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Just Discovered What Will Become of WJAM 107.9 FM

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2009
New Bluewater Station
Bluewater has entered into a LMA (Local Marketing Agreement) with 107.9 FM, now known as "WJAM" in Shorter.

Here's a little information on WJAM and how it came to be from wikipedia.com:

This station received its original construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission on November 19, 1982. The new station was assigned the call letters WJAM-FM by the FCC on February 14, 1983. After more than a decade of extensions, renewals, transfers, and construction, WJAM-FM finally received its license to cover from the FCC on March 14, 1995. On July 21, 2008, WJAM-FM was granted a modified construction permit to change the station's city of license to Shorter, Alabama (from Orrville, AL), upgrade to a class C3 station with 25,000 watts of effective radiated power, and relocate the transmitter site east to 32°21'09"N, 86°03'06"W.[5] This permit expires on May 1, 2009.

Bluewater completed a recent remodel which added an extra studio space. Rumor is that WMRK will be the call letters, according to the new wall decoration at the station. Currently these calls are assigned to another Scott Communications Station (owner of WJAM) 1340 AM in Selma which stood for the original owner of the station, Mark Alexander (now Scott Alexander).

One rumor was that the new station would be an Adult Contemporary format and compete with Mix 103. How this would effect Q96.1 (and staff) I'm not sure.

Also, if you don't know what a Local Marketing Agreement (LMA) is, here is a basic explanation. So Scott Communications maintains ownership of the station but in essences leases it to Bluewater. They operate the station, sell the advertising and reap the benefits if it makes a profit or takes the hit if it doesn't.

This info was extracted from http://montgomerytvandradio.blogspot.com/ for those wondering. The new format is also revealed just above this paragraph, on the link and just below this post.

To the poster below, hope your new radio station will have success and will work out.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. This will leave a format hole for the Adult Urban format, Tom Joyner Show and Dr. Feelgood's Gospel show in Selma Alabama.  I now wonder if the Thomaston move in will fill that hole, once the app has been approved for them to move to Orrville, increase their power and relocate to 103.9.  This station is now owned by Great South Radio Wireless and currently goes by the calls of WTID.  For more info about this move, visit this link: http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/fmq.php?facid=85767&jaws=0
 
I was reading one of the other R-I posts about Bluewater needing a newsperson for their FM Talk station. I don't know of any FM talker in Montgomery, and 107.9 may be the new talk station.

Travis
 
I've updated the blog several times since that post with information about 107.9 becoming the simulcast of 1170 am WACV. Side note...The Greg Show is moving to afternoons this coming Monday in anticipation of the new FM station.
 
Does anyone have an idea or want to take a stab at what this LMA will cost Bluewater? Thanks.
 
I'm not privy to the information but I imagine it would be a profit sharing type of arrangement. No matter what it is though, Alexander will be making more money with 107.9 being in Montgomery operated by Bluewater than he would have made in Selma or if he had to invest into his own studios and office space in Montgomery running it as a singleton operation. It seems to be a very smart LMA that is mutualy beneficial to both parties. To me personally, my question is how to monetize 1170 WACV and not let it turn into another 950 WNZZ...basically breaking even on operating cost. They can't allow it to become insignificant and forgotten.
 
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