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Let's Play Radio

T

TheJudge

Guest
I'm responding to RadioCity Bill's comment in the thread below, "I worked at an AM station that was so damaged by missteps and negativity that the only way out was to donate the station to a local educational concern."

I'm guessing you're talking about WQUN in Hamden. A 1Kw daytimer which in this day and age would be a tough nut to crack even by the best programmer.

So let's play radio. Supposed a guy comes up to you and says, "Here's $500,000. Find me a frequency for a brand new AM station in Connecticut and put the station on the air."

All the decisions are yours... Frequency, location, format (live or satellite), equipment, personnel, etc. and you're going to be the GM after it goes on the air. Also let's assume that it would have to be a 1Kw daytimer with 500w during the critical hours. And it's non-directional to save on startup costs.

What would you do with that money? BTW, the guy wants at least a 20% return on his money so you've got to find a way to make that station show a profit of at least $100,000 per year.

Let's have some fun with this!
 
> i'd start by not playing hypotheticals.

Ok... the Hypotheticals and their hit song from the 50's, "Maybe" are not part of this format.

But I do have a possible frequency in mind (maybe two) that are entirely possible in CT.
 
***How about all traffic? No wait, WCNX Middletown crashed and burned with that. It was painful to hear them killing time through midday, then they dropped power during winter in drive time!

***How about sports on a daytimer? It worked so well for WSUB Groton they are now Spanish. Maybe WINE Brookfield will have better luck with 9 watt night games.

***How about consumer service radio with a continuous loop of local swap shop things and spots? That may be a reason WSNG Torrington went dark for awhile.

***How about all motivational radio? WMMW Meriden lit the world on fire with that one some time ago.

***How about headbanging Z-Rock on AM? WAVZ New Haven tried this in between adult standards formats. They actually replayed Rush Limbaugh late afternoons and then went into an hour of the band Rush: "Rush after Rush!"

All from my "what were they thinking?" file... Let the Wheel of Formats spin!
 
I'm putting on an active talker. Plus throw on some area HS sports. I would be ELI but with some more edge and less sattelite.
 
> I'm responding to RadioCity Bill's comment in the thread
> below, "I worked at an AM station that was so damaged by
> missteps and negativity that the only way out was to donate
> the station to a local educational concern."
>
> I'm guessing you're talking about WQUN in Hamden. A 1Kw
> daytimer which in this day and age would be a tough nut to
> crack even by the best programmer.

Actually, I worked at the now defunct WMMM-AM in Westport. In a similar situation to WQUN, it was donated to Sacred Heart University and just a few months ago displaced off the former trnsmitter site as the land use part of the agreement expired.

For those who want a little history on the station, you can check out my tribute site at http://wmmmradio.tripod.com - it's in need of updating and I hope to have some time to do so in the near future.
 
> I'm responding to RadioCity Bill's comment in the thread
> below, "I worked at an AM station that was so damaged by
> missteps and negativity that the only way out was to donate
> the station to a local educational concern."
>
> I'm guessing you're talking about WQUN in Hamden. A 1Kw
> daytimer which in this day and age would be a tough nut to
> crack even by the best programmer.
>
> So let's play radio. Supposed a guy comes up to you and
> says, "Here's $500,000. Find me a frequency for a brand new
> AM station in Connecticut and put the station on the air."
>
> All the decisions are yours... Frequency, location, format
> (live or satellite), equipment, personnel, etc. and you're
> going to be the GM after it goes on the air. Also let's
> assume that it would have to be a 1Kw daytimer with 500w
> during the critical hours. And it's non-directional to
> save on startup costs.
>
> What would you do with that money? BTW, the guy wants at
> least a 20% return on his money so you've got to find a way
> to make that station show a profit of at least $100,000 per
> year.
>
> Let's have some fun with this!
>


Hmm, I can think of an underserved demographic, how about asian radio? Split up the programming by population percentage, so if chinese are the majority of the demo, then the majority of the programming would be chinese.

I do know there is a large non-asian J-Pop crowd developing (due to the incline of the popularity of anime) and I think a station like this would attract them as well (as they also tend to expand listening into K-Pop & C-POP).
 
> Actually, I worked at the now defunct WMMM-AM in Westport.
> In a similar situation to WQUN, it was donated to Sacred
> Heart University and just a few months ago displaced off the
> former trnsmitter site as the land use part of the agreement
> expired.
>
> For those who want a little history on the station, you can
> check out my tribute site at http://wmmmradio.tripod.com -
> it's in need of updating and I hope to have some time to do
> so in the near future.

I remember WMMM well and have many airchecks of the station including their last day on the air in 1997. Elizabeth Yates (now on WEBE 108) was the midday dj.
 
> > Actually, I worked at the now defunct WMMM-AM in Westport.
>
> > In a similar situation to WQUN, it was donated to Sacred
> > Heart University and just a few months ago displaced off
> the
> > former trnsmitter site as the land use part of the
> agreement
> > expired.
> >
> > For those who want a little history on the station, you
> can
> > check out my tribute site at http://wmmmradio.tripod.com -
>
> > it's in need of updating and I hope to have some time to
> do
> > so in the near future.
>
> I remember WMMM well and have many airchecks of the station
> including their last day on the air in 1997. Elizabeth Yates
> (now on WEBE 108) was the midday dj.

How far does your aircheck collection go for the station? I have quite a few myself that I hope to scope and put on the website (I was also given the station's scrapbook that covered a lot of the history of both WMMM and the pre-WEBE 108FM (then known as WMMM-FM or WDJF, depending on what decade you're referring to). I'm always on the lookout to get airchecks of those people I don't have in the collection. I hope to do a major update in the next few months when I have a week or two vacation to sit down and pull all the newly obtained pieces together.
 
> > I remember WMMM well and have many airchecks of the
> station
> > including their last day on the air in 1997. Elizabeth
> Yates
> > (now on WEBE 108) was the midday dj.
>
> How far does your aircheck collection go for the station? I
> have quite a few myself that I hope to scope and put on the
> website (I was also given the station's scrapbook that
> covered a lot of the history of both WMMM and the pre-WEBE
> 108FM (then known as WMMM-FM or WDJF, depending on what
> decade you're referring to). I'm always on the lookout to
> get airchecks of those people I don't have in the
> collection. I hope to do a major update in the next few
> months when I have a week or two vacation to sit down and
> pull all the newly obtained pieces together.
>

They are from 1994-97...years after 108...I do remember WDJF well, don't believe I have any airchecks of it however. I have around 25, 90 min cassettes. My intention is to convert them to digital and burn to cd...just haven't gotton around to doing this.
Also of note..they are edited.. jingles, music, djs...commercials and news edited out. Goodluck with your collection, I'll be checking the website.
 
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