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The Am-to-FM trend moves to Chapel Hill

R

RadioDaze

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2011/09/23/chapel-hill-to-get-new-fm-radio-station.html

Triangle Business Journal reports that Chapel Hill's WCHL is purchasing FM translator W253AZ in Creedmoor (98.5) from Liberty University with plans to move it to Chapel Hill at 97.9 (with a new W250__ call sign certain to follow). WCHL, which mixes a Chapel Hill-focused format of news and UNC sports with syndicated liberal talk, broadcasts 5,000 watts non-directional on 1360 during the day, but their 1,000-watt nighttime signal is directional to the southeast to protect Cincinnati's WSAI.
 
Even little WCHL in the Republic of Chapel Hill gets it - AM is dying.

In Raleigh, Curtis Media should have moved WPTF-AM over to FM 8-9 years ago (or at least started simulcasting on FM). Probably would have saved them millions in lost revenue and lessened the ratings blow they felt when losing Limbaugh. How in the world didn't they see this coming? Would be a totally different landscape had 'PTF moved to FM.

The smart radio operators began moving their News/Talkers to FM over the past 5-8 years. Heck some groups are moving Sports AM stations to FM! Recently in Philadelphia and in the Triangle Capitol's 99.9 The Fan within the past 3 years.
Noone at CMG had the foresight? You would have thought they could see this trend. AM transmitters are just running up the electric bill!
 
mike, yes, AM is dying...or least, that's what people say.
personally, regarding RL, when all of his affiliates in GA/NC/SC/TN/VA were AM,
i could pick up a signal everywhere in NC except in the Asheville tunnels. now that RL is FM is certain markets,
that signal craps out somewhere close to 40 miles from the antenna. (beach or mountains, it depends. *Beech Mountain* lame pun)
so...AM worked for me during the Last Millennium, and FM can't modulate through two segments breaks while i'm do 65 (yeah, right)
on I-40. if this keeps up, the Feds will just sell the AM band to Apple/Google/whatever.
 
Being on FM would not have helped Curtis lose Rush or Hannity on either WPTF or WSJS. Clear Channel, who owns they syndicator (Premiere) wanted the shows for their own stations.
 
Rufone said...

The smart radio operators began moving their News/Talkers to FM over the past 5-8 years. Heck some groups are moving Sports AM stations to FM! Recently in Philadelphia and in the Triangle Capitol's 99.9 The Fan within the past 3 years.
Noone at CMG had the foresight? You would have thought they could see this trend. AM transmitters are just running up the electric bill!

Just putting an AM on an FM signal won't guarantee success. 25-54 - WRDU is in 11th place WITH RUSH, WCMC is 15th, and WZTK is out of the top 15. The Triad's FM talks aren't doing well either.

Now, there is WUNC which does really well in the ratings with great content, yet no commercials, no traffic reports, barely any weather. and no yelling! Maybe commercial News/Talk needs to rethink what's important. Hannity, or any talk host, and traffic and weather together every five minutes is not working that well in Raleigh-Durham.
 
WUNC (IMO) does well (numbers) because:
1. older demographics. they still use radio on a daily basis.
2. older demographics. they talk with telephone surveyors.
3. older blah blah blah. they *PAY* for WUNC.
 
WUNC's audience is not that old. They are 4th in the money (advertisers) demo. Rush Radio is 11th. And, yes they do sell ads (underwriting they call it).
 
yes. you're right.
WUNC demos are not 'that' old.
since 79 is the current life expectancy:
39/40 is the Middle of middle-aged and
WUNC is right there in the butter zone.
 
I don't know what 'the butter zone' is. However, I do know many 30 and 40 somethings listen to NPR. If, for no other reason, than it's being some sort of 'status' symbol. I do believe many older people listen, as well. However, with it's 'progressive' political stand, I believe the audience may be younger than that of 'traditional' public radio. No matter the reason, UNC's ratings are quite impressive! They are a well-programmed, well-branded station.
 
The "butter zone" is what we used to call an areo of Wisconsin where I did radio with the likes of Showtime Sonny Tunrer and the Real Larry Steele! We did it on AM and were kinds!!!!! :p :p :p :) ;) :D ;D ;D ;D But seriously, they were great guys and we all sounded good and that's what were all trying to do when we go up on the air and that is why some stations do better than toethers because they are better to listen to and listeners like that and that makes the ratings higher. Don't forget when the ratings g o up so does the money intake revenues. ;) ;D ;D ;D
 
WUNC is indeed a good station. Figures-wise, WUNC and WFDD duke it out (no pun intended) in the GSO-WS-HP market - and that's even when WUNC disappears west of Kernersville.
 
WUNC reaches Winston-Salem. It's the best Raleigh-Durham market signal in Winston-Salem and is a better signal than WXRI.

I posted this in the other thread, but I believe most of WUNC's ratings and fundraising is due to UNC Chapel Hill. Move it to another university and I don't think it will show in the Triad ratings.
 
WUNC-FM is now the westernmost of the big Raleigh-Durham FM signals since WKSL 93.9 and WDCG 105.1 left Terrel's Mountain for the old WLFL-TV tower in Apex a few years ago (with WKSL relicensing from Burlington to Cary and WDCG dropping a class and 1/4 of its power in the process).
 
Will this mean WCHL (AM) will no longer exist?. If they do exist what could they use for a format?
Perhaps "Liberal Talk Radio" ::)
 
WCHL will continue to exist, and it will broadcast on 1360. By the rules, the translator will be a 100% simulcast and identified three times a day. Otherwise, I suppose most peoples' perception will be that WCHL is a small FM station and they won't even be aware that the AM signal exists....

Later...
 
"most people" don't use radio. the median age (not the average) for the US is 37.
the WUNC book is good because it hits the median 'target rich environment'.
compare to newspapers which attempted to attract everyone when they
should have drilled down to their core subscribers to increase revenue.
newspapers/magazines are 'niche'. so is radio. next up...TV.
 
IN 2006 I spent almost half a year on a press install in the Triad, and Raleigh/Durham radio is indeed
unlike any other. If "AM is moving to FM" is a contagious disease, I almost say R/D was patient zero.

There were very few places in the US where there was as little to listen to on the AM (for me).
I DO remember occaisional bright moments, but it was one of the first places I've ever travelled, and found so little
I enjoyed on AM.

Raleaigh/Durham is an oddly segregated market, by the modern magic of zoning.
Economics have neatly isolated pockets of urban poverty while letting woods buffer areas of commerce, business
or industry. Those with money to spend continue to fill and swell the growing middle "area' between,
in the triad/airport area.

The contrived "towne centre street" mall thingy that tries to be a city street completely gives me the willies.
It had a Bose store on it. That's where I first found out how truly awful the
Bose radios are on AM, with their ancient telephone landline fidelity.
I can't remember the exact name of the place, but as a Chicagoan, it was NOT like being on a
busy city street, it is like being in a amusement park.

Very much a place of two different worlds, and it is easy to see "this area abandonded" defined in
the way parts of the downtowns look, and by the way the AM band sounded.

Put another way, in R/D FM is that "new development/suburb/growth" place, whereas
AM is " I don't what you're gonna do about your ghettos and slums, mister, but just look at them "
 
"The Streets at Southpoint and Main Street" is the place. I live in Durham and don't go more than I have to. When they opened in 2002, one longtime Durham mall died a quick death and at least two other area malls, University and Northgate, were negatively impacted.

Very interesting observations on Raleigh/Durham AM, Tom. I'm really sprprised the national trend of AM-to-FM didn't begin here, or at least get here earlier--you've got a young-trending, technologically savvy population with lots of sprawl into areas outside the local AM signals--even the mighty 50,000-watt WPTF begins to fall short north of Raleigh. With the exception of Christian teaching/talk, most all of the formats that are usually found on AM have found their way to FM around these parts over the past 15 years:

1997, black gospel on WNNL
2003, regional mexican on WYMY
2004, talk on WZTK
2009, sports on WCMC
2010, the big-name syndicated talkers on WRDU

Not to mention NPR affiliate WUNC going talk in 2001.

Tom Wells said:
IN 2006 I spent almost half a year on a press install in the Triad, and Raleigh/Durham radio is indeed
unlike any other. If "AM is moving to FM" is a contagious disease, I almost say R/D was patient zero.

There were very few places in the US where there was as little to listen to on the AM (for me).
I DO remember occaisional bright moments, but it was one of the first places I've ever travelled, and found so little
I enjoyed on AM.

Raleaigh/Durham is an oddly segregated market, by the modern magic of zoning.
Economics have neatly isolated pockets of urban poverty while letting woods buffer areas of commerce, business
or industry. Those with money to spend continue to fill and swell the growing middle "area' between,
in the triad/airport area.

The contrived "towne centre street" mall thingy that tries to be a city street completely gives me the willies.
It had a Bose store on it. That's where I first found out how truly awful the
Bose radios are on AM, with their ancient telephone landline fidelity.
I can't remember the exact name of the place, but as a Chicagoan, it was NOT like being on a
busy city street, it is like being in a amusement park.

Very much a place of two different worlds, and it is easy to see "this area abandonded" defined in
the way parts of the downtowns look, and by the way the AM band sounded.

Put another way, in R/D FM is that "new development/suburb/growth" place, whereas
AM is " I don't what you're gonna do about your ghettos and slums, mister, but just look at them "
Click to expand...
 
I was in Chapel Hill a few days ago, and there is A LOT of Spanish on AM in that area now! I heard everything from Praise and Worship ("Alabanza y Adoracion"), Regional Mexican (new and old), Spanish Pop...it seems like the Spanish formats are represented, across the board, on AM. Just at a glance, it seems like at least 50% of what I was getting on AM was in Spanish. Despite the ratings of WETC 540 AM, which were really cut to nearly nothing after 96.9 went on air, 540 AM still sounds great. It SOUNDS like they still have business. I hear lots of commercials and even remotes. 96.9 FM and 540 AM is sort of like a Spanish translation of the WRDU and WPTF story...
 
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