Columbus' Radio Crystal ball 2011

[Tim L]

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

I thought he had more going on, but it is his home area.  He wanted to buy WZUM-1590 Carnegie, but couldnt have the towers to go with them apparently..as they will be torn down, according to this Ohio Media Watch story:

http://ohiomediawatch.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/digging-out/

Scroll down about halfway through the post..

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Or, just read the WZUM thread right here on the Pittsburgh board, where Chris (1250WTAE) and others post about it.

 

[Tim L]

Or, just read the WZUM thread right here on the Pittsburgh board, where Chris (1250WTAE) and others post about it.

OMW:
I had thought that this might have been mentioned on the Pittsburgh Board and was going to suggest that..

 

[ohgary]

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 if COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS don't change they will be incidental as well.
Radio roots was to provide news, They filled the void between news with music. Then TV came along and
news became secondary to the music on radio. Then came the digital media and music is available from many soruces, be it music services, online only radio stations, XM/Sirus radio, podcast, and the like.

Radio is running scared, thats why the are putting LOTS of money into lobbing congress to force cell manufactures to include radio's into the phones. To give them one dieing chance to survive in the on the go modern digital music world.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Yeah, but the point still stands...it is difficult to be a music radio station in 2011, especially with all that competition you point out.

A reader pointed it out to me the other day when we were talking about the flip of Cleveland's hot AC "Mix 106.5" to the Jack FM-style adult hits "The Lake"... he said "why would anyone listen? They can just get that on their iPod!"

Or, on Pandora or Slacker or similar services which are - very important to this discussion - available on pretty much every smartphone in America. (AFAIK, they both have versions for all three popular smartphone platforms, iOS, Android and Blackberry.)

With an iPod or the non-live storage on an iPhone, or other MP3 player, you have to pick the music...either your own, or what you buy on iTunes or Amazon.

With a smartphone, you can very easily get the Jack FM-style random playlist effect from all the services above, without having to pick anything other than the genre of music (or the artist to build a channel off of, using similar music, etc.)

What do you gain by building a "good music" station on over-air radio in 2011?

Corporate stations, especially, need (for the most part) mass appeal formats. Sure, there are some occasional niche/flanker/unusual stations out there, but in the music battle, they need mainstream formats.

 

[del_griffith]

One thing to remember. Music as a "filler" was primarily on non network (which generally meant smaller stations) or during non prime hours when mass recordings became. Network affiliates (which generally translated into the larger stations in the market) were news with entertainment programs as fillers. Some of those entertainment programs were music (for example the Big Band Broadcasts), but the heavy music stations were primarily the non-network affiliated stations

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 if COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS don't change they will be incidental as well.
Radio roots was to provide news, They filled the void between news with music. Then TV came along and
news became secondary to the music on radio. Then came the digital media and music is available from many soruces, be it music services, online only radio stations, XM/Sirus radio, podcast, and the like.

Radio is running scared, thats why the are putting LOTS of money into lobbing congress to force cell manufactures to include radio's into the phones. To give them one dieing chance to survive in the on the go modern digital music world.

 

[xiradiodotcom]

Or, on Pandora or Slacker or similar services which are - very important to this discussion - available on pretty much every smartphone in America. (AFAIK, they both have versions for all three popular smartphone platforms, iOS, Android and Blackberry.)

With an iPod or the non-live storage on an iPhone, or other MP3 player, you have to pick the music...either your own, or what you buy on iTunes or Amazon.

With a smartphone, you can very easily get the Jack FM-style random playlist effect from all the services above, without having to pick anything other than the genre of music (or the artist to build a channel off of, using similar music, etc.)

It's hard to beat the customized "Quick Mix" on Pandora. 90% of what it picks is something you like based on your artists and songs selected. I got an Android phone for work back in June and rarely listen to FM at all. I'm either streaming internet radio or Pandora. I don't have to pick the songs individually and it's just about everything I like.

A format like Gen X pops up and has potential, but every time I tune in, it's the same 600 track playlist. They have 20 years of music to pick from and it's all over-researched and overplayed. I'm in my 30s and it's not just me. I can't think of one person I know that even cares about traditional radio anymore, let alone get excited about it.

 

[schmave]

A story from the Advocate in Newark about WNKO's future plans ...

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20110106/NEWS01/101060337/Now-hear-Tower-puts-WNKO-deeper-Columbus?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

 

[gabigley1]

A story from the Advocate in Newark about WNKO's future plans ...

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20110106/NEWS01/101060337/Now-hear-Tower-puts-WNKO-deeper-Columbus?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

According the this article, it look like my source was correct:

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.

But I'm told(from another source) WKSW won't be ready to go on the air for a least a few more months now. So, the new 101.7 Columbus move-in can't go on the air until WKSW goes on the
air from it's new tower site in Dayton.

Here is WNKO's 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 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.[/b]


If this article is to be believed they will stay Classic Rock!! Well, at least for now until some buys the station... Look what happened to 102.5!

 

[xmusicmatt]

A story from the Advocate in Newark about WNKO's future plans ...

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20110106/NEWS01/101060337/Now-hear-Tower-puts-WNKO-deeper-Columbus?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Sounds like he is going to take a page from the WCLT playbook... Be a licking country station even if you do pull a decent share from Columbus.

 

[gabigley1]

A story from the Advocate in Newark about WNKO's future plans ...

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20110106/NEWS01/101060337/Now-hear-Tower-puts-WNKO-deeper-Columbus?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Sounds like he is going to take a page from the WCLT playbook... Be a licking country station even if you do pull a decent share from Columbus.

Dose anyone think they(WNKO) want to sell this station to a Columbus radio group after they move their tower closer to Columbus? What is the real point on moving their tower closer to Columbus?

 

[xmusicmatt]

Dose anyone think they(WNKO) want to sell this station to a Columbus radio group after they move their tower closer to Columbus? What is the real point on moving their tower closer to Columbus?

Money talks so anything is possible I guess.. I don't see CRG picking it up though.. I think it's main goal of upgrading is to provide a stronger signal to licking county, and allowing for their listeners who travel to franklin county to still listen.. seems like a worth while upgrade even if they dont sell.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Dose anyone think they(WNKO) want to sell this station to a Columbus radio group after they move their tower closer to Columbus? What is the real point on moving their tower closer to Columbus?

Money talks so anything is possible I guess.. I don't see CRG picking it up though.. I think it's main goal of upgrading is to provide a stronger signal to licking county, and allowing for their listeners who travel to franklin county to still listen.. seems like a worth while upgrade even if they dont sell.

I suppose it's possible Newark is still their focus, but I'm kind of skeptical. That's especially true if they weren't required to change the COL from Newark to something else. And why did they pick New Albany for COL instead of Johnstown, when the new tower is just east, and slightly south, of Johnstown? First aural service?

 

[gabigley1]

Here is the FCC application which may answer that question:
https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101178308&qnum=5000&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

They picked New Albany because it will provide New Albany with its first aural service.

It looks like could have technically keep Newark, Ohio as the COL because it provides the proper
coverage of the city with this new tower site:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101403928&qnum=5260&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

But note the original application/CP from three years ago would have not provided covered adequately coverage of Newark so they would have had to change the COL:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101178308&qnum=5260&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

In this case they would have had to changed it to a Columbus station because they would not
cover Newark with that tower site.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Here is the FCC application which may answer that question:
https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101178308&qnum=5000&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

They picked New Albany because it will provide New Albany with its first aural service.

It looks like could have technically keep Newark, Ohio as the COL because it provides the proper
coverage of the city with this new tower site:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101403928&qnum=5260&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

But note the original application/CP from three years ago would have not provided covered adequately coverage of Newark so they would have had to change the COL:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101178308&qnum=5260&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

In this case they would have had to changed it to a Columbus station because they would not
cover Newark with that tower site.

Thanks.

The fact that they originally tried for a site that wouldn't have even covered Newark adds to my skepticism over their claim that their goal was, and is, to improve coverage for Newarkians (or whatever they're called...). BTW, the links don't work, at least for me.

 

[Dave Sarnoff]

Ted Williams will be doing voice overs for WCRS in exchange for trade dollars for Nancy's Restaurant.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Ted Williams will be doing voice overs for WCRS in exchange for trade dollars for Nancy's Restaurant.

LOL I can hear it now: "When you're eating only the best in trans-fats, you're eating at Nancy's Home Cooking!"

 

[knowbetter]

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

WCRS and WCRX will finally figure out that they have more common enemies then friends, hold hands, sing Kumbya, and work together!

Well, they are not singing yet, but they are working together, timeshare is done..3 a -3 p, WCRX, 3 p to 3 am, WCRS

 

[gabigley1]

Ted Williams will be doing voice overs for WCRS in exchange for trade dollars for Nancy's Restaurant.

LOL I can hear it now: "When you're eating only the best in trans-fats, you're eating at Nancy's Home Cooking!"

Dose WCRS-LP even get trade dollars from Nancy's Restaurant?? In any case, Ted is locked down in rehab so he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. It would be nice if WCRS-LP gave him his own show and trade dollars from Nancy's Restaurant when he gets out of rehab.

 

[Dave Sarnoff]

Ted Williams will be doing voice overs for WCRS in exchange for trade dollars for Nancy's Restaurant.

LOL I can hear it now: "When you're eating only the best in trans-fats, you're eating at Nancy's Home Cooking!"

Dose WCRS-LP even get trade dollars from Nancy's Restaurant?? In any case, Ted is locked down in rehab so he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. It would be nice if WCRS-LP gave him his own show and trade dollars from Nancy's Restaurant when he gets out of rehab.

What did you think they pay their staffers with, anyway? Advertising proceeds?