Looking To Buy Into AM Radio In Dover, Del.

[[email protected]]

Is there anything for sale. I am looking for a AM'er near Dover, Del. If anyone knows anything that is for sale please
speak up!!!


Thank You

 

[DaveWilliams]

1600 has had a for sale sign on it for a while. But my question is WHY?

 

[jhguthlac]

I have a three step plan that would allow you to make better use of your money.

1. Walk into your bathroom.

2. Dump your money into the toilet.

3. Flush.

If a three step program doesn't interest you, then I suggest a 12-step program: AA. Only a person who is drunk 24/7 would buy an AM radio station. Anywhere.

I have long had a dream of buying a station in this area and making it an EWTN affiliate. A not-for profit set-up (few AM stations make a profit anyway!). But Methodist Kent and Sussex counties would not work for that.

Latest Arbitrons show only 7% of radio listeners in this area are tuned to AM.

 

[ILOVERADIO2]

1600 AM was just sold and now is broadcasting Spanish. Looks like alot of AM stations have gone in that direction.

 

[jhguthlac]

There is this illusion that Hispanics listen to AM radio.

 

[Keith Thompson]

To get beyond the question of "why?" (a valid question), here are some ideas on how.

1. You MUST have a local presence...that doesn't mean that you have to have local programming 24/7, but you need to have at least one local station voice that is regularly talking about what is going on in Dover and Kent Co, updating weather, news, traffic, etc. and incorporating these local elements into the syndicated automation.

2. Provide programming that has value to the community. You can't be a jukebox since people have so many choices for listening to music, so you have to provide programming that has value to certain segments of the population like shows that cater to seniors, outdoorsmen, investors, home buyers, etc.

3. Targeting advertisers with your programming. By providing programming that has value to the community, you also have the ability to target programming to sell to potential advertisers...for instance retirement communities (seniors), hunting equipment (outdoorsmen), financial planners (investors), real estate agencies (home buyers), etc. A small AM is not selling ratings or even selling audience, but is selling programming and information. You emphasize a cross promotional approach that means the station promotes the client and the client promotes the show.

4. Use the resources in your community. There's no need to hire radio professionals to host or participate in the programming, instead use professionals in the community that can apply their expertise on the programming you offer. In fact, get the right glib professional (with a bit of in house training) and they will be able to volunteer their time on the air as a way to cross promote their business or career. Some will even pay for the airtime and provide their own sponsorship.

5. Offer listeners something they can't get elsewhere. Instead of plugging in politically oriented talkers, use syndicated hosts that can offer a broader entertainment based slant (Dennis Miller) or a more specialized lifestyle slant (Dave Ramsey) or use service based shows like The Money Pit, Car Talk, etc. to round out the schedule.

6. Have a major web presence. Offer 24/7 streaming (even if you're replaying local programming to catch people in different dayparts), podcasts, local news and sports stories, advertiser links, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. Strive to be the community's online news and information media source.

7. Have LOTS of guests. At any opportunities have mayors, town council members, county executives, state representatives, business owners, community activists, service providers, professionals, religious leaders, artists, musicians, craftspeople, etc. talking about the economic activity or issues in the city and county. Also, have a diverse pool of guests of all political, social, and racial stripes.

8. Get kids on the air. Have kids on the air promoting school activities or programs like the arts, sports, or Character Counts. Cover the high school sports teams if you can.

9. Visibility. Show up at community events, be in the parades, drive your station vehicle around town, participate in the Chamber of Commerce or Main Street committees, etc.

10. Work your tail off.

Doing all of this certainly doesn't guarantee success, but if you're going to make a small AM relevant you have to make it a labor of love and really work it. You simply can't turn on the transmitter and expect to get listeners or advertisers.

I do think there is an opportunity for Dover, especially since the big "Dover" stations are based out of Wilmington now. Realize that a small AM isn't competing against other radio stations heard in Dover, but is competing against print and online media.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

Go for 1600; don't give up!

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Keith good to hear from you again. If I remember correctly, you were at WXCY a couple of years ago. Where did you land? Still in radio or are you like many us, now former radio folks. In any case good to hear from you.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Mike, thanks. After being out of radio for a year, I wound up at WCTR in Chestertown,MD in 2007. I wasn't really looking to get back into radio, but I checked out the station after seeing a help wanted ad expecting to help out part time but they offered to bring me in full time. We were a full-service oldies station at the time but we went all talk in 2011. The bottom line for me is that I'm having fun again after getting my fill of corporate radio. We're a small AM daytimer that has also put up an FM translater and does a 24/7 webcast, and we're trying to be a part of the community. It's a challenge here (trying to do some of the things in my post) and sometimes frustrating (plus the learning curve of me getting comfortable doing talk) but since I regularly talk with community movers and shakers like U.S. Congress members, delegates, mayors, county commissioners, U.S. Senate candidates, etc., I feel like I'm contributing far more to the community than I was as a disc jockey spinning the same 200 songs. It became clear at WXCY that I was an old-fashioned broadcaster and that I no longer fit in, and WCTR is very much a throwback with an owner who sees radio as a medium that serves the community rather than a marketing medium delivering a target demo to advertising agencies. Plus, I think I like playing in a small pond rather than a big one. This will likely be my last radio stop before I get a real job.

One other thing, radio is also not the most important part of my life these days. I'm putting a lot of time and effort into my music as I'm performing in two different bands (one an originals band with a CD out and another on the way, and the other a cover band) plus an acoustic trio and some solo acoustic gigs. I've also been writing short plays and have a couple of them performed at the Prince Theatre in Chestertown. I'm now busy doing all of the things I set aside while focusing on my radio career.

 

[[email protected]]

Wow. I did not expect all this when I started this posting. Yes I do have a "local" plan for the AM Radio Station. I have been in the business for 34 years and have either started, flipped, moved freq. Ect. But keep the comments coming.

Thanx

Rr

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Keith, sounds like you found the perfect fit for you. Congratulations. You are multi-talented. I'm assuming you play guitar. Sounds like you're one busy dude. You've written plays that have been produced and performed. All this stuff is very cool indeed. Sounds like life has been good for you since leaving WXCY.

Best of luck. Hope you continue to weigh in on these boards, you've got great insight.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Mike, thanks again. I've popped in here a few times to check out the scenery but haven't felt compelled to post anything until now.

In the originals band, I'm one of the singer/songwriters and play acoustic guitar and mandolin. I'm the lead vocalist and rhythm electric guitarist in the cover band. I'm also a bass player and occasionally fill in on bass with some bands.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Sounds like a country band or a blue grass band. If it's a blue grass band, any chance your CD would get air time on WVUD's Blue Grass shows? If a country band, would WDSD or WXCY play a local artist's band? I can imagine its darn near impossible to get air time on today's FM music stations, leaving the non-comm college type stations like WVUD. If you get that sort of opportunity let us know which station, etc, so we can tune in to hear your band.

 

[jhguthlac]

Getting air play on WSTW HD-2 should be a real possibility. That station really covers the music spectrum for local artists.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Sounds like a country band or a blue grass band. If it's a blue grass band, any chance your CD would get air time on WVUD's Blue Grass shows? If a country band, would WDSD or WXCY play a local artist's band? I can imagine its darn near impossible to get air time on today's FM music stations, leaving the non-comm college type stations like WVUD. If you get that sort of opportunity let us know which station, etc, so we can tune in to hear your band.

Mike, we're kind of a genre bending band in that we market ourselves as alt-country, but we also market ourselves to roots and blues audiences (our tagline is that our music is at the intersection where Key West meets Nashville). We're far too alternative for WXCY or WDSD, but we have gotten a little bit of airplay on some online stations that feature alt-country. We've gotten a little bit of airplay on college radio and on country station WINX in Easton, MD. We're also doing the Live Lixx show on OC 98 in Ocean City in March.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Keith, sounds exciting. Best of luck with the band. Alt Country. Well why not, Country has grown quite a lot, from the day's of being just Country-Western. Actually, Country seems to have become the new Rock / Pop music, as the Pop/Rock music scene seems to be either those boring bland FM chick songs (WJBR or B-101) or some variation of Rap. I know of folks who do not share the more conservative right wing views of many country artists (these folks I'm thinking of are ultra left wing), but they love today's Country, because it actually does rock. So when these rockers get tired of hearing the same songs over and over again on a WMGK/WOGL these folks I know tune to Country on WDSD, WXCY, or WXTU.

As my ear is bit older than yours, I do enjoy some of today's country, but the chick singers sound too much like WJBR's music, just with a country beat I've found the WDSD's Foggy Mountain Country on 94.7-2 (online I don't have an HD radio) to be a great station for my ears. It's part of the CC I heart radio. I have no idea how CC makes any money with it as there are no spots ever on it. No PSA's either. Boomer in the AM voice tracks his comments and the music. That's it. Great selection of Country Gold mainly from the 70's-90's. An occasional 60's country tune thrown in for good measure. If I'm not listening to talk radio on NPR or WDEL for Al Missetti, or an Oldies online station, or a Classical station online or WRTI's 107.7, I listen to Foggy Mountain Country.

Best of luck to you and your fellow musician's and your Alt Country band. Sounds very interesting, hope it catches on.

 

[JimmyJames]

LOL WHUT AMZRADIOZ?

 

[DG02816]

Rr, Keith, and Mike:

Just wanted you to know that the 10 step formula you were discussing is exactly how I spent my time in the early '80s with a station in Wickford RI. I was afternoon drive guy and chief engineer; we did remotes by the ton, Little League games, American Legion games, and interviews with local folks. Lots of local news too, and coverage of the Newport Jazz Festival. Station did a jazz/swing format, with some classical (!) on Sundays. Given a reasonable offer, I'd love doing that kind of radio again.....

 

[Keith Thompson]

Dave, we tried that here in Chestertown as a full service oldies station and it wasn't working. We went all talk in Jan 2011 and things have picked up. Eventually we made the observation that playing music on an AM station isn't really serving the listeners anymore since people have so many options for listening to music today. Learning how to do talk radio is the biggest adjustment for me and I'm still not 100% comfortable with all aspects of it. I'm pretty good if I have a guest with me, but my solo hosting is still a work in progress.