The New 101.1 WYDE

[cyberrock]

Hello. I haven't posted on this board in quite some time, so here goes. First, my thoughts on the New 101.1 WYDE. I was up at Midnight on July 5 when the station signed on the air for the first time. I have been impressed with the new station thus far. I like Studio 101 with Shane WIlson on Fridays at 5:00. SHane is my kind of dj, lots of energy and enthused with what he does. Jackie SMith, the afternoon DJ helped get Kicks-106 WKXX on the air back in 1977. It's good to hear some pioneers of Birmingham radio on the station. On another subject, I'm ready for Christmas music to begin possibly today on WMJJ. I love this time of year when Christmas music begins playing. Most don't, but I guess I'm sapi when it comes to CHristmas.lol. ANyway, happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

 

[ALRocker]

I don't listen to it that much, but I never hear any ads. Thats not good for any station especially one with a monster signal like they have, I give it 3 more months, and then they'll switch to some type os christian formet, if they don't sell it first.

 

[tomservo]

I don't listen to it that much, but I never hear any ads. Thats not good for any station especially one with a monster signal like they have, I give it 3 more months, and then they'll switch to some type os christian formet, if they don't sell it first.

It's a shame to see that monster signal struggling to find its place in the (a) market. Crawford was working a while back to do some antenna or tower upgrades to increase the height a tad, and that stuff costs a lot of money.

How do you sell a station that puts an "okay but not wonderful" signal into two markets, while mostly covering rural communities?

 

[passtheword]

I don't listen to it that much, but I never hear any ads. Thats not good for any station especially one with a monster signal like they have, I give it 3 more months, and then they'll switch to some type os christian formet, if they don't sell it first.

I don't think they'll pull the plug on it in 3 months since the switch was just made in July, but they might eventually. IMO, The music really isn't all that bad on there. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if they don't do some re-tweaking on that format before too much longer. I used to listen to WLGD "on and off" before Crawford yanked it off in July. It hardly ever showed up in the ratings (except for the last ratings period it was on the air), but they were constantly changing the sound of it about as often as the wind blew. It started off sounding more like an oldies station when it first came on the air, then they started playing standards more, even added in some big band tunes two or three times an hour, then it morphed back almost to the sound it had when it first came on, this all within the 10 months or so it was on the air.

Also, with the constant "ping-pong" of call letters and formats Crawford bounces back and forth on 92.5, 850, and 1260, don't be surprised if you wake up one morning and find WDJC residing on the 101.1 frequency. You might laugh, and it sounds outrageous, but with Crawford, expect the unexpected. After all, these are the same folks who went through three on-air names within a week of the "New" 101.1's debut.


______________________________
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Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net

 

[William_Yeager]

WDJC on 101.1 might make some sense, since Huntsville doesn't have a full-time Christian AC. If Crawford could wrest WQEM away from Glen Iris Baptist, it would help maintain some of the present WDJC's footrpint to the south of Birmingham. EMF is trying to move a station to the Carbon Hill/Jasper area, so Crawford may want to move before they find a 70,000 watt K-Love at their doorstep.

 

[passtheword]

WDJC on 101.1 might make some sense, since Huntsville doesn't have a full-time Christian AC.

Huntsville has WAYH (Way-FM), though. Not really christian AC, but still offering some type of contemporary christian fare.


________________________
Radio stations come and go.
Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net

 

[whit979]

Huntsville has WAYH (Way-FM), though. Not really christian AC, but still offering some type of contemporary christian fare.

I have heard that Way FM is expanding their network of translators across the state, with 2 coming in Birmingham and 1 coming to Anniston. Nice to see this network growing to reach more people.

Back to WYDE...what are the odds that they'd flip to a satellite service, like the True Oldies Channel?

 

[BlueWanderer]

Crawford should just sell the station or go back to and stay on the talk format, or a combination of both imo. I haven't listen to the station or thought about it much since the last time it was a popular topic for discussion.

 

[Hotseat]

I enjoy it. It does resemble Magic 96 of the 80's.

 

[genotx]

Here let's start this one again. Let's make WYDE AAA. ;D

 

[mrjay]

works for me! i'd even go work there. LOL

 

[OutOfTheBiz]

I enjoy it. It does resemble Magic 96 of the 80's.

Really? With Burt and Kurt in charge? Shocking!

 

[tomservo]

EMF is trying to move a station to the Carbon Hill/Jasper area, so Crawford may want to move before they find a 70,000 watt K-Love at their doorstep.

What station would that be?

Crawford should just sell the station or go back to and stay on the talk format, or a combination of both imo.

Here's a question for you folks: Considering the location of the facilities and the markets they play to, could they somehow clear some syndicated shows that are already on in Birmingham or Huntsville, sniping some listeners from the AM talkers?

I dunno how that whole clearance thing works, or if Cullman is even part of the Birmingham market or whatever. But I know WKUL manages to carry Rush Limbaugh tape delayed, even though he's on in both markets. WYDE could "pretend" to be a Cullman station whose signal just "happens" to spill over two of the state's big markets... It's a thought. ;D

 

[BlueWanderer]

Here's a question for you folks: Considering the location of the facilities and the markets they play to, could they somehow clear some syndicated shows that are already on in Birmingham or Huntsville, sniping some listeners from the AM talkers?

I dunno how that whole clearance thing works, or if Cullman is even part of the Birmingham market or whatever. But I know WKUL manages to carry Rush Limbaugh tape delayed, even though he's on in both markets. WYDE could "pretend" to be a Cullman station whose signal just "happens" to spill over two of the state's big markets... It's a thought. ;D

I rather have them be more local like it was before, just better run this time around. Perhaps with a new owner, ratings would be a lot higher than before.

I'm still bugged by the fact that oldies/AC is on a monster stick since a lot of stations already got that format covered (at least in the Huntsville market). If not talk radio, then (under a new owner) a truly modern rock station that give Vulcan some competition and Huntsville listeners a choice other than (the slowly becoming like a classic rock station) Rocket. But all this is just wishful thinking and I don't expect anything to change.

 

[passtheword]

EMF is trying to move a station to the Carbon Hill/Jasper area, so Crawford may want to move before they find a 70,000 watt K-Love at their doorstep.

What station would that be?

This is an interesting one. Since Carbon Hill is in west Alabama, I figured the K-Love station trying to move to Carbon Hill was probably in eastern MS. I looked on the FCC website for K-Love stations in MS, but couldn't find any with pending CP's to move to Carbon Hill, so I looked up FM applications for Alabama, and the station looking to change their COL to Carbon Hill is...KRLE, an unbuilt CP in Oberlin, KS. When I first saw the record, I thought it had to be an FCC error, that maybe it was for a Carbon Hill, KS, but it is Carbon Hill, AL.
Here's the FCC record on it:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=91901


In fact, there are many applications (WAY-FM, Glen Iris Baptist, and others) for that frequency (89.7).
Here's the link to pending AL applications.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?state=AL&call=&city=&arn=&serv=&vac=5&freq=0.0&fre2=107.9&facid=&class=&dkt=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9



________________________
Radio stations come and go.
Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net

 

[tomservo]

Nice detective work.

I see even the University of Alabama has an application to that frequency, with a highly directional 100kw. Should be interesting if the FCC ever takes any action on that.

 

[Nate Wesley]

I say keep WYDE oldies during the weekdays, then have variety programming during weekend. That could include talk and/or music (jazz? bluegrass? syndicated countdown shows? etc). Could they use their Cullman COL to lure away an affiliation for Tide or Tiger sports, perhaps?

I say that any plans to make 101.1 a viable Birmingham channel should somehow include acquiring 101.5 and running it as a simulcast partner. Trade away 92.5 to Glenn Iris & WGIB--it expands their reach instead of overlapping it.

 

[WBGR FM 93.1]

EMF is trying to move a station to the Carbon Hill/Jasper area, so Crawford may want to move before they find a 70,000 watt K-Love at their doorstep.

What station would that be?

Crawford should just sell the station or go back to and stay on the talk format, or a combination of both imo.

Here's a question for you folks: Considering the location of the facilities and the markets they play to, could they somehow clear some syndicated shows that are already on in Birmingham or Huntsville, sniping some listeners from the AM talkers?

I dunno how that whole clearance thing works, or if Cullman is even part of the Birmingham market or whatever. But I know WKUL manages to carry Rush Limbaugh tape delayed, even though he's on in both markets. WYDE could "pretend" to be a Cullman station whose signal just "happens" to spill over two of the state's big markets... It's a thought. ;D

At one time, 101.1 was actually out of Cullman. Started as WFMH FM in 1950. When I was younger, it was known as "Real Country 101 WFMH". Then in 1997 or 98, FMH moved to Oldies Radio 95.5 WXXR's Channel, and stayed there till 2005, when COL changed to Hackleburg.
For Many years 101.1 WFMH Served the rural areas of North and Central Alabama. As A country music fan, I wish WFMH would return to it's original Home....
Just my two cents.

 

[mrjay]

and I used to work at WXXR....

 

[WBGR FM 93.1]

and I used to work at WXXR....

Jay,

Where were WXXR's studios at? Where they once in Baker Music's building off Hwy 31, or was that just a sign advertising the station? Also, WFMH FM, along w/ WXXR, is a thing of the past. WFMH went off the air in H'burg around October, and I heard their Calls are up for grabs from the FCC's website.