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"ESPN Pensacola" shuts down: WBSR 1450/101.1 off air, new owner/format to come

If it is you re-signing this puppy back on, I seriously wish you the best, Groove1670. I know you have said that it is tough to do much with translators and small signals in Pensacola and/or Mobile. Try that near Nashville, with all the hills and trees. You/they might be on to something going the listener supported route. Still, the area, as much as I love it (Poledo - you know the story) is a tough market if you are a cluster and 50kw+. You have to think smart and out of the box and save money. Fun times can be had. Keep fighting the fight with your other stations, if this is not a new addition.
 
Honestly, I think Pensacola is a perfect market for translatorized AMs. It's compact for the most part and the terrain isn't too crazy. A well placed TX site up on the ridge has all that height working to its advantage as the ground slopes towards the Gulf. It's not like Mobile where everyone seems to think you need to cover both sides of the bay to be 'legit'.
 
Tibbs4 said:
If it is you re-signing this puppy back on, I seriously wish you the best, Groove1670. I know you have said that it is tough to do much with translators and small signals in Pensacola and/or Mobile. Try that near Nashville, with all the hills and trees. You/they might be on to something going the listener supported route. Still, the area, as much as I love it (Poledo - you know the story) is a tough market if you are a cluster and 50kw+. You have to think smart and out of the box and save money. Fun times can be had. Keep fighting the fight with your other stations, if this is not a new addition.
Click to expand...

Not me, but the new owners will be able to make something out of the combo. It is a good move for them.
 
tomservo said:
Honestly, I think Pensacola is a perfect market for translatorized AMs. It's compact for the most part and the terrain isn't too crazy. A well placed TX site up on the ridge has all that height working to its advantage as the ground slopes towards the Gulf. It's not like Mobile where everyone seems to think you need to cover both sides of the bay to be 'legit'.
Click to expand...


It's not about being legit, it is about coverage. If I am a advertiser I want to cover all of the area, not just parts (exception: if you serve a single community like WABF, and I think they are the exception). A single TX will not cover all of the Eastern shore, or the Metro properly. Mobile and Miami are probably two of the worst markets. Atlanta and Las Vegas are better.
 
I finally drove by the WBSR building today. It appears they've cleaned the building out and no work is in progress.
Did the new owners buy the real estate too or are they planning a new studio location?
 
You mean there is no equipment in there? When was this new format supposed to start? Maybe they are combining this station with others at a different location?
 
I checked on 101.1 last night and the RDS read KONO-FM.

San Antonio? Screwy tropo or used equipment?

It isn't showing any RDS today.
 
Nah, what I heard was the stunting music, same as 1450. But for my whole trip to and from the store the RDS read KONO-FM and the radio was looking for a HD signal. I was only 5+ miles from WBSR. Before I googled it I thought KONO was in Seattle or Hawaii so I wasn't thinking DX when I noticed this.
 
seedless said:
Nah, what I heard was the stunting music, same as 1450. But for my whole trip to and from the store the RDS read KONO-FM and the radio was looking for a HD signal. I was only 5+ miles from WBSR. Before I googled it I thought KONO was in Seattle or Hawaii so I wasn't thinking DX when I noticed this.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Perhaps you saw the PAD data from the HD sidebands instead of RDS. It's entirely possible for an analog local signal to be perfectly audible, but if there IS some skip going on, the HD from a foreign signal could be strong enough to trigger the radio's decoder. I know it happened to me once, and I'm racking my brain trying to remember if it happened here on the coast or up in Mississippi. But it is definitely possible (as is having HD sidebands but NO analog signal at all, as has happened two or three times when KSJ was off but their HD stayed on.)
 
Either plans changed or we were fed some bad information down here in Pensacola.

Anyone know when WBSR goes live with a new format? Days? Weeks? In limbo?

If WOW 90.9 was planning a simulcast, certainly they could have set it up by now.

I'm beginning to wonder if my original ALT/AAA info was indeed for WBSR and not some other channel.
 
seedless said:
Either plans changed or we were fed some bad information down here in Pensacola.

Anyone know when WBSR goes live with a new format? Days? Weeks? In limbo?

If WOW 90.9 was planning a simulcast, certainly they could have set it up by now.

I'm beginning to wonder if my original ALT/AAA info was indeed for WBSR and not some other channel.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping for the return of WBSR's "Smooth Hits" format, but that's just personal preference... ;)
 
It appears the simulcast of WOW 90.9 started today.
They claim 101.1 triples their audience?
 
Last edited:
romer979fm said:
I'm confused: how can a non-commercial frequency simulcast a commercial station?
I must have missed a rule change somewhere...
Click to expand...

It's backwards. WOWB-FM 90.9 is a 100kw station. 101.1 is a 250 watt translator married to WBSR 1450. Presumably WBSR will go non-com and change call letters.
 
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