Latest on 1460?

[Nu_Roo_2]

The bigger problem is not two spoken word FM stations.

It's the fact that Columbus was notoriously underradioed with full market FM signals as it grew, and most of the rimshots that "moved in" are horrible in signal.

Basically, anything that isn't WLZT as a move in...trying to serve any reasonable part of the market with 104.3 or 103.1, just to name two signals, is insane. Let alone 103.9 or 107.9!

I agree completely on your summary of the "bigger problem."

 

[Rusty Muck]

Oh, and what about the political culture of the Dispatch companies itself? Last I remember, the Dispatch was a moderate newspaper. Their ownership may not feel the need to affiliate themselves with a specific ideology and cause all sorts of headaches for themselves later on by putting liberal talk on 1460. In other words, they aren't General Electric. If that is the case, this thread may be full of grousing and complaining about something that won't really change.

Not only is this true, but the long web of the Wolfes' financial interests go in places people could never imagine. The Wolfes, for instance, are among the largest property owners in the area owning interests in office buildings and retail developments all over the city. Why go out on a limb and harm the reputation of their cash cows just to make a few hundred thousand from that station? They could probably make as much money investing in another office building with a lot less headache. Furthermore, there is already enough opinion-based programming on the airwaves and very little of that is interesting anymore.

That said, a news channel done correctly would be the perfect format for that station. First of all, people listen to news programming during the day, not really at night, so the nighttime signal isn’t as critical as, say, having to power down during a baseball game. Second, talk done in a moderate vein, such as Jim Bohannon, Larry King, Bob Conners and John Corby would be a perfect fit.

They would be far more likely to simulcast the TV audio from ONN on 1460 before trying anything else (see what happened in Toronto, where CHUM/1050 - a 50kW station - now is just an audio relay for "CP24" a co-owned headline news channel).

The Wolfe’s, however, aren’t entertainment people. I don’t think they have what it takes to pull it off. Other than picking ex-football jocks, they just do not have a clue how to pick radio talent that is entertaining to listen to. I think Jack Evans was the last interesting guy they had on the radio. Their statistically “perfect” audio quality alone is enough to insure this venture will be a failure. (Remember what Mike Ditka says: "Statistics are for losers.")

Exactly. No offense, but their lack of programming creativity would probably prevent the 1460/97.1 simulcast from being broken up for a long, long time.

Even thought an all-local WBNS-FM and all-ESPN Radio WBNS-AM would be an awesome one-two punch...

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

They would be far more likely to simulcast the TV audio from ONN on 1460 before trying anything else (see what happened in Toronto, where CHUM/1050 - a 50kW station - now is just an audio relay for "CP24" a co-owned headline news channel).

Aside from another moment of sadness that even the mostly voicetracked/automated reincarnation of "1050chum"'s oldies format was killed by a format of nearly 24/7 TV news audio...ONN TV audio on radio? Yipes. It's not exactly a thrill a minute on TV!

But yes, if they had something in mind, that would be the kind of idea they'd have. Rule #1: TV audio of ANY news channel on radio never, ever, ever, ever works. It's what gets put on some stations instead of going dark.

Exactly. No offense, but their lack of programming creativity would probably prevent the 1460/97.1 simulcast from being broken up for a long, long time.

Even thought an all-local WBNS-FM and all-ESPN Radio WBNS-AM would be an awesome one-two punch...

I think it'd be a natural...though I can see their concerns with "competing with themselves". If this happens, it wouldn't happen for a while (maybe after football season?) when they feel 97.1 has fully migrated listeners over from 1460.

It would be an automatic "flanker" to keep 1230 at bay, 1230 being a signal that presumably will get any ratings that they get off of Romey, period.

For now, I think the Dispatch folks want to keep 97.1/1460 simulcasting through Buckeyes football. And even if they decide to launch all-ESPN on the AM at some point, 1460 would presumably still simulcast the Buckeyes, much like 97.1 did with 1460 with the former as a hot AC.

 

[willcail]

I'm glad that The Fan is on the FM band. The old 1460 Khz mediumwave band was terrible. Still the Dispatch Group should continue music on the HD2 FM feed.

When I want to hear Coast to Coast on the weekends I listen to WLZT HD2 FM.

There is nothing worng listen to spoken word format of any kind on the FM. The Mediumwave band needs a overhual.

 

[alans613]

I'm glad that The Fan is on the FM band. The old 1460 Khz mediumwave band was terrible. Still the Dispatch Group should continue music on the HD2 FM feed.

When I want to hear Coast to Coast on the weekends I listen to WLZT HD2 FM.

There is nothing worng listen to spoken word format of any kind on the FM. The Mediumwave band needs a overhual.

What format do they have on their HD2 subchannel?

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I'm pretty sure that WBNS-FM has no HD2 subchannel at this time.

 

[willcail]

WBNS FM used to carry The Fan on HD2. They should have keep the mix on HD2.

 

[xmusicmatt]

WBNS FM used to carry The Fan on HD2. They should have keep the mix on HD2.

They should have. I would think the exporter for the HD2 is still there just not being used. All they would had to do would have been to feed the automation for the Mix format to it instead of 1460's signal which was on the HD-2. Seems like it would have been an easy change.