DOES AM RADIO HAVE ANY FUTURE IN EASTERN NC???

[allenv]

What do you think??? If you had the resources what would you do to jumpstart AM??
Or do you think its too late???? Your opinions????

Allen

 

[ToddJenkins]

If you just GAVE me an AM in ENC, like WGTM, and it was my family's only source of income - then I would have to give it back to you. There's just not enough local revenue Down East for a brand-new or rebuilt stand-alone AM.

WTSB (WMPM) is a big exception to this.

Now if I was already wealthy, I would change my tune. Give me 'GTM, and in 5 years, I should be breaking even and having a good time.

 

[tothedj]

This poses a bigger question that many like myself have been asking for quite
sometime, does "AM Radio" have a future at all?
In your smaller markets, depending on the format and power of these stations,
it lies on how these owners are selling the product, and some are not doing
so, which is why some will go dark.
As for your larger markets, those with 10,000 or 50,000 watts, they continue do
do well, but in the last few years, many cities are now simulcasting on FM, mainly
those with a "Talk" format, and i expect this trend will grow.
In addition, the Internet, barring no further regulations, will play a role in whether
or not AM survives.
I understand in one country, AM is being dissolved, when this takes places in
other nations, like the United States or Canada, remains to be seen.

 

[quadraphonic]

If WTSB can do it, why can't someone else?

I'll admit, there's probably not a place for every single AM station that's left to make money/ratings/etc, but why can't enough of them do it to put a little bit of the shine back on AM Radio?

 

[ZAX Double J]

I think if given the proper selling angle and format or programming AM could see some resurgence, but only marginally. Unfortunately FM killed that radio star 30 years ago. AM has too may things against it and it really has nothing to do with station or frequency it just the nature of the medium itself. It is vulnerable to tons of interference, noise and othe things that distract from the listenability of the signal. That said, AM does have distance, a modest powered station can really get out vs. the same powered station on FM. Stereo has been tried and failed miserably on AM, but I think that was all in the marketing and selling it to both manufacturers and the public. HD Radio is going through some of the same problems that AM stereo did. But, HD Radio has one thing that AM stereo didn't and that is additional revenue possibilities. It's like having three additional stations on the same frequency. HD Radio may save AM if they work out all the technical problems with it, but it's doubtful. The biggest thing to radio in general is other media sources, but radio will overcome those as well as it did with TV, the Walkman and other forces earyl on. Whether it is AM or FM you have to have compelling progamming that the listener WANTS to hear. Local is the key here and AM can serve those local areas better than the distant FMs (or even the ones in the same town). FMs don't really care about the local events i.e. sports, festivals etc. that AM can tap into. The thing is "Do what other's won't" just have the balls to actually DO something that your competition won't do and no matter whether it is AM or FM you will win.

I was considering doing a part 15 AM that would get out at around 2 miles or so, but the cost of the equipment to do it was a tad out of my reach for the time being, but I still may do it one day as I gradually buy a piece here and there. All I need is the part 15 transmitter, AM on-air processor, and a mod monitor. Probably 3-5K worth and I would have it since I already have most of the other equipment needed. But I thought could I really have a return on investment that would make it worthwhile to do and I determined that I probably wouldn't. As many AM owners have determined too. I also considered the internet and streaming, but the cost of doing it was a turn off.

Radio has too many problems internally to see it as a viable business unless you have a boatload of expendable capital to "play" with and you don't care whether you make any money or not. That said I think I could put the format that I think will go on and with the right sales team I could make some money with it. I just have to HAVE the money to start with to get it going and I don't...

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

A lot of good thoughts and logic expressed here.

I have concluded there is no one single answer to the question. Every town, every market is just a little bit different than the town 60 miles down the road.

Every station owner/operator has his/her own personality and charisma. The town I might be able to connect with and sell up a storm may be the town you would fall flat on your face. But the town 60 miles away may be perfect for you and a town that would spell bankruptcy for me.

Art Sutton operates a small group of stations in the Carolinas and George. Art says it is almost impossible to bring back a sick A.M. To him even a long time dominant small town A.M. is a bit risky. But Art now has enough capital and buying power he doesn't have to mess with the nearly dead. He can buy the small town FM that I would have to walk away from for lack of capital.

But having said all that, he has some A.M. that he has made into winners.

The question we might ask is: how do I recognize which market is compatible with my skills, and how do I recognize a market that will eat me alive if I try to make it work?

 

[magic95.9]

I am of the school of Field Of Dreams thinking. If you build it, they will come. If you make your programming that hits a certain nerve, it will work. When I owned WVOT in Wilson, after the fire, we went solid Beach Music and it did well. We brought in the Embers for a kick off and made it big. We still did the local flavor with local sports and heavy community involvement. We even had a local news person that went to the City Council Meetings and brought back actualities <sp?> and did the ma and pa stories. But we did it with the class of running a radio station proper. The only thing that was wrong with our station, was my partner, trying to play big shot and talking down to people, it turned a lot of folks off. But that is another story. Getting back to VOT, after the fire, we bought top of the line equipment and the sound we well processed. We had Sam Garfiled & Chuck Britt as our engineers.

Just think about the local hamburger joint that may be in comptition with McDonald's, they still deliever the goods and if it is good, people will come and support you. I beleive in radio period, whether it's AM or FM, it's still a great business. Now if only radio people would get back and run the stations and not tower kickers, then it would be even better. So move the truck out from in front of the dish and quit name dropping and get serious and I believe you can go far no matter what station you have. Been in the business for 30 years and still love it just as much as I did when Charlie Byrd gave me my first job in 1978, and by the way it was at an AM 500 WATT daytimer named WEEW.

 

[Ssummers]

A lot of good thoughts and logic expressed here.

Now this kind of thread is why I weed through so many inane posts(um, several of which are mine, I'm sure) just to get to good ones like this. This is how revolutions were born, and I can't think of a line of work more deserving of a revolution than radio.

Nice, guys.

 

[Marathon Don]

In my view, AM or FM or Internet is secondary to content. If a small grocery store on the bad side of town has good ribeye steak for 1 dollar a pound, I'm there. Likewise, if a clear signal AM station is giving the public what they want, people will listen. For example, in Goldsboro, 1150 WGBR (news/talk) and 730 WFMC (black gospel) are both doing very well. In Raleigh, WPTF's ratings are consistently right in there with the big stick FM's. In RM/Wilson, even the rickety old WGTM is pulling a 1.6. That's better than WZAX-FM!

It's the motivation, not the modulation.

 

[redneckriviera]

Whether someone thinks there is a future in AM really depends on what their goals are. As a medium, AM is especially handicapped in ENC because of the extremely poor soil conductivity. But if an AM can provide a fulltime, strong (interference-free) signal--say 5 mv/m--to a community large enough BY ITSELF to generate enough financial support to satisfy the broadcaster, then it can work. For commercial operators, financial support means advertising sales revenue. For non-comms, it can mean membership, grants, or underwriting revenue.

The question becomes "What is enough?" For some, it's break-even. For others, it's break-even + more. Using our friends at Clear Channel as an example, making millions in radio wasn't "enough." They had to make billions. For the folks operating a little community AM up in the hills around Marlinton, West Virginia, break-even is plenty.

Understanding math comes in handy. Having a sense of how much the station's programming will be valued by the community comes in even handier.

But, yeah, AM has a future. Even in ENC. But the future is defined by more than just the power, the frequency or the band it is carried upon.

 

[allenv]

I see it simply...The AM's that have some effort and resources and local programming put into them like WGBR Goldsboro,WGHB etc.. make money. The ones that are not
given any attention sit and bleed money. There are some great post here. I'm very proud that there are so many of us that still have the passion and love for AM..

Allen

 

[virgilstreetnc]

Depends on what you call "a future." We've only been for a little over a month, but we're already well above break-even, sold out our football broadcasts, including the addition of two other local high schools as tape delayed on saturday morning, plus streaming all three.

There's a difference between large and mid market AMs, and our small market though of course. I likely wouldn't try an AM in a larger market with a lot of competition. But there are examples of it working well. I think an all sportstalk station is the kiss of death, you're limiting your potential audience right out of the box.

Just my opinion. Thanks for letting me chime in.

Jason
WTXY1540.com

 

[ZAX Double J]

I see it simply...The AM's that have some effort and resources and local programming put into them like WGBR Goldsboro,WGHB etc.. make money. The ones that are not
given any attention sit and bleed money. There are some great post here. I'm very proud that there are so many of us that still have the passion and love for AM..

Allen

You are correct my friend. The AMs that get attention do well the ones that jsut sit there with no attention until something happens to the transmitter and they are off the air (if anyone really knows they're off the air unless someone calls in and complains) are the ones that eventully either get sold or go dark forever. I'd love to have the capital to reopen some AM frequencies here in RM and put a station on. Some say a Music format won't go on AM, but I disagree, if you put the right music on (not spanish or gospel, please) and the right mix of other programming I think it could make some money. Give the listener something they CAN"T get anywhere else advertise yourself everywhere and I mean everywhere and get some good (not ecpensive) sales people who know how to sell radio not a toaster and I think in the right market you could make some cash.

Well as to VOT doing beter than WZAX, just look at WBOB a totally NEW station is doing better as well. I have heard the prediction that it will be the new champ in this market (under Foxy) at some point.

As to the "build it and they will come" mentality, that is all and fine but, you have to have the compelling programming that listeners can't get anywhere else. Just putting a stick up and letting a computer or satellite feed the transmitter is a waste of frequency on any band/frequency or town for that matter. Give them something they can't get on satellite radio or better still, try to get or emulate the programming that listeners have to PAY for on those services and offer it for DARE I SAY IT - FREE! WOW what a concept! There are a lot of people who can't afford or even want satellite radio (from XM or Sirius or whatever they will be called now that they merged) or the internet so offering them similar programming for free would be a big plus for your station. They get your programming for free and they get no monthly bills to worry about, no toll free tech support they can't understand, no problems - all they need to do is turn on their radio and visit one of your sponsors and buy something, This is very convient for them and it works for the station too.

 

[allenv]

HD could give AM a future but it takes alot of hard work. I think a music of your life
format with a real local approach would work but you get out of it what you put into it and it is vital that you stream the audio...

Allen

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Much of radio is the result of gut feel, intuition, and "policy" that we seem to share but never verbalize, never reduce to writing.

I think a music of your life format with a real local approach would work but you get out of it what you put into it and it is vital that you stream the audio...

I am not arguing with you when you say: "it is vital that you stream the audio..."

I think so too.

But Why?

Why is it vital that the audio be streamed?

If you are talking to an investor who might help fund a radio purchase, and you say "Of course, we will stream the audio." And the not-up-to-date-on-radio investor asks: "Why?" What is your explanation.

 

[amlover]

I love am radio too but I do think it has a bleak future and you will see many go dark. We just had a 50,000 watt, (daytimer) with a good signal go dark in Atlanta. This after the owner spent a ton of money on a new tower site which he had to move due to the sale of the old leased tower site. I guess if you are in the market for an am station now is the time to buy, but getting a return on the investment would be next to impossible these days. Heck a lot of FM'S are going in the hole. Sadly radio is just that important now. People create their own station with their iPod.

 

[allenv]

You stream audio because of poor reception in some buildings,if you have to reduce power at night,people all over the world can hear your programming and it gives you another sales tool if you use your website and stream properly.
People in offices or those carrying laptops have access to your programming. I'm sure there are other reasons but those are obvious ones to me that come to mind. It opens up other avenues not available if you don"t stream. I think partnering with today technology instead of resisting it can benefit AM's greatly.

Allen

 

[ZAX Double J]

You stream audio because of poor reception in some buildings,if you have to reduce power at night,people all over the world can hear your programming and it gives you another sales tool if you use your website and stream properly.
People in offices or those carrying laptops have access to your programming. I'm sure there are other reasons but those are obvious ones to me that come to mind. It opens up other avenues not available if you don"t stream. I think partnering with today technology instead of resisting it can benefit AM's greatly.

Allen

I have to agree with you. If your signal is already challenged then streaming it would be huge plus and benefit to your station. With all the benefits of it though if the owners or money investors don't "get it" then you're doomed, but present it in a money making way and they would get that. They would see the additional revenue part the selling point to them not the fact that the listeners in offices who can't get your terrestrial signal listening through an internet stream. They (the owners) don't see the technical side of things and how it (deficient signal coverage) effects the revenue strem of the station all they see is $$$. How much it costs them to do it and how much they can make from it. The cost of doing it HAS to be LOWER than the money that it BRINGS IN. If it costs too much for them to do it they won't no matter the benefits that it would bring.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I agree with both responses to my question about the "why" of streaming. I was checking to see if there was some additional innovative streaming application that was beyond my current imagination.

I had to chuckle on the concept of explaining to an investor that we need to be able to reach into buildings where the signal may be a bit weak. There are probably some investors you don't want to try to explain the concept that the signal WILL BE WEAK in some areas. If they think the signal is strong a long ranging, it may be best to leave them in their ecstasy. ;D

Today people ask: Does your station have a website? I assume the day could come when people ask: Oh, you're in the Internet business. Does your website own a radio station?

Once you get your brain wrapped around that possibility, try to imagine what else will be different then.

 

[allenv]

Alot of AM's around the country are playing with Fire by not lowering power at the appropiate time or not at all. Its happens alot and they may get away with it for a while but eventually they are going to get busted. I don't know the procedure..is the first time a warning or do they fine heavy on a first offense? I know it has happened August-January on a station that shall remain nameless but I do know 1070's power is lowered automatically so it ain't them but I seem to get a couple of stations in strange places when its awfully dark outside. Maybe its just strange atmospheric conditions. Weather does STRANGE THINGS
to AM's sometimes...wink..wink....

Allen