Saddest Farewell Broadcast You've Ever Heard/Experienced

[Bongwater]

I found this on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-uyIKn_JmI

Not sure what happened to this station or why it had to go off the air this way, but it got me pondering: What was the most painful farewell broadcast you've ever heard/experienced?

Most stations, (at least those ALLOWED to say goodbye) even in the worst possible situation go off the air with a classy or even optimistic final broadcast. But some never do.......

 

[KR4BD]

A couple of unusual "sign-offs" come to mind...

Sometime in the late 1970's, WIFE-FM 107.9 in Indianapolis lost its license due to all sorts of FCC violations along with its sister station WIFE-AM 1310. Both operated for years while appealing their case, but in the end, the FCC pulled the plug on them. WIFE-AM remained on-the-air under new management but WIFE-FM had to sign off at midnight on a particular date. Defiantly, the last song they played just before midnight when the plug was pulled was Frank Sinatra's MY WAY !

Another really sad last program I vividly remember in the late 1990's was when WHAS-840 in Louisville, KY cancelled the overnight Joe Donavan show. Joe played a tremedous selection of "oldies". The show was LIVE and he had lots of great information and trivia to go along with the music, much of which was played from his personal 45 rpm collection. WHAS for years had threatened to kill the show saying they could save money and not have to pay music licensing fees nor the salary of a LIVE DJ... Joe was very popular and was allowed to do his final show, which no one knew about until it actually happened. I really miss that program.

 

[davideduardo]

Not sure what happened to this station or why it had to go off the air this way,

WMJX did a fraudulent contest with full knowledge of management. A competitor turned them in, and they lost their license.

 

[anotherguyTN]

The saddest sign-off to me in recent years was on WNAZ 89.1 in Nashville last February. It was discussed quite a bit on the Nashville and Religious/CCM boards. Trevecca Nazarene University sold WNAZ to Bott Broadcasting, who changed the format from CHR CCM to their typical format of Christian talk. The staff was allowed to do a farewell program on the last night before Bott took over. They didn't sound sad on the air, but i'd imagine it was pretty sad behind the scenes. They did manage to get a barb in when someone said that WNAZ's final hour was brought to you by Dr. Dan Boone, the college's president, who did little or nothing to stop the sale. They signed off with Audio Adrenaline's song It's Over. I'll give Trevecca and Bott credit for allowing WNAZ to have a final farewell though, rather than just changing owners and formats unannounced loke so many stations do.

Something I've wondered when a station makes a major change if some staffers who are going to be on their way out anyway end up speaking their mind on the air about what they think about the sale, the previous or new owners, etc. I know I'd be tempted to do that. As a listener I have made my opinion known to station management at timese when they betray their listeners and change formats, even if they could care less what anyone else thinks. I guess that's part of why so many changes happen with no prior announcement.

 

[Bongwater]

The saddest sign-off to me in recent years was on WNAZ 89.1 in Nashville last February. It was discussed quite a bit on the Nashville and Religious/CCM boards. Trevecca Nazarene University sold WNAZ to Bott Broadcasting, who changed the format from CHR CCM to their typical format of Christian talk. The staff was allowed to do a farewell program on the last night before Bott took over. They didn't sound sad on the air, but i'd imagine it was pretty sad behind the scenes. They did manage to get a barb in when someone said that WNAZ's final hour was brought to you by Dr. Dan Boone, the college's president, who did little or nothing to stop the sale. They signed off with Audio Adrenaline's song It's Over. I'll give Trevecca and Bott credit for allowing WNAZ to have a final farewell though, rather than just changing owners and formats unannounced loke so many stations do.

Something I've wondered when a station makes a major change if some staffers who are going to be on their way out anyway end up speaking their mind on the air about what they think about the sale, the previous or new owners, etc. I know I'd be tempted to do that. As a listener I have made my opinion known to station management at timese when they betray their listeners and change formats, even if they could care less what anyone else thinks. I guess that's part of why so many changes happen with no prior announcement.

But that doesn't bode well for terrestrial radio overall. When a terrestrial station suddenly switches formats like that - especially if it's a unique format to the area such as Smooth Jazz, satellite and webcasters are the only ones who benefit.......

 

[davideduardo]

But that doesn't bode well for terrestrial radio overall. When a terrestrial station suddenly switches formats like that - especially if it's a unique format to the area such as Smooth Jazz, satellite and webcasters are the only ones who benefit.......

Generally, when you see a format die or pass to a lower tier of stations (rimshot FMs or AMs) it is because the format is no longer able to attract most advertisers. This is usually because the format has "aged" and the listeners are above the oldest targeted age of advertisers. This is why standards, MOR, Beautiful Music and now, smooth jazz, have disappeared from all or nearly all significant radio facilities.

 

[Bongwater]

But that doesn't bode well for terrestrial radio overall. When a terrestrial station suddenly switches formats like that - especially if it's a unique format to the area such as Smooth Jazz, satellite and webcasters are the only ones who benefit.......

Generally, when you see a format die or pass to a lower tier of stations (rimshot FMs or AMs) it is because the format is no longer able to attract most advertisers. This is usually because the format has "aged" and the listeners are above the oldest targeted age of advertisers. This is why standards, MOR, Beautiful Music and now, smooth jazz, have disappeared from all or nearly all significant radio facilities.

Actually, what I meant was the WTF whiplash average people get when their long time favorite terrestrial station suddenly flips formats without warning. They get aggravated enough to the point where they think free, over the air radio just isn't worth it anymore. And that applies to average people regardless of age or genre of format.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Not sure what happened to this station or why it had to go off the air this way,

WMJX did a fraudulent contest with full knowledge of management. A competitor turned them in, and they lost their license.

According to the recording that was on You Tube that was done by the previous owners before the owners who were forced to shut down. Why should that be held against them, unless the new owners were on paper, and the previous owners were still in control?

 

[soundsandsports]

The saddest sign-off to me in recent years was on WNAZ 89.1 in Nashville last February. It was discussed quite a bit on the Nashville and Religious/CCM boards. Trevecca Nazarene University sold WNAZ to Bott Broadcasting, who changed the format from CHR CCM to their typical format of Christian talk. The staff was allowed to do a farewell program on the last night before Bott took over. They didn't sound sad on the air, but i'd imagine it was pretty sad behind the scenes. They did manage to get a barb in when someone said that WNAZ's final hour was brought to you by Dr. Dan Boone, the college's president, who did little or nothing to stop the sale. They signed off with Audio Adrenaline's song It's Over. I'll give Trevecca and Bott credit for allowing WNAZ to have a final farewell though, rather than just changing owners and formats unannounced loke so many stations do.

Something I've wondered when a station makes a major change if some staffers who are going to be on their way out anyway end up speaking their mind on the air about what they think about the sale, the previous or new owners, etc. I know I'd be tempted to do that. As a listener I have made my opinion known to station management at timese when they betray their listeners and change formats, even if they could care less what anyone else thinks. I guess that's part of why so many changes happen with no prior announcement.

Agreed...After the Trevecca ball game I left it on 89.1 to see what they would do...it was a fitting tribute and even after the last song, I listened to a couple of minutes of static and the subsequent jury-rigging of 1160 to simulcast 89.1, and hearing that stupid under construction loop. What a way to go...

 

[KeyTimes950]

I give you the final moments of WDUQ-90.5 as Pittsburgh's Jazz station, via PBRTV ...

http://www.pbrtv.com/blog/entry_1597.php

I also recall the plug being pulled on WPIT-FM, before Salem took over that station and made it WORD-FM, still basically Christian talk on weekdays but back recently to a semblance of 'PIT's old CCM on weekends as a counter to WPKV-98.3's K-Love.

 

[kc1ih]

The final sound heard when WHDH(AM) Boston went off the air was the sound of a toilet flushing.

 

[w00t]

WLVI-56/Boston's last independent newscast

Part 1: http://youtu.be/W-zt5_gjurw
Part 2: http://youtu.be/MyjOPXuVAI0

 

[flashback]

Not sure what happened to this station or why it had to go off the air this way,

WMJX did a fraudulent contest with full knowledge of management. A competitor turned them in, and they lost their license.

According to the recording that was on You Tube that was done by the previous owners before the owners who were forced to shut down. Why should that be held against them, unless the new owners were on paper, and the previous owners were still in control?

that is a very good question.