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WAMD-is it still ON?

The original post was on a couple other boards and received a response.

They were/are 970 in Aberdeen. Nice little station with a good signal. Playing oldies for many years.
 
They were a good daytime catch up here in Philly PA for many years before all this HD hash came on....I loved their oldies playlist....
 
Salem bought and downgraded the day signal to 300 watts so they could increase their NYC station to 50KW. The signal is just awful now, due in large part to the HD IBOC hash from 980 in DC. I actually tried to get it but the numbers needed for rent and LMA fee just were impossible. They shut it off because it was bleeding thousands a month and they are looking for a buyer. There are issues with the land---possible development. Good luck finding a place to build a three tower DA in Harford County! Ain't gonna happen.
 
I was the final Ops Manager and GM of WAMD while it was owned by First Broadcasting. I actually got my start there in the early 90s. When I was the Ops Manager, First Broadcasting started doing signal studies in NJ. I knew that Salem had lusted after WAMD, since they owned AM 970 in NJ. I saw the writing on the wall and got out. As of today, the station is still dark and in really bad shape.
 
Yeah, it may be getting a new owner. But the place needs to be moved off Hiob Lane (where it has been since the mid-70s). The building is in bad shape, the ground system is shot and more!
 
Any more recent word on this? Did the deal go thru? Just curious, since I used to compete against it and actually tried to LMA it.
 
Salem, having maximized its NYC market 970 "APPLE", sells off the 970 AM in Aberdeen, Maryland that has made this possible. Dan Mason, who at the time was with First Broadcasting, along with a couple of his buddies purchased the station for a couple of hundred thousand. They then turn around and sell it to Salem for a couple of millions bucks. Talk about a return on investment ! Fast forward to 2010. With the power now reduced on this 300 watt flame thrower, Salem now has what they need, and have sold this license to radio jingle salesman, Paris Catino. Paris pays Salem $1.00 for the license, which is exactly what the license is worth. Keep in mind, Mr. Catino still needs to purchase some real estate for construction of three towers, or lease the land from the real estate developer who currently owns the swamp that houses the studio and tower, but that is only temporary. Once the home builder gets his permits, the towers will come down, and condos will go up, in preperation of BRAC projects that are currently taking place in that part of Maryland. There a couple of other small AM's in the area that might be availalbe at bargain basement prices in Elkton, Havre de Grace, Bel Air, Chestertown and Salisbury..too name just a few. Do good, be well and happy.
 
MarcB, keep in mind that you still need to come up with between $500,000 and a million bucks to buy real estate, put up towers, build a studio, buy equiptment and transmitter, etc., etc. However, Paris might just want the license to simulcast his station from Annapolis, in which case he can put a whip antenna on the side of a barn off 155 in Level, and put a transmitter at the base of Farmer Pate's barn and bookstore. Or maybe lease tower space from Delmarva Broadcasting, on their backup FM tower ? Would that work technically? You also have WJSS's AM towers, but you would have to move the WAMD transmitter to Havre de Grace, and not being technical, I am not sure if this even works. That's an engineering question for consultant, Bruce Collier. Do good, be well and happy.
 
No, the WJSS towers can not be used. There is too much of a gap between 1330am and 970am. This same idea was approached when First Broadcasting had the station. And there is not an AM station left in Bel Air. That station has been off the air since the early 90s. If I were Paris, I would make an offer to purchase WJSS, which is 5,000 watts day and 500 night.
 
Like WAMD, the AM station in Havre de Grace has no real estate, so it too is only worth $ 1.00. Small market AM radio stations are in a bad way. Do good, be well and happy.
 
Sad to see another one bite the dust. But no one is listening, no one is going to listen, so why invest the money. Small town AM radio stations had their day in the 60's. 40 years later, its over.
 
Don't expect much, Bill Parris is the prospective owner. He had WKHZ in Ocean City and is trying to sell it to Vincent Klepac, who toyed with 1260 in Newark for years, and now has 1600 in Dover. Parris is the same one with 810 in Annapolis (moving to Essex) and just entered an agreement to my WEMD in Easton. All stations with crappy signals. If you have the opportunity to do work for him, run don't walk. I did work for him and never got paid, but I understand I wasn't the first, and probably won't be the last.
 
I would really like to interview these two enterprising men, and find out what makes them tick, and why they find these AM licenses so valuable. William S. Paley and General David Sarnoff could not make a go of these station in Dover, Easton, Essex, or Aberdeen. I just don't get it ? And if what you say about them not paying employees is true; well I just find that reprehensible. I guess I have been very lucky. In thirty five years, I have never not been paid, nor have I never not been able to pay employees, who have provided broadcast services for me over the years. I started at a small daytime AMer. My first job in 1975 was PD. I made $ 125.00 a week. I had to do an airshift, but I had weekends off. At the second stop on my journey in 1976, I worked at a resort town AM radio station. I did an airshift five days a week, and on the weekends, I did the Saturday morning show. After I got off the air, the GM made me cut the grass. This job paid $ 150.00 a week, but in the summer I was able to get to the beach by 11:30. Unless we had a remote. It wasn't much money, and it's the same model that many other broadcasters have used to launch their careers and begin their climbs. These bygone AM musicradio days are just fond memories. Do good, be well and happy.
 
As a stand alone AM it is a tough fight but add the FM translator and Wow. 1600 in Dover has two FM's and 1590 now has one. What most people do not understand is when you are a owner operator it takes very little money to keep the stations going. We do not have the high overhead that the big boys do. With the addition of the FM's, sales have increased. The station sounds better then full power stations in the area. www.wamsfm.com
 
Even with 250 watt translators, I am not convinced that you can make any real money with the buisness model you present. I believe if it were really viable, you would see more operators moving in this technical direction. If radio is your hobby and making money and building an audience not important, I can see how this could work for you. But every radio station that I have ever been a part of, has had operating costs and bills that needed to be payed; technical, legal, electric, insurance, employees payroll, licensing, ratings, too name just a few. And you still need to sell commercials to pay the bills. Delmarva is one of the most over saturated radio/tv markets in the world. Plus not many people live there. Only South Jersey is worse. The area is still in a serious recession and unemployment is at an all time high. The last time I checked, the operators are still showing bleak billing numbers. One operator has even taken their FM dark, and another will give you their license for free, if you are willing to take it. I like your passion though ,and I wish you all the best during this blessed time of year. Do good, be well and happy.
 
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