Spring Book Surprises

[WTUX]

Some surprising results in the Wilmington Spring Book.

Both WDEL and WSTW scored strong gains, with WDEL moving into the Top Ten. How much is the effect of Live/Local and how much is the good first half of the season for the Fightin' Phillies? WDEL also had a good billboard campaign.

WSTW's move to first was a shocker, combined with WJBR's drop to third. So much for Jill's impact. Losing her helped Dana and hurt Michael, apparently (of course we would need to see the morning drive numbers to really determine that).

Interesting that WILM's drop is mirrored by WPHT's increase. That is hard to explain, unless it is simply diary placement. And like WDEL, WPHT would be airing Phillies ball games some afternoons in the Spring, pre-empting Rush and Hannity.

WPPZ continues to score well with Gospel music fans. So much for the AM NJ Gospel station that thinks it is in Wilmington.

And last but not least. WNWK. Mexican music is allowing 1260 in Newark to do something Vince could never do by trying to raise WAMS from the dead. It appeared in the ratings! Drastically improving the audio has helped. WNWK lives, WAMS continues to be dead.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Now having the perspective to view this as an outsider, given the book to book fluctuations that happen in the Wilmington market, Arbitron ratings appear to the almost useless except for bragging rights every six months.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

That is quite telling about WNWK. AM1260 hasn't shown in the ratings for years (it was then WNRK, 1260 WAMS never showed). Apparently there is a market for Hispanic radio in the Wilmington area. So it may be that Newark's 1260 AM has been given a new lease on life as it reinvented itself to serve an underserved audience. So I guess that means that more people are listening to WNWK than WWTX the Ticket as they still show no presence on the 12+ numbers.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

The WILM drop and the WPHT increase. It would be interesting to see when those decreases occur for WILM and when the increases occur for WPHT. I can understand WDEL's increase as their overall product has improved and has become far more consistant. As a former WILM employee it saddens me to see WDEL take over and become what WILM was in it's "glory" days when the news was king at 1450.

A side bar to this comment, when I applied at WILM, I had also applied at WDEL for a weekend gig. Both were hiring, WDEL had the nicer facility, but basically you were a board op who wrote news stories for a 5 minute newscasts sandwiched between satellite shows; where as at WILM back then you worked in a very old, run down building that used equipment that I used as a broadcaster on Armed Forces Radio during Viet Nam, but at WILM you were a reporter, who anchored an hour or two hour newsblock where I eventually even had an opportunity to host a talk show for 3 years( Allan was a good guy to work for and he would allow you to grow with the job. At that time WILM offered the more challenging opportunity, which I took. Today, it's completely reversed. The opportunity seems to be at WDEL.

Of course, Allan had a lot to do with that at WILM and of course he's now at WDEL and his touch is heard at 1150. Interestingly CBS radio was at WILM under Loudell and now CBS radio is at WDEL. Granted WILM via CC dropped CBS for Fox Radio giving WDEL the opportunity to pick up CBS which they did. My guess is that WDEL is becoming the "reliable" news station as they at least are making attempts to have someone at WDEL more often doing live radio newscasts than WILM does. There's nothing wrong with the newscasts WILM airs, but the earlier recorded newscapsule they use during Rush is obviously recorded and lacks the more details given during the live WDEL newscasts.

I know AM is dead, but for those who still listen to AM in Wilmington, it seems that WDEL is becoming the place for the local news. WILM, on the other hand is becoming more of an entertainment station as they've become the place for the national talkers Rush, Hannity, Savage, Bohanann, and Levin, plus the weekend satellite shows they offer. So both serve the community, but as WILM was the choice for tuning in to catch some local news on weekends, WDEL is pulling away from WILM and becoming that choice. One takes more work and probably more money (WDEL's product) vs being on the bird and in automation (WILM's more recent product). Interestingly, I hear very few spots on WILM and a bunch of the same PSA's over and over vs WDEL has actual spots. Either WILM's sales force stinks or local advertisers see more potential for their ads being on WDEL as my guess is the rate isn't all that different for each station. So my only conclusion (and I have no basis for this thought) is that WILM makes its money for CC by airing those national shows clearing Wilmington as an additional market for the national spots which by some perverse way gives money to CC, so they don't have to rely on local spots as WDEL does.

In any case, both serve the community, but one is becoming the place to turn for local news/traffic/weather updates and the other is the place to be entertained. Neither is wrong, just a shift from what they were.

 

[WTUX]

I am amazed at 1260 appearing. The last time WNRK appeared was when standards were playing and the morning show was pulling 2+ (I will avoid mentioning who the morning host was!). Oldies worked for awhile bringing in cash, but it never brought in listeners. Obviously, advertisers eventually catch on if they are gving you ad dollars with no return sales-wise.

Ads heard on WILM versus WDEL can be a bit hard to gage. DBC has a great package to offer when compared with CC. You, as a business owner, can chose a package that gives you WSTW plus WDEL. Or, you can pick WILM plus WWTX and WRDX or WDSD. Which are you going to pick? WDEL/WSTW. The DBC sales reps can offer a better product with better deals than can the CC reps. Many of the WDEL ads are probably WSTW buys with WDEL thrown in. And some can be Phillie's buys with additional spots thrown in for outside-the game airing (that is a normal package).

Last year, I noticed a number of ads on WILM for Middletown and Elkton area businesses. They were probably WDSD buys with WILM thrown in. An intersting point is they did not continue. It was a one shot buy. Rush and Hannity bring in listeners but not ad dollars in NCC. They were never money makers for WDEL just as Rush brought nothing to WILM the first time they ran him.

WWTX still not appearing is not a mystery. Look at Philly and WPEN. Look at NYC and WEPN. ESPN-Radio and Fox Sports do not bring in the audience when you have a live/local sports station in the market. I have heard people around here talk about "The Ticket" so I know there are listeners. But there are not enough, and 1290 is not their first station of choice. WDEL and WILM have the advantage of being first choices, as is KYW. You tune to those first, then switch to your music or sports station. Both WIP and WFAN have an advantage of being first with many listeners who may stay all day, or they are first before a switch to N/T or music. In NYC, WEPN (ESPN flagship) is countering by putting Warner Wolf (a NYC fav who is also on with Imus on WABC) on for 10 minutes prior to the ESPN Mike & Mike show. They believe even 10 minutes of Warner live/local will give them a boost. If CC had a well known local sports person they could throw on for, let's say an hour before the Fox morning show, it might help. Otherwise, WWTX is dead.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

WNRK had a great format during that time period and apparently the listeners liked it. I know I enjoyed my time as a weekender, both working for you and later for Ed Paolini. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. However, who knows, maybe this will be a new exciting chapter for Newark's AM1260.

You make a good point about WDEL/WSTW and WILM/WDSD. Personally I prefer WDSD as I like Country music better than WSTW's music, but when you look at the 12+ numbers, it's a no brainer. Way more of NCC listeners are tuning in to WSTW than to WDSD. I could also see DBC having a package with all three WDEL/WSTW/WXCY as I do hear NCC ads often on 103.7, which would give the advertiser an even bigger bang for their ad dollar.

Unfortunately for CC Delaware, they only have WILM and WWTX (AM1290) as real Wilmington stations as WDSD is a Dover station and they come across as such. My guess is the CC sales folks also package WILM/WDOV/WDSD together or WDOV/WDSD/WRDX. I'm surprised that CC didn't try to buy out WJBR back when they bought out AM 1290 which was WJBR- AM at that time. Then CC would have been in the same level playing field (WILM/WJBR-FM) as DBC with WDEL/WSTW.

All I know is when I listen to WDSD I hear many real spots where as when I tune in to WILM and WWTX I hear mostly PSA's other than the national spots or make good spots from the network, etc.

Speaking of PSA's as WILM and WWTX air so many, you'd think they'd try to get more so rotation would take longer. Also, their locally produced PSA's still use an annoying little jingle that features a Hammond Organ, so it's a dead give away that it is a local PSA. Especially when they air two or three of them back to back. You get to hear that same little jingle each time. Also quite often the person speaking is not from the station as they speak very poorly and slur their words, use poor grammar, etc, making it sound very unprofessional. I've never noticed a poorly produced PSA at WDEL.

It would be interesting to hear if WDOV gets more local spots during Limbaugh and Hannity vs WILM that doesn't do very well spot wise during his show. It would make sense that WILM/WDEL never were able to sell Rush as NCC is a BLUE county where as Kent and Sussex are both RED counties where WDOV might be able to sell Rush with no problem.

I was vacationing in Rehoboth a couple of weeks ago and listened to Rush on Rehoboth's FM talker (WGMD). They had plenty of local spots during Rush. The difference between them and WILM spot wise was very obvious. Another interesting thing about the FM talker in Rehoboth, they had a local talk show in the morning (during the time that John Watson and Al Messetti are on) where he was all alone in the station. No call screener. I called in, during a news/spot break, the phone rang and rang with no one answering. I finally hung up after about 3 minutes. When he went back on the air with his show, I tried again and I was put immediately on hold (no one said a word to me, just put on hold) so I could hear the show via the phone. Then when it was my turn, he put me on the air and we talked. He had plenty of callers. His show had plenty of local spots. So it would seem that both live and local as well as Rush talk is doing well financially in Rehoboth.

With WWTX, it would be interesting to see if they pull in a larger audience during the one live and local show they have from 3pm - 6pm vs the rest of the day when they are Fox Sports Radio (not counting Blue Rocks and other local sports venues).

 

[WTUX]

WGMD has always had a big spot load. I remember Al & I talking rather grossly about the things they could sell! (nothing vulger-just men-talk!). Their sales reps could sell any program.

Going back a few years, when CC was operating under a differnt name and a differnent ownership structure, they did own both WJBR-AM and FM. They had to give up the FM due to the FCC ownership rule that included the share of listeners you could have in any one market.

At that time ratings were interesting. That was when WJBR-AM was Standards. If the FM went to number one, the AM dropped and WDEL increased in the ratings. If WSTW went to number one, WDEL went down and WJBR-AM moved up. Bottome line: if one DBC station moved up the other dropped with the other CC station moving up. WJBR going up was compensated by the other dropping and the other DBC moving up.

I am not implying anything here! But I watched this for years. Always the same results. WJBR-FM being sold by various corporate groups, then going to Beasley, changed the local structure. Now its more a WJBR-WSTW and WDEL-WILM war, with 3 owners involved. The lack of the Farley owned WAMS and the ARC owned WNRK has had a small, but noticable impact. If the Mexican format were on 1290 rather than 1260, it would be interesting to see how that would work in NCC. That 2500 watts could have a major impact on the ratings, as the Hispanic population increases in NCC.

Another radio geek observation. If WAMS had not given up their FM license and WTUX had not lost theirs due to a gambling issue (WTUX's FM frequency was 99.5!) I wonder how much different the NCC radio landscape may be (not to mention KYW/WRCV-FM now WXTU!).

 

[jimwalsh2001]

If WAMS had not given up their FM license and WTUX had not lost theirs due to a gambling issue (WTUX's FM frequency was 99.5!) I wonder how much different the NCC radio landscape may be (not to mention KYW/WRCV-FM now WXTU!).

I'd always heard that it was WAMS that held, then gave away 99.5. Details?

 

[MikefromDelaware]

So, that means that the Wilmington market should have had 3 FM's not 2 as both WAMS and WTUX, plus WDEL had FM licenses? What about WILM?

 

[WTUX]

Both WAMS and WTUX came on the war in the post WW2 days of 1947-48. At that time, new AM's, particularly the new "daylight only stations", were frequently given an FM also. WAMS actually used theirs during the couple of hours per day they had to shut down the AM due to a grandfathered religious outlet in NJ that only operted a couple of hours per day. Listeners of WAMS would be told to tune to their FM frequency for those hours. When the NJ station sharing situation ended, the FM transmitter was shut off forever.

WTUX never used the FM allocation. An issue regarding airing race results, before the race had been offically declared, presented a legal problem! Since WTUX was the first station in the city to hire minorities and air ethnic programming, when the FCC theatened to shut 'em down, the ethnic communities (African-American, Polish, Greek, etc.) fought for owner Gordon MacIntosh. He got to keep his AM, but lost the FM. This incident made Gordon move very conservative in his programming. What had been a pop station, much like WILM, went to Beautiful Music by the late 50's. He tried to avoid any controversy, but he remained true to the ethnic communities that had fought for him.

Since WDEL and WILM were co-owned during the early days, I don't think there was any serious thought given to a WILM FM allocation (never heard or read of this, anyway).

 

[MikefromDelaware]

Thanks for the history lesson, quite interesting.

 

[DaveWilliams]

Jim

WAMS started out as a 4 tower directional with 1000 watts, don't believe they had to sign off when the WBNX/WAWZ sharing took place, They used an E F Johnson/Western Electric phaser (which was still in use for the night pattern til the place shut down). The craziness came in the 60's when they got 5000 watts day, they had a pattern for when WAWZ was on and another when WBNX was on plus having to install a 5th tower. When the sharing stopped with WAWZ/WBNX (later WKDM), WAMS was able to go on the better of the 2 patterns. When the WAWZ pattern was on, they could write off Claymont!

WILM FM was granted either 96.1 or 103.3 but was never put on the air.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

So if I'm reading all this history correctly, Wilmington should have 4 FMs not 2. Think how much more variety and competition we'd have in this market if we had WSTW, WJBR, WAMS-FM, and WILM-FM. It sure would have helped CC Delaware as they don't really have a Wilmington FM. It's a shame that owners of WTUX, WAMS, and WILM were so short sighted. Wilmington radio history would have been very different. It's a shame that the FCC didn't save those allocations for Wilmington use rather than allowing them to be absorbed into the Philly market.

Same with TV. Channel 12 formerly channel 7, and channel 61 should have had to stay as real Wilmington stations, not become Philly wannabes. This market has been very underserved in both radio and TV. The FCC really looked out for our city's best interest.

 

[WTUX]

Dave, I am actually pretty certain about the WAMS story. I was told it by the dj who was on the air when the off-air time would take place - Dick Holmes. Dick left WILM for a spell and went to work at the new WAMS AM & FM, the new Mutual affiliate for Delaware. WAMS-FM was also advertised as a 20kw station (I assume ERP, not the xmtr). If I am remembering correctly (you know my age!) the frequency was the 96.1 you mention. Wilmington definitely had three allocations in the late 40's: 93.7, 96.1 and 99.5.
I am curious about the 103.3 you mention. I wonder if it was a possilbe allocation for Wilmington. I have found nothing on it, except a mention in the old White's Radio Log, that had it as a Philly frequency.

On the old WAMS, it is interesting that Don Mattewson, Dick Holmes & Charlie Collins all seemed to circulate between WAMS, WILM and then WTUX. I remember just a few years before I went there, Don did the morning show, Dick mid-days and Charlie Collins did the old "1290 Club." Don had worked mornings at WAMS, before "Wake Up with Willie".

 

[WTUX]

I got confirmation from Dick Holmes that WAMS-FM was 96.1. Now, if someone could remember the last piece of the puzzle.

 

[DaveWilliams]

The last WAMS FM frequency was 99.5 before it went dark then later picked up by Jack Reynolds for what was to become WJBR. There was a ton of paper work in the files where WAMS had reapplied for 96.1 but was denied, probably by the start up of WGCB FM in Red Lion and the monster signal they had (and still do as WSOX)

 

[WTUX]

Thanks for that piece of the puzzle, Dave. I couldn't seem to remember where 96.1 had gone. Dick Holmes remembers hearing that WILM also considered 99.5, but decided against it. Isn't hind-sight great!

After losing 96.1, I can see where Rollins may have had trouble getting 99.5. But with all of his political connections, it is still a surprise that Rollins could not pull it off and a gas station owner could!

I wish we could get Delaware's radio history written down in one place (i.e. web site). Dick Holmes and the Olde Wilmington web sites have some info, news clippings, surveys, etc. Philly's Broadcast Pioneers has the history of WDEL-TV and the various stages of Channels 7 and 12. But remaining radio folks of Dick Holmes' generation are few. You and I know what we have heard or read, but the filings of newspaper clippings at WTUX and probably WAMS also are gone. Someone could go through the films of the News-Journal at the U of D library, I suppose. But the "I was there when it happened" stories are disappearing. As an engineer, you probably know more of the "behind the scenes" stuff than anyone around. I doubt that Brandt Boylan or any other of the engineers from that era are still with us. I'd hate to lose this history.

 

[cooptulsa]

Thanks for the memories! South Jersey native, 27 yr Okie wantin' to get back to the coast...trying to talk Dean Tyler out of retirement to revive WAMS. Guess I still dream of my childhood listening!!

Where is Mr. Goodwill? WDEL in the 60s...callout contest fifteen minutes a day...know how much money there was to give away (maxxed at about 12 bucks, I think...) and you won it. Listeners never on the air; probably wise!

 

[MikefromDelaware]

I was at the WDEL studios one day and saw a great photo display of the station's history. "Mr. Goodwill with cash on the line" (aka Harvey Smith) had been doing that show since the 1940's (back at that time he had a studio audience). I met Mr. Smith at a charity event we both were attending, he was the guest speaker. A very nice person. He had a distinctive voice. I was interested in his theme music. He said it was a transcription recording that some studio band recorded back in the 1940's. He had no other copy of it and it was unique to his show, which he used up till the show stopped. I would have loved to have gotten a copy of that song (I'm in to old music). If I remember correctly, Mr. Smith was a VP for Delmarva Broadcasting. I believe Harvey Smith passed away some years ago. I also remembering that the amount of cash given away wasn't very much, but in spite of that, the show seemed to be popular (obviously had a long run, a Wilmington broadcast tradition).

 

[WTUX]

And if you did not know the amount of money, you still won somthing: "a crisp new one dollar bill"!

I loved that big-band-sounding theme song when I was a kid.

Even in the late-50's and early 60's, the show had a live audience, when Mr. Goodwill broadcast live (on Tuesday's or Thursday's I think) from the long-gone Hotel Rodney. And you got free "Huber Egg Donuts" if you were there for the broadcast.

For 10 minutes or so before that show, WDEL had the Horn and Harducts (spelling is wrong I know) "Do You Remember?" show. I think the feature was an old song or something along that line.