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Ed Dinis, owner of WJFD-FM dead @ 85

N1WVQ said:
South Coast today has a story on it. So, what is the future of 97.3? I'm hoping modern rock.
Click to expand...

Ed was the prosecutor in the case surrounding the "unpleasantness" at Dyke Bridge some years ago. It wasn't long after that he became a motel owner, restaurant owner and a bit of a media mogul.
 
N1WVQ said:
South Coast today has a story on it. So, what is the future of 97.3? I'm hoping modern rock.
Click to expand...
Why wouldn't they just stay Portugese? Does he have any heirs that have been involved in the business? Is the station making money or did it exist just to provide a voice in the Portugese community? Also modern rock isn't exactly a format that's going to rake in the bucks.
 
Even during his lifetime, Edmund Dinis had hopes for eventually flipping 97.3 to an English-speaking format of one kind or another.

Some years ago, Mr. Dinis held a CP for a 5KW AM station to be licensed to Dartmouth on 1270. The idea would have been to move the Porutguese programming to 1270, and use 97.3 for something else in English.

Unfortunately for him, a strong case of N.I.M.B.Y.-ism broke out, and he couldn't secure a parcel to put up the towers, and the CP eventually expired.
 
Mr Dinis was 85 and never married so no off spring to carry on the family business. He does have a sister living in Florida who is probably in his age bracket, give or take a few years. He also has a few nieces and nephews. Wouldn't be surprised if the station was put up for sale. Although no one on the outside knows for sure, I'm willing to bet the 50,000 watt signal serving the heavily populated Portuguese communities of New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton is financially successful. Mr. Dinis has probably not had any political or business income other than the radio station for several decades.
 
McRadio said:
N1WVQ said:
South Coast today has a story on it. So, what is the future of 97.3? I'm hoping modern rock.
Click to expand...
Why wouldn't they just stay Portugese? Does he have any heirs that have been involved in the business? Is the station making money or did it exist just to provide a voice in the Portugese community? Also modern rock isn't exactly a format that's going to rake in the bucks.
Click to expand...
In all likelihood it would stay as-is unless sold to someone not interested in carrying on the format. I suppose it's a possibility WNBH could take over Portuguese-language programming.
As for modern or hard rock, there isn't anything on-Cape that has that format so the SECONDARY signal would bring that format on to the Cape which may not be able to support it. IF WKKB was doing well (I hardly ever listened to WKKB when it was rock but a lot of people told me they did) despite the flip to Spanish (which occured because it was sold to Davidson) then a resurrection could be possible. But, I don't think Citadel is interested in BUYING any stations anymore. I don't think they could even if they wanted to do so. I can't even think of who could buy a station of WJFD-FM's value at this point.
WJFD-FM remains an important link in the Portuguese community & I don't know how they'd take to losing a widely-heard F.M. & be left with WHTB only in that area.
 
jimmyone said:
I'm willing to bet the 50,000 watt signal serving the heavily populated Portuguese communities of New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton is financially successful. Mr. Dinis has probably not had any political or business income other than the radio station for several decades.
Click to expand...

We should all be so lucky! ;).

But, seriously....In the event that 97.3 were to be put up for sale....WHO would...or could...be in a position to buy, and for what reason or purpose?

Neither Citadel nor CC appear to be in any position to make any acquisitions right now, so that probably rules them out.

Buckley?....Probably not. In fact, they've actually be consolidating lately, having just sold off a cluster in upstate New York.

Hall?....don't know....although it would give them a bigger footprint in the market.

One of the other large or medium-size group owners?....Even if one of these did...it would leave them as a stand-alone, so why do it?

My guess?....It would either have to be someone local, for whom owning a radio station would be the ultimate ego-stroking "trophy", or a company / group / individual with a particular agenda.

Feel free to continue the guessing game.
 
I don't think rock is the way to go. The Cape does have Pixy 103, but no alternative rocker. I don't think the cape really needs an alternative rocker, plus anyone looking to buy it would probably want to target the station to Providence anyway. If Citadel picked it up, they could spin off Hot 106 and make Hot 97.3. Then maybe 106.3 could be an NPR affiliate along with 102.7. Or a good AAA station. I don't think 100.3 WKKB as a rocker was a huge success, but they also didn't have the best presentation either. If 97.3 were to go active rock, that could finally seal the deal for HJY to go full-time classic rock. Oh the possibilities...

Jacko
 
Couple of good choices there Dighton...but I also wouldn't count out the Karam's who own WHTB/WSAR in Fall River. If I recall - the Karam's were a bit of a thorn in Dinis' spine when he was trying to move/install a tower in the Copicut reservation area on the Freetown/Fall River line. Due to its heritage (and the large Portuguese population in So. New England), I would suggest anyone who buys it keeps it Portuguese, however - it all depends on the billing of the station. Due to its longevity as a Portuguese formatted station, it could suggest that it has been profitable for Mr. Dinis, but maybe not for a different owner.

Marc
 
Even in a recession, this big stick FM would command a good price tag. Hall could be a buyer, but I hear that the Owner is not in the best of health and may not want to under take anymore broadcast properties. Go back 20 years ago and I know of all kinds of big bucks that were offered for the station, but Dinis got to the point he wouldn't even listen to offers.
 
I used to be the junior engineer/IT guy at WJFD a few years back. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Dinis. From what I understood, it was already worked out (possibly in his will) that the station would be passed on to someone else in the event of his death and continue as Portuguese.
 
jimmyone said:
Go back 20 years ago and I know of all kinds of big bucks that were offered for the station, but Dinis got to the point he wouldn't even listen to offers.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmmm......Sounds like how Peter Arpin acts these days when it comes to offers for 990 /1320.

Only difference is....Edmund Dinis actually had some TREASURE in the treasure chest... ;D
 
I hope WJFD stays Portuguese! I believe that it's the greatest radio stations in Southern New England, since it presents the finest in world music, as well as the best soccer matches from Portugal each season! And I enjoy listening to Jorge Morais, Nelia, Christian Raposo and so many more!
 
i think the station is being wasted why not sell it off and buy a station closer to fall river itself and put something good on there!!!
 
Wbzfm2010 said:
i think the station is being wasted why not sell it off and buy a station closer to fall river itself and put something good on there!!!
Click to expand...

While Fall River has a high percentage Portuguese population, New Bedford has even higher. Much of The Cape is strongly Portuguese and, though the percentage in Rhode Island is not as great there are still enough numbers to make WJFD an attractive regional buy for those interested in reaching an ethnic market. Portuguese language for Fall River only is enough to make a decent buck for WHTB with limited range but it's a far cry from regional. Had Eddie Dinis put the Dartmouth AM on the air it could have stomped WHTB into the ground....explaining the dedicated opposition that finally killed the CP.
 
There was always a joke around town that if Dinis ever dropped Portuguese from that station, the local population that loves the station so much might cut the tower down!
 
Another thing to consider,
A lot of the portuguese listenners to that station are aging, and will be out of the demos shortly if not already. My family is orriginally from back in Far Riva. The kids of those from Portugal/Azores are not listenning to this station. I'd expect a format change.
 
Hi all, sorry to jack the thread a bit:

I'm a Boston University journalism student writing a story about WJFD after Mr. Dinis's death, and I was wondering if anyone were familiar with the station's history or with that of Portuguese radio in the region. Really, if you're a fan/detractor of the station without much other knowledge on the subject, that would also be OK.

If you know something, feel free to PM me, and we'll work something out. Thanks.
 
From sometime in the 70's into maybe the 80's Dinis also owned "The Skipper" restaurant and hotel on the Fairhaven side of the bridge between there and New Bedford. Because in those days, the FCC required you to have someone 24 hours a day watching the transmitter, the person working at the front desk of the hotel was that person. Each had a Third Class Permit or Restricted Permit, whichever was needed during those years and they took the transmitter remote readings required in those days. Behind the check-in desk there was a Belar FM modulation and Stereo monitor and a Moseley remote control mounted in an equipment rack. That kept the station "legal" with regards to the technical operations even though there was no one in the studios. This was all before the FCC approved unattended operations.

You may also want to track down Bob Yankowitz. He is/was a transmitter engineer for one of the TV stations in Boston. When he worked in New Bedford, Ed Dinis used to get technical advice even though Yankowitz worked for the Hall stations. He may be able to provide more info.
 
Thanks for the tip about Bob Yankowitz. I'll see if I can track him down.
 
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