WBMQ technical problems?

[upstate29651]

Why is it a blow? It's been dark, was not billing much... reportedly last year less than $2 thousand a month.

You're only looking at the now. I'm referring to the history surrounding the owners, the former jocks, the former antenna site through a Savannahian's eyes...something you don't possess. When it comes to Savannah radio history, 630 figures very prominently.

G

 

[davideduardo]

You're only looking at the now. I'm referring to the history surrounding the owners, the former jocks, the former antenna site through a Savannahian's eyes...something you don't possess. When it comes to Savannah radio history, 630 figures very prominently.

G

A radio station is only as significant as today's listening levels and programming. Radio waves are ephemeral, and the history of a station has no real bearing on whether it is listenable today.

In the case of highly directional AM stations, the cost of maintaining large transmitter sites and the related technical expenses are not justified by the ever-decreasing listening to AM, both locally and nationally. Our two large neighbors, Mexico and Canada, have pretty much eliminated AM in many places, and converted it to minority / special interest services in others.

You can say "through a whereverian's eyes" for any city in the world. The fact is that AM is dead or dying universally.

 

[Kent]

Anybody who misses WBMQ probably misses it for what it used to be.

I’m actually surprised my local Cumulus talker still has three local shows as many of them cut all their local shows (and even more, some in fairly large markets, cut all but one) during the Great Recession. I’m think that was when WBMQ cut its local talent loose. I can’t remember when it was, but it wasn’t more than a couple years ago. I tuned in to see what Savannah radio was doing when a hurricane was approaching. I assume, at some point, it picked up a TV audio feed if the hurricane ended up threatening the area, but it was airing nothing but syndicated fare when I turned it on. I didn’t even hear a single local news cut-in.

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

WBMQ is definitely missed by me for what it was: a pretty neat (self standing) 3 tower array on Oatland Island you could see as you came into town on the Talmadge Bridge. Definitely not a quick and easy thing to fix when a tower is lost to sea spray and rot. Also former home to I-95’s studio (which was still powered up and full of old equipment as of 2010 or so). Also held 103.9 after its upgrade from Springfield to Tybee.

Considering both 630 and 900 had FM translators in the pipeline, I’m surprised someone at Cumulus didn’t try to keep them on the air *somehow*. But that property east of downtown is probably worth multiple times what the licenses would command. Savannah has also been a weak market for Cumulus over the past 10-15 years (arguably due to poor managerial decisions from up high).