Rama Communications

[ok walters]

I posted this recently and got a few responses, but there are plenty of mentions of Rama in other posts but the search engine on this site doesn't work properly. I am looking at a LMA on one of their stations - WKIQ 1240 in Eustis. Transmitter and studio are on same parcel, transmitter is less than 5 years old according to the engineer I took in for an inspection. Lease terms are favorable but the unknown factor is Rama.

I know several of the posters have had experience with them, but no one has said anything negative that didn't include non-payment of the LMA to Rama. Most of the stories involve Rama throwing someone off a station, but always for non-payment.

I have operating capital and some experience in selling radio but do not want to make a misstep.

I will ask once more - Rama Communications - the good bad and ugly please.

Thanks

 

[Dave Dark]

You might want to talk with John Harper at 1300 WMEL, I believe he has a LMA with RAMA for that station.
DD

 

[FrankF]

Just curious, what do you plan on running on WKIQ? It doesn't look like they have much of a signal at all. Only 790 watts.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WKIQ&service=AM&status=L&hours=U

 

[ok walters]

Signal coverage is decent for a 1K station at that point on the dial. The antenna is 55 feet higher than it was originally licensed for with 1K signal, so FCC required a turndown to 790 watts so that the signal area would be correct. Population is very high especially in western Orange County - I would estimate 200k+ in strong signal area. I plan on putting sports on there, with quite a bit of local sports coverage. I have done VERY well with high school sports in Orlando over the last several years doing almost all high school sports, golf, and fishing. The lease and operating costs are low enough where it should work fairly well. I have met with them and they seemed fair enough, but appearances are sometimes deceiving.

 

[Deano]

Are you planning an All Sports format or some type of music or news/talk format with game coverage when events are happening? As a former listener to WKIQ when it was Classic Country, it was my experience that outside of critical hours the signal was scratchy at best in the car in northwest Orange County (Apopka, Plymouth). Zero building penetration. In western Seminole County (Wekiva Springs, Forest City, Altamonte Springs) the signals of 1240-WMMB in Melbourne and 1240-WKIQ mix together rendering neither signal usable. For what it's worth.

If you choose to go for it I will be cheering for you. Live, local, relevant AM stations are becoming few and far between.

 

[byron]

Reach out to the "Golden Triangle" area if you plan to be of any success with the frequency. They are they segment that could actually hear you at most times of the day or night, given the signal sounds to be as good as it was with the *ollllld* transmitter than was there before this apparent replacement they run on now. You're up against WLBE and WVLG, and Orlando. Would not worry about 1410, which is a RAMA LMA as well. Given the wattage and dial position, you need all the live and local you can manage.

We did sports talk from remotes on Bay Street and other spots, high school football experiments of sorts, Bob Green had people calling in and arguing with him and local school board members (guests) on the afternoon talk program, and a two person sales staff that really got out and worked for their money when it was the last Talk format, prior to the Classic County/ownership change in 1998. Held the annual Woman to Woman Expo, and some other great marketing ideas that were a first for the small area we served at the time. We pretty much had WLBE in our crosshairs, but never really could look the other way when McKenzie came and wanted to buy the station, which happened just after going to the Jones Classic Country 24/7. Oh well. Still a fun experience if you can do it right and remain consistent.

You also have to fight against the 3+ past years the station hasn't had a format worth listening to OR that kept the lights on.

As for RAMA. I just say.. Do a better job than they did when they were trying to program it themselves initially. Research and do something that actually works, not just what is being underserved or what might make a minority sect happy. Perhaps someone will offer up more about the company in this thread, as you've asked for... but this is what came to mind as I read it. Too bad you can't just buy the station up for your own.

Byron

 

[ok walters]

A purchase is being discussed as well - but who knows. The new transmitter does fairly well - the reception is pretty clear during the day at the "distant" ring on Radio Locator. No idea what kind of shape the ground system is in though, so an improvement may be doable.

McKenzie - that was Bruce Cox & company wasn't it? Hard to believe anything Bruce says, but he claimed at one point they were grossing $20K per month on WKIQ. Considering that he lost it in a foreclosure just a few years later those numbers are hard to believe.

WLBE is a factor, but not a major one. Huge signal but the worst marketing and format ever. Nostalgia and The shopper Show/Party Line Show and very little else. The owner is in jail and an 80 year old guy is running the place and he thinks it is still 1960. He told me last year that WLBE "had 75000 listeners at evening drive" - right before he showed me his rate card with a $13 spot as the highest price on the sheet. Way out of touch with reality - he said that Arbitron ratings are fixed so that is why WLBE wasn't on there. Painful to listen to unless you are 70+ years old.

WVLG is very well run and is very profitable from what I have seen and been told.

Thanks for the info

 

[jmtillery]

A purchase is being discussed as well - but who knows. The new transmitter does fairly well - the reception is pretty clear during the day at the "distant" ring on Radio Locator. No idea what kind of shape the ground system is in though, so an improvement may be doable.

McKenzie - that was Bruce Cox & company wasn't it? Hard to believe anything Bruce says, but he claimed at one point they were grossing $20K per month on WKIQ. Considering that he lost it in a foreclosure just a few years later those numbers are hard to believe.

WLBE is a factor, but not a major one. Huge signal but the worst marketing and format ever. Nostalgia and The shopper Show/Party Line Show and very little else. The owner is in jail and an 80 year old guy is running the place and he thinks it is still 1960. He told me last year that WLBE "had 75000 listeners at evening drive" - right before he showed me his rate card with a $13 spot as the highest price on the sheet. Way out of touch with reality - he said that Arbitron ratings are fixed so that is why WLBE wasn't on there. Painful to listen to unless you are 70+ years old.

WVLG is very well run and is very profitable from what I have seen and been told.

Thanks for the info

WKIQ was owned by Bruce Cox under McKenzie and later it was Bruce Cox and Jim Spicuzza under Gateway Broadcasting and Internet, Inc., co-owned with then WQBQ-AM 1410. Both stations later went into receivership with Rama ending up becoming the highest bidder at the foreclosure auction. Bruce now owns WKFL-AM 1170 Bushnell (unless he's recently sold it).

Regarding WLBE, you said the owner is in jail? Would that be Mac McNair? Or is it someone else? Please contact me off-list at [email protected]. We were looking into "doing some business" with WLBE, but we won't be able to if the decision make is in jail...

Mark Tillery
J. M. Tillery & Associates, P. A.
www.jmtillery.com
[email protected]

 

[Nostalgia]

Bruce now owns WKFL-AM 1170 Bushnell (unless he's recently sold it).

FCC database shows WFKL silent again! Quick look at the filings shows it dark 9/1/06 - 8/1/07, again 12/5/07 - 8/1/08, and now 1/17/09 - ?? Wonder why it didnt magically resurrect itself on 8/1/09?

 

[byron]

WKFL.. last two times I've driven by there via 75 on the way back to Tampa, it's been silent.

 

[ok walters]

WKFL is in foreclosure - it is mortgaged to almost $400K so it's return is in doubt. It has been on and aff for almost two years - it is off now.

 

[Nostalgia]

How did they get so far in hock? It was bought for only $155,000 in 2004. Even though its out in the boonies I would hate to see the license lapse and disappear. Did they ever build anything against their CP?

 

[jmtillery]

I know WKFL has been "off-the-air" and "on-the-air" only to go back "off-the-air" several times over the past few years... For a while the station was Time Brokered to a Hispanic group. It also had a CP to increase its power to 10kw-DA-D using a four tower antenna configuration with the signal going West, South-West. According to the engineering maps, it had a great projected city grade coverage over Brooksville and Spring Hill.

I believe the original $155,000 price tag was largely in the form of a note with very little cash down at closing although I don't know all the particulars of the deal. Of course any radio station or any property is only worth as much as anyone is willing to pay for it, and to me, and others, WKFL "As Is" isn't worth $400,000 unless the property at the transmitter site appraises at a much higher than expected land value. In my opinion, the station minus any real estate might fetch a $30k selling price.

I really do feel bad for the community if it loses the station as it is the only local voice in the area since 640, although doing an outstanding job for the community, moved to The Villages.

Mark Tillery
J. M. Tillery & Associates, P. A.
www.jmtillery.com
[email protected]

 

[ok walters]

The station has a huge second mortgage that is in foreclosure now, and neither mortgage has been paid for a very long time. The equipment is basically junk - the transmitter is at least 40 years old and is as big as a refrigerator. The real estate is located on the side of I75 south and is accessible only by a 2 mile dirt road. Would be worth something for a billboard site possibly, but it is basically 6 acres of cow pasture in Bushnell. They never did anything with the CP.

 

[drt]

The station has a huge second mortgage that is in foreclosure now, and neither mortgage has been paid for a very long time. The equipment is basically junk - the transmitter is at least 40 years old and is as big as a refrigerator. The real estate is located on the side of I75 south and is accessible only by a 2 mile dirt road. Would be worth something for a billboard site possibly, but it is basically 6 acres of cow pasture in Bushnell. They never did anything with the CP.

I get up to eastern Hernando county nearly every weekend and this past weekend 1170 was not on the air at all; I believe the last time I heard them on the air was in mid or late July and then it was hit and miss, off the air most of the day and then maybe on the hour for an hour or two and that has been their mode of (in)operation for about the last year. As far as what format you'll hear, the like Russian roulette, most ESPN sports, but not always.

You're right about the real estate where their tower is, being right up again I-75 and on that dirt road, a bill board is about the only thing that plot of real estate could be used for. It is too bad that 1170 can't be a full time station for southern Sumter and eastern Hernando county; as good as WVLG is, they are basically a local station for the
Villages, Leesburg and extreme south Marion county; I know I have read where they were originally licensed to Coleman, then Wildwood and their tower used to be in Wildwood, but now it's near Lake Sumter Landing in the
Sumter county portion of the Villages. (studios, in Spanish Springs. (Lake county).

Now, does anyone know about WK?? (89.3), the FM out of St. Catherines? After doing an upgrade to 4,000 watts, they were about the strongest fm signal in Ridge Manor East (U.S. 301 and s.R. 50), but they have been off the air for the last few months; they were simulcasting a religious station out of the Melbourne area.

drt