The next death watch

[jmtillery]

Still not with you on the "untapped potential" of WZCC. It is in Cross City - which is two miles past "Reduce Speed". Mayberry would be a good comparison. The 1K graveyard signal only covers maybe 30K people, and that is a stretch. the equipment is nonexistent or junk, the transmitter is fried, and the building is a 30 year old trailer that hasn't been taken care of. No septic or water on site either - the septic appears to be a 55 gallon drum buried in the ground.

Without a bunch of changes including frequency and location it is not too attractive. Changes like that cost a fortune, so it is most likely still not attractive. Offer them $50K or less for the land, tower, and license and see how motivated they are.

They are not very motivated as I have made numerous attempts to contact them to make an offer. It appears they would rather lose it and take nothing rather than sell it and get something. That's just my opinion.

However, I disagree that any upgrade cost factors as still being unattractive. It all depends on how you look at it and what your own perspective may be in what you are looking for and expect in a reasonable ROI. By way of example, if you are able to take a $50K license, invest $500k in it and create a $1 million station as a result, that's a pretty darn good ROI!!!

 

[Nostalgia]

Mark and OK,
WZCC (formerly WDFL, WYNY, WMFQ, ect)

I believe you may have meant WMJQ, not WMFQ, as one set of former call letters assigned to AM 1240 Cross City which was briefly assigned between WYNY and WZCC.

Mark, of course you are absolutely correct, its a b**** getting old. Just got cataract surgery but now use my wifes old readers to work on the computer until I get new up-close glasses. J's, F's, at least they are on the same row, just a few keys apart!

As for your other posts on the subject, I agree with your premise on thinking outside the box. Unfortunately since I dont have $500k laying around I look at stations as is/where is and think what could be done to make them right. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt mind being in the station flipping business but especially with AM properties I dont think that is a solid basis for my retirement plans. But somehow, even in my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine this puppy being worth 1 mil even if you gold plate the tower! ;D

 

[ok walters]

Mark -

What you say makes sense, but that is a whole bunch of "ifs" - if you can move it, if you can get a new frequency, if you can get a power increase, if it doesn't leave the area station-less, if, if ,if. Yes, it could work somewhere but definitely not there. With every conceivable change - location, frequency, format, power - it would work. Leave one of them out and it doesn't.

If you buy a Class C station like WZCC, can you change the license class? If not, you are limited to graveyard frequencies and 1K watts. That will never be worth a million bucks unless you can relocate to downtown NYC.

 

[jmtillery]

Mark and OK,
WZCC (formerly WDFL, WYNY, WMFQ, ect)

I believe you may have meant WMJQ, not WMFQ, as one set of former call letters assigned to AM 1240 Cross City which was briefly assigned between WYNY and WZCC.

Mark, of course you are absolutely correct, its a b**** getting old. Just got cataract surgery but now use my wifes old readers to work on the computer until I get new up-close glasses. J's, F's, at least they are on the same row, just a few keys apart!

As for your other posts on the subject, I agree with your premise on thinking outside the box. Unfortunately since I dont have $500k laying around I look at stations as is/where is and think what could be done to make them right. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt mind being in the station flipping business but especially with AM properties I dont think that is a solid basis for my retirement plans. But somehow, even in my wildest dreams, I cannot imagine this puppy being worth 1 mil even if you gold plate the tower! ;D

The $1 million figure was used as an example for illustrative purposes... Actually with what I have in mind for 1240 would cost much less than $500k. Without going into details, it would fall more in line along the $50k range and would accomplish exactly what I suggested. Regarding WMFQ, after I posted my last comment I thought it over and thought to myself it may have been a typo since the two sets of call letters are very close.

 

[jmtillery]

Mark -

What you say makes sense, but that is a whole bunch of "ifs" - if you can move it, if you can get a new frequency, if you can get a power increase, if it doesn't leave the area station-less, if, if ,if. Yes, it could work somewhere but definitely not there. With every conceivable change - location, frequency, format, power - it would work. Leave one of them out and it doesn't.

If you buy a Class C station like WZCC, can you change the license class? If not, you are limited to graveyard frequencies and 1K watts. That will never be worth a million bucks unless you can relocate to downtown NYC.

YES, you can change a license class. If you move from a class C on 1240 to a class A-B-D frequency, let's say, 670, the station class becomes a class D if there is no night service or night service under 250 watts. Otherwise it becomes a class B frequency, unless, of course, you move to another class C frequency, that being 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 or 1490. These frequencies cannot be upgraded past 1kw-U. And there are no more class A (formerly class IA and IB) authorizations remaining athough I'd love to find a legal loophole to create one. However, it isn't the frequency I care about. It's the license. The license can be modifed to anything that technically and legally meets FCC guidelines.

The "Ifs" you are referring above have already been accounted for. I. E., there is a new frequency avaialable with an available power increase at a new TL with a new COL. And in doing so, Cross City still has a locally licensed radio station - WKZY-FM 106.9 - plus there is a new vacant C3 FM channel on 97.7 assigned to Cross City.

I won't go into specific details regarding what I know, but, believe me, I've done my homework and there is nothing left to "maybe it will work" once all the "ifs" are accounted for. From a technical and legal standpoint, it can be done right now. The big question is getting anything done before March 10. Otherwise the point is moot as the license will be toast.

 

[Jeff2]

Pamal actually had an application in to move WRZN (720) to one of those small towns between Ocala and Gainesville and then move 1240 from Cross City to Hernando to replace WRZN. That one didn't get very far. I guess they were looking to operate WRZN out of the Gainesville building plus maybe get some night coverage over Ocala.

 

[jmtillery]

Pamal actually had an application in to move WRZN (720) to one of those small towns between Ocala and Gainesville and then move 1240 from Cross City to Hernando to replace WRZN. That one didn't get very far. I guess they were looking to operate WRZN out of the Gainesville building plus maybe get some night coverage over Ocala.

Yes, Pamal did apply to change the COL of WRZN from Hernando to Reddick (about 20-miles North of Ocala) to better serve Gainesville. The move called for a WRZN power reduction from 10kw to 8kw. This would have been fine in placing a primary night-time signal over Ocala, but Gainesville would only have had day service as WRZN can send no power North towards Gainesville at night in order to protect co-channel WGN Chicago.

One of the challenges Pamal was faced with is WRZN is an only service licensed to Hernando, and you are correct that Pamal also applied to move WYNY (now WZCC) from Cross City to Hernando to replace WRZN. That didn't fly because AM 1240 at Hernando was too close to co-channel WKIQ Eustis. It gets rather complicated when you play "musical chairs" with radio channel assignemnts. However, if you are taking a service from one place (provided you are not taking the only locally licensed facility) and giving it to another as a first service (meaning there is no local service licensed to the proposed new COL community), you stand a much better chance of being granted approval to make the move provided the move meets all technical requirements.

 

[ok walters]

Drove down I75 to Tampa today to take my daughter back to USF. Tower site at WKFL 1170 is overgrown and silent. Seven days and counting......

 

[jmtillery]

When is the deadline? I haven't checked the FCC database to verify the actual cut-off date.

 

[ok walters]

Silent since 1/17/09 - filed in February 2009 as being silent as of 1/17

 

[ok walters]

WKFL has filed something today related to being silent - it looks like the STA has been dismissed. Have no idea if station is actually on the air but I will check the best I can from this distance.

Hey Mark - can you look in the FCC database and see what is going on? I don't know how to go deep in the FCC site too well. It just shows "dismissed" on 1/15 on the "application" page for WKFL.

 

[Nostalgia]

OK, just click on station info, then click for details and finally view correspondence folder to view a copy of the resumption of operations filing. Looks like he got it back on yesterday at 2pm. Pulled back from the brink of the abyss!!

 

[ok walters]

WKFL is back on - for the moment.

 

[Jeff2]

It looks like there may be another Florida AM station that bites the dust soon. WZCC-AM 1240 Cross City has been silent since March 10, 2009. WRGO Radio, LLC has until March 10, 2010 to return WZCC to the air or the license is gone. It's a shame, too, because WZCC has much value and untapped potential the present owner apparently has not recognized.

I see where someone is in the process of buying WZCC for $62,000. You would think being the only commercial station serving Cross City they could make some money. They're off the air due to a bad transmitter so guess it will cost something to get them up and running.

 

[Jeff2]

It looks like there may be another Florida AM station that bites the dust soon. WZCC-AM 1240 Cross City has been silent since March 10, 2009. WRGO Radio, LLC has until March 10, 2010 to return WZCC to the air or the license is gone. It's a shame, too, because WZCC has much value and untapped potential the present owner apparently has not recognized.

I see where someone is in the process of buying WZCC for $62,000. You would think being the only commercial station serving Cross City they could make some money. They're off the air due to a bad transmitter so guess it will cost something to get them up and running.

I meant to say WZCC is the only commercial station licensed to Cross City (WKZY doesn't count). Of course, there are lots of stations serving the area.

 

[WZCC]

It looks like there may be another Florida AM station that bites the dust soon. WZCC-AM 1240 Cross City has been silent since March 10, 2009. WRGO Radio, LLC has until March 10, 2010 to return WZCC to the air or the license is gone. It's a shame, too, because WZCC has much value and untapped potential the present owner apparently has not recognized.

I see where someone is in the process of buying WZCC for $62,000. You would think being the only commercial station serving Cross City they could make some money. They're off the air due to a bad transmitter so guess it will cost something to get them up and running.

That would be me. I'm glad someone thinks we can make some money with this station I'll take that as a vote of confidence. Our new Nautel transmitter shipped yesterday, I should have it installed by the end of next week. Then the fun begins.

OK the floor is now open to the naysayers, buzz-kills, and other "AM is dead" doom and gloomers............

 

[Jeff2]

Good luck WZCC!

I know it will take a lot of work to make people aware of 1240 again. I'm a big fan of AM radio but of course it's your money that's on the line.

 

[ok walters]

Good luck WZCC. I approached the owner about 2 years ago about WZCC after visiting it and he said he wanted $200K. I told him it wasn't worth $75K considering the location and condition and we went our separate ways. Good to see it getting another chance at life. Contact me if you need anything - I run WKIQ 1240 in Eustis (near Orlando).

What format are you going to roll out?

 

[Nostalgia]

"Nurse, hand me the paddles and charge to 1000 watts! ZAP Its alive!"

And another station brought back from the edge. Amazingly I could hear it at a sweet spot in the Sams Club parking lot in New Port Richey on Saturday even with the buzz from 1250 in Tampa. Thats about 100 miles away with a large part over water.

 

[ok walters]

Right at 100 miles. You were about 75 from 1240 WKIQ in Eustis, but I have never heard my station past about Ridge Manor on I75. Good to hear it is alive and kicking.