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STATION SOLD IN SAINT AUGUSTINE

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ok walters

Guest
cflradio.net is reporting that Kevin Geddings has purchased silent WSOS 1170 AM in Saint Augustine for $75,000. The station is a daytimer with 710 watts, running from a tower near the outlet malls. Geddings is the ex-husband of Kris Phillips, who owns 1240 WFOY and 1420 WAOC in Saint Augustine. She does a fabulous job with her stations - it will be interesting to see if this purchase affects her in any way.

Geddings was most recently the GM at WROD in Daytona.
 
Wow! A "His vs. Hers" radio war? ;D

That could be The Ultimate Family Feud.... or it could turn out to be a text-book example of Mutual Respect. I would root for the latter. Many people who choose not to remain married do continue their lives with a healthy, respectfuly relationship.
 
Rumor has it that WSOS AM, which was dark, will soon sign on with an oldies format which will be a good fit with the St. Augustine demographic. There is also a rumor that WSOS will have a translator in the market within a short period of time. This will certainly heat up the scramble for local revenues and the fornmat with the addition of FM should give Gettings the upper hand. The one good thing is there should be no family fighting since this is not competitive with the wife who owns WFOY and WAOC. We'll see what happens over the next few months.
 
The station that was Spanish for years then off the air for an extended period would have the "upper hand" in revenue battles? Sorry - try again. He is up against a pair of long term AM stations in the area (WFOY 1240 has been on the air since the 1930's) and a new FM in 105.5 and will face a severe uphill battle. Also, WFOY has already purchased a FM translator for 1240 and is in the process of moving it to their tower site as we speak. I would bet that WFOY 1240 has a translator on air before WSOS does - she has one already and WSOS is "rumored" to be getting one, so you make the call. Unless there is some info we don't know about, WSOS will struggle against the local competition. The one he does have going for him is a pretty low entry price, so the monthly nut shouldn't be too bad.

As far as not being competitive with the ex-wife - that is crazy. How can adding another AM station into the mix in a town the size of Saint Augustine not create a competitive situation? It has to - there are only so many radio dollars for all to share, so now the pie will be sliced with one more slice.

There is a station in Atlantic Beach WZNZ 1600 that has been playing oldies on AM for six months and you can count the local sponsors on one hand, so we will see. I wish them all the best of luck though as that would be a pretty cool format to hear on AM again.
 
My money is on the existing stations - with or without a FM translator first. No way WSOS goes from Spanish/off the air to a player anytime soon.
 
Walters I hear ya! I agree that a station that has been off the air for the length of time that WSOS AM has been and in a Spanish format. I also feel that a good operator with the right format, the right amount of promotion, and a real desire to win could. Yes the old line stations have the upper hand in the fact they have been in their formats for a long time and are known in the market. From what I have heard on the stream these stations need help and a good operator could steal their tunder! Just saying.
 
It's going to take more than a good operator and some promotion to revive that low power daytimer. The daytimer restrictions will be a real issue, as very few people who listen today are used to the station signing off each evening. Can't think of too many daytimers that are still operational at this point - they had been hit harder than regular 24/7 AM stations have for sure.

Phillips runs her stations pretty well I think. Sure there are some glitches and some local shows that are weak, but overall she does a good job. 1240 actually drew a rating in Jacksonville despite not being audible in most of the metro area, so there are some positives there for sure. She is profitable and has been for quite a while - WSOS is a long way from that point.
 
It definitely would be a neat format to see if done right. WZNZ 1600 in Atlantic Beach is trying this, but with a straight satellite feed of True Oldies Channel since about June of the year.
 
ok walters said:
It's going to take more than a good operator and some promotion to revive that low power daytimer. The daytimer restrictions will be a real issue, as very few people who listen today are used to the station signing off each evening. Can't think of too many daytimers that are still operational at this point - they had been hit harder than regular 24/7 AM stations have for sure.

Phillips runs her stations pretty well I think. Sure there are some glitches and some local shows that are weak, but overall she does a good job. 1240 actually drew a rating in Jacksonville despite not being audible in most of the metro area, so there are some positives there for sure. She is profitable and has been for quite a while - WSOS is a long way from that point.
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If you look at the FCC website, I believe the new owner of WSOS AM has either acquired, or is in the process of acquiring, a companion FM translator to make the daytimer full time on FM. So, in several months, you will most likely see WFOY AM on FM, and WSOS AM on FM. Given the size of St. Augustine and it's nearby "suburbs", the translators should, in theory, work very well! :)
 
Any new developments with the St. Augustine "family saga" regarding the WSOS translator and that of WFOY. Rumor has it that Phillips is searching for a second translator to pair up with their second AM in the market? That might change the playing field in St. Augustine.
 
nuffsaid said:
Any new developments with the St. Augustine "family saga" regarding the WSOS translator and that of WFOY. Rumor has it that Phillips is searching for a second translator to pair up with their second AM in the market? That might change the playing field in St. Augustine.
Click to expand...

Phillips Broadcasting, owner of WFOY-AM 1240 and WAOC-AM 1420, as of today, 11/21/2012, has an application on file with the FCC to purchase Class D translator W243AW 96.5 FM, currently located in Middleburg, FL., from Reach Communications. I would expect a companion application to re-locate the translator to St. Augustine, or to an adjacent community, soon. Happy Thanksgiving! :)
 
OK Guys and Ladies...I don't see how we can have a discussion about radio in St. Augustine, without the slightest mention of WYRE-FM. Not an LPFM or translator, WYRE-FM is 25,000 watts at 105.5, covering the entire county, and the corridor between Daytona and Jacksonville. WFOY alledgely will simulcast its spoken word format onto the FM dial, and when 1170 puts its FM signal on, it will be an outgrowth of what it plans to program on the AM side. Neither radio station will compete head to head for the audience and revenues presently being garnered by WYRE-FM, and having worked and sold in this city for 14 months, I know what's left.
 
fennessy said:
OK Guys and Ladies...I don't see how we can have a discussion about radio in St. Augustine, without the slightest mention of WYRE-FM. Not an LPFM or translator, WYRE-FM is 25,000 watts at 105.5, covering the entire county, and the corridor between Daytona and Jacksonville. WFOY alledgely will simulcast its spoken word format onto the FM dial, and when 1170 puts its FM signal on, it will be an outgrowth of what it plans to program on the AM side. Neither radio station will compete head to head for the audience and revenues presently being garnered by WYRE-FM, and having worked and sold in this city for 14 months, I know what's left.
Click to expand...

How is everything at WYRE? I wish you the best!
 
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