Still off the air

[WTUX]

We are now into day 3 of WAMS being off the air. I guess we can call this their latest format change.Didn't someone remind the boss to pay the electric bill?

 

[fred flintstone]

Maybe somebody called in a requested "The Sounds of Silence." :

 

[Radioeng500]

WAMS will be back on ASAP. We have re-located to a new tower site for better coverage of the city of license. Just check the FCC site for the STA information.

 

[odomski]

When the station returns to the air, what will the format du jour be this week?

 

[Radioeng500]

Spanish

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

I think I know who RadioEng500 is. He seems to know a little too much about WAMS and WRJE.

 

[Radioeng500]

Good for you!

 

[MikefromDelaware]

As much as I personally liked their brand of Oldies and would hate to see 1260 WAMS change their format again, maybe they'll actually make money serving the growing Hispanic audience which doesn't have any local station for Hispanic advertisers to buy air time. As some have said, AM radio is niche, or specialty radio now. That underserved group, probably wouldn't get picky about the quality of the jocks or production, or the fact that it is a low powered AM station, etc, etc, they'd probably just be glad to have a station that plays their music, and speaks their language and has spots aimed at them. Could be a financial winner.

 

[fred flintstone]

Could be a financial winner.

Don't hold your breath.

While Arbitron reports 17% of the Wilmington market's population is Black, Hispanic and Asian populations are negligible.

Spanish language stations ARE available in the Wilmington (in some areas with better signals than 1260 from Newark).
690AM
1310AM
1680AM

None has ever registered in the Arbitron numbers. Then again, neither has 1260AM.

Anybody want to make book on (1) How long this format will last? (2) What the next format will be?

 

[OldNumber7]

... they'd probably just be glad to have a station that plays their music, and speaks their language and has spots aimed at them. Could be a financial winner.

I've always thought that if someone forced me to own and run 1260, Spanish would be the format. The trick is bypassing the local businesses and going directly to select national advertisers (sorta like the way the AM lightbulb sports station in Baltimore gets the big beer companies and others on a station few people can hear. The owner makes good money with no ratings -- but he and his people hussle with those national connections). The on-air talent would have to make part of their livings selling in exchange for a fair amount of programming freedom; maybe it could even be a pure brokered time thing. What would be ideal is a tower closer to the farms in Hockessin/Kennett with a repeater or low power FM simulcast for Wilmington's Hilltop neighborhood. Just a thought...

 

[Radioeng500]

The new cell tower for WAMS is on the Kirkwood Highway, closer to downtown Newark. This will give WAMS better coverage into Avondale, PA. (Big Spanish population)

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

I don't understand why the station would go spanish, that's not the indication I got ...

 

[fred flintstone]

You put your finger on the problem.

Nobody can understand anything they've done - or why they don't stick with anything long enough to give it a chance.

How many different formats? Oldies. Standards. Oldies. Gospel. Oldies. Spanish. What else?

Now they are not even programming for the market in which they are located but for the mushroom capital of the world. Of course, the University of Delaware was founded up there and moved to Newark. Now a Newark station will be programmed for Southern Chester County.

 

[Rockin Rob]

Next format....

ALL SATELLITE: picking up ABC Stardust, WW1's adult MOR offering, or MOYL....


"Stardust 1260 - the station memories are made of!"

 

[fred flintstone]

Next format....

ALL SATELLITE: picking up ABC Stardust, WW1's adult MOR offering, or MOYL....


"Stardust 1260 - the station memories are made of!"

I vaguely recall that they did Adult Standards briefly - which is the only way they do any format - after 1290AM flipped to sports. Nothing to keep them from revisiting the same format more than once (they've done that before, too). Maybe the owner should ask his doc for an Rx for one of those ADD meds. : Maybe this is a short attention span problem.

Rockin' Rob/Bob Altimari
South Jersey Correspondent
The Radio Racket

Still a "Radio Racket Correspondent?" It didn't sound like it.
I thought you'd jumped over to RJ.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

They've been off the air due to the fact their line from Verizon wasn't installed at the new site properly. They've been getting lots of emails from listeners telling them they miss the station and want it back on real soon!

 

[ixnay]

[quote ] Now a Newark station will be programmed for Southern Chester County.

[/quote]

The part of Chesco I call "Mexylvania." ;D Heck, my stepdad sometimes went down there on business back in the fifties and there were Hispanics in that corridor even then.

If 1260 is indeed aiming at southern Chesco, it'd better ID itself as something like "WAMS Newark/Kennett Square/Oxford." No mention of Wilmington in the legal.

ixnay

 

[WTUX]

Just a note of interest. The reason given by the owner for why they are off the air is that a lightning strike blew out the transmitter and they are waiting for parts. No mention of tranmitter move, phone problems, Spanish, etc. Somtimes just checking with Vince himself can help, but of course that is much less interesting than spreading rumors.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

WTUX:

I certainly agree, people would rather guess and spread rumors then go to the source.. just like you AND *I* did!

Paul