Columbus' Radio Crystal ball 2011

[jakej]

Despite my frustration over the never-ending "me-too AC" format-choice debacle at 93.3, I (quite seriously) vote for CC as the broadcaster of the year in Columbus.

I vote for me, quite seriously as well (if individuals are also eligible for the award). And anyone wondering why should make it their 2011 New Year's Resolution that they'll spend one of its 8,760 hours checking out one of the episodes of "Secrets" in the WCRS archives.

 

[Rusty Muck]

WOSU-AM 820 is for sale and if the price is right it will be purchased by somebody/someone. I think it will go to a talk format. Maybe CC Columbus
will purchase it and program more local talk? People occasional ask for more local talk on WTVN so why not purchase 820 and put more local talk
on 820 AM.

Count me among the doubters that tOSU will ever sell WOSU/820.

If anything, tOSU will sell 820 if they are forced to do so, which I don't see happening. It, like WBNS/1460, will be a mere shadow of its' more obvious FM simulcast.

If there is yet another statewide economic downturn or if tOSU is forced into a cash crunch, then anything is possible. Right now, no.

Since everyone else is doing year end predictions I got a few of predictions of mine that I think might happen as a fan.

#1: WWCD will get C & D from The OSU for using "101" in January. I believe WWCD won't stop using "101" and in Feburary will get sued for it. WWCD will learn a valuable lesson don't mess The OSU.

Don't think it will will get this messy and WWCD will get the message with a C&D order(IF ANY) from tOSU.  They will re-brand themselves in January
or early 2011.

I frankly don't think that the WWCD folk are that smart or savvy.

Make no mistake, it will get very messy and very ugly. A C&D by tOSU will be thrown up, which Mr. Vaughn & Co. will choose to ignore. The station will be sued by tOSU, and will lose handily. WWCD had every chance in the book to properly transition the station branding, knowing full well that they could not keep the CD101 name when the deal was made. Not to mention the silliness of using an obsolete channel number in their branding. It's simple common sense, and they failed big time.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse - PD or no PD present. (HAS the station even named a PD yet to replace the late Andyman? It would explain an awful lot... -_- )

Oh, and WHIZ will continue to physically own the 102.5 facility well into the new year. There's no hurry for Mr. Vaughn to buy the facility, and we don't even know the composition of the "partnership" between the two parties that composes the LMA.

For this debacle alone, WWCD should be presented the "EPIC FAIL of the Year" award.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I'm neither agreeing nor disagreeing with that assessment, just pointing out that there were definitely some tears shed for Mix 97.1.

Point taken.

But those bleating about "boo hoo, there's a talk station on the FM music band" are GENERALLY wishing for formats that may never be tried even if a hot AC format goes away on a big FM stick.

 

[xiradiodotcom]

For this debacle alone, WWCD should be presented the "EPIC FAIL of the Year" award.

I agree. The audio processing still sucks, too... This could have been a good thing for them, but so far they've managed to mess up every aspect of the transition.

 

[gabigley1]

For this debacle alone, WWCD should be presented the "EPIC FAIL of the Year" award.

I agree. The audio processing still sucks, too... This could have been a good thing for them, but so far they've managed to mess up every aspect of the transition.

Don't forget they also messed up their call letter change from from 'WCVZ' to 'WWCD'. They used the 'WWCD' call letters for at least 24 hours before they were ever applied for them on December 16, 2010. Then, then used the 'WWCD' call letters for seven more days until they were officially approved 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."

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

For me 93.3's format-selection is always the no-brainer winner of the annual Epic Fail (and Brain Fail).

But aside from that "automatic," count me in as another who completely supports Nathan's nomination of WWCD for Epic Fail of the year.

 

[gabigley1]

According to a very reliable source, WNKO, 101.7 is now building it's new tower site East of Columbus and should be ready to go on the air soon. This will be a Columbus move in. The problem WNKO will face is that it is contingent on the WKSW Dayton move in. The question is this, will WKSW move it tower site so WNKO can start to broadcast from it's new Columbus tower site? If it doesn't happen, WNKO may have to eat it's new Columbus tower site.

The WNKO CP has more on WKSW here: http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1403928.pdf
Scroll down to #7 to view the WKSW contingency part.

 

[gabigley1]

I'm told that WKSW is supposed to move it's CoL and build out or face the consequences from the FCC. Here is a similar case in Greenville,
Texas where a station did not move and build out which affected another move in in the Dallas radio market:

http://www.broadcastlawblog.com/201...oposal-that-may-not-be-implemented/print.html

Nevertheless, the FCC authorization for WKSW says noting about any obligations to build out the station at all. Here is FCC authorization:

http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1322851.pdf

This should get interesting... In any case, WNKO 101.7 will(I'm told) be on the air at it's new tower site in 2011, even with the worst case scenario of WKSW not moving and building out.

Here is the WNKO CP authorization from the FCC:

Program tests for WNKO (Facility ID No. 57936) will not commence on
channel 269B1 with the facilities specified herein until program tests
for WKSW (Facility ID No. 10113) commence on channel 268A[/b] with the
facilities specified in BMPH-20090513ADN and a license will not be
granted for WNKO on channel 269B1 with the facilities specified herein
until a license is granted for WKSW on channel 268A with the facilities
specified in BMPH-20090513ADN.

 

[xiradiodotcom]

You would think WKSW would be all over this. It gives them a pretty nice Dayton metro signal on 101.5: http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WKSW&service=FM&status=C&hours=U

 

[ohgary]

More talk radio on FM wasting good space

Sigh.

I've gone through this about 100 times...the presence of news/talk/sports programming on FM doesn't necessarily directly equate to the lack of certain music formats and approaches on that band.

Just what guarantee is there that FM talkers/sports stations would play "music you like" if they weren't doing spoken word formats?

Again, my point of view is as a listener, not an insider or station staff. I could care less if a station makes a single dollar, I could care less if I hear an other lame commercial, I could care less If I hear one more morning "stunt". Don't break into the end of song early with a 15 second promo for the station telling me your in the middle of 60 minute commercial free music marathon. Just play the music.

I dont want a "FORMAT" I dont want a PLAYLIST. For many music "formats" there is enough songs that there is no reason a station should have to play the same song more than once every 3 or 4 days, if not longer. If you want to play country, play country, if its hip hop crap, then play the hip hop crap. Dont loop through a hand full of the same songs over and over again.


Now I know we need commercials to fund the station, I can live with that, but the self promotion, morning shows kills
ego driven radio being programmed kills it for me. Like a lot of people, I am pretty much moved to a mp3 player and loop through hundreds of songs.

I was hoping HD radio would bring some options, new music delivery styles (Like AM to FM did), but no.. No new content, just replays of the same ole drivel, rebroadcast of Am stations on HD, same playlist and same overplayed songs.

 

[alans613]

More talk radio on FM wasting good space

Sigh.

I've gone through this about 100 times...the presence of news/talk/sports programming on FM doesn't necessarily directly equate to the lack of certain music formats and approaches on that band.

Just what guarantee is there that FM talkers/sports stations would play "music you like" if they weren't doing spoken word formats?

Again, my point of view is as a listener, not an insider or station staff. I could care less if a station makes a single dollar, I could care less if I hear an other lame commercial, I could care less If I hear one more morning "stunt". Don't break into the end of song early with a 15 second promo for the station telling me your in the middle of 60 minute commercial free music marathon. Just play the music.

I dont want a "FORMAT" I dont want a PLAYLIST. For many music "formats" there is enough songs that there is no reason a station should have to play the same song more than once every 3 or 4 days, if not longer. If you want to play country, play country, if its hip hop crap, then play the hip hop crap. Dont loop through a hand full of the same songs over and over again.


Now I know we need commercials to fund the station, I can live with that, but the self promotion, morning shows kills
ego driven radio being programmed kills it for me. Like a lot of people, I am pretty much moved to a mp3 player and loop through hundreds of songs.

I was hoping HD radio would bring some options, new music delivery styles (Like AM to FM did), but no.. No new content, just replays of the same ole drivel, rebroadcast of Am stations on HD, same playlist and same overplayed songs.

Gary, I am in the same boat dude! The MP3 gets used more and more these days than the radio.

 

[dawg4life]

More talk radio on FM wasting good space

Sigh.

I've gone through this about 100 times...the presence of news/talk/sports programming on FM doesn't necessarily directly equate to the lack of certain music formats and approaches on that band.

Just what guarantee is there that FM talkers/sports stations would play "music you like" if they weren't doing spoken word formats?

Again, my point of view is as a listener, not an insider or station staff. I could care less if a station makes a single dollar, I could care less if I hear an other lame commercial, I could care less If I hear one more morning "stunt". Don't break into the end of song early with a 15 second promo for the station telling me your in the middle of 60 minute commercial free music marathon. Just play the music.

I dont want a "FORMAT" I dont want a PLAYLIST. For many music "formats" there is enough songs that there is no reason a station should have to play the same song more than once every 3 or 4 days, if not longer. If you want to play country, play country, if its hip hop crap, then play the hip hop crap. Dont loop through a hand full of the same songs over and over again.


Now I know we need commercials to fund the station, I can live with that, but the self promotion, morning shows kills
ego driven radio being programmed kills it for me. Like a lot of people, I am pretty much moved to a mp3 player and loop through hundreds of songs.

I was hoping HD radio would bring some options, new music delivery styles (Like AM to FM did), but no.. No new content, just replays of the same ole drivel, rebroadcast of Am stations on HD, same playlist and same overplayed songs.

Gary, I am in the same boat dude! The MP3 gets used more and more these days than the radio.

Same here as well.

 

[jakej]

I don't have any of those problems; I just listen to "Secrets" and other shows on 'CRS. Before any of you gripe, make sure you know everything that's out there. We're going to be streaming twenty-four hours a day soon.

 

[xmusicmatt]

I don't have any of those problems; I just listen to "Secrets" and other shows on 'CRS. Before any of you gripe, make sure you know everything that's out there. We're going to be streaming twenty-four hours a day soon.

Between RadioU, The River, WHKC, and Tunemark on my iPhone (KLove,Air1,Xmusic).. I find I have more than enough choices for Music.

Though - I found myself listening to a LOT of 93.3 WLZT this Christmas..Shame I didn't have a PPM device... coulda pushed up their cume even more =P

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Though - I found myself listening to a LOT of 93.3 WLZT this Christmas..Shame I didn't have a PPM device... coulda pushed up their cume even more =P

Time Spent Listening, too: While 93.3's cume ballooned by 50% in the December book, AQH share actually more than doubled. So dials that made their way to 93.3 stayed locked into those Christmas tunes for pretty long periods.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Again, my point of view is as a listener, not an insider or station staff. I could care less if a station makes a single dollar, I could care less if I hear an other lame commercial, I could care less If I hear one more morning "stunt". Don't break into the end of song early with a 15 second promo for the station telling me your in the middle of 60 minute commercial free music marathon. Just play the music.

Again, we're talking about commercial radio, here. It's not a "music service". It's there to make money. It's not there to play good music. It's a COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION.

"Playing good music" is incidental.

And none of this has to do with "wasting" FM frequencies with talk. I repeat my earlier point...a talk/news/sports station on FM is not necessarily holding back some sort of cool music format that would only be on the air if the spoken word station wasn't on the air.

 

[Tim L]

I'm in the same boat as ohgary:
I generally bored to tears with the self-serving station stunts and stations not even trying a new format (classic country, anyone?) that might work on AM if it were tried at all..Here in NE Ohio, I have at least 6 country stations on FM (Wooster, Cleveland, Ashland, New Philly, Akron and Salem) that play essentially the same songs..Sports Talk is pitiful for the most part. The local hosts have too many gimmicks (WKNR) and every other station does sports talk off the bird..The talk stations are the same conservative stuff all over.(I'm conservative, but enough is too much sometimes)..The only local show I listen to at all is WHBC in the mornings with Fred Chenevy/Pam Cook and Sam Bourquin in the afternoons..I have XM which I listen to at night for Old Time Radio, some comedy (clean stuff) and play by play sports and sometimes Big Band, 60's and 70's oldies (which two Youngstown stations ditched for talk recently)..Also have MP3/IPod for my own music, etc..

I applaud people like Chris Lash, who are trying to bring some variety to the Youngstown and Pittsburgh area airwaves..I hope he can find a way to buy into the Canton/Akron area at some point..

 

[knowbetter]

I'm in the same boat as ohgary:

snip

I applaud people like Chris Lash, who are trying to bring some variety to the Youngstown and Pittsburgh area airwaves..I hope he can find a way to buy into the Canton/Akron area at some point..

but you have to believe that they do this to make money...No money, no station, then what do you do?

 

[Tim L]

I'm in the same boat as ohgary:

snip

I applaud people like Chris Lash, who are trying to bring some variety to the Youngstown and Pittsburgh area airwaves..I hope he can find a way to buy into the Canton/Akron area at some point..

but you have to believe that they do this to make money...No money, no station, then what do you do?

Agreed:
I've never been in the radio business, but just in reading sites like this and others, I have a little understanding of how Commercial Radio works..especially these days..I would think that with marketing and time, some newer formats could work profitably..Thing is most large companies dont give anything any time to work..

 

[Dave Sarnoff]

Pittsburgh? What's he got going on over there?