New Gainesville AM's

[Jeff2]

I saw the news report here at this site that two of the new AM allocations moving forward are in Gainesville--one @ 1180 and the other @ 1470. I wonder if these stations will ever actually get on the air? They both involve six towers--how much would that cost? We already have five AM's and I doubt with the exception of WRUF-850 any could possibly be making much money. Two (980 & 1230) are simulcasting other stations and 1390 is a Radio Disney 24/7 and 1430 has black gospel and might make money with their local stuff. All but 1390 usually show up toward the bottom of the local ratings.

 

[RockyWShore]

Cuba's 1180 Jammer will obliterate 1180 Gainesville for sure during the night and during critical hours. It hurt my getting WSOS AM 1170 St. Augustine back when it was oldies, in the early morning as Cuba's jam signal is apparently wide-banded. Good luck, fellers.

Rocky W. Shore
Palm Coast, FL

 

[smedge2006]

I still think the legislature should force the university to sell 850 to someone who'll turn it into a real talker. Maybe even a liberal talker, since Gainesville is a Democratic town, and SKY-FM has the right-wing audience locked up.

 

[RadioStationDudeUSA]

I still think the legislature should force the university to sell 850 to someone who'll turn it into a real talker. Maybe even a liberal talker, since Gainesville is a Democratic town, and SKY-FM has the right-wing audience locked up.

The FCC doesn't regulate or care about programming, so long as the station complies with FCC RUles/Regs..so your assertion that the FCC should force them to sell to someone who will program the format you like is absurd.

 

[smedge2006]

The FCC doesn't regulate or care about programming, so long as the station complies with FCC RUles/Regs..so your assertion that the FCC should force them to sell to someone who will program the format you like is absurd.

I thought everybody knew that 850, while allegedly a commercial station, is owned by the University of Florida, making it state property. Therefore the legislature (not the FCC) can sell the station off. Although
if that means selling it to someone who might start a liberal talk format, those Republicans in Tallahassee might just decide to keep it under state control...

I just think 850 is not achieving its potential. It's state owned, so they can't program political talk -- just sports and advice shows. It's commercial, so they can't go NPR. If that conundrum can't be resolved, it should be sold off.

 

[w9wi]

I just think 850 is not achieving its potential. It's state owned, so they can't program political talk -- just sports and advice shows. It's commercial, so they can't go NPR. If that conundrum can't be resolved, it should be sold off.

- Just because a station has a commercial license doesn't mean it *must* sell airtime. There are a number of cases where a commercial station has converted to NPR. To name a few:

WHNK-1430 Madison, Tenn. (Nashville) - now WPLN-AM co-owned with NPR WPLN-FM
WRNI-1290 Providence, R.I. - former commercial station now R.I. Public Radio
WMMM-1260 Westport, Ct. - now WSHU co-owned with NPR WSHU-FM

- A commercial station on a non-reserved frequency can switch to non-commercial status pretty much at will. A FCC proceeding is necessary but it seems to be routinely and quickly granted.

If the University were inclined to switch WRUF-850 to a NPR station the FCC would not be an obstacle.

 

[DaleGriffin]

IMO, the state either needs to use stations as true teaching tools or sell them. Lex and Terry (Rock 104) and News updates every hour (WRUF-AM) are not appropriate uses.