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Cumulus taking 1280 WNAM Neenah/Menasha silent

my biggest question would be is it a full blown surrender of license or are they actually selling it? I’ve noticed a lot of these cumulus stations shutting down and then getting new owners like a month later
 
IKHNetworks said:
my biggest question would be is it a full blown surrender of license or are they actually selling it? I’ve noticed a lot of these cumulus stations shutting down and then getting new owners like a month later
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Probably Cumulus will just ask for a remain silent authority to see if there's any interest from someone to buy the license like they did with their other properties. This one has no translator and there have been problems with the 4 tower directional pattern for a long time which apparently would cost more than Cumulus could recoup to fix, so anyone who bought it may be looking at a downgrade.
 
I have a bigger question, as I look at these moves by Cumulus taking AMs silent.

WNAM runs the Cumulus syndicated Standards format, which is a format that has been discussed in various threads on various forums here as going downhill in terms of audience and advertiser viability.

At one point, a lot of the stations that ran the format are Cumulus O&Os. From the list of their stations on Wikipedia, WNAM appears to be the last one. And Cumulus did kill seven syndicated formats back in March.

Is this the next-to-last move by them before killing this format as well?

(Passing the box of tissues to the Chimp so he can cry into them.)
 
JJSPC said:
Probably Cumulus will just ask for a remain silent authority to see if there's any interest from someone to buy the license like they did with their other properties. This one has no translator and there have been problems with the 4 tower directional pattern for a long time which apparently would cost more than Cumulus could recoup to fix, so anyone who bought it may be looking at a downgrade.
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Thanks for confirming this is exactly what I figured.

They will go silent and like the other cumulus station - I am guessing one can expect new owners and a return to the air within two months like the other cumulus station I witnessed doing something very similar
 
JJSPC said:
Probably Cumulus will just ask for a remain silent authority to see if there's any interest from someone to buy the license like they did with their other properties. This one has no translator and there have been problems with the 4 tower directional pattern for a long time which apparently would cost more than Cumulus could recoup to fix, so anyone who bought it may be looking at a downgrade.
Click to expand...
I guess this answers my question as to why they wouldn't move WOSH to 1280, since the signal always seemed to be quite a bit stronger than 1490's. I have not tuned into WNAM in quite some time, so I did not realize they were having issues with their pattern.

I certainly hate to see it go. I always enjoyed tuning in for the Christmas music, as they tended to play the older stuff and the AM sound gave it the extra nostalgic effect.
 
From the little bit of history I have read, WNAM started out in downtown Neenah before moving to these studios on S. Commercial Street at some point. The building and towers are long gone now. Does anyone know the exact address? Apparently there was a TV station here for a short time as well with the same calls.

WNAM.jpgWNAM_aerial.jpg
 
SlowJams said:
From the little bit of history I have read, WNAM started out in downtown Neenah before moving to these studios on S. Commercial Street at some point. The building and towers are long gone now. Does anyone know the exact address? Apparently there was a TV station here for a short time as well with the same calls.
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WNAM-TV operated on channel 42 for eleven months, beginning on February 1, 1954. They then moved to channel 5 using the CP for WFRV-TV, which moved to Green Bay two years later. That station is still on the air today.

The Broadcasting Yearbook identified the location simply as the "Bellin Bldg." during the WNAM years and as the "WFRV-TV Bldg." after the move ... which doesn't track because the Bellin Building still exists ... in Green Bay. But the 1953 Yearbook said the radio station was at 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. and that was also the address for the channel 42 CP, so that is probably the address of the building in the photo.

I think I have a clue from a Google Maps search ... 101 E. Wisconsin Ave. is on the corner of Commercial St. in Neenah:
www.google.com

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com

So best guess is that Wisconsin Ave. was the actual address and whoever wrote whatever you found that referenced Commercial St. didn't know the above.
 
Originally provided by @SomeRadioGuy on the DX/Reception forum: A retrospective will air at the end of WNAM's life:

In addition, listeners/DXers are invited to tune in WNAM’s special 3-hour farewell broadcast on Wednesday, December 31, starting at 9:00 PM Central Standard Time. This will include a “recreation” of the station’s glory years as “Blue 128” complete with airchecks from previous on-air staff.
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Just looking at this from a ratings standpoint, WNAM, for an AM with an Adult Standards format, shows up better than expected. Although they had a drop in share from 1.6-0.9 in the last book (only rated twice a year). I would think under a good LOCAL owner, in a direct buy small market like this....It could be profitable.

WNAM under a different local owner could keep going for some time to come.

radioinsight.com

Appleton/Oshkosh

radioinsight.com radioinsight.com
 
It sounds like although not a special they are doing short remembrances today and I don’t think they are playing ABM as I’ve heard KC & Sunshine Band and Chic in the past hour.
 
Listening to the retrospective that started around 8:15 has been both depressing and eye-opening so far, especially the Ron Ross airchecks. I had no idea that, not only were there multiple AM Top 40 stations in northeast Wisconsin competing with each other at one point, but that they sounded almost as big and as good as the 50,000 watt powerhouses in Chicago and other big cities. Radio truly was magical and incredibly entertaining when AM music radio reigned supreme. I discovered old airchecks when I was in High School in the early 2000s, but I mainly listened to clips from WCFL and WLS. This is the first time I have heard what Fox Valley radio was like back in the day. WNAM Blue 128 had a 17 share at one point for a reason. From what I have heard so far, it sounded really good.
 


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