Radio Disney to sell 1260

[nowradioguy]

Got a suggetion as what to do with 1260.
Rent the window space at the flat iron end of the Statler Office Building in Park Square and put a studio there in the window.
Format ...sort of WJIB with easy music. Ah, even have the call letters "WEZE...easy as the breeze". Hire young talent and maybe even an up and coming stand up comic who will hopefully take the news car to New York City on the weekend for a gig and you will have the next George Carlin.....!

Omnibus,

I'm not being sarcastic when I say this, but the station you envision can even affiliate with NBC News Radio.

This is one of the best posts I've read all week on these Forums. Everyone else seems to be singing the praises of Disney an/ord exalting Clear Channel for its diligent and careful plans to cripple WWBB and its Cape station at 101.9. I'm not among them, though I am glad Disney is moving away from radio (they didn't bother to try harder with the former ABC O-and-O's, so they chose to program a slew of signal-challenged AMs in smaller markets - the notable exception being WQEW, of course, although it's unforgivable what they did to that great institution when the blew up its American standards format.

 

[Omnibus]

I am sure you know I was talking about the real WEZE which was located in the window of the Statler Office Building Not sure when it started but believe it lasted until the early 80's and yes George Carlin was a DJ there.

Omnibus,

I'm not being sarcastic when I say this, but the station you envision can even affiliate with NBC News Radio.

This is one of the best posts I've read all week on these Forums. Everyone else seems to be singing the praises of Disney an/ord exalting Clear Channel for its diligent and careful plans to cripple WWBB and its Cape station at 101.9. I'm not among them, though I am glad Disney is moving away from radio (they didn't bother to try harder with the former ABC O-and-O's, so they chose to program a slew of signal-challenged AMs in smaller markets - the notable exception being WQEW, of course, although it's unforgivable what they did to that great institution when the blew up its American standards format.

 

[nowradioguy]

I am sure you know I was talking about the real WEZE which was located in the window of the Statler Office Building Not sure when it started but believe it lasted until the early 80's and yes George Carlin was a DJ there.

That I did. When I was a pup, my folks took us kids to Boston for the day and I recall on more than one of those visits the walk by the Statler-Hilton where WEZE's on-air studio was clearly visible from the street. They had an RCA console and either a WE or RCA microphone. The NBC logo was displayed somewhere. Their signal did not reach Providence where we lived.

If "The Music of Your Life" format - or a remnant thereof - is (still) available, that would be ideal for the reborn WEZE 1260. I know many of the 65+ generation were upset when CC took that format off of 1430 AM. (Oh, wait; station operators don't give a crap about us.)

 

[raccoonradio]

Have also remembered being able to see WEZE studios from the street. As for viability of a format like standards or
other things ranging from talk to classic country etc as much as we may want them, Scott Fybush has said more than a few times (as have others) that they've seen the spreadsheets etc. and it wouldn't be profitable (there are exceptions out there like WJIB 740, raising money from listeners, but "radio is a business") and it may to tough to wring a profit out of a 1260 Boston or 1250 Pitt. (hey CC, put the talk shows like Rush there instead of 1320 WJAS...er...ah...whatever). Would some of these operation literally go dark? Turn in the license? Maybe not but look for bargain price/fire sale rates and maybe ethnic or religious (if EMF can't get an FM in town...) Maybe Ent. can buy 1260 and have ESPN pay to put ESPN
Deportes on there. At least it may pay the electric bill.

Yeah, right...

 

[Eli Polonsky]

If "The Music of Your Life" format - or a remnant thereof - is (still) available, that would be ideal for the reborn WEZE 1260.

The "Music of Your Life" satellite feed is currently heard in the Boston area on WAZN 1470 AM weeknights, overnights, and weekends, after their weekday daytime brokered ethnic programming is done for the day.

 

[KML0224]

It's not just greater Boston. Here in the Hartford/New Britain/Middletown radio market, Disney is (was?) on WDZK-AM 1550 of Bloomfield/Hartford. I think they were a Spanish station before that. I said think, since I barely get any signal of it here in the daytime, about 15 air miles SSW of Bloomfield. WDRC-AM 1360 of Hartford also transmits from Bloomfield (on Blue Hills Avenue). Their signal is decent at best, depending on which way my AM antenna is oriented.

Wasn't Disney on 550 AM in Pawtucket/Providence as well?

UPDATE: They just ID'ed as WSDK-AM, Life Changing Radio. Religious? YUCK!

 

[raccoonradio]

yes 550 in Prov was radio Disney and is now Catholic radio I believe

 

[MickeyD]

Well I wasn't lumping the likes of 1640 Peabody in with the pirates. I said the only stations above 1600 in the immediate area that are legal are ones like 1640 Peabody or 1650 Logan parking info...or things like the 1640 in downtown Lynnfield, announcements from a church and school (goes a few blocks). Those are not breaking the law but the several above
1600 that are not licensed, are.
Examples from http://bamlog.com/bostonlp2013.htm

>1620 Radio Energy, French/Haitian www.radioenergyboston.com
1620 Radio Liberte, French/Haitian
1680 Radio Voix du Salut, French/Haitian Religion radiovoixdusalut.org
1690 Radio Torrente de Vida (Lynn), Spanish
1710 Radio Celestial (Bronx NY), Spanish Religion www.smjrc.com
1720 Pirate Radio Boston, irregular schedule, rock music

Perhaps, but what you described in your previous post are TIS stations. I still have no idea why anyone would want an AM pirate station.

 

[raccoonradio]

I'm sure they'd prefer FM but the above pirates in the ex-band are definitely on AM. The TIS stations I cited were examples of legal low power on AM as opposed to the law breakers

 

[spt87]

Will miss WMKI

I'll miss it when it goes. I have kids in the age range who are interested in it. Nice to have some current music on the AM band for a change of pace. All the negatives related to HD aside, it sounds good on this station - better than the XM version anyway. During the day it covers the Boston area very well.

The real waste is that back in the '90's, an outfit call Radio AAHs started the all kids format and after having some success, Disney jumped in and drove them out. I believe Radio AAHs was strictly syndicated and could not keep up with the Disney cash being thrown at buying stations and marketing on the Disney cable channel. Plus Disney wasn't in it to make money - it was just part of the marketing budget where as AAhs was trying make a profit.

 

[Fenway1912]

There was a big blue sign over the window with the NBC chimes logo on it.

That I did. When I was a pup, my folks took us kids to Boston for the day and I recall on more than one of those visits the walk by the Statler-Hilton where WEZE's on-air studio was clearly visible from the street. They had an RCA console and either a WE or RCA microphone. The NBC logo was displayed somewhere. Their signal did not reach Providence where we lived.

If "The Music of Your Life" format - or a remnant thereof - is (still) available, that would be ideal for the reborn WEZE 1260. I know many of the 65+ generation were upset when CC took that format off of 1430 AM. (Oh, wait; station operators don't give a crap about us.)

 

[raccoonradio]

The 26th, two weeks from Fri as I write this, is D-day for Disney stations going off air or into new hands. Don't know yet if anyone will buy WMKI 1260...will they go silent (for now or forever?) or will someone swoop in. The other board has a D.O.A. (Disney Off Air) thread going

This is the day signal pattern (take with grain of salt) for 1260
http://radio-locator.com/pats/WMKI_AM_LD.gif
Not too bad though AM is dying...who'd want 1260? Jeff Santos, your future home for progressive talk awaits! Or how about any of a number of formats. Someone had suggested Music of your Life and yes it's still around and 1470 has it at 6 pm
at night, don't they. Similar situation in places like Pittsburgh where WDDZ 1250 has probably the second best AM signal
in the area to KDKA. Cleveland, many other places, anyway, here in Bos. we'll have to see what comes out of this
as the Mickey Mouse operation will cease on 1260 in a bit over 2 weeks.

 

[Unregistered]

Someone should just

Some company, any company (Greater Media, Clear Channel, Entercom, CBS Radio) someone should buy it, and put on "The Touch" (Westwoodone.com-Formats)
That is the (Best) Urban AC station like I never heard. They have the best content
Or, maybe clear Channel should put back on (Evolution) format on there
Or put a "News Talk" format and go up against WBZ am
The number 1 thing I wish is that someone put "The Touch" on there. That's the only format not on in Boston

 

[mysticnitekatt]

Maybe Bob B. could move WJIB to 1260? Perhaps if enough of his listeners chipped in, he could by it from Disney....

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Maybe Bob B. could move WJIB to 1260? Perhaps if enough of his listeners chipped in, he could by it from Disney....

It was suggested to him elsewhere, and he replied that he doesn't want to deal with the hassle and expense of maintaining that directional site. He'd rather stay with 740.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

It would make a lot of sense to buy 1260 from Disney, and put on an "Urban" format. Now, let's see if somebody
steps up to the plate to raise the necessary $$ funding to put the format on a legitimate, LEGALLY LICENSED station...

 

[CTListener]

It would make a lot of sense to buy 1260 from Disney, and put on an "Urban" format. Now, let's see if somebody
steps up to the plate to raise the necessary $$ funding to put the format on a legitimate, LEGALLY LICENSED station...

Dollar-a-holler ethnic is the early favorite in the betting, with religion a close second choice. Third choice is going dark. All others are longshots.

 

[raccoonradio]

http://www.thedeal.com/content/tmt/schutz-leads-radio-disneys-station-sale-process.php

>>Radio Disney has been contacting prospective buyers and has accepted verbal offers, the source said, adding that the company is in the contract stage for some stations.
After verbal agreement, a prospective buyer and Radio Disney will enter into an asset purchase agreement and then take the proposed deal to the Federal Communication Commission for regulatory approval, the source said, estimating that it will take three months or more from asset purchase agreement to closing for each sale...
"It's going to take them a long time before they're able to liquidate those properties unless they're willing to take a major haircut because they actually overpaid for stations," said Ed Seeger, president of media brokerage firm Seeger Media LLC. "They're not going to recoup those dollars."

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

"Dollar-a-holler ethnic" - I assume you mean a format doing brokered time. You intend this description as a slur. Brokered time, however,
is a really good way for people to get their programming heard, while they do not have enough funds to buy an entire station.
We do brokered time on both of our stations here. Our parent company, MRBI, does more of it than just about anyone in the country.
Brokered time is not a panacea, a cure-all. There is a point where cutting a piece of the pie even smaller, that piece of pie, for all practical purposes,
ceases to exist. The ethnic market in the Boston area is already saturated. There simply are no other ethnic groups (in any substantial numbers),
who are not represented somewhere else on the radio dial...

 

[Wimmmex]

Brokered time, however,
is a really good way for people to get their programming heard, while they do not have enough funds to buy an entire station.
We do brokered time on both of our stations here. Our parent company, MRBI, does more of it than just about anyone in the country.

I would imagine 1260AM would be a good addition to the Multicultural family, no?