The Problem with AM Radio

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

WSAI and WCKY are in full simo cast mode...Both ESPN as of saturday..Thanks CUMULIS no imagination.

Cumulus has never owned 1360 and 1530. Jacor/Clear Channel has owned both since the late 90's

 

[jry]

WSAI and WCKY are in full simo cast mode...Both ESPN as of saturday..Thanks CUMULIS no imagination.

Well...I... http://i.imgur.com/0VTe43T.gif

A small point but the correct term is "Simulcast" which is a combination of Simultaneous and Broadcast. At 11:44AM, 1360 and 1530 are NOT airing the same thing.

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

 

[w9wi]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

 

[jry]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

 

[cardradio]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

WINK 1200 AM Ft Myers and WNOG AM 1240 Naples simulcast the same format in the same market will significant overlap.

 

[nmoore6676]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

WINK 1200 AM Ft Myers and WNOG AM 1240 Naples simulcast the same format in the same market will significant overlap.

Not so, according to Wikipedia and their websites, WINK is an all news station and WNOG simulcasts WSFX and WSFX-FM.

"WFSX's programming can also be heard on WNOG (1270 AM) in Naples, Florida, originating from WFSX-FM (92.5 FM, Estero) in Fort Myers."

Also WNOG is 1270, not 1240.

 

[markbohach]

Please allow me to pull this topic back to 'the problem with AM' for a moment...
A recurring tone I keep hearing on these boards is that a successful station on AM is a rarity- the exception to the rules- something that cannot be done everywhere.

While each market is different and I cannot speak to each individual situation, let me tell you about another one of those 'exceptions' to your AM is dead rule.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting WJER in Dover- New Philadelphia, Ohio. I am helping out a news network make the transition to internet delivery and WJER needed a little help with the setup of an automated downloader. I was in the area and offered to stop by and walk them through the configuration.

Like my own station, WJER stands alone after their FM was purchased and moved to Canton. Here is what I found:

A new transmitter putting out a clean signal.
A digital audio processor maximizing the audio quality.
Older studio equipment that is clean and well maintained.
A oldies/ac music format.
Live announcers.
A fully staffed news room with great sounding newscasts.
The entire staff was extremely friendly.
An Operations Manager in his 20's who truly loved his job.
A contest where the station is giving away a $5300 prize package from local sponsors.
A smartphone app of their own with a news feed and streaming audio.
A wall full of AP best newscast awards.
Community respect and listenership- very obvious.

Oh yes- one more thing- a full commercial log with lots of local advertisers including
sold out Cleveland Indians games.

And no FM translator- I may try to help them with that. This is a station that deserves one.

It can be done and is being done everyday.

Now excuse me- after seeing WJER, I have some ideas to work on at WLOH.

 

[del_griffith]

Please allow me to pull this topic back to 'the problem with AM' for a moment...
A recurring tone I keep hearing on these boards is that a successful station on AM is a rarity- the exception to the rules- something that cannot be done everywhere.

While each market is different and I cannot speak to each individual situation, let me tell you about another one of those 'exceptions' to your AM is dead rule.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting WJER in Dover- New Philadelphia, Ohio. I am helping out a news network make the transition to internet delivery and WJER needed a little help with the setup of an automated downloader. I was in the area and offered to stop by and walk them through the configuration.

Like my own station, WJER stands alone after their FM was purchased and moved to Canton. Here is what I found:

A new transmitter putting out a clean signal.
A digital audio processor maximizing the audio quality.
Older studio equipment that is clean and well maintained.
A oldies/ac music format.
Live announcers.
A fully staffed news room with great sounding newscasts.
The entire staff was extremely friendly.
An Operations Manager in his 20's who truly loved his job.
A contest where the station is giving away a $5300 prize package from local sponsors.
A smartphone app of their own with a news feed and streaming audio.
A wall full of AP best newscast awards.
Community respect and listenership- very obvious.

Oh yes- one more thing- a full commercial log with lots of local advertisers including
sold out Cleveland Indians games.

And no FM translator- I may try to help them with that. This is a station that deserves one.

It can be done and is being done everyday.

Now excuse me- after seeing WJER, I have some ideas to work on at WLOH.

Still an exception to the rule, but yes, they do a great job. Also, since they lost their FM, they are virtually the ony game in town. That helps.

Factor in they are a legacy in their market and hve one host who has been on the air since 81 and another that worked for a while at WTVN. Others have been there for ages. Longevity of air staff apparently is important too.

 

[klutch00]

Some of the smaller AMs should consider going non-commercial. Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan operates two AM stations (WGVU @1480 Kentwood, Grand Rapids MI and WGVS @850 Muskegon MI). The format on both stations has been oldies since August of 2009.

http://www.wgvu.org/realoldies/

WSAI and WCKY are in full simo cast mode...Both ESPN as of saturday..Thanks CUMULIS no imagination.

Well...I... http://i.imgur.com/0VTe43T.gif

A small point but the correct term is "Simulcast" which is a combination of Simultaneous and Broadcast. At 11:44AM, 1360 and 1530 are NOT airing the same thing.

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

WBMD 750 and WFSI 860 Baltimore do simulcast at least part of the day.

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

It doesnt stop WLW & WCKY Simulcasting Bengals Games, and I remember when WLW first bought WKRC & the 550 Frequency. there were several times like during bengals games, and Holidays WLW & 550 Would Simulcast.

 

[w9wi]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

I hate being proven wrong but... I've been proven pretty much wrong.

FCC regulation 73.3556 prohibits two co-owned AMs (or two co-owned FMs) from simulcasting more than 25% of the time if half or more of the city-grade coverage area of one of the stations is also in the city-grade coverage area of the other station.

Furthermore, a program counts as being "simulcast" if it is broadcast within the same 24 hour period on both stations, even if it's not broadcast at the same time.

Only area in that I was right was in that it is legal to simulcast *some* of the time, as long as it doesn't amount to 25% or more of the broadcast week.

Sorry jry, I sure thought that rule had been repealed, but it hadn't!

 

[klutch00]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

I hate being proven wrong but... I've been proven pretty much wrong.

FCC regulation 73.3556 prohibits two co-owned AMs (or two co-owned FMs) from simulcasting more than 25% of the time if half or more of the city-grade coverage area of one of the stations is also in the city-grade coverage area of the other station.

Furthermore, a program counts as being "simulcast" if it is broadcast within the same 24 hour period on both stations, even if it's not broadcast at the same time.

Only area in that I was right was in that it is legal to simulcast *some* of the time, as long as it doesn't amount to 25% or more of the broadcast week.

Sorry jury, I sure thought that rule had been repealed, but it hadn't!

Forgive me for sounding like a broken record here but WFSI @ 860 and WBMD @750 both of which are licensed to Baltimore probably simulcast ore than 25% of the time. The primary service area of WBMD falls almost entirely within the primary service area of WFSI. I don't know if the FCC makes exceptions for non-commercial broadcasters like Family Radio.

 

[w9wi]

Forgive me for sounding like a broken record here but WFSI @ 860 and WBMD @750 both of which are licensed to Baltimore probably simulcast ore than 25% of the time. The primary service area of WBMD falls almost entirely within the primary service area of WFSI. I don't know if the FCC makes exceptions for non-commercial broadcasters like Family Radio.

The link shows they do exempt non-commercial stations.

 

[klutch00]

Forgive me for sounding like a broken record here but WFSI @ 860 and WBMD @750 both of which are licensed to Baltimore probably simulcast more than 25% of the time. The primary service area of WBMD falls almost entirely within the primary service area of WFSI. I don't know if the FCC makes exceptions for non-commercial broadcasters like Family Radio.

The link shows they do exempt non-commercial stations.

If that's the case, then IMNSHO Family Stations may have some explaining to do.

 

[microbob]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

Didn't 1340 WIZE simulcast with 980 WONE in Dayton for awhile with their sports format? I believe then they were called The Sports Animal.

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

Didn't 1340 WIZE simulcast with 980 WONE in Dayton for awhile with their sports format? I believe then they were called The Sports Animal.

Yes WIZE simulcasted WONE from 1990 till April of 2011

 

[microbob]

They both also simulcasted 1360, much of the day, during that time period. So in essence, they were a trimulcast. According to Wikipedia.

 

[stereolane]

Two AMs in a market with significant signal overlap cannot simulcast any of their broadcast day.

I know of no such rule.

Look it up. It has kept me from simulcasting on two AM's that covered the same market..... The reason why i couldn't buy 910 to augment 1160's coverage in the market.

Didn't 1340 WIZE simulcast with 980 WONE in Dayton for awhile with their sports format? I believe then they were called The Sports Animal.

Yes WIZE simulcasted WONE from 1990 till April of 2011

Let me try posting again.

1990 is way, way off. Great Trails still owned WIZE in 1990. GT sold it to Jerry Staggs in 1992 or '93. Jerry Staggs had nothing to do with WONE. DKM, who bought the station from Jerry Staggs owned WONE.