LOCAL ISSUE TALK ENDS ON WINK/WNOG/92.5

[CaptBob92]

What a difference six years make. In 2004 we could tune in WINK/WNOG to catch local news and interviews with local newsmakers and Joe Route mornings, in the afternoon hear Rich King talk about local government, school board issues, stuff that effected us personally right here at home etc, even chat with Dave Elliot, BJ Odum, Bob Ladd, Jim Watkins and more at one time or another.

Starting this week the last vestage of local call-in programing, the morning show, has been replaced with network news/political talk from the Washinton Times. Say goodbye to another local talk outlet. I guess if you want to express your opinion you have to do that in the papers,,,oh excuse me I forgot,,,they are dieing too.

 

[swfl]

This does not surprise me at all. These stations have been going downhill for years. Back before WINK & WNOG were merged they both were owed by local interests in Ft Myers and Naples respectively. As a long time Naples resident I remember when WNOG was the primary local station in Collier County for news and information. We had local hosts on there just about all day long. Local morning show, Carl Loveday and his show where he interviewed local politicians and leaders and of course Rich King in the afternoon. We even had our local swap shop on Saturday. The downhill slide started when WINK bought them out and merged the programing discontinuing much of the local Naples programing but at least there was still local (Ft Myers) originated shows.

Over the years little by little the entire day has been turned over to non stop syndicated blather (Beck, Limbugh, Hannity etc). Then they changed the format on Oldies 92 to simulcast the two AM's. So now we have three count them three stations all broadcasting the same non stop syndicated blather. How lucky can one area be?

 

[HadYourPhil]

I remember when I worked at (then) Shore 94 in the early 90's. (WNOG's FM) It was a pleasure to be in an actual radio station with an actual news department.
Bob and the mysterious "swfl" are both correct. And this trimulcast... really now, why are we wasting the electricity? If the Palm Beach Blvd. bunch can't think of anything original to put on WINK-AM and WNOG... shut 'em off.
Bob leaves out at least two other local AM radio talkers, but that's ok. He has his reasons.

 

[DToTheJ]

Was wondering who would replace Mandy Connell once she headed for Louisville. Mind you, The Washington Times is a publication currently undergoing drastic cuts (funny how the original poster points out newspapers are dying). There's been talk of the show's "naming rights" going to Politico - who is actually seeing drastic changes there, as well, and that's a website...

Over the years little by little the entire day has been turned over to non stop syndicated blather (Beck, Limbaugh [sic], Hannity etc). Then they changed the format on Oldies 92 to simulcast the two AM's. So now we have three count them three stations all broadcasting the same non stop syndicated blather. How lucky can one area be?

I believe the simulcast is slated to end on the AM stations sometime this year, which was the original plan once 92.5 was flipped last year.

 

[badjef]

Was wondering who would replace Mandy Connell once she headed for Louisville. Mind you, The Washington Times is a publication currently undergoing drastic cuts (funny how the original poster points out newspapers are dying). There's been talk of the show's "naming rights" going to Politico - who is actually seeing drastic changes there, as well, and that's a website...

Over the years little by little the entire day has been turned over to non stop syndicated blather (Beck, Limbaugh [sic], Hannity etc). Then they changed the format on Oldies 92 to simulcast the two AM's. So now we have three count them three stations all broadcasting the same non stop syndicated blather. How lucky can one area be?

I believe the simulcast is slated to end on the AM stations sometime this year, which was the original plan once 92.5 was flipped last year.

For those with lives and don't pay as close attention as some of us, a lot of time, a station management will simulcast for a certain period of time after a major flip, such as this, for 2 purposes:
1.) to let the audience change their habits and get comfortable with the change, especially for the major sponsors of the station.
2.) give a little more time for the new situation on the previous frequency to be ironed out. Be that a format switch or sale to another entity.
Before a switch like this is done, the first thing somebody does is drive around to see that the signal is going to be at least as good as what they are giving up and to minimize the effects of the losses due to signal changes.

Did I forget anything?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[jmtillery]

Was wondering who would replace Mandy Connell once she headed for Louisville. Mind you, The Washington Times is a publication currently undergoing drastic cuts (funny how the original poster points out newspapers are dying). There's been talk of the show's "naming rights" going to Politico - who is actually seeing drastic changes there, as well, and that's a website...

Over the years little by little the entire day has been turned over to non stop syndicated blather (Beck, Limbaugh [sic], Hannity etc). Then they changed the format on Oldies 92 to simulcast the two AM's. So now we have three count them three stations all broadcasting the same non stop syndicated blather. How lucky can one area be?

I believe the simulcast is slated to end on the AM stations sometime this year, which was the original plan once 92.5 was flipped last year.

For those with lives and don't pay as close attention as some of us, a lot of time, a station management will simulcast for a certain period of time after a major flip, such as this, for 2 purposes:
1.) to let the audience change their habits and get comfortable with the change, especially for the major sponsors of the station.
2.) give a little more time for the new situation on the previous frequency to be ironed out. Be that a format switch or sale to another entity.
Before a switch like this is done, the first thing somebody does is drive around to see that the signal is going to be at least as good as what they are giving up and to minimize the effects of the losses due to signal changes.

Did I forget anything?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Not a thing. Your explanation covers all the main management concerns involving these kind of changes...