You're right David, I mentally transposed Hubbard and Cumulus. I remember growing up in Arlington, VA listening to WMAL 630. With all the noise these days, you can't hear them even in DC now during the day. Probably another reason why Cumulus is less than concerned about keeping that site.
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Radio - dead and loving it (sorry Mel Brooks)
- Thread starter howdareu
- Start date
You're right David, I mentally transposed Hubbard and Cumulus. I remember growing up in Arlington, VA listening to WMAL 630. With all the noise these days, you can't hear them even in DC now during the day. Probably another reason why Cumulus is less than concerned about keeping that site.
Kelly, do you think that they'll move the format to an underperforming FM before they sell off the transmitter site?
Edit: I see that they are already on FM. AM is radio is dead. RIP...
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Over my two separate stints at KVI, one with Gene and another Fisher, there was talk about the County actually purchasing the beach for park land. King County REALLY wanted that beach. At the times though, KVI was a profitable station worth more than selling the transmitter site and beach. Ironically while at Fisher this last time, I was tasked with studying potential for co-location of KVI into the KOMO antenna system. What ultimately soured that idea, was the FCC 'ratchet rule' which would have forced KVI into going directional at night, plus the loss of KVI toward the south, which KVI does well at from it's southern beach location. Fast forward to 2015 and my bet would be that if the County made another run with Sinclair being the owner, Sinclair would take the cash because they aren't a radio company.
Sinclair doesn't own any under-performing (from a revenue standpoint) FM stations, so the options there are limited.
Okay so please don't take my comment as gospel or some fact, merely as a theory, given the land values beginning to increase. Hell, I don't even live in the area anymore to have any juicy insider dirt. Steve is correct that technically the KOMO Vashon property is larger and has more value for home construction, but KOMO probably still makes money as a news station, so no station owner would sell the engine out of their car knowing full well that they would be a money loser. I'm just speculating that if the County were to again make Sinclair a reasonable cash offer, KVI would be a probable local target.
I can not say I ever ran a sole prop. Even my first station was a corporation... because legally I could not own the license but a domestic corporation could. And when I did syndication, my concerns about international copyrights, music licences, etc., made me incorporate. And ever station I've ever worked for has been a corporation.
I recently heard of a small sole prop station in CA that was forced to incorporate, as the owner could not get insurance for a sole proprietorship. Too risky for any underwriter.
What you may not know (since you're not from WA) is that we also have a State tax based on gross revenue...with some limited deductions. I point this out only because the thread is happening on a WA-state geography board.
Big corp. NOT LITTLE CORP. BIG CORP.
B I G C O R P
You know? The kind that are reducing hours because the affordable care act apparently isn't affordable? That is behind more non legal hiring than any other entity because a lot of you will be too expensive soon? And yes they may replace DJ's with illegals if they can speak english, why not? Just read them liner cards every break. Could happen.
I notice this conversation is one of the lengthiest and exciting on the website right now and do not apologize for saying what I say. Finally, i'ts alive!
B I G C O R P
You know? The kind that are reducing hours because the affordable care act apparently isn't affordable? That is behind more non legal hiring than any other entity because a lot of you will be too expensive soon? And yes they may replace DJ's with illegals if they can speak english, why not? Just read them liner cards every break. Could happen.
I notice this conversation is one of the lengthiest and exciting on the website right now and do not apologize for saying what I say. Finally, i'ts alive!
Not likely. That's Wal Mart. Not radio. I know of no company, especially among the ones in Seattle, that have done any of the things you write.
I mean if you have actual factual knowledge of something like that, post it here. We'll all be interested. But it sounds like a lot of crap to me.
For someone who says you don't actually listen to any of the most popular stations, you sure seem to think you know a lot.
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So then you have no specifics about Seattle radio, right? Right.
And Sinclair should go for the King County money. It's the smartest thing to lower the property tax and have some money. It's a nice piece of property, my dogs love it as does most of Vashon Island. The actual name of the beach is point Heyer, but the local call it KVI beach. Vashon may be that one exception where the AM transmitter sites are worth less than the station. Plus that tower is one of the oldest built in 1936, it still has it's original frequency and call letters. Only the transmitter and transmission line have been changed.
Two stations that own their own their transmitter sites on Vashon are getting around $80,000 a year rental from 50KW tenants (each one has a 50Kw tenant).
Two stations that own their own their transmitter sites on Vashon are getting around $80,000 a year rental from 50KW tenants (each one has a 50Kw tenant).
No, and your general posts about corporations are vague, gelatinous masses. No specifics, nothing relevant to Seattle or radio. Just your general anti-corporate rant. Who cares? Not me. Off topic and not interesting.
Really? This thread has more action than the websites for half the stations in town. At least this has a pulse!
Some people worry about big gov being the problem, I fear big biz more so because they aren't really into competition but rather crony consolidation. Talent becomes too expensive frequently and the listeners suffer with another format change and DJ rotation. Listeners are said by one exec I know to barely linger past 15 minutes on average. Wow. They wait that long?
I say fire the managers! Use the money to hire interesting people! Vive la revolution!
Some people worry about big gov being the problem, I fear big biz more so because they aren't really into competition but rather crony consolidation. Talent becomes too expensive frequently and the listeners suffer with another format change and DJ rotation. Listeners are said by one exec I know to barely linger past 15 minutes on average. Wow. They wait that long?
I say fire the managers! Use the money to hire interesting people! Vive la revolution!
Wrong.
KJR rents from Salem. CBS Sports radio 1090 rents from Bonneville for the site where KTTH is. After Bonneville bought KING 1090 they executed the frequency swap and 770 became Bonneville owned. Then sold to Entercom, then Bonneville bought it back, transmitter sites (KIRO and KTTH) and all. I was at the KTTH site today while the generator was worked on and the phone rang. It was some one from Entercom trying to figure out why the transmitter number was on there list.
Who do you think pays more?
There is an interesting old memo dated around 1948 about moving KIRO to the KVI site, installing a second tower of course. It was about two pages long.
The 1090/770 frequency swap brought about some interesting power metering role reversal. As originally set up, 770 was the tenant and it's power is metered to keep track of the tenant power usage, this includes generator power, since the current transformer is after the 770 transfer switch. So even when on generator the tenant is metered. Except 770 is no longer the tenant.
KJR rents from Salem. CBS Sports radio 1090 rents from Bonneville for the site where KTTH is. After Bonneville bought KING 1090 they executed the frequency swap and 770 became Bonneville owned. Then sold to Entercom, then Bonneville bought it back, transmitter sites (KIRO and KTTH) and all. I was at the KTTH site today while the generator was worked on and the phone rang. It was some one from Entercom trying to figure out why the transmitter number was on there list.
Who do you think pays more?
There is an interesting old memo dated around 1948 about moving KIRO to the KVI site, installing a second tower of course. It was about two pages long.
The 1090/770 frequency swap brought about some interesting power metering role reversal. As originally set up, 770 was the tenant and it's power is metered to keep track of the tenant power usage, this includes generator power, since the current transformer is after the 770 transfer switch. So even when on generator the tenant is metered. Except 770 is no longer the tenant.
Apologies for the error on KTTH! But I did know KJR rents from Salem I just didn't say it very well.
And as for 770/1090...wow. There was no way I could have kept track of that much less any other observer on earth I imagine.
And I don't want to know who pays what I just like knowing who shared what. But I would like to see that weird KIRO/KVI memo that is novel.
And as for 770/1090...wow. There was no way I could have kept track of that much less any other observer on earth I imagine.
And I don't want to know who pays what I just like knowing who shared what. But I would like to see that weird KIRO/KVI memo that is novel.
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