Free tower?

[secondchoice]

Does anybody know what radio station used this tower?

http://www.radio-info.com/sections/...e-tower-owner-lists-it-for-sale-on-craigslist.

I am surprised the owner did not try to find a cell service to rent the tower. I am working with a group that is trying to put up a new tower, what a hassle!

 

[Mike Beverly]

This was the tower belonging to WDNT in Dayton. Before that it was used on long-silent WREA. The new owner bought it because he wanted the tower out of his neighborhood. The old owner sold it because he got cash for the land instead of the owner financing he was going to provide to sell the radio station. The new owner thought he would donate it to some needy non-profit. Much to his surprise no one wanted to take down a 40 year old tower for free. So he's out the money, and still has the tower in his front window.

The new owners of WDNT are arranging another tower site. I know this because that would be me.

 

[RadioGaGa75]

;D

 

[MurvleJumpUp]

Couple of crazy questions...first why would anyone buy any radio station right now? Second, why would anyone want a used tower? Just wondering?

 

[secondchoice]

Couple of crazy questions...first why would anyone buy any radio station right now? Second, why would anyone want a used tower? Just wondering?

Because this is a once in a lifetime chance to own a station! There are hundred’s of distressed stations for sale. The 80-90 rule allowed for too many stations to be bought by “nonfinancial qualified and or non radio” people. Some of these stations still bill good money. The Citadel bankruptcy was an example of buying stations at too many times cash flow. If billings had increased 6% every quarter for 20 years they could have pulled it off! Radio is picking up a little. CBS had a good quarter. I remember when I was a child there was a belief that TV would kill radio. The Walkman, 8 tracks and cassettes were going to kill radio. I wish I could find the survey, but there was a study that found that Satellite radio people spend more time listening to terrestrial radio after going satellite than when they just had regular radio. In fact I am looking at a station in a town of under 10,000 right now. A well programmed locally focused station will always succeed. The days of buying a station, firing the staff, and relying on national cookie cutter satellite programming are over. Radio has to return to being a “local thing”.
The used tower part is a good question. This guy should lease space on the tower and use the money to buy a house with a view he feels is acceptable. I wonder if this tower was there when he bought the house?

 

[MurvleJumpUp]

Thanks second chance your answer gives me a ton of hope that radio might actually return to point where it can pay the light bill and be something people might actually listen 2. If a person is under 30 they have their music all on their....you fill in the blank starting with Ipod.... and unless RADIO can give them a reason to abandon their favorite songs 24-7 the industry just can't come back. Older as in above 30 are increasingly moving to sat. radio, first for the unlimited variety of music and second for the expanded sports/talk shows.

STILL, if someone had a L O C A L station that did just what none of the above can do..they might have a shot at keeping the billing higher than the bills. Sure you can buy a station for way below market right now but can you feed your wife and dog with it?

I am your biggest fan if you can and get this if you come up with a very good formula that works you can make a small but nice pile of money selling it to others who might take the plunge into ownership! Go for it, right now there is no way to go but UP!

 

[knoxbob]

Depending on the condition of the tower it could be turned in as scrap metal but you would have to take it down safely and that might cost more than what you could get out of it for scrap.

I also agree that if you can buy a small station far enough away from a metro area you can do well with it programed locally.

 

[Mike Beverly]

"The used tower part is a good question. This guy should lease space on the tower and use the money to buy a house with a view he feels is acceptable. I wonder if this tower was there when he bought the house?"


The tower was there long before he lived there. But like most good AM sites it's in a flood plain and therefore doesn't offer much height for leasing space.

I would have leased it back from him if he hadn't immediately torn down the brand new shiny transmitter building and ripped out the electrical hookups. Instead, I'm moving elsewhere. Shame though. It was a nice tower site. And as of yesterday, the tower is still there in his front yard and probably will be until he bites the bullet and pays several grand to have it removed.