Feder wrong about WMCW 1600 in Harvard? Will it come back?

[Link]

Feder's Column from around May 6 said "* * Without warning, northwest suburban Harvard lost its radio station after 53 years on the air.

Kovas Communications pulled the plug Saturday on WMCW-AM (1600), which most recently had been airing business news.

The move was the latest step by Kovas to free up the top of the dial and reduce interference for its WONX-AM (1590) in north suburban Evanston. "

However the filing with the FCC @

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...xt=25&appn=101248127&formid=910&fac_num=43241

says "BY LETTER OF MAY 13, 2008, KOVAS COMMUNICATIONS OF INDIANA, INC., THROUGH COUNSEL, EXPLAINED THAT IT HAD TAKEN WMCW(AM) SILENT. THE LICENSEE TOOK THE STATION SILENT BECAUSE A TRANSMITTER AT A SISTER STATION HAD CEASED OPERATING, WITH THE RESULT THAT THE STATION HAD GONE SILENT AND COULD ONLY MOST EXPEDITIOUSLY BE PLACED BACK ON THE AIR BY USING THE WMCW(AM) TRANSMITTER. THE LICENSEE HEREBY RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THAT WMCW(AM) BE GRANTED AUTHORITY TO REMAIN SILENT WHILE THE TRANSMITTER PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. IT IS HOPED THAT THE TRANSMITTER PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS."

What's the real story?

 

[joebob]

Thats the most rediculous story I've ever heard. Turn off one station to fix another. Crazy! I hope that 1600 will be back.

 

[Prais]

Money. That's why. Turnng off, or dropping power (as in WOWO) to extend one station at the expense of another may not be "good" but it's one way to expand.

Young people, EVERYTHING goes back to money.

 

[radiotower40]

Does anyone have any idea what station they are supposedly using the wmcw transmitter for?

 

[ChgoTVMan]

WONX is using the former WMCW transmitter for its auxillary backup. Its original backup TX, an RCA BTA (can't recall the particular model) 1Kw unit had been doing a slow death for some time now, barely cranking out 500w. In fact the BTA was for years the main TX for WNMP, a predeccessor station and the first licensed to 1590AM. It was also used for WLTD.

 

[Link]

That makes sense about WONX. That station is the cash cow for the group. It can't be off the air. The other stations are pretty much just waiting to be shut off.

 

[ChgoTVMan]

Cash cow is right. WONX is probably one of the more successful brokered stations in the country. Very little turnaround with brokers. In fact, one program- "Jhankar" with Manjit Gil hails from the WLTD days and "The Jewish Community Hour" with Bernie Finkel premiered in 1963 when the station was WNMP operating out of the Orrington Hotel penthouse. Most of the others go back to the early to mid-80s. EZ money for Kovas. WONX (and its predecessors) has been home to Chuck Schaden, Bruce DuMont, Jerry G. Bishop, Dean Richards, Ernie Anastos, Polka King Lil Richard, Ray Nordstrand, and others that I can't recall off the top of my head.

 

[Prais]

Just to put his into perspective, I was associated w/WCRW for about 7
years. I also did alot for the Pucinski's at WEDC. I started there in the summer of 67, between high school and college.

WCRW was only on 5 hours daily, brokered time as wonx and
sharing time with WEDC and WSBC on 1240. 1kw days, 250 nights, from the Embassy Hotel at Diversey and Pine Grove.

WCRW grossed 3k per wk for those 5 hours, and for many of those years, I was the only employee, starting at minimum wage. Rent and electricity, and a master tube a year for the rca transmitter were the
only expense.

The place was immaculately clean. There were 2 owners, Ed Jacker and Josephine White. They were ALWAYS sold out w/ a waiting list. I left to
buy a few Indiana stations in 1973. Ed said, "don't open their microphone unless they bring you a check."

Ed was a pain in the butt as a boss (always angry about something),
but I learned on-ther job. It was the BEST way to learn. He and I became great friends (later).

WONX is still a daytimer, right? So....probably DOUBLE the gross (avg. 10 hours daily at wonx) and do the math. Not bad for pushing a few buttons. Another onx alum is Bill Jurek.

 

[ChgoTVMan]

Most of the brokers pay on time. There are a few that have to be hounded now and then. There is also a waiting list. WONX has had a 24hr license since about '88. With the exception of two programs that come in via ISDN (Korean programming from 6am to noon Mon-Fri & Futball de Primera 5pm-6pm Mon-Fri) all shows originate live from their Evanston studios. The Spanish language programs that air from noon to 6 pm are repeated weeknights from midnight to 6am. Weekends after midnight it airs long form PSAs such as "Dialogue." WNMP was started by Nathaniel Pompers, who sold it to Harry Semerow. Cummings Communications bought it around 1970 turning it into WLTD. WLTD was sold to Kovas (which at the time had recently sold WKFM to RKO) in 1978. The calls were changed to WONX about 1980. WNMP primarily ran classical, WLTD- Big Band, MOR and OTR. Frank Kovas originally tried to program WLTD and WONX similar to WKFM but later decided to broker the station focusing on South Caribbean/Puerto Rican music. Today the programming is split up between Korean (as The Korean Christian Broadcasting System), Spanish language "Top 40" (Freddy Reyes, Tony Paez, Carlos Zambrano, Paco Loco), and Assyrian programs. The rest of the schedule is comprised of the aforementioned Jhankar (Indian) and Jewish Community Hour plus Albanian and Romanian (1 hr each on weekends). They have a website but its woefully out of date. It also streams live on the internet. Its a very laid back place to work for. There are four board ops, 1 who doubles as station manager, 2 that do production work, and the other does the PSA paperwork. Ez money for all involved!

 

[Link]

I think brokering is dying though. I wish I could see numbers to prove it. My theory is it will be cheaper to download a podcast of a spoken word program than to buy the time for it. The price to buy time should be declining. If it is not yet, it should in the next few years.

 

[Prais]

Link,
Not sure. Please understand that I don't mean this as a prejuidice statement, only an observation; but many ethnics probably don't have computers, (I'm also sure many DO) or the know-how to surf the net, until their children get them. That also would bring ENGLISH into the home.

Especially in a place like Chicago, a true "melting pot" the future of brokered time is probably safe.

I remember "WNMP" in the 1960's when it was owned by Semrow, and played a mix of beautiful and semi-classical music w/o ever giving song names or titles. It sounded to me as though they only had a couple hundred lp's. They played "Griff Williams orchestra "Lady is a Tramp" almost ervery day. WNMP also had Northwestern Football Saturday and a few Religious shows on Sunday. They only had a very few sponsors weekdays including "National Food Stores" who sponsored the 1pm news every day.

 

[ChgoTVMan]

Actually (for the folks that run shows on WONX) its almost an even mix of old and new. Dr. Ghazi, who runs a 3 hour Sunday afternoon English/Pakastani language show called "Talkradio 1590" runs much of it off his laptop. The Assyrians also run their shows the same way. Both shows get plenty of call-ins which tells me somebody is out there listening. On the other side of the coin, Bernie Finkel still uses quite a bit of LPs and cassettes on his show. Jenny Wood, the host for Sunday afternoon's "Sounds of Proud Romania" runs her show off of open reel, the only show that still uses that format. However the two Ampex open reel decks are on their last legs and once they die, that's it. She'll have to start recording her show on CD or MP3. The station also has a large audience that only receive it via the internet. Bernie's show has a loyal audience listening in from Israel.
Most of those LPs that WNMP/WLTD played are still at the station (along with several that were used on WKFM), collecting dust in one of the back rooms. Polk Bros. was one of the other WNMP sponsors.
As for the future of brokered radio, I don't think there's any cause for concern...yet. I don't believe Kovas would be pushing for a power increase and updating their equipment if the station had no future. However some of the Spanish DJs have had to farm out some of their airtime to preachers (who always seem to have the bucks) because of the difficulty in selling commercial time.

 

[davideduardo]

Frank Kovas originally tried to program WLTD and WONX similar to WKFM but later decided to broker the station focusing on South Caribbean/Puerto Rican music.

What is South Caribbean / Puerto Rican music?

 

[ChgoTVMan]

RE: South Caribbean/Puerto Rican music-
Heck if I know! That's what the station was calling it in the early days. It all sounds the same to me. I do know if someone refers to it as "Mexican" the DJs get all bent out of shape! Maybe "salsa" is a more apt term.

 

[davideduardo]

RE: South Caribbean/Puerto Rican music-
Heck if I know! That's what the station was calling it in the early days. It all sounds the same to me. I do know if someone refers to it as "Mexican" the DJs get all bent out of shape! Maybe "salsa" is a more apt term.

It's a bizarre name, however they came up with it. Puerto Rico is not in the southern part of the Caribbean... it's in the NE part. And the only thing on the South Caribbean outside of the coastline of Venezuela and Colombia, are Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and Trinidad / Tobago and Nueva Esparta... none of which are anywhere near or like Puerto Rico...

And we wonder why programs and formats fail.

Thanks for mentioning this one... at least it is good for a chuckle if it does not have any meaningful consequence.

 

[Prais]

WCRW used to play, "Willie Colon" is the Elvis of the music. "Tito Puente" and "Johnny Pacheco" Salsa; Latin Jazz. That's very popular in thee Chicago Puerto Rican community. Various Salsa bands often perform around Chicago. The dj's would exclaim, "WOW - I LOVE the reetmo!"

I bet that is what is being referred to, despite the geographical error. The Lataiin ladies swoon over those dj's when it plays. Wikipedia is correct when it says; "a style created in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Author Ed Morales has said the obvious, most common perception of salsa is an "extravagant, clave-driven, Afro-Cuban-derived songs anchored by piano, horns, and rhythm section and sung by a velvety voiced crooner in a sharkskin suit"beginning with a simple melody and followed by a coro section in which the performers improvise. Have you ever seen the movie, "The Latin Kings?" I hate to be so Very stereotypical but that is the music.



O..and never call it "Mexican."

Bingo!

 

[davideduardo]

WCRW used to play, "Willie Colon" is the Elvis of the music.

Willy is a bandleader, and certainly not an "Elvis." Elvis was a pioneer of rock n' roll and a singer. If there are salsa equivalents, they would be Ismael Rivera and later stars like Hector Lavoe and Ruben Blades.

"Tito Puente" and "Johnny Pacheco" Salsa; Latin Jazz. That's very popular in thee Chicago Puerto Rican community.

Not really. Those are artists from the late 60's and early 70's.... the sort who have not had a hit for several decades. Johnny is about 75, and Tito has been gone for nearly 10 years now.

The Lataiin ladies swoon over those dj's when it plays.

I've never seen a female listener swoon or anything close over tropical radio DJs. That's pretty gross exaggeration.

Have you ever seen the movie, "The Latin Kings?" I hate to be so Very stereotypical but that is the music.

Just because some gangsters liked the music does not mean anything about the music.

 

[Prais]

Willie may not be "an Elvis" but his music got AIRPLAY as a "hot" by most every Hispanic Chicago time broker (there was NO Hispanic format in Chicago then, in the late 60's early 70's, all on AM).

Swooning for jocks? More than that. By where the hands of the young ladies were, I don't think they were trying to get a rosary from "the tropical jocks" pocket. It happened like clockwork, daily for the years I was there. I often had to "step over or around their "not swooning" trying to get to the elevator.

David, I was only saying what I SAW. That music is in the movie I mentioned. I LOVE it!