Report that CBS tentatively gets WKDN in Camden and WFSI in Annapolis, MD

[w9wi]

Family Radio doesn't need to be on the air anymore, now that the world didn't end three times and there's no new date for the world to end.

That does raise the question: what's the future for Family's non-commercial band stations?

WFME, WFSI, and WKDN are the most well-known of Family's stations. (and before that, KEAR & KECR in California, both long since sold into commercial service)

But they own 52 non-commercial FM stations, twelve AM stations, and hundreds of translators, across the country.

Now, it could very well be they intend to use the money raised from selling WFSI & WKDN (and potentially WFME) to finance the operation of the remaining network.

But if they do decide to get out of radio altogether, the sale of these 64 non-commercial stations could shake up the FM dial in a number of places well beyond Baltimore and Philadelphia.

 

[aindik]

In another thread a while back I counted up the media voices in Philly. Media voices include TV stations, radio stations, cable companies and major newspapers.

By my count there are 14 radio station owners with signals of any significance, assuming one of the 14 acquires WKDN.
Beasley
CBS
Clear Channel
Delmarva
Disney
Drexel University
Greater Media
Nassau
Radio One
Salem
Temple University
University of Pennsylvania
WBEB
WHYY

Add to that the following TV station owners that don't own radio stations:
Comcast/NBC
Fox
Tribune

And the one newspaper company.

This makes 18. I must be missing 1 (plus Family Radio makes 20) because if I'm not, CBS is over the cap with its 2 TV stations and 5 radio stations. And I'm not even sure Delmarva's and Nassau's stations count as being in the market.

Thinking about it, if you include Family Radio, and include NBC and Comcast separately (which they were back when CBS acquired its most recent property in the market) then the market was at 20.

 

[TheBigA]

By my count there are 14 radio station owners with signals of any significance, assuming one of the 14 acquires WKDN.

The FCC doesn't count an owner as one voice. Because that owner usually employs a lot of voices.

 

[aindik]

By my count there are 14 radio station owners with signals of any significance, assuming one of the 14 acquires WKDN.

The FCC doesn't count an owner as one voice. Because that owner usually employs a lot of voices.

I think it does.

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/review-broadcast-ownership-rules

Local Radio/TV Cross-Ownership. The rule imposes restrictions based on a sliding scale that varies by the size of the market: (1) in markets with at least 20 independently owned “media voices” (defined as full power TV stations and radio stations, major newspapers, and the cable system in the market) an entity can own up to two TV stations and six radio stations (or one TV station and seven radio stations); (2) in markets with at least ten independently owned “media voices” an entity can own up to two TV stations and four radio stations; and (3) in the smallest markets an entity may own two TV stations and one radio station. In all markets, an entity must comply with the local radio and local TV ownership limits.

 

[TheBigA]

20 independently owned “media voices” (defined as full power TV stations and radio stations, major newspapers, and the cable system in the market) an entity can own up to two TV stations and six radio stations (or one TV station and seven radio stations);

You didn't count cable systems.

 

[fybush]

And it should be noted that the standard doesn't require a "signal of any significance" to count as a voice, just "a radio station." Under that loose standard, Philadelphia easily exceeds 20 "voices," since everything from WPEB to WURD to WNPV to WNWR counts.

 

[Bill_W]

WTTM in Cherry Hill is another station. Verizon is another cable company in the market now.

 

[Gregg]

I'm sure 610 (WIP-AM) would be included if Family Radio were to sell 106.9 to CBS. They don't want to leave Family Radio listeners with no outlet in Market #7. If my memory is right, in every market where Family Radio gave up an FM station, it got an AM station:

--San Francisco, sold 106.9, got 610.
--San Diego, sold 93.3, got 910.
--Sacramento, sold an FM (not sure which), got 1210.

Yes, Brother Harold Camping has retired and has been discredited. But I'm sure there is a management and a staff at Family Radio that will try to continue. I'd guess there are more than 50 people on the payroll across the country, maybe more. Others on the Board of Directors might not be paid but feel they're serving God's interests. Just because the world didn't end, all those Family Radio people haven't become athiests.



Gregg
[email protected]

 

[aindik]

20 independently owned “media voices” (defined as full power TV stations and radio stations, major newspapers, and the cable system in the market) an entity can own up to two TV stations and six radio stations (or one TV station and seven radio stations);

You didn't count cable systems.

The definition says "the cable system" in the market. I'm not sure if that implies that only the dominant one in the market, or if you count more than one. If it's only one, then I already counted it because it also, now, owns a TV station.

 

[jmtillery]

Family Radio doesn't need to be on the air anymore, now that the world didn't end three times and there's no new date for the world to end.

That does raise the question: what's the future for Family's non-commercial band stations?
But if they do decide to get out of radio altogether, the sale of these 64 non-commercial stations could shake up the FM dial in a number of places well beyond Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Should Family Stations' board decide to "close shop", there are two possibilities that make the most sense regarding the NCE-FMs currently owned and operated by Family Stations:

1) sell some of the stations to a college, university, or local civic group;

or,

2) sell all the remaining stations as a group to another religious broadcaster since religious and educational broadcasting are the most common uses of FM stations in the non-com band.

 

[TheBigA]

The latter is more likely, since most colleges and civic groups have no money. Plus it serves the Family Radio agenda to keep it "within the faithful," as it were.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

My guess is, with Harold Camping now out of the way, the board of directors, or whatever the leaders there are called, will try to rebuild and if they're smart no more talk about when the world ends. The music and programming appeals to a pretty large segment of the Christian audience who want the type of music (rather than CCM music) that seems to be only available on Family Radio (the only exception I know if is Redeemer Radio available on line - Google Redeemer Radio). But they only have two or three stations and their online service. They play the same type of music as Family Radio, the preaching though is not Fundamentalist, but more Calvinist.

Apparently many people were supporting Family Radio, and probably would still, but they've got to drop the date predicting and simply preach the Gospel. Now that Camping is out of the way, they probably can get back to what they were doing prior, that made them such a large force in Christian radio.

 

[FightingIrish]

My guess is, with Harold Camping now out of the way, the board of directors, or whatever the leaders there are called, will try to rebuild and if they're smart no more talk about when the world ends. The music and programming appeals to a pretty large segment of the Christian audience who want the type of music (rather than CCM music) that seems to be only available on Family Radio (the only exception I know if is Redeemer Radio available on line - Google Redeemer Radio). But they only have two or three stations and their online service. They play the same type of music as Family Radio, the preaching though is not Fundamentalist, but more Calvinist.

Apparently many people were supporting Family Radio, and probably would still, but they've got to drop the date predicting and simply preach the Gospel. Now that Camping is out of the way, they probably can get back to what they were doing prior, that made them such a large force in Christian radio.

I've heard rumors about Family Radio scaling down, perhaps getting out of radio entirely. With Camping gone, and all that egg on their faces from those "end of the world" scares, seems like perhaps they've lost a bit of enthusiasm.

Though it's more likely that they sold the Camden and Annapolis stations because they're on the commercial band and would command more money, which they need badly (so I hear). They even specified that religious broadcasters need not bid, as I assume they would get a lot more money out of the big broadcast conglomerates.

As for smaller stations in return (like the San Francisco situation), I haven't seen anything about it. It may not even be a Philly, Baltimore or D.C. station. Perhaps, if FR wants a trade, could be a different market. But I'm guessing it's all just a straight-up sale, and one that will bring in some big money.

 

[John1]

From what I've heard on Family Radio recently they really 'moved on' after Camping left the air after his stroke in June. I heard only a fleeting reference on October 22 about the prediction of the day before not coming true. They are as Mike said concentrating on the traditional hymns and short inspirational pieces, Camping's longform talk show was replaced by music. The program director does a little 3 minute segment each day (around 7:30 am & 5 pm) to inspire people to send funds & emphasizes that 'not everyone will like every program we have' but there is no mention of a date for end times - this was Camping's view and was only pushed on his show, but as it was the only live call-in show running 50+ years it did become the 'face' of the network. The PD reads listener letters of support often from WKDN so I still think they'll keep a presence in this market.

 

[jmtillery]

My guess is, with Harold Camping now out of the way, the board of directors, or whatever the leaders there are called, will try to rebuild and if they're smart no more talk about when the world ends. The music and programming appeals to a pretty large segment of the Christian audience who want the type of music (rather than CCM music) that seems to be only available on Family Radio (the only exception I know if is Redeemer Radio available on line - Google Redeemer Radio). But they only have two or three stations and their online service. They play the same type of music as Family Radio, the preaching though is not Fundamentalist, but more Calvinist.

There are two more fundamental, evangelical religious networks that offer similar type programming that Family Radio offers, and those are Moody Bible Institute from Chicago (Moody Radio) and Bible Broadcasting Network (BBN) from Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

[jhguthlac]

Does anyone know if their shortwave station is still on the air?

 

[jmtillery]

Does anyone know if their shortwave station is still on the air?

As far as I know, WYFR HF Ockeechobee, Florida is still in service.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

If Family Radio won't sell to Moody, BBN, etc, then many markets will lose that type of Christian programming, especially in the Northeast.

 

[John1]

There is a station with some Moody programming locally, the 115 watt WBMR in Telford at 91.7, programmed by VCY America. Recently I heard them ID as "Local Christian Radio for Bucks & Montgomery Counties" followed by businesses sponsoring the station - in Michigan! Apparently this 'local voice' is a 24/7 relay of a station in the midwest. WBMR is not even mentioned on their website station list.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Interestingly, Lower Delaware (around Lewes) has a translator of BBN, but the Wilmington metro only has WXHL (CCM) and WFAI (Urban Gospel), in the market. We can get Family Radio at 106.9, and if near Newark, 94.5 WDAC Lancaster, but a 94.5 from Trenton interferes as you move closer to Wilmington.

WDAC is a good station. I had hoped that someday they'd put a translator here, but that's never happened. WVCH 740 Chester, rarely plays music, it's more of the dollar a hollar type format. They have some good music, but it's filler if they don't have a preacher to fill a time slot.

The two Salem stations from Philly WFIL and WNTP which are both talkers.

I wouldn't mind if Redeemer Radio had a station here, but they are very small with only 2-3 stations in upper NY and online, which is where I listen to them.