NEW CONSERVATIVE TALK STATION

[davideduardo]

Of course they're going to look after their members, even if that segment of the industry is on decline. How many of the nearly 4500 U.S. AM stations are making good money though?

Well, we know that about half of all stations don't have a profit, so my guess is that even more AMs are not profitable.

But we have to remember that lots of smaller stations give their profit to the sole owner in the form of a salary to avoid double taxation, so there are likely lots of AMs where the owner makes an income for themselves, but little left over. We see more and more cases where an older owner is faced with a need to move the transmitter site or buy a new transmitter, at which point a five-digit expense is more than it is worth to keep the station running.

We are even seeing cases where the owner's trade-deal car is worth more than the station itself.

 

[Mediafrog+]

There are about 4490 AM stations on the air or licensed to be on the air right now. Only a couple of dozen a year sign off permanently, meaning the owners still want them.

Or those owners want the attached FM translators, and would kill the AM if allowed.

 

[rfburns]

Or those owners want the attached FM translators, and would kill the AM if allowed.

I do contract engineering for a handful of stations along with my full time gig. A few have 1-10kW AM stations with translators. Most of them have said they would turn in the AM license ASAP if the FCC would allow the associated translator to originate programming.

 

[Kent]

I do contract engineering for a handful of stations along with my full time gig. A few have 1-10kW AM stations with translators. Most of them have said they would turn in the AM license ASAP if the FCC would allow the associated translator to originate programming.

Are directional AM's and those 10,000 watts or more in power still required to have a full-time engineer on the payroll?

 

[rfburns]

Are directional AM's and those 10,000 watts or more in power still required to have a full-time engineer on the payroll?

AM stations are not required to have a full time engineer on staff anymore.

 

[davideduardo]

Are directional AM's and those 10,000 watts or more in power still required to have a full-time engineer on the payroll?

That rule went away decades ago. I was GM of a 10 kw fulltime AM on 1140 with 4 towers in the mid-70's and we had no fulltime engineer. Of course, I had a 1st Ticket and could have insisted that I was the CE, but there was no need. The AM site was remote monitored and had no staff on duty, either.

 

[Kent]

That rule went away decades ago. I was GM of a 10 kw fulltime AM on 1140 with 4 towers in the mid-70's and we had no fulltime engineer. Of course, I had a 1st Ticket and could have insisted that I was the CE, but there was no need. The AM site was remote monitored and had no staff on duty, either.

I got Chief Operator and engineer confused. Last I'd heard, directional and stronger than 10 kw AM's had to have the chief operator as a employee. The chief operator didn't have to be an engineer, though most every station where I've ever worked had an engineer designated as chief operator.

Don't know if the chief operator still has to be an employee, though that was still required 10 years or so ago.

 

[TheBigA]

The details have been announced for this new conservative talk station. As expected, a lot of third-string syndicated hosts.

Houston’s ‘All-New Patriot Talk 920’ Set To Lauch Jan. 1.

Hispanic Broadcasting will flip Spanish talk “La 920 AM Para Mi Gente” KYST Houston to English-language conservative talk as Houston’s “All-New Patriot Talk 920” on Jan. 1. The station’s lineup

www.insideradio.com

From what I can see, no local programming.

 

[johndavis]

Yeah, that's the lineup you'd expect from the 5th conservative talk station in the market.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

in the remarks from the owner he says ".. better choice in News/Talk radio"

I've noticed that when a station is launching and is already going to be known as nothingburger alsoran claptrap, theres lots of these buzzwords and its never as good as they say it will be

 

[Kelly A]

I've noticed that when a station is launching and is already going to be known as nothingburger alsoran claptrap, theres lots of these buzzwords and its never as good as they say it will be

I believe I've used most of those terms.

 

[TheBigA]

I've noticed that when a station is launching and is already going to be known as nothingburger alsoran claptrap, theres lots of these buzzwords and its never as good as they say it will be

It flies in the face of the view often expressed here that local programmers do better than the big radio corporations.

But what I often see is that the local programmers just take the national syndication because it's cheap and easy.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

It flies in the face of the view often expressed here that local programmers do better than the big radio corporations.

But what I often see is that the local programmers just take the national syndication because it's cheap and easy.

It all depends on whats available in the market, too

I've worked for some ma and pa companies that were bigger flaming dumpster fire disasters then anything corporate radio could ever dream of

I've only worked for "big corporations" twice....... Flinn Broadcasting And Cherry Creek... and Cherry Creek was actually pretty good back then... that was 18 years ago, so i cant say what its like today and be fair.

 

[gr8oldies]

That rule went away decades ago. I was GM of a 10 kw fulltime AM on 1140 with 4 towers in the mid-70's and we had no fulltime engineer. Of course, I had a 1st Ticket and could have insisted that I was the CE, but there was no need. The AM site was remote monitored and had no staff on duty, either.

That old rule is why we had 6-week First Phone Wonder Schools

 

[Kent]

I've only worked for "big corporations" twice....... Flinn Broadcasting And Cherry Creek... and Cherry Creek was actually pretty good back then... that was 18 years ago, so i cant say what its like today and be fair.

Cherry Creek, considering the constraints of operating where it did, had a reputation for being quite good. I understand it wasn't 100% live and local, but it always did a good job programming to its specific markets. It's not around anymore. It sold to Townsquare a couple years ago.

I suppose you could do worse than Townsquare. If nothing else, it seems to have a pretty solid business model and provides a lot of value at the local level that its peers can't seem to replicate. I've always heard the mixed bag about working on the programming side there, though.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Cherry Creek, considering the constraints of operating where it did, had a reputation for being quite good. I understand it wasn't 100% live and local, but it always did a good job programming to its specific markets. It's not around anymore. It sold to Townsquare a couple years ago.

I suppose you could do worse than Townsquare. If nothing else, it seems to have a pretty solid business model and provides a lot of value at the local level that its peers can't seem to replicate. I've always heard the mixed bag about working on the programming side there, though.

Thats right, i forgot CC got bought out.

Cherry creek generally bought heritage stations and most of the day to day and week to week was left up to local control. programming, promotions, etc...... they were trying to standardize the stations on the same automation when i worked there.

They were a bit late adopting digital-web stuff. When i last knew CC had the stations i worked at, they were live in AM drive, tracked the rest of the day but tracked locally... not the case now, middays and afternoons are done by their national VT'ers

The AM when i was there was "News Radio 660 KEYS Country" (calls pronounced as a word) and was heavy on local and regional info but did all classic coujntry. They dumped that a few years ago for talk, didnt go over so well .. went back to classic country fgrom lunch to late nights, with Coast to coast overnights and local/regional news and talk 6am to noon

 

[mightynine]

The details have been announced for this new conservative talk station. As expected, a lot of third-string syndicated hosts.

Houston’s ‘All-New Patriot Talk 920’ Set To Lauch Jan. 1.

Hispanic Broadcasting will flip Spanish talk “La 920 AM Para Mi Gente” KYST Houston to English-language conservative talk as Houston’s “All-New Patriot Talk 920” on Jan. 1. The station’s lineup

www.insideradio.com

From what I can see, no local programming.

That's certainly a murderer's row of "programs that were available in the market".

 

[Mark Roberts]

I don't know that I'd call Dan Bongino "third-string" since he seems to be able to draw attention to himself...which is what this whole game seems to be about...but the lineup generally seems like "me, too!" stuff, on a signal that isn't comparable to its supposed competitors. It's the Oldsmobile of talk radio.

 

[Deleted member 108832]

So...when did Texas City get annexed?

You can do significantly worse than Townsquare, Kent. Just apply to Alpha.

 

[davideduardo]

It's the Oldsmobile of talk radio.

More like a Yugo.