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MRS Ventures?

Z

zardoz

Guest
Last heard that Russell's attorney quit the case at the first trial date and Russell had 30 days to get different counsel, which should have expired about now. Otherwise, no change noted. Stations are "sort" of on the air in Pine Bluff, questionable in Mississippi. Good daytime drama, though.
 
> Last heard that Russell's attorney quit the case at the
> first trial date and Russell had 30 days to get different
> counsel, which should have expired about now. Otherwise, no
> change noted. Stations are "sort" of on the air in Pine
> Bluff, questionable in Mississippi.

WDTL-FM in Cleveland, MS is on. Sort of. Mostly dead air. Never a station ID. Heard a tone for several hours during the day on Sunday.

WRKG-FM in Cleveland (Drew) is also back on. Running satellite 24/7 with no local spots, liners or even an ID.

WZYQ-FM in Cleveland (Mound Bayou) is off.

WDSK-AM in Cleveland is on sometimes. Appears to have dropped all the popular talk shows and changed to ESPN sports.

KZYQ-FM in Greenville (Lake Village) is off. Has been for almost a year.

KRKD-FM is Greenville (Dermott) is off. Almost a year.

MRS = Miserable Radio Stations!

LF
 
> > Last heard that Russell's attorney quit the case at the
> > first trial date and Russell had 30 days to get different
> > counsel, which should have expired about now. Otherwise,
> no
> > change noted. Stations are "sort" of on the air in Pine
> > Bluff, questionable in Mississippi.
>
> WDTL-FM in Cleveland, MS is on. Sort of. Mostly dead air.
> Never a station ID. Heard a tone for several hours during
> the day on Sunday.
>
> WRKG-FM in Cleveland (Drew) is also back on. Running
> satellite 24/7 with no local spots, liners or even an ID.
>
> WZYQ-FM in Cleveland (Mound Bayou) is off.
>
> WDSK-AM in Cleveland is on sometimes. Appears to have
> dropped all the popular talk shows and changed to ESPN
> sports.
>
> KZYQ-FM in Greenville (Lake Village) is off. Has been for
> almost a year.
>
> KRKD-FM is Greenville (Dermott) is off. Almost a year.
>
> MRS = Miserable Radio Stations!
>
> LF

What a way to waste your listeners! I bet that almost all of their advertising is running on its last legs by now. I wonder who decided on changing WDSK's format to ESPN? No wonder I haven't heard Doug Steffen, Neal Bortz, Clark Howard OR Sean Hannity! I also wonder if they are paying ABC for the rights of running ESPN? Last time I heard them one night, they were running Fox Sports in place of Coast To Coast AM. Then by about 6am, they flipped to Steffen and others....What the hell is going on there, Larry? I mean, what are your thoughts of all of this? (I'm just glad I'm not working with the Miserables anymore. They can be so screwy!)
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Note to MRS Ventures: GET THE HELL OUT OF RADIO!!! 94 BAD-FM jamz!!!!</P>
 
> I bet that almost all of their advertising is running on its last legs by now.

You would be right. They haven't even bothered to call on the long term advertisers whose contracts were expiring. They just let them drop off.

> I wonder who decided on changing WDSK's format to ESPN?

Probably Andy Hodges. The same guy who decided to do a 3-hour sports talk show in the middle of afternoon drive on a music-intensive country station. Once mighty WDTL, which usually had shares in the mid-20s (once as high as a 46.9) is now down to a 4-share!

> I also wonder if they are paying ABC for the rights of running ESPN?

They are probably bootlegging it.

> What the hell is going on there, Larry? I mean, what are your thoughts of all of this?

I wish I knew. I have never seen such widespread screw-ups in my life. It's almost like they are purposely trying to destroy the stations. But hey, I got paid so I don't care :)

They walked away from two radio stations in Greenville - KZYQ and KRKD. The studio landlord got a judgment and took all their equipment.

LF
 
>
> They walked away from two radio stations in Greenville -
> KZYQ and KRKD. The studio landlord got a judgment and took
> all their equipment.
>
> LF
>


Ooohhh-ho!! I AM SO LAUGHING AT THIS!! The Titanic has sunk!<P ID="signature">______________
Note to MRS Ventures: GET THE HELL OUT OF RADIO!!! 94 BAD-FM jamz!!!!</P>
 
Hay Larry! Here's an update on the Miserable Radio Stations Inc. - Pine Bluff stations:

As of Monday, July 25:

KCLA-1400 AM - Playing black gospel music with no I.D.'s, spots, etc. The hum is still going strong.

KOTN-1490 AM - Off the air. They were at low power at last report, so I reckon the tube has blown out and hasn't been replaced.

KZYP-99.3 FM - Only in the right channel, overmodulated with flimsy sounding I.D.'s. However, this MRS station has made progress since the last report. At least their stereo carrier light is now on. And the left channel comes in every now and then. KZYP is the MRS showcase station in Pine Bluff. And what a showcase it is.

KPBQ-101.3 FM - Straight satellite. Very rough sounding automation with LOTS of dead air.

Pretty much mirrors Greenville I'd say.
 
MRS is a terrible mess, but Larry implies he has never had some of the same issues, but he has...
 
> MRS is a terrible mess, but Larry implies he has never had
> some of the same issues, but he has...

What issues are we referring to? I never had stations run for months with no legal IDs. I never had stations off-air for months at a time. I never went months with the tower lights off. I never had a station broadcast for weeks with only one-channel of audio. I never had a station that had 54-minutes of dead air every hour. I never aired a tone for hours in the middle of morning drive. Except for a few days during the ice storm in '94, I never had a station run for weeks on the exciter only. Sure, I had operational issues from time-to-time - we all do. But I fixed them as they occured. MRS ignores them.
 
> We can start with this

Good job researching, but it's what comes out of the speakers that counts. And none of what you cite even comes close to the day-to-day bad radio that MRS churns out.

The WOHT case involved an LMA gone bad with an owner who was an idiot. In a nutshell - he became upset after I changed the format of the station to Urban AC. He ordered me to take the station off-air because he said the (BLEEP) had threatened him. Since I had made a big investment in new facilities and staff, I refused. Bad mistake on my part - he was the licensee. The fine, which was ultimately reduced to $4000, was paid. The station continued operating and sounded pretty damned good. The listeners never knew any difference. It's what comes out of the speakers that counts.

The WROX case involved another LMA. I LMAed to another party after my other stations were put on the market. He moved the studio and assured me everything was in order, but the FCC discovered otherwise. As the licensee, I was held responsible. Fair enough. That LMA has since been terminated and I have sued the LMA operator for a variety of things. The station is being rebuilt and will be back on-air soon. When it does, it will be totally legal and will sound good too. It's what comes out of the speakers that counts.

The Greenville situation you cite is just an example of bureaucratic stupidity. Soon after the economy collapsed after 9/11, the FCC decided they wanted my auction payment, despite the fact they had drug their feet for over a year. They refused to grant an extension, even though there were clearly extenuating circumstances beyond my control. (You remember 9/11 don't you?) Read the entire history of the case, which went all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals. As is typical of any court, they tend to side with the government. My attorney wanted to carry it on to the Supreme Court, but by then I had sold my other stations, moved out of the Delta, and decided that a radio station in Greenville just wasn't worth the fight. (If you've ever been to Greenville, you'd understand why). Tell me how this fight with the government relates to operating a good radio station. It's what comes out of the speakers that counts.

By the way, you know who I am - who are you?

Larry Fuss
[email protected]
 
> We can start with this:
>
ht> tp://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Orders/1998/da981676.txt
>
>
> http://www.rbr.com/epaper/issue193-04-raab.html
>
http:> //www.fcc.gov/ogc/documents/opinions/2004/03-1295-111004.pdf
>


I think we can all agree that MRS Ventures is not 1/1000th of the broadcaster that one Larry Fuss was during his time in the Delta. Therefore I tend to overlook a few small issues with our great government.

Larry I freakin love 93KHJ!! I want to voicetrack in American Samoa!
 
No Fuss

I have to disagree. It's not ALL about what comes out of the speakers. I found these documents after a websearch and it appears several times money was a problem, maybe even a bankruptcy? I understand everybody makes mistakes, how you handle them is what matters. Since you have sold your stations you have the ability to make it right if there is something left unfinished. Could it be that USS Fuss has left quite a wake?

MRS hopefully can make it right too, even they have to sell to repay what they owe. It is sad to see other people get left holding the bag. I agree no one should leave tower lights out without notification, or skip ID's. Dead air is really stupid but not legality issue. Maybe they were playing the extended remix of the Sound Of Silence [:-!

I read over your court case and I love government conspiracy theories, but maybe, this once, the courts were right. Could it be that auction fever struck and you bid more than what you could afford? The 9/11 excuse sounds like a Slick Willy "I didn't inhale" excuse to me.

PS How much does a federal appeal cost? You were smart to go against your lawyer - they were going to win (cha-ching) no matter what happened, if you know what I mean...



> > We can start with this
>
> Good job researching, but it's what comes out of the
> speakers that counts. And none of what you cite even comes
> close to the day-to-day bad radio that MRS churns out.
>
> The WOHT case involved an LMA gone bad with an owner who was
> an idiot. In a nutshell - he became upset after I changed
> the format of the station to Urban AC. He ordered me to
> take the station off-air because he said the (BLEEP) had
> threatened him. Since I had made a big investment in new
> facilities and staff, I refused. Bad mistake on my part -
> he was the licensee. The fine, which was ultimately reduced
> to $4000, was paid. The station continued operating and
> sounded pretty damned good. The listeners never knew any
> difference. It's what comes out of the speakers that
> counts.
>
> The WROX case involved another LMA. I LMAed to another
> party after my other stations were put on the market. He
> moved the studio and assured me everything was in order, but
> the FCC discovered otherwise. As the licensee, I was held
> responsible. Fair enough. That LMA has since been
> terminated and I have sued the LMA operator for a variety of
> things. The station is being rebuilt and will be back
> on-air soon. When it does, it will be totally legal and
> will sound good too. It's what comes out of the speakers
> that counts.
>
> The Greenville situation you cite is just an example of
> bureaucratic stupidity. Soon after the economy collapsed
> after 9/11, the FCC decided they wanted my auction payment,
> despite the fact they had drug their feet for over a year.
> They refused to grant an extension, even though there were
> clearly extenuating circumstances beyond my control. (You
> remember 9/11 don't you?) Read the entire history of the
> case, which went all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
> As is typical of any court, they tend to side with the
> government. My attorney wanted to carry it on to the
> Supreme Court, but by then I had sold my other stations,
> moved out of the Delta, and decided that a radio station in
> Greenville just wasn't worth the fight. (If you've ever
> been to Greenville, you'd understand why). Tell me how this
> fight with the government relates to operating a good radio
> station. It's what comes out of the speakers that counts.
>
>
> By the way, you know who I am - who are you?
>
> Larry Fuss
> [email protected]
>
 
Re: No Fuss

> I have to disagree. It's not ALL about what comes out of the
> speakers.

It's radio. There are no pictures. It's what comes out of the speakers that counts.

> it appears several times money was a problem

Ever tried to run radio stations in the Delta?

> MRS hopefully can make it right too

Ask anyone who has worked for them or has ever had any dealings with them if they think that's really possible. On the othere hand, talk to any of my former employees about the kind of operation I ran.

> I read over your court case and I love government conspiracy
> theories, but maybe, this once, the courts were right.

As another of my radio buddies can attest, if you ever criticize the ineptness of the FCC in a public forum, as I have done many times in the past, they will come after you. Is it a coincidence that operators like Bishop Willis and Jerry Russell are allowed to get away with all the things they get away with, but they come after me for trivial things like a hole in the fence?

> Could it be that auction fever struck and you bid more than
> what you could afford?

We had to money lined up beforehand. The financing fell apart after 9/11. The FCC ruled that it was not due to circumstances beyond my control. In case you forgot - two hijacked jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center in New York City in the worst enemy attack ever on U.S. soil. Both WTC towers collapsed and killed over 3000 people. The stock market and the economy hit the skids in the days that followed and have not yet fully recovered. That was not beyond my control? My financing fell apart as a result and the Commission refused to grant an extension. Had they acted on the grant befopre 9/11, instead of sitting on it for an extended period of time, there would have been mo problem.

> PS How much does a federal appeal cost? You were smart to
> go against your lawyer - they were going to win (cha-ching)
> no matter what happened, if you know what I mean...

The appeal was expensive, but as I said, it reached the point where fighting for a station in Greenville, Mississippi was just not worth it. Greenville is a hell hole that gets worse every day.

And I still don't know who you are. It's easy to criticize other while hiding behind a screen name. When I criticize others, it's all out in the open.

Larry Fuss
 
Fuss and make radio, sit still and do nothing

Hey, here's an idea.
Doing Radio or Business for that matter in the Delta sucks in General, no money to be made, and the listeners are far and few between (not aiming at a station or company, just saying in general).

Why don't all of us spiffy radio heads that did radio way back when, yesterday, tomorrow, still do, or were in it for 2 years and just wish it paid more and now make a lot more money selling cars.... (you get the idea), or sell equipment for sona laser spa with our dads all get togethor and pickup the pieces of MRS and a few other dead Sticks in the Arkansas area.

Money is Money, loans get made every day, you just have to have a product that people want, if you make it into one BIG product, people want it more.

Not just a radio station or a network of radio stations, but something more.

If your interested email me at [email protected]

And remember, Its Dot.Com!
:)




> > I have to disagree. It's not ALL about what comes out of
> the
> > speakers.
>
> It's radio. There are no pictures. It's what comes out of
> the speakers that counts.
>
> > it appears several times money was a problem
>
> Ever tried to run radio stations in the Delta?
>
> > MRS hopefully can make it right too
>
> Ask anyone who has worked for them or has ever had any
> dealings with them if they think that's really possible. On
> the othere hand, talk to any of my former employees about
> the kind of operation I ran.
>
> > I read over your court case and I love government
> conspiracy
> > theories, but maybe, this once, the courts were right.
>
> As another of my radio buddies can attest, if you ever
> criticize the ineptness of the FCC in a public forum, as I
> have done many times in the past, they will come after you.
> Is it a coincidence that operators like Bishop Willis and
> Jerry Russell are allowed to get away with all the things
> they get away with, but they come after me for trivial
> things like a hole in the fence?
>
> > Could it be that auction fever struck and you bid more
> than
> > what you could afford?
>
> We had to money lined up beforehand. The financing fell
> apart after 9/11. The FCC ruled that it was not due to
> circumstances beyond my control. In case you forgot - two
> hijacked jetliners slammed into the World Trade Center in
> New York City in the worst enemy attack ever on U.S. soil.
> Both WTC towers collapsed and killed over 3000 people. The
> stock market and the economy hit the skids in the days that
> followed and have not yet fully recovered. That was not
> beyond my control? My financing fell apart as a result and
> the Commission refused to grant an extension. Had they acted
> on the grant befopre 9/11, instead of sitting on it for an
> extended period of time, there would have been mo problem.
>
> > PS How much does a federal appeal cost? You were smart to
>
> > go against your lawyer - they were going to win
> (cha-ching)
> > no matter what happened, if you know what I mean...
>
> The appeal was expensive, but as I said, it reached the
> point where fighting for a station in Greenville,
> Mississippi was just not worth it. Greenville is a hell
> hole that gets worse every day.
>
> And I still don't know who you are. It's easy to criticize
> other while hiding behind a screen name. When I criticize
> others, it's all out in the open.
>
> Larry Fuss
>
 
Miserable Radio Stations

MRS continues to spread therr brand of high-quality radio on both sides of the Mississippi River. He's a message I received today from a friend in Cleveland:

Well, week before last WDSK was sports talk, with ESPN RADIO... Last week WDSK was sports talk with SPORTING NEWS RADIO... yesterday WDSK was off the air, and today, they are broadcasting nothing but a closed circuit feed that says, "This is CBS News Channel 42'... BEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP" OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN... I couldn't decide what was more stupid, the fact that they were doing this or the fact that I kept listening to it... God help them

----------

Jerry Russell was always talking about "the plan" and how he was following "the plan" and "the plan" was going to make him money. Maybe it's time to switch to Plan B.

LF
 
Re: Miserable Radio Stations

> ----------
>
> Jerry Russell was always talking about "the plan" and how he
> was following "the plan" and "the plan" was going to make
> him money. Maybe it's time to switch to Plan B.
>
> LF
>


I'm with you. If "the plan" is making him any money, I'd hate to see "the plan" for burning stations to the ground.
 
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