K-Love In Boston

[CTListener]

Wouldn't WPLM overlap coverage with WBRU too much ?

WXRV makes sense for the northern, western and northwestern suburbs, WPLM makes sense for the southern and southeastern suburbs, WBRU (or whatever it's called these days) covers nothing in the area that WPLM already does, except the southwestern fringe of the market. The problem is none of these signals is a major player in Boston proper. EMF can't get bull's eye in the Boston market unless it can pry a big signal with aging or otherwise undesirable to Madison Avenue demos and no sellable format hole available to it away from one of the big boys.

WZLX, maybe, if the programming wizards feel that '90-'00s rock is too splintered to become the cornerstone of the classic rock format going forward? Or is it too soon to be thinking that way, and does classic rock still have a few more profitable years left in it playing mainly 30-to-50-year-old-songs?

 

[jlehmann]

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.

Barry Armstrong has not leased 1390 in a few years. It has been back to being a 100% simulcast of the FM.

 

[b-turner]

Earlier in this thread The Big A wrote of radio needing passionate people to get in to radio. I'm one of those people that's been in the business 4 decades. A news director at one station I worked for that began his radio career around World War II was asked when he would retire. He said just after he read his own obituary on the air.

I see fewer with that passion today but I have met many converts. My previous boss was in banking. A banker has to be involved with lots of groups 'after hours'. Asking not to be placed on any committee on finance, he was asked to serve on a committee that advised the audio and visual department of a school of medicine. Assigned to make suggestions on how to utilize Dr. Red Duke's medical tips, he called a friend at a local TV station. Dr. Red Duke was syndicated. That was the bug that bit him. He built a station and once he observed the passion his employees exhibited for radio. He had never experienced anything like it. He wanted to learn it all, to understand it and feel the same passion. He spent every minute he could around his employees, learning, taking part and experiencing the business where it's not a job but a part of you. He said his only regret was not discovering radio sooner. We need more of that. If you are not in the radio business it could be very difficult to grasp the passion those in radio for life have.

The Big A makes a great point. Radio needs more younger passionate people. I know a few but not anything close to the number I know that are closer to claiming social security than building a career.

 

[Tomgsinger]

WXRV makes sense for the northern, western and northwestern suburbs, WPLM makes sense for the southern and southeastern suburbs, WBRU (or whatever it's called these days) covers nothing in the area that WPLM already does, except the southwestern fringe of the market. The problem is none of these signals is a major player in Boston proper. EMF can't get bull's eye in the Boston market unless it can pry a big signal with aging or otherwise undesirable to Madison Avenue demos and no sellable format hole available to it away from one of the big boys.

WPLM has a TON of overlap with WBRU, actually.

https://fccdata.org/?facid=52838 https://fccdata.org/?facid=7313

The combined protected contour covers ALL of Bristol county, western Plymouth county, parts of RI, most of Norfolk County, southern parts of Boston, and even a section of Middlesex County. That is actually a ton of overlap. The 70 dBu contour (city grade) is the one with limited overlap.

 

[CTListener]

WPLM has a TON of overlap with WBRU, actually.

https://fccdata.org/?facid=52838 https://fccdata.org/?facid=7313

The combined protected contour covers ALL of Bristol county, western Plymouth county, parts of RI, most of Norfolk County, southern parts of Boston, and even a section of Middlesex County. That is actually a ton of overlap. The 70 dBu contour (city grade) is the one with limited overlap.

That's what I was trying to say, but I got too wrapped up in subjunctive clauses to be clear about it. What I meant to say was that both 99.5 and 99.1 cover the southern and southwestern parts of the Boston market equally well and that, since neither does particularly well in Boston proper, there's nothing really in WPLM for EMF.

 

[TheBigA]

The Big A makes a great point. Radio needs more younger passionate people. I know a few but not anything close to the number I know that are closer to claiming social security than building a career.

I always think about how young Jeff Smulyan was when he started Emmis. That was a long time ago.

 

[davideduardo]

WPLM has a TON of overlap with WBRU, actually.

But there is no prohibited overlap:

§73.3556 Duplication of programming on commonly owned or time brokered stations.

(a) No commercial AM or FM radio station shall operate so as to devote more than 25 percent of the total hours in its average broadcast week to programs that duplicate those of any station in the same service (AM or FM) which is commonly owned or with which it has a time brokerage agreement if the principal community contours (predicted or measured 5 mV/m groundwave for AM stations and predicted 3.16 mV/m for FM stations) of the stations overlap and the overlap constitutes more than 50 percent of the total principal community contour service area of either station.

(b) For purposes of this section, duplication means the broadcasting of identical programs within any 24 hour period.

(c) Any party engaged in a time brokerage arrangement which conflicts with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section on September 16, 1992, shall bring that arrangement into compliance within one year thereafter.

 

[nowradioguy]

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.

With all due respect for Messrs Michaels, Pittman, and Field, as well as Ms Berner and Beasley: I know nothing of their love or passion for radio because their focus is on the bottom line. (Yeah, I know, that's where it's supposed to be.)

Love and passion for radio? Think Bob Bitner, Ed Perry, the late Simon Geller.

 

[Wimmmex]

Love and passion for radio? Think Bob Bitner, Ed Perry, the late Simon Geller.

So, love and passion for radio means you have to have tiny minute audience?

Love and passion for radio means you have to be poor? (Although I believe Ed Perry is quite comfortable.)

Love and passion for radio means operating it with no staff, employing no one, and not doing any news or public service programming (exception above for Ed Perry.)

I hope not!

 

[TheBigA]

I know nothing of their love or passion for radio because their focus is on the bottom line.

It's not necessarily a "one or the other" thing. Their passion for radio can be personal, while their concern for the bottom line is professional.

 

[davideduardo]

With all due respect for Messrs Michaels, Pittman, and Field, as well as Ms Berner and Beasley: I know nothing of their love or passion for radio because their focus is on the bottom line. (Yeah, I know, that's where it's supposed to be.)

Who says that a focus on profitability can't be part of a passion for radio?

A person who is passionate about the industry and the profession must know that to sustain programming, a commercial station must be profitable.

I'll relate how I learned that. At age 18, I wanted nothing more than to program a large market radio station. That shame year, I managed to acquire and build a station in a market of about a million people. I created a sensational format, unique in the market.

Advertisers were not interested.

By month six of billing less than $50 a month, I had burnt through all my capital. I did not even own a car. But I had a sensational format. One which made no money.

Just weeks prior to having to call it quits, I got a box... not an envelope... a box full of orders from McCann Erickson. They bought for every client that used radio. They had surveyed and the station no client would buy was #1. And just their business alone made the station profitable. Very profitable.

So you tell me: what was the bigger thrill at that moment? Knowing that the sensational format was #1 or knowing that I would not have to shut down and lose it all?

Money talks.

By the way, I learned that it was a lot easier to sell a #1 radio station. I also learned that being #1 was not important if you could not sell it. Call it "passionate realism", but I definitely believe that a person who is in charge of the business side of radio can also be passionate about the industry. It is not necessary to be a penniless martyr to have passion.

 

[b-turner]

I don't get those that comment that if they seek a station to be profitable that person can't be passionate.

Is a chef not passionate if they are concerned about the place paying it's billing so they can continue? Is a person who is passionate about golf not passionate if they create a way to pay for the clubs and greens fees?

Money is a consideration in about anything you can possibly do. That one cannot work to create the cash flow to continue the passion is crazy thinking. Purely illogical.

I might add that passion in radio is not self-centered. The goal is to do the best you can to pave the way for the billing that pays the bills and allows you to continue your passion.

I've talked to Simon Geller. From what he told me in 1980, he wasn't a big fan of classical music. He was a character! He'd sign off to grab a dinner out, see a movie, etc. Many years he was not on full time...maybe 8 to 10 hours a day. Not my idea of running a good station, but I'm sort of fascinated with his station. And those stories of his rants, of falling asleep on the air and the toilet flushing...amazing.

 

[raccoonradio]

"Money talks"

"Young man, this radio station is a _business_. It is not here for your personal listening pleasure!"
"Ma'am, I know it's a business.That's why I had no choice but to change the format."

Those two lines are from the first episode of "WKRP"..station owner Mrs Carlson, whose son Arthur is GM, and new program dir Andy Travis.Earlier, Andy told DJ Johnny Caravella to go ahead and take off the elevator music and play rock.He did, dubbing himself Dr Johnny Fever as he did so.

It is a business.Though I have been in non commercial radio since March 12 of 1981..yes, my first show was 37 years ago today..at WMWM in Salem.Am still there.On Saturday after co hosting my own show, I helped out our acoustic music show where we had an awesome guitarist on...and the show's host jammed with him on harmonica as they played live.

It's still fun, but that's non comm radio.Bittner gets to run a few stations that are listener supported.He and his listeners have a passion for the music.But yes the bills must be paid.He fundraises and is able to keep it going. An "exception that proves the rule", he keeps it going without having to run ads for patent medicine cure-alls, political candidates, credit cards or whatever.

He is an exception.

https://youtu.be/G7lHmtGRaUg
I took this short video from Sat. on WMWM.
Ronnie Deschenes host, Kevin Herrera guest

 

[b-turner]

Congrats Raccoon Radio. 37 years is huge! Non-commercial radio is about the money too but in a different way. The underwriters, grants and listener donations have to be there and at most stations a show might have a goal financially (ie: so many donors during a fundraiser). Miss that goal a few times in a row and you're likely replaced.

Bittner and a few others choose the different path and never lose the trail. I appreciate those like him. They're part of what makes radio fun. Those of us with a passion for radio still like to listen. Ironically, from a listening standpoint, a couple of my favorite 'listens' were what we in radio would describe as horrible stations but I loved the air talent that was bouncing off the walls because they got to be on the radio. Yep, they were young and green but I sure knew what they were feeling in that studio.

K-Love along with their Air America are not real different from any major market station. They have a 'mission' but as was mentioned earlier, they're radio pros that are running a format they maintain in the same way any secular music station would. Their success seems to come by creating a successful model they can replicate over and over.

The last figures I have seen on Christian radio in general is 6.3% of radio listeners choose a Christian format and roughly 58-60% go for a music based format. I know a person running a Catholic formatted FM who says their format (mostly the talk show type versus preaching and teaching) has many listeners that spend part of their time listening to a Contemporary Christian station like K-Love or Air America. Christian radio quickly evolved from just selling time to ministries for a preaching/teaching format to a mostly talk or all music format. To quicken the pace, the non-commercial FMs pulled the plug on buying time by introducing a concept where the station receives a percentage of donations and ministry product purchases received by the ministry from the zip codes in the radio station's coverage area. I believe the pioneer in this concept was Focus On The Family.

 

[raccoonradio]

Thanks!

By Air America you probably mean Air1. Air America was the progressive talk network started in 2004 that went bankrupt.

 

[b-turner]

You are absolutely right. My brain stepped out but I found it flirting with the brain next door.