• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Humbolt

This is WHMT 1190 am Humboldt.
 
Re: Humboldt

Actual name of the town is Humboldt, not "Humbolt." I don't live there, but the constant misspelling would annoy me if I did! ;D The repliers to this thread have gotten it right.

I remember WHMT carrying Casey Kasem's American Top 40 as late as the late '80s. Even though the signal was not that great, at least they carried the program at a time when people could actually listen to it, instead of burying it at 6:00 a.m.! ::)
 
What time did they air Casey's program?

Nowadays, I usually hear most weekend programs (Rick Dees, Ryan Seacrest, et al) in the early morning hours.

NSCC
 
That "D" in Humboldt is like the "L" in Salmon to some folks.
I used to work at WIRJ and WIRJ-FM (which became WZDQ-Q102 in Jackson)
There were Native "Humboldtians?" "Humboldtites?" that had no idea the "D" was supposed to be there.
 
Re: Humboldt

There has been a LOT of discussion about rinky-dink AM stations in small towns here on the Tennessee board lately. It seems to me that for such stations to "make it," they must have one or both of the following:

1) an FM sister station simulcasting that AM station's signal, or at least an FM translator.

and/or

2) a web presence, which of course MUST include streaming.

At any rate, an AM (only) signal, especially in a small town, ain't gonna cut it anymore! ::)
 
I beg to differ with you on that. There are several small town local stations that are doing well without an FM simulcast. Mainly because they have been doing it right for so many years and they have kept their heritage and relationship going strong within the local community and especially with the local advertisers. Not that having a web presence and/or and FM wouldn't help out a lot but some don't have that.
WYSH, Clinton web site
WCRK, Morristown web site
WLIL, Lenoir City web site
WRGS, Rogerville web site, FM translator
WLIK, Newport web site
WNTT, Tazewell web site
WMCT, Mountain City web site

These are some in the E. Tenn area and I'm sure others can add to the list. Granted some of the stations aren't cash cows like in the past and even though they have a web site some are not streaming due to the cost. Now if you go and have a try at taking over an AM stations that has been neglecting the community for years and doesn't have any local following, then I agree that you will need at least the FM translator and web presence to try to gain some of the audience back to make it a profitable venture.
 
Re: Humboldt

And what is the average age of the listeners of such stations? The only one on your list that I am familiar with is WNTT, but that is only because my dad is from Tazewell. But even they go on satellite feeds during their off-peak, non prime-time listening hours when they don't already have local programming scheduled. (At least, that's the way it was the last time I checked their website.)

The day of reckoning will come for such stations, if it hasn't already.
 
Back to Humboldt and WIRJ... I haven't heard a commercial on WIRJ in years. Mr. Bill Carter, host of the long-running "Swap and Shop" program for years, would "cut over" from automation to his show at the appropriate start time each day and interrupt whatever song was on the air. At the end of his show and after reading the obituaries, he would "cut back" to automation. I think there were a few religious shows at one time on Sunday mornings. I tuned in a few days ago and heard a classic country format with no commercials, imaging or anything. Several minutes before the hour, a voice announced the station ID... right over whatever song was playing! Of course, WIRJ is still owned by Warmath.
 
Re: Humboldt

knoxbob said:
These are some in the E. Tenn area and I'm sure others can add to the list. Granted some of the stations aren't cash cows like in the past and even though they have a web site some are not streaming due to the cost. Now if you go and have a try at taking over an AM stations that has been neglecting the community for years and doesn't have any local following, then I agree that you will need at least the FM translator and web presence to try to gain some of the audience back to make it a profitable venture.
Click to expand...
You can add WDKN of Dickson to the list of AM stations that now have an FM translator. They have webcasted for quite some time now, and I knew that they had acquired a translator, but I don't know when they first put it on the air. Just discovered it (by accident) this weekend. What is perhaps somewhat odd is that they now (primarily) refer to themselves as "101.5 the One," which is the name of their FM station, but that "station" is actually just the translator. They seem to be de-emphasizing their AM presence, although that is not (yet) obvious, just from a look at their website.

When WDKN (under their previous ownership/management) signed off a couple of years ago, I thought that that was it for them. But they returned under new owners about four months later. Apparently, the new ownership is making a go of it this time around.
 
I just noticed that WHUN was sold to Palmer Johnson and that he also owns a station in Ripley, Tn.
He got WHUN for $10k minus the cost of catching up on past due lease payments.
 
The almighty WHDM of McKenzie "sold" for the princely sum of "$1.00 plus the assumption of all debt" when it "sold" in 1996. Translation: it was a money pit! A year later, it sold again for $27,000, not a real high price (the building alone was probably worth that, since it was near downtown), but at least it meant that someone was turning the station around.
 
Re: Humboldt

firepoint525 said:
You can add WDKN of Dickson to the list of AM stations that now have an FM translator. They have webcasted for quite some time now, and I knew that they had acquired a translator, but I don't know when they first put it on the air. Just discovered it (by accident) this weekend. What is perhaps somewhat odd is that they now (primarily) refer to themselves as "101.5 the One," which is the name of their FM station, but that "station" is actually just the translator. They seem to be de-emphasizing their AM presence, although that is not (yet) obvious, just from a look at their website.
Click to expand...

They managed to move that translator from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Works pretty well too -- up in Pleasant View, much of the time the translator does better than the AM. (even during the day)
 
Re: Humboldt

w9wi said:
firepoint525 said:
You can add WDKN of Dickson to the list of AM stations that now have an FM translator. They have webcasted for quite some time now, and I knew that they had acquired a translator, but I don't know when they first put it on the air. Just discovered it (by accident) this weekend. What is perhaps somewhat odd is that they now (primarily) refer to themselves as "101.5 the One," which is the name of their FM station, but that "station" is actually just the translator. They seem to be de-emphasizing their AM presence, although that is not (yet) obvious, just from a look at their website.
Click to expand...

They managed to move that translator from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Works pretty well too -- up in Pleasant View, much of the time the translator does better than the AM. (even during the day)
Click to expand...

They do a good job at WDKN! The 'new' owners are really committed and want to do things right. My hat's off to them!!
 
Re: Humboldt

w9wi said:
firepoint525 said:
You can add WDKN of Dickson to the list of AM stations that now have an FM translator. They have webcasted for quite some time now, and I knew that they had acquired a translator, but I don't know when they first put it on the air. Just discovered it (by accident) this weekend. What is perhaps somewhat odd is that they now (primarily) refer to themselves as "101.5 the One," which is the name of their FM station, but that "station" is actually just the translator. They seem to be de-emphasizing their AM presence, although that is not (yet) obvious, just from a look at their website.
Click to expand...
They managed to move that translator from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Works pretty well too -- up in Pleasant View, much of the time the translator does better than the AM. (even during the day)
Click to expand...
I pick them up fairly well from here, too, but I am not all that far from them here in Pegram.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom