow the "WWCD/Baltimore, Ohio-Columbus" TOH to be used. Plus Hank Littick has been pretty damn masterful with the relocation of 102.5 to Columbus and finding a replacement class B signal in 92.7 to place WHIZ-FM on... it was literally as smooth as a baby's bottom.

Give the poor guy a mulligan, even if it's not needed.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Plus Hank Littick has been pretty damn masterful with the relocation of 102.5 to Columbus and finding a replacement class B signal in 92.7 to place WHIZ-FM on... it was literally as smooth as a baby's bottom.

Give the poor guy a mulligan, even if it's not needed.

True, but Littick is certainly in the running for dumb statement of the year.  In a release about 102.5's relocation he suggested that the move-in will be particularly strong on the WEST side of Columbus, when that's actually one of the worst coverage areas for relocated 102.5.

That statement may have actually been made in late 2009, but we never gave a dumb statement award for that year, so I think it should count  .

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

True, but Littick is certainly in the running for dumb statement of the year. In a release about 102.5's relocation he suggested that the move-in will be particularly strong on the WEST side of Columbus, when that's actually one of the worst coverage areas for relocated 102.5.

Here's what he said, from a WHIZ-TV article we cited:

http://www.whiznews.com/content/news/local/2009/09/30/changes-at-the-whiz-radio-stations

Littick says where a lot of impact will be felt is the northwest and west side of Columbus. He says starting today (Wednesday) that area will have a new radio station.

I'm tending to attribute that to misquoting by his TV reporter. He probably said those areas would have a new signal that they did not have before, and she extrapolated the "a lot of impact" part.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

True, but Littick is certainly in the running for dumb statement of the year.  In a release about 102.5's relocation he suggested that the move-in will be particularly strong on the WEST side of Columbus, when that's actually one of the worst coverage areas for relocated 102.5.

Here's what he said, from a WHIZ-TV article we cited:

http://www.whiznews.com/content/news/local/2009/09/30/changes-at-the-whiz-radio-stations

Littick says where a lot of impact will be felt is the northwest and west side of Columbus.  He says starting today (Wednesday) that area will have a new radio station.

I'm tending to attribute that to misquoting by his TV reporter. He probably said those areas would have a new signal that they did not have before, and she extrapolated the "a lot of impact" part.

Maybe, but before the move from Zanesville west to Baltimore 102.5 had been essentially non-existent in the entire Columbus market.  So if he was going to single out any Columbus areas, it should have been east, south or southeast.  It was kind of ridiculous to single out north and northwest at all, unless he was actually trying to specify the directions in which the station would increase its reach relative to the Zanesville area (not Columbus).

 

[gabigley1]

They(WHIZ-TV) also had a video link to a live interview with Littick. I saw that video interview the day they sighed on the new signal and the reporter did not misquote Littick.
That is exactly what he said during WHIZ-TV video interview, that the impact would be strong
on the West Sideof Columbus. Don't recall him saying the same thing for the NorthWest side of Columbus, though.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

OK, I was wrong. (gabigley, be sure to tell EVERYONE, and call the media, and put up billboards along I-71 and I-70!)

He was exaggerating. He wanted to sell the thing, remember?

He's a small-town radio executive who apparently knows very little about the big city, or apparently, about his own technical facilities.

 

[gabigley1]

He was exaggerating. He wanted to sell the thing, remember?

He's a small-town radio executive who apparently knows very little about the big city, or apparently, about his own technical facilities.

Of course he was over exaggerating. Would he claim 102.5 only covers the EAST side on Columbus? Of course not!