• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Powering Up?

S

SirRoxalot

From Tom Taylor:

Visions Multi Media Group paid a bit more than $307,000 for WUFO Amherst/1080, which will supply the translator at 96.5 for which it paid $40,000 in last year’s AM Revitalization window. Translator W289AU is trucking up to Buffalo from Scranton.

WUFO’s recently been doing gospel and urban AC as “Mix 1080” – but Radio Insight’s expecting a conversion to R&B oldies and classic hip-hop next week, as “Power.” They’re keeping the Tom Joyner Morning Show and Michael Baisden in the two drivetimes.

Townsquare has been stockpiling "Power" domains in an attempt to protect WBLK.
 
Lance Venta at Radio Insight adds that DJ Huk-Her will be doing a 5pm mix show(if memory serves, he formerly worked at WBLK). DJ Spin will be the station's mixshow coordinator as well as doing a shift on Saturdays. DJ Kholes will be the promotions director.
 
Looks like WUFO will have to find a new moniker for their station; WBLK today started referring to itself on air as Power 93.7 .
 
The good news is, the translator frequency is between two popular 50kw FMs, 96.1 and 96.9... the bad news is, the translator frequency is between two popular 50kw FMs, 96.1 and 96.9.
 
Element9 said:
The good news is, the translator frequency is between two popular 50kw FMs, 96.1 and 96.9... the bad news is, the translator frequency is between two popular 50kw FMs, 96.1 and 96.9.
Click to expand...

96.1 isn't THAT popular, if ratings are any indication. I don't think you want to know what I call the station, save to say I replace the word Mix with a dirty word. :)
 
So, who owns WUFO? Pergament doesn't mention the sale in his story. I checked the 96.5 signal south and east of the city. It's weak. I had to switch my radio to 'mono' in order to hear it, and it's hard to imagine 96.5 being a threat to an established powerhouse like 93.7. Then again, maybe WUFO ownership believes it's all about the AM.
 
Maybe the WUFO ownership could benefit from confusion over which station is really "Power". Seems like a silly move on the part of WBLK.
 
Rusty Bridges said:
So, who owns WUFO? Pergament doesn't mention the sale in his story. I checked the 96.5 signal south and east of the city. It's weak. I had to switch my radio to 'mono' in order to hear it, and it's hard to imagine 96.5 being a threat to an established powerhouse like 93.7. Then again, maybe WUFO ownership believes it's all about the AM.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you should read the original post that started this thread.
 
That could take months - time for WUFO to get some free publicity from the news media and maybe make an impression. It could also be used to embarrass WBLK as a bully picking on a little guy.
 
TS could serve WUFO with a cease and desist, which would go into effect immediately, then be argued before a judge. From what I've observed, WBLK is using the word "Power," consistently, but not "first word in every live break." The irony here is that many years ago, perhaps when the Lorenz family owned the station, WBLK used the phrase "Power 93.7 WBLK" as an identifier. This isn't their first go round.
 
If it goes to court, it gets into the local media. Once again, free publicity might be worth the cost of the attorneys fees.
 
Element9 said:
TS could serve WUFO with a cease and desist, which would go into effect immediately, then be argued before a judge. From what I've observed, WBLK is using the word "Power," consistently, but not "first word in every live break." The irony here is that many years ago, perhaps when the Lorenz family owned the station, WBLK used the phrase "Power 93.7 WBLK" as an identifier. This isn't their first go round.
Click to expand...

If memory serves, didn't WBLK call themselves Power 94 at some point in their history?
 
ckg279 said:
If memory serves, didn't WBLK call themselves Power 94 at some point in their history?
Click to expand...
Yes, as noted, WBLK has used the word "power." Whether it was "94," "93 point 7," or "93-7" really doesn't matter. As to publicity generated, it's speculative ... the issue could go all the way to the Supreme Court (exaggerating) and the publicity probably wouldn't much matter to most people. WBLK, a full power heritage urban station facing competition from a 100 watt translator is sort of like KB facing competition from WNIA in 1969. Could be some people check out 96.5 for a bit, just like some folks are checking out WECK. Maybe it shaves a point 12+ from WBLK, but the 25-54 rankings remain the same, with WBLK first, second or third, depending on the day part. A year from now, the dust will have settled and not much of significance will have changed. WBLK remains a strong top five, if not top three, in demo, continues to generate significant cashflow, and WUFO FM remains a gnat on the windshield.

Buffalo isn't Atlanta or Houston, where translators have greater potential to wreak havoc on full power urban formats because of a higher concentration of ethnic population. OTOH, say a full power signal like 103.3 went Urban or Churban, and Cumulus threw a bunch of money into the format change (exaggerating, again), WBLK might then lose listeners, and when the dust settled a year later, the ratings landscape might be markedly different. But that's not going to happen. Cripe, if a full signal FM competitor hasn't taken on WYRK to this point, with 87% of the market made up of Anglo listeners, it's not going to happen with an Urban format. So a translator it is. Like bringing a knife to a gun fight.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom