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Greenville and Indianola stations sold

R

robgrayson

River Broadcasting's WNIX, WBAQ, and WIQQ in Greenville have been sold to Debut Broadcasting, HQ'ed in Nashville. Debut had already obtained WNLA-AM/FM. Jim and Margaret Karr will still be involved with the new operation, and it looks like one of the first orders of business will be the rebuilding of the three-tower WNIX tranmitter site.

The Delta Democrat-Times newspaper should be running a profile of long-time chief engineer Percy Kuhn today (Friday).

I got my start back when at WBAQ, and worked with Jim Karr at the old WDDT. Margaret Karr was my speech, drama and English teacher back in high school (Miss Kazan, back then).
 
I saw the story about WNLA-AM/FM being sold in the Mississippi Business Journal. Any word of what changes, if any, Debut will make for the stations?
 
What happened to WNIX towers, I've noticed I haven't heard it in a while. On a clear day you could get a little bit of signal in the Jackson area. Didn't they change the format and calls a while back?
 
flytrap said:
What happened to WNIX towers, I've noticed I haven't heard it in a while. On a clear day you could get a little bit of signal in the Jackson area. Didn't they change the format and calls a while back?
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, they are an urban oldies format now. Calls are still WNIX.
 
Comparing Greenville and Indianola, things seem to be much better in Indianola. Since I work for a non-com station, we have to do quarterly community leader surveys (just like the old days in commercial radio). I have interviewed several city leaders in Greenville and I can tell you that they are concerned about conditions in Greenville. They need new industry bad! But then it's hard to recruit companies to that area. Greenwood, like Indianola, also seems to be light years ahead of Greenville. Greenville... well, just look around. Like jboyd said, it's pretty sad.
 
People who know me know that I'm not timid. I believe in calling 'em as I see 'em. With that in mind, here's my assement of Greenville...

Greenville itself could be pretty much summed up as a s***hole. It's as simple as that.

As for radio, Greenville is a TERRIBLE market. And it's because of people like Margaret Karr and Bob Ghetti. Margaret will sell anything at any price to anybody. Whatever it takes to get the businesss. If a competitor is selling spots for $5, Margaret will drop her rate to $4. Margaret will do remotes from farm implement dealers on her Hot AC/CHR station, never mind that it doesn't fit the client. Bob is pretty much the same, only uglier. There are far too many "I tried radio and it didn't work" stories in Greenville. Operators like them make it difficult for a decent operator to make any money.

LF
 
lfuss said:
As for radio, Greenville is a TERRIBLE market. And it's because of people like Margaret Karr and Bob Ghetti. Margaret will sell anything at any price to anybody. Whatever it takes to get the businesss. If a competitor is selling spots for $5, Margaret will drop her rate to $4. Margaret will do remotes from farm implement dealers on her Hot AC/CHR station, never mind that it doesn't fit the client. Bob is pretty much the same, only uglier. There are far too many "I tried radio and it didn't work" stories in Greenville. Operators like them make it difficult for a decent operator to make any money.

LF
Click to expand...
There is a reason many of us escaped the Delta...Greenville is just one of them.
I remember trying like the dickens to get a radio gig in Greenville after my senior year in high school. The previous year I had worked P/T in Milwaukee under the mentoring of the late Bob Collins. I did get some appointments in Greenville, but was essentially asked to leave WDDT, WGVM and WJPR. ( I don't know if Paul Artman had WBAQ on the air yet - memory is fuzzy.....the Artman's were my neighbors in Indianola). On the advice of a friend who frequents this list, I headed north to Memphis. The folks at WMPS and WHBQ took me seriously and I landed a 9 week vacation relief gig at the Q. It may have only been 63 days, but I got a ton of experience and a great resume tape. Helped open doors for many other opportunities. Greenville, no thanks.
 
I worked both television and radio in Greenville in the early nineties. Coming from the Coast via Virginia, it was quite a shock to say the least. I can truthfully say that Greenville is the worst place I have ever lived and I've lived in a bunch of places!
 
BUT...Greenville was a great place in the 50's, as were many other Delta towns...
demo changes, indifference, loss of AG jobs, welfare, exodus....the list goes on and on. A culture has been destroyed and it will be no more. To reprise: Sad. Thanks, JBI. ( And I am sure "LF" will agree, and perhaps add more to the above list....)
 
I worked at KUUZ in the late eighties. It was right out of college, and I took a job there going to the place site unseen. This was during the Roger Manning days. I got there and couldn't believe how absolutely devistated the place was. But it was wierd because we were getting $14 a spot rates. I did sales, and on-air filling in for different jocks. I left KUUZ and went to WNIX for two days, and then got out of the Delta. I've been in Southwest Arkansas ever since. My question is... let's just say that retailers and restaurants like Chili's and Cracker Barrell and Target just up and built in Greenville... Would they make it? It could be a nice place again!
 
Let's face it, you don't go through Greenville. You go to Greenville! When the interstate system went in in the 60's, towns like Greenville lost everyone but locals. Restaurants like Cracker Barrell won't go there. Heck, I'm happy to find a Shoney's in Greenville. They also have a Hardees! We don't have a Hardees in Jackson!!
 
ProdWhiz said:
let's just say that retailers and restaurants like Chili's and Cracker Barrell and Target just up and built in Greenville... Would they make it?
Click to expand...

None of those places will ever be in Greenville. The demographics just aren't there. But I'm sure there will be many more checking cashing places and pawn shops open up.

LF
 
They tell me things went downhill somewhat after the Air Force Base closed. I seem to remember it still in operation when I was a kid, but the Grenville AFB heyday was mostly "before my time". Observing from afar, there seems to be a problem with obtaining and maintaining manufacturing jobs, as companies come and go (mostly go).
Casinos apparently haven't done as much for the Greenville economy as they have for Tunica, largely because of the lack of a nearby source of revenue (such as Memphis provides to Tunica).
 
While I was in Greenville a couple of weeks back, I drove out to the airport. I was impressed!!! NICE FACILITY!!! I also noticed a Northwest Airlines 757 in front of a hanger. I suppose Northwest uses the airport for maintanance... right? I guess that"s the reason Greenville still has commercial air service.
 
Hopefully, for the Greenville fans out there, the “I-169 connector” between Greenville and proposed I-69 near the eastern terminus of the Great River Bridge at Benoit will be built. But, that's still up in the air. And, a long way off.

DE
 
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