WAMO Is Coming Back

[FreddyE1977]

WAMO's 660 AM signal had signed on this morning by a few minutes after 5.
Listed sunrise time was 5:50AM. Another screwup I assume? So far as I know
they are not allowed to sign on at New York City sunrise (which was 5:24AM
in any case).

WMNY apparently had gone to daytime power around 5 as well.

 

[murt225]

What I don't get is why WAMO is still playing their music in mono. I emailed them and left a couple posts on their facebook wall and haven't received a response back. I guess they could care less. It doesn't really make sense to me....music is much more enjoyable in stereo when I am in the car or at home. If they wanted 100.1 to be mono (I'm guessing to stop people from complaining about the static), wouldn't they stop broadcasting their signal in stereo? My car and receiver at home has the "stereo" indicator still on....

 

[Parttimer]

What I don't get is why WAMO is still playing their music in mono. I emailed them and left a couple posts on their facebook wall and haven't received a response back. I guess they could care less. It doesn't really make sense to me....music is much more enjoyable in stereo when I am in the car or at home. If they wanted 100.1 to be mono (I'm guessing to stop people from complaining about the static), wouldn't they stop broadcasting their signal in stereo? My car and receiver at home has the "stereo" indicator still on....

With the weak FM signal, mono probably sounds better and masks some of the issues caused by terrain.

 

[NoTimeForSleep]

What I don't get is why WAMO is still playing their music in mono. I emailed them and left a couple posts on their facebook wall and haven't received a response back. I guess they could care less. It doesn't really make sense to me....music is much more enjoyable in stereo when I am in the car or at home. If they wanted 100.1 to be mono (I'm guessing to stop people from complaining about the static), wouldn't they stop broadcasting their signal in stereo? My car and receiver at home has the "stereo" indicator still on....

Being that they took over an already built operation of an AM station their studio could be wired mono entirely. I would rather build stereo for future operation but if that's what a client wanted originally then that's what you get. Also, Shutting off a "stereo" pilot works to your favor sometimes to gain coverage area cutting down on multipath especially around this area, but some radios are stuck in stereo or mono operation at all times and can have issues.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Listening to 660 on occasion before Martz bought it, I had become convinced
the studio was not even equipped with Vu meters.

 

[murt225]

When they first signed on, for a few weeks they were broadcasting entirely in stereo. It all went to mono right after 100.1 sounded like they were broadcasting a stream over the air. I wasn't sure if they were having equipment issues or something else and wanted an answer from them to see if they will ever broadcast in stereo again. Listening to some of the songs, it sounds like they haven't hooked up either the right or left channel. You can definitely tell in a song that bounces back and forth between channels that there is a moment of silence of where the sound should be heard on one of the channels.

 

[Parttimer]

So rather than actually mixing it to mono, they are playing one channel of a stereo feed. This operation looks morr minor-league with each passing day...

 

[PT]

So rather than actually mixing it to mono, they are playing one channel of a stereo feed. This operation looks morr minor-league with each passing day...

Which could confuse people enough to think it was a CC station ...

 

[Jkf]

Not to nit pick here but people are forgetting a few things when they criticize the new WAMO ....

1. Nobody listened to 660 before. Nobody. Why they even bothered to sign on and off everyday is anybody's guess. Dead air would be an improvement over what was on there before.

2. 100.1 does what it can. I am amazed at how far the signal is able to be heard. The common listener probably doesn't understand the technical restrictions placed on 100.1.

3. The OLD WAMO and its staff are gone. They were sold out and replaced with CATHOLIC RADIO. A format that is so boring and so bland and run by people that don't even have a clue how to run a radio station. Nobody listens to 106.7 now. Nobody.

People need to give Martz some credit for what he is doing. I think a few eyebrows will be raised at how well this station does based on its restrictions. Time will tell. I predict it beats The Fan and Q92.9 12+.

 

[danikayser84]

Why they even bothered to sign on and off everyday is anybody's guess.

AM 660 is mandated to sign off due to WFAN in New York City on the same frequency

 

[Jkf]

Yes, I know they are mandated to sign off. I was referring to why the former owners broadcasted at all. That talk format was one of the worst ever.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Not to nit pick here but people are forgetting a few things when they criticize the new WAMO ....

1. Nobody listened to 660 before. Nobody. Why they even bothered to sign on and off everyday is anybody's guess. Dead air would be an improvement over what was on there before.

2. 100.1 does what it can. I am amazed at how far the signal is able to be heard. The common listener probably doesn't understand the technical restrictions placed on 100.1.

3. The OLD WAMO and its staff are gone. They were sold out and replaced with CATHOLIC RADIO. A format that is so boring and so bland and run by people that don't even have a clue how to run a radio station. Nobody listens to 106.7 now. Nobody.

People need to give Martz some credit for what he is doing. I think a few eyebrows will be raised at how well this station does based on its restrictions. Time will tell. I predict it beats The Fan and Q92.9 12+.

Under the old owners 660 had plenty of dead air. Lots and lots and lots of dead air.
And when it wasn't dead it was so badly overmodulated it sounded as if everyone had sheets of
waxed paper duct taped over their mouths. They had one local guy on there in the afternoons
doing union organizing and everything else was a syndicated show with absolutely no rhyme or
reason to it.

I totally agree that it is amazing how wide the signal coverage is for 100.1, despite all its flaws.

Also fully agree that 106.7 might be the most boring radio station ever. I find it somewhat
embarrassing as a Catholic. If you feel this compelled to spread the Word of God you should at
least want to make your programming interesting and of a quality that will attract someone to actually sit
and listen.

 

[cingram]

I predict it beats The Fan and Q92.9 12+.

I predict it won't. That would make them the highest-rated translator in the world, 660 notwithstanding. I have
little doubt that it will show up in the ratings, but I don't think they have sufficient coverage to achieve the feat
you describe.

C.

 

[cingram]

Also fully agree that 106.7 might be the most boring radio station ever. I find it somewhat
embarrassing as a Catholic. If you feel this compelled to spread the Word of God you should at
least want to make your programming interesting and of a quality that will attract someone to actually sit
and listen.

The people who purchased 106.7 (and 860/1510) were not radio people and I doubt they are doing the format
for entertainment purposes.

I have come to refer to WAOB as "Deep Catholic Radio." If you are immersed in that faith or perhaps studying
at seminary, the format may be of interest. Otherwise, it makes Relevant Radio (the Catholic format heard on
now-dark WZUM) sound like Top 40 radio by comparison.

I find WAOB to be relaxing (if not downright sedating), and a nostalgic throwback to my Catholic upbringing.

C.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

I agree - I've gone to sleep with it on a couple times and it is calming.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

It is the new B/EZ

 

[KeyTimes950]

Also fully agree that 106.7 might be the most boring radio station ever. I find it somewhat
embarrassing as a Catholic. If you feel this compelled to spread the Word of God you should at
least want to make your programming interesting and of a quality that will attract someone to actually sit
and listen.

The people who purchased 106.7 (and 860/1510) were not radio people and I doubt they are doing the format
for entertainment purposes.

I have come to refer to WAOB as "Deep Catholic Radio." If you are immersed in that faith or perhaps studying
at seminary, the format may be of interest. Otherwise, it makes Relevant Radio (the Catholic format heard on
now-dark WZUM) sound like Top 40 radio by comparison.

I find WAOB to be relaxing (if not downright sedating), and a nostalgic throwback to my Catholic upbringing.

C.

To which I would say Amen. WAOB seems to want to supplement a typical listener's faith experience. This isn't even evangelization (ala Cornerstone TeleVision or WORD-FM) ... and I've never heard any bid to raise funds there. Indeed, I was of the impression that at some point the operators were planning to make their programming available by other means ... and they do not even have a website at this time.

I even wonder if the operators really need their AM stations, or at least more than one AM, as I don't think AM 1510 ever breaks off from FM 106.7 and AM 860, though I understood that also was part of the original plan.

I will say this about We Are One Body compared to Relevant Radio -- Relevant Radio certainly is more compelling in terms of programming but the fund-raising by the folks in Green Bay always struck me as obnoxious, before and after Michael Horvath's famous (and just long enough to make a point) Christmastime dump of their LMA of AM 1590 some years back.

 

[cingram]

I even wonder if the operators really need their AM stations, or at least more than one AM, as I don't think AM 1510 ever breaks off from FM 106.7 and AM 860, though I understood that also was part of the original plan.

I have heard 1510 separate from 860/106.7 on several occasions, but I doubt that they "really need" it. I think
it just came with the package.

C.

 

[Jimmy128]

For those of you who are unhappy with the new WAMO try WLTJ HD2. "Q in the City". Great Urban/R&B station. It's worth it getting an HD radio.

 

[Raymond]

For those of you who are unhappy with the new WAMO try WLTJ HD2. "Q in the City". Great Urban/R&B station. It's worth it getting an HD radio.

Isn't it funny how the HD radio stations of the regular radio stations have much better music and is just better programmed than the regular stations? Not as much repetion and tighter and without inane jock chatter.