WCKL Sold To Family Broadcasting

[MHVRadiofan]

According to Scott Fybush's Northeast Radio Watch, The Black United Fund has agreed to sell 560 WCKL, Catskill to Family Broadcasting LLC, the group, as Harvest Broadcast Services that has been LMA'ing the station since June. Tammy Thayer is listed as the owner (perhaps she is the female voice heard on the station). Harvest Broadcast Services, run by Brian Dodge, is currently the name of the LMA. The purchase price is $25,000 + assuming $96,000 in Black United Fund debt including $80,000 owned to Clear Channel in back rent. I guess that is why the CC, Hudson group engineer helped Dodge's group get WCKL back on the air, they are going to get their money. The $25k will be paid back without interest over four years, in payments of around $500 per month, which is 5X the token $100 per month Family Radio is paying for the LMA (that info per the FCC application for license transfer). Add to that, utilities and their unprofessional (and I have to believe mostly unpaid) staff explains why Dodge & Thayer can afford to operate the Family 560 WCKL joke of a station.
Speaking of which, the commercial load while very light has increased very slowly, not unexpected for a ‘start up’ station. The spots sound like ‘ live read’ just as if people were having a conversation without the normal time constrained to time purchased on almost every other station .Do you think this is by design or further lack of professionalism?

 

[RBW]

The spots sound like ‘ live read’ just as if people were having a conversation without the normal time constrained to time purchased on almost every other station .Do you think this is by design or further lack of professionalism?

They probably enticed the sponsors in the first place by telling them there were no time constraints! And BTW...being the "family" station that is...if families are "talking", do they do so in 30 seconds commercial bites???

 

[Bug]

You wonder why it is even worth operating some of these am anymore.

 

[klutch00]

You wonder why it is even worth operating some of these am anymore.

Someone can call me crazy, but I for one don't believe that the band should be put out to pasture and that some of the smaller and more marginal operations can serve a purpose. If you have something innovative, unique and perhaps radical, I can see where some AM facilities can be an asset. Up in Albany, you have WROW which is doing what might be considered a format from the past (full service-MOR) which has pretty much been abandoned by many broadcasters yet is still pulling in respectable numbers. In Winchester VA, WXVA signed on during the summer also with a full service format which seems to be doing pretty well http://wxva.com/. In Pottstown PA, WPAZ (which like WCKL is a class D [or III-S] station with a limited nighttime signal), they've got a free-form music and talk format up and running http://wpazradio.com/.

With so many FM stations reluctant to take chances on innovative, underground or free-form programming for a multitude of reasons, I might suggest that owners of more marginal AM operations strongly consider not only broadcasting such programming, but to also consider what I'll call hybrid revenue sources. By this I mean to rely not only on commercial advertising for their revenue, but donations and other revenue-raising activities as well. Some stations might even want to ditch commercial support altogether. I might also suggest that some of these outlets be owned and operated by schools or community groups.

 

[MHVRadiofan]

Of The stations, you mentioned I am only familiar with adult standards WROW. While their music is from days long gone, the station sounds professionally run.In addition, WROW brought a significant, if demographically undesirable to sponsors audience with them.
Free form might work as a niche station in some areas; remember the early days of FM, like WNEW -FM, New York. However, WCKL sounds like they have no idea what they are doing.
RBW the commercials are not in 30 second bites, that's my point. They are not time or word efficient written. The announcer, whoever is on the air just talks about the business until they are done, usually over a minute. I have heard them say "lets see I did that one, and this ok lets talk about this one".

 

[bill5461]

We'll see if anybody gets their money. I've heard they continue to bounce checks all over town. Has anybody heard the two person ad read by the woman...by herself?..It's extremely funny..she doesn't even change her voice reading both parts

 

[MHVRadiofan]

We'll see if anybody gets their money. I've heard they continue to bounce checks all over town. Has anybody heard the two person ad read by the woman...by herself?..It's extremely funny..she doesn't even change her voice reading both parts

Doesn't an applicant have to show financial ability to the FCC to get a license, or is that no longer the case?

 

[retiredfromradio]

I can't imagine that they would be bouncing checks, say it's not so

Also, isn't it the license holders responsibility to make sure they drop from daytime to nighttime power? I believe they are operating at full power 24/7. Wait until the FCC catches that one and the fines that are associated. Is their Xmitter still in the building on route 9G? I can't image they could afford to have it moved or even pay an engineer to draw up a blueprint to do so.

 

[MHVRadiofan]

Yes, their studio and transmitter are still in the same place on Route 9G in Greenport, currently owned by Clear Channel. It is the home of CC Hudson -Catskill three station group. WCLK leases the site. Speaking of which does anybody know weather they were always there, all the way back to the mid sixties. I thought that before the FCC relaxed it rules that stations were located in the city of license, not across the river.

Also for a little 1 kW days, 43 watts night station they have a good nighttime signal. They can't be reducing power at night.

 

[bill5461]

Doesn't an applicant have to show financial ability to the FCC to get a license, or is that no longer the case?

Obviously not. And I really don't think they are lowering their power either. If the FCC did show up there, they'd find at least half a dozen violations, including putting callers on the air, live without telling them first.

 

[necrat123]

Back in August, when I was there, they did switch to night power. Not to say they stopped, but back in august, signal measurements showed a reduction in signal at night. They probably decided to stop doing it.

 

[bge]

They stay on hi-power for Red Sox and HS football.

I have them as a pre-set, for comedic relief.

 

[MHVRadiofan]

They stay on hi-power for Red Sox and HS football.

I have them as a pre-set, for comedic relief.

I don't get up there much this time of year, so I had not heard. You are saying WCKL does their own sports broadcasts, High School Football??!! WOW!! That must be hilarious, for a while anyway; feedback, dead air and fake accents get old fast. Who is the announcer "Crazy Cousin Brian?"

 

[bill5461]

They stay on hi-power for Red Sox and HS football.

I have them as a pre-set, for comedic relief.

I don't get up there much this time of year, so I had not heard. You are saying WCKL does their own sports broadcasts, High School Football??!! WOW!! That must be hilarious, for a while anyway; feedback, dead air and fake accents get old fast. Who is the announcer "Crazy Cousin Brian?"

Some guy named Rusty Rider does HS Football. It sounds like it's on a cell phone. It's sooooo boring. Sounds like a golf game

 

[disney fanatic]

I don't get up there much this time of year, so I had not heard. You are saying WCKL does their own sports broadcasts, High School Football??!! WOW!! That must be hilarious, for a while anyway; feedback, dead air and fake accents get old fast. Who is the announcer "Crazy Cousin Brian?

And don't forget, WKNY also had high school football every week with the Kingston Tigers.