Cumulus & Pamal & Pensacola?

[Poledo]

Oh, you mean like what happened in Gainesville/Ocala?

Yeah, exactly like the G'ville/Ocala situation.

Here's a thought, if Clear Chan bought AAZ/JSB, Whoever owns XBM's (mom and pop)? tower east closer to crestview, rebrand and call themselves "the good country" and carry on what AAZ has been doing for our county. Their signal barely covers crestview but it's crap here in ft walton.

I don't know why XBM ID's as Milton, Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach (and the end of the road) but once you hit the Island, their signal goes to crap. Would upset a lot of Braves listeners who do listen in Destin..

KSJ owns Mobile. The folks over in Mobile could care less about XBM and Cat. That's why I was suggesting that Cumulus might want to expand XMB's audience to include Mobile or even target Mobile. But is there any way to do it? Is country such a local format down south that Mobile and Pensacola can't share a station like they do with TK101, The Rocket, and 93 BLX?

As for WAAZ or any other towers moving... The FAA, the Navy, and the Air Force would all have to approve any new towers, and I assume they are not likely to do such a thing. WAAZ FM is broadcasting from one of the old WJSB AM towers. If WAAZ was to move, I think their only choices would be to move to one of the short towers in Fort Walton or Milton, the tall tower that WFBD TV 48 broadcast from, north of Crestview, at the Bama state line, or, in my mind, the best possibility would be the old 107.3 tower in Cantonment, although I don't know if they could keep 100kw from Cantonment.
Fort Walton already has 3 country stations, Highway 98.1, WAAZ, and Country 105.5. I don't see any reason Cumulus would want to move WXBM east to the old WOWW 107 tower in Cantonment for FWB coverage.

 

[tomservo]

Is country such a local format down south that Mobile and Pensacola can't share a station like they do with TK101, The Rocket, and 93 BLX?

I don't think it's local so much as it's billing. If BLX or TK101 could pull the billing of KSJ and other country stations combined, there might be logic in adding a localized signal in each market. That's just speculation on my part based on observations in other markets and commentary from other markets here on this forum. Urban probably could come close to meeting the listenership all our country stations have, combined… but the billing probably lags so far behind as to not justify another full on urban or straight up rock station.

If WAAZ was to move, I think their only choices would be to move to one of the short towers in Fort Walton or Milton, the tall tower that WFBD TV 48 broadcast from, north of Crestview, at the Bama state line, or, in my mind, the best possibility would be the old 107.3 tower in Cantonment, although I don't know if they could keep 100kw from Cantonment.
Fort Walton already has 3 country stations, Highway 98.1, WAAZ, and Country 105.5. I don't see any reason Cumulus would want to move WXBM east to the old WOWW 107 tower in Cantonment for FWB coverage.

WAAZ may be pretty well limited to where they are. A move to the northwest (towards the WFBD tower in the Conecuh State Forest) might be possible but they would only gain cows and trees in that direction. WABD is a third adjacent concern and WBUV is a first adjacent concern to the west; WOAB Ozark is a first adjacent class A to the north-northeast.

The minimum spacing to WABD is 65.2 miles; WBUV's spacing is 98.2 miles. Spacing to WOAB is 82.6 miles. As far as I can discern, WABD already short spaces WAAZ by a mile or two so it may be a 73.215 situation. Doing back of napkin calculations I see that WAAZ would barely fit at the WFBD TV tower facilities but still only as a C1, which means they'd actually lose coverage to FWB and De Funiak Springs and only gain a mile or two more 60 dBu towards P'cola. They could fit spacing on the WWAV tower east of FWB but would lose more coverage towards Pensacola than they have even now. But even that may run into issues with WBYW in Panama City, which I didn't check.

Even if WAAZ could theoretically upgrade to a full C on the WFBD site or near it (which has the same spacing towards WABD as a C1) they would then run into limitations from the WFBD tower towards WBUV. BUT if that could in theory maybe sorta happen their primary contour would completely cover Pensacola, FWB, DFS as well as a good chunk of Lower Alabama. It could in theory be an impressive signal.

 

[Rob]

Well, the switching here isn't done yet, folks. It would be bold for *** to turn 93.3 to an oldies station and rebrand Z to Mix 96.9 today's hits and yesterday's fav. If mix 103.1 did really well, this would be a popular move as we need an oldies station and Tom Kent back in the area. (I miss him)

-Rob

 

[Tibbs4]

I think WAAZ is up to 50kw, right CCENG? Is there a window on going up to 100kw that may be closing soon? I know Jimmy is so practical that he didn't care what the signal was in Destin, etc. Where all them flim flam con artists were playing radio in their sweaty polyester suits..... Tis true, cept probably fir Mark Carter in his jeans and semi-normal. Normal in radio is a BAD thing. I think he'd have some leverage on stick location with that signal, but yeah, I don't think the red tape of all those three letter government agencies would allow for a 10 foot tower with 30 miles of Eglin....

What things our government has ample time and money to worry about....speaking of which...is Hale still on the air?

 

[cceng1]

Tibbs....WAAZ is 100kw.....Hale's 94.5 interference generator is still on the air.....we are doing an all court press now including on air announcements on 94.5 soliticing interference complaints from South Walton and Eastern Okaloosa.....and we are getting some response.....saw Carter last week...he is still plugging along doing his own thing....amazing...

 

[tomservo]

Today's Taylor on Radio-Info newsletter claims that the way Cumulus is getting around the ownership caps is by re-licensing WABD from Atmore to Saraland. ??? There's also a 40 foot drop in HAAT with this permit.

 

[Tibbs4]

Thanks for the update. I knew JW was always talking about not needing all that power, but figured he had to use it or loose it.

It is amazing that Hale ran out of torment options in FWB/Destin and is now toying with PCB. Have you seen any old Kool double-decker, magic buses stranded on the highways of Bay County yet?

they area coming...

 

[Nate Wesley]

Quick math: Using Arbitron's current 12+ population figures...

Mobile: 508,800
Pcola: 387,700
Total: 896,500

"Mobile-Pensacola" is a concept that media buyers have known for 60 years, courtesy of Nielsen. The TV market is America's 60th largest market, and Arbitron's total population of 896,500 would likewise make it the 60th radio market, as well. (As a side-note, Mobile would constitute 57% of the combined radio market and Pensacola 43%). The M-P radio market would replace Greenville-Spartanburg as the 60th market.

The Big Question: Does Market #60 get much higher rates than Market #97 and Market #128? Hell, yeah. Second Big Question: Would the real radio market boil-down to the dozen-or-so big sticks in Baldwin covering the whole schmeer? Damn straight. Third Big Question: Would those big sticks currently focused on Mobile--with its larger population/listener base dominate the combined market initially? You bet. Forever? Nope, but the "Pensacola" big sticks--XBM, MEZ, COA-FM & 107.3--would need to start spending to develop their Alabama audience.

As the only subscriber in both markets, Clear Channel now has complete control of this, right now. With KSJ, Rocket, & Mix--and even TK--all with solid Mobile audiences (and HMN moving that way), would it be to their enormous advantage to call their Arbitron rep and say "Let's do it," the answer is an enormous "Yup."

Well darn. You've sold me, now that I understand the direction the tea-leaves may be blowing.

poledo, you have my apologies--you aren't 'losing it'--in fact, you've probably touched on some things that may have been discussed in San Antonio or Atlanta.

 

[Poledo]

I'm officially (a little) confused. Arbitron markets are based on counties, right? Which counties are in the Mobile, Pensacola, FWB, and Biloxi markets?

I assume Pensacola is only Escambia and Santa Rosa Co.
I assume Mobile is Mobile, Baldwin, and Escambia Co., AL.
I assume FWB is Okaloosa and Walton, or maybe only Okaloosa.
I assume Biloxi is Harrison (only?)
Is Jackson Co., MS (Pascagoula) in the Biloxi or Mobile market or neither?
Are Washington, Clarke, and Monroe Co. AL in the Mobile market, or none?

If my assumptions are anywhere close to correct, with Cumulus moving WABD's COL from Atmore (Escambia Co. AL) to Saraland (Mobile Co.), then it would make perfect sense for Arbitron to merge Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia (FL) and Santa Rosa counties into one market. 11 full market FMs, 1 Pensacola only FM, 3 Mobile only FMs and 2 Baldwin county FM's that do not cover either Mobile or Pensacola very well. Plus the two stragglers, 105.1 licensed to Century, Escambia Co., FL but covering south Alabama (out of market) and 105.9 licensed to Atmore but only covering rural northern Baldwin and Escambia counties. Oh, and a whole bunch of non-commercial signals that don't matter to Arbitron. No AMs cover the entire Pensacola or Mobile DMA, so they don't have much to loose, the AMs have been battling the ratings not applying to them for decades.

 

[Rob]

Tibbs....WAAZ is 100kw.....Hale's 94.5 interference generator is still on the air.....we are doing an all court press now including on air announcements on 94.5 soliticing interference complaints from South Walton and Eastern Okaloosa.....and we are getting some response.....saw Carter last week...he is still plugging along doing his own thing....amazing...

He's broadcasting dead air half of the time, too. How sad. Hale should be off the air for this crap. He knew there was a 100KW station not very far from him when buying it from NPR. Freedumb 94.5 is horrible sounding, too.

I'm looking forward to the day when we can hear WFLF again, despite were in the fringe area, it comes in 90 percent of the time.

-Rob

 

[Tibbs4]

Rob --- you made 200% cents there. And didn't even have to use Mapquest. I guess you have called CCENG? I don't understand why someone would buy a crap fringe light bulb signal and not even run it half the time. Why take the effort. Who would advertise. Is he still running Dave Ramsey? If they knew this was happening, they'd be off there in a minute. has anyone even talked to Hale to see how he's even making it? Maybe he has given up.

 

[Rob]

Right now, dead air. It's dead air 99 percent of the time. (especially overnights) Last I checked. This here darn panama city station keeps overpwing this here signal that's on an AT&T tower (laughs) at least from what I was told..

Freedumb's automation is crap

-Rob

 

[Poledo]

I wonder why Freedom 94.5 isn't on the same tower they use for 100.3? Or that new TALL tower they built for 98.1.

 

[Rob]

Not too sure about the rules but, isn't dead air illegal?

 

[R.D.P.]

You are correct sir!

R.D.P. <><

 

[Rob]

Then, how do you submit a report to the FCC about FreeDumb's screw ups?

-Rob

 

[R.D.P.]

http://www.fcc.gov/

Visit that link and see if they can assist you.

R.D.P. <><

 

[Tibbs4]

Not too sure about the rules but, isn't dead air illegal?

The FCC might make an exception here, Rob, in the name of oh hale serving his community BETTER by being off the air most of the time. What an absolute joke.

 

[Rob]

Well, last night,I wanted to hear WFLF but couldn't because of the dead air on FreeDumb's signal. What a waste!

It was the battle of the signals

-Rob

 

[Groove1670]

A CC station in the Aloha Trust has a new owner. COL Mexico Beach