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WATO Shuts Down

Good point. Or an iron-clad long-term land lease. At least with FMs, one can usually find an alternative site, and you're only dealing with vertical real estate.
 
Just looking in from a distance, I was disappointed to hear of the shutdown. Taking on a station that has gone dark has to be a monumental task. I was in hopes this operator would demonstrate that it can be done.

I've never been to Oak Ridge but looking at the map and looking up the population and retail sales you have to think there is room for at least ONE station to focus on the community. I guess that is a futile dream that haunts us of "The Old School".
 
I'm totally with Bengalsfan on this one.

There's an AM operator here in Florida that sold his tower site property to a developer, BEFORE looking for alternate sites. There aren't any, so he is having to make lease payments on what was his own tower. The
TBA on his station just makes the lease payment.

I'm sorry to hear about WATO's troubles. My wife's parents live in Madisonville, Tenn., not too far from Oak Ridge.

I'd love to be involved in a small-town station again but not sure it will ever happen.
 
WRKQ is still for sale to someone who wants to live the small market radio life. I'm not highly motivated to dump it, and in fact have bought two more small stations since this one went on the market, and have a little synergy going that I didn't have before.

It has been sold three times to people whose financing didn't turn out to be all it was supposed to be. So I'll just keep it unless someone shows up with real money and wants to treat it right.

Mike
 
Whether or not we liked WATO's programming, it's sad to see them shut down. Seems a town like Oak Ridge could sustain a local-focused station. There are much smaller towns with more than one station. O.R. has around 27,000 folks. Many are retired scientists, engineers, etc., from the plants. Could be a good market for a station done right.
 
WATO's loss was and is very sad. I lived in Oak Ridge from 1969-1990. I learned my craft in Oak Ridge as an assistant and fellow who got to hang out and learn. I loved that station. I detest the conditions which made it eventually get where it is now. I graduated from ORHS, class of 1985. I hate that ORHS games no longer have an on air outlet. But I understand the Oak Ridge market and lack of small businesses which keep a small AM on the air. And that coupled with poor maintenance by absentee ownership and the adversity of the towers going down brought WATO's issues into the forefront. Not a good way to run or revive a station in this economy and then find out you must relocate your towers. I don't envy Ann Walden for those odds, but I admire her vastly for even trying to do just that. Her passion was very fine.
 
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