It is emotional to listeners and air personalities. Not all listeners can put up a multi-million dollar tab to buy a station. Air personalities still care, despite needing to put food on the table. Now, was it emotional for everyone in Chicago? No. But, it's the same as a favorite restaurant going out of business. Do their loyal customers have the money to buy the place? No. But it's still emotional for them to see it go. It's still emotional for the employees to see it go. The emotion doesn't go away, even though people don't have the financial means to act upon it.
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K-Love In Boston
- Thread starter BJSteigner
- Start date
It is emotional to listeners and air personalities. Not all listeners can put up a multi-million dollar tab to buy a station. Air personalities still care, despite needing to put food on the table. Now, was it emotional for everyone in Chicago? No. But, it's the same as a favorite restaurant going out of business. Do their loyal customers have the money to buy the place? No. But it's still emotional for them to see it go. It's still emotional for the employees to see it go. The emotion doesn't go away, even though people don't have the financial means to act upon it.
The last time Boston has a station similar to K-LOVE was a commercial daytime only AM station. Anyone remember J-Light 1060 WJLT? WJLT did not have the technical upgrades the current 1060 has.
And just an interesting note from Connecticut. There's K-LOVE and there's also an LPFM station playing similar music called Y-102.5 WYPH-LP, which is 100 watts out of Manchester, Connecticut. There are comments from listeners who say they prefer Y-102.5 to K-LOVE because Y-102.5 is local.
And just an interesting note from Connecticut. There's K-LOVE and there's also an LPFM station playing similar music called Y-102.5 WYPH-LP, which is 100 watts out of Manchester, Connecticut. There are comments from listeners who say they prefer Y-102.5 to K-LOVE because Y-102.5 is local.
I think you're making excuses. In Seattle, thousands of people banded together to raise $7 million dollars to buy a radio station. That's emotion. What makes Seattle better than Chicago or Boston? Nothing. Just that they took the time and took the action. For that, they deserve credit and admiration, and that's what I'm giving them. You're just making excuses. As I said, passive vs. active. There was a time in my life as a broadcaster when I had an emotional attachment to the station I worked for, and I was willing to work for a lot less money to keep that station alive. That's emotional attachment. Getting paid full rate at a lowly rated station with aging demographics isn't emotional. It's going through the motions. If they were emotional on the air, they would have inspired their listeners to do more, to become more active, and to band together and save the station. That's leadership, that's emotion, and that's what's needed in the media today. Otherwise, there's no difference between the corporate bean counters and everyone else.
I disagree that I am making excuses. Your statement is sound if there is an outcry. I am not saying that there is an outcry. I am saying that people get emotional. It's the same amount of emotion when your favorite sports team loses a big game. Now, can people band together? Sure they can, but if it was just that simple where thousands of listeners band together to buy their favorite radio station, why is what happened in Seattle the exception and not the norm? There's logistics and finance that goes into it.
Also, you can't compare apples to oranges. A rash generalization like you mention can be dangerous. What worked for you and your situation was based upon many different variables. You should keep that in mind. That's saying that your a round peg that fit in a round hole, so therefore every peg should fit in the same round hole, regardless of their size and shape.
Is nostalgia emotion? Sure. In that way you're right. But it also takes a commitment for a corporation to invest money in a radio station. Commitment is also emotion. My view is you're giving listeners and employees a break with their emotion, and assuming there was no emotion at all when a corporation saw one of its investments go away. So don't overlook the passion someone like Randy Michaels has for a lifelong career in radio just because you don't like the results. Same with Bob Pittman. Bob was bitten by the radio bug as a little kid in Pittsburgh. Now he runs iHeart. You think he doesn't still have a soft spot in his heart for AM radio that he loved as a kid? Sure he does. That's why he's dedicated this part of his life to buy a few of the heritage AMs like WBZ. If he didn't who would?
You bring up sports, and I'm a big sports fan. There is a difference between fans who pay money for tickets, and those who stay home and watch. It's a commitment, and not everyone who pays money for a ticket is rich. But they have passion and emotion, and they can channel that emotion into action. That's what's needed in radio now. We're seeing the number of companies with money to invest in radio stations diminishing. Who will take charge when the iHearts and Cumuluses go away? Will it just be K-Love and EMF? Or will someone who cares step up to the plate and find a way to channel emotion into action. That's what I'm asking.
Who will step up? Someone like Charles Kane of "Citizen Kane". In the film, his newspaper was losing $1 million a year. He said at that rate he'd have to close it in 80 years.
You need money to burn to own a station as a hobby. The problems that Radio faces are complex. Some of the wounds were self inflicted. More competition due to technology is another.
Listener supported business models like NPR might be the best option for some to try...
You need money to burn to own a station as a hobby. The problems that Radio faces are complex. Some of the wounds were self inflicted. More competition due to technology is another.
Listener supported business models like NPR might be the best option for some to try...
>>Least said:
Today 11:10 AM
K-Love is or was available North of Boston in the Merrimack Valley area on 99.9 as a repeater from either New Hampshire or Maine
W260AS licensed to Lawrence with a stick near Haverhill repeats WMSJ from Maine..K-Love
Today 11:10 AM
K-Love is or was available North of Boston in the Merrimack Valley area on 99.9 as a repeater from either New Hampshire or Maine
W260AS licensed to Lawrence with a stick near Haverhill repeats WMSJ from Maine..K-Love
What about 102.1 and 103.7, Renew FM? That is Boston's CCM station, right?
Another option is municipal ownership. WNYC was owned by the City of New York until Mayor Giuliani sold it. WRR continues to operate, mirabile dictu, under the ownership of the City of Dallas. Its Class C signal broadcasts classical music round the clock to the Metroplex and well beyond. (WRR is the only full-time classical station in Texas.) It's doubtful the classical format would have such an outlet under corporate ownership.
Quite a few public stations are owned by state governments. Obviously a number of colleges and universities own radio stations. Their music is more eclectic than commercial stations.
That means that Charles Kane has three more years to go.
Actually, my original post agreed with your statement about their investment. I said I didn't blame them for making a business decision. But, by what you are saying, you're agreeing with me. Their interest is the money. The air staff and listener are not thinking of the bills. Just as I don't fault the corporate folks for only thinking of the money, you can't fault the listeners for only thinking of the content.
That's not what I said. There are easier and better ways to make money than owning radio stations. Believe me, I learned that a long time ago. People like Randy Michaels, Bob Pittman, and David Field got into radio because they love radio. That's why they own radio stations and not other businesses. Sure, there are owners who are in it for other reasons. Mary Berner didn't have some childhood love of radio. But now that she's had a couple years running Cumulus, she's pretty passionate about radio.
You're missing the point if you think we agree. The difference between these people and the listeners and air staff is these people have invested in the thing they love. It's an emotional investment that exceeds just listening or working. They're taking it beyond that point. They could have stayed home and remained listeners, but they didn't. I'm saying that we need a new generation of people who love radio enough to become owners. Because without them, every radio station will be owned by religious or ethnic organizations.
David,
These clear, rational explanations of how things really are in radio always inform the discussion, especially if something I wrote was half-baked. I hope others feel the same.
Thanks.
As long as Barry Armstrong is leasing the AM side, and the FM side does well sales wise, WPLM will not be for sale.
K-Love likes to get bargains, and the land under the WPLM sticks is worth a fortune.
If WPLM was going to be sold, it would have been 15 years ago when it was worth twice what it is worth now.
My understanding is the owner is happy to let it chug along with subtle tweaks to the format every few years.
K-Love has been paying "market prices" of later. There were several other interested parties in Chicago, and they outbid them. And in LA they paid over $50 million for one of the lower powered B's...they seem to be looking for more full signals in the large metros.
That isn't an issue with K-Love because of its noncommercial status.
More than that (compliance with simulcast rules) is the issue that WPLM does not cover a huge part of the actual Boston market... the 65 dbu does not even get to the downtown area, and to the north and west, it is fairly useless.
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