It's always refreshing to talk about a "dead to alive" small-market situation.
In 1993, the AM side of WCLA (1kw-D/260w-N) went silent. WCLA-FM had been granted a power increase to 25kw, and a decision was made to erect a new tower on station-owned property, as opposed to putting the new tower where the old one was (on leased property, about 150 yards from the new site). No provisions for the AM operation were made at the new site (no ground system or insulated tower).
The AM remained legally silent until early '97, after the station was sold in late 1996. The new owners wanted the AM on the air, so a folded unipole and ground system were hastily installed, and WCLA returned to the air.
The new owners were NOT good operators, and the stations pretty much fell apart. In late 2003, the FM was sold to Statesboro-based operators, which left the AM as the county's only locally based radio station.
A community leader, Danny Swain, had "helped" with the radio station for 25+ years, primarily as the play-by-play sports announcer, and handling most of the sales for the sports broadcasts. Swain has been the county's recreation director for nearly 40 years, and is an Evans County native. In September, 2006, Swain agreed to purchase WCLA, with an LMA beginning immediately.
Get this picture...WCLA was using a 1977 CCA AM-1000D transmitter (that had been poorly maintained), with a Hnat-Hindes processor (first one I've ever seen). The primary control board is a 1979 LPB S-13C, and the automation is a 10+ year Digilink. Despite this, the station's audio quality was better than average, and the coverage wasn't bad. The biggest surprise came when I was shown the amount of business (collected business) the station was doing. I can tell you that are some small-market FM stations that aren't doing the business that WCLA does.
Determined to make WCLA the best that it can be, Swain has now installed a new BE AM-1A transmitter, a new 9400 Optimod, a new antenna tuning unit and is installing a "jam-up & jelly-tight" ground system. In December, an application was filed to increase the daytime power to 5kw, and plans are underway to completely renovate the studio equipment.
While the idea is to work to provide better programming (as opposed to the mostly satellite-fed format now being run), I can tell you that the station has the local audience, based on what I've seen and heard.
No...AM radio (and small-market radio) is not dead. News/talk/sports, religion, ethnic or foreign language formats are not a requirement. I'm convinced that local, local, local (or, at the least, locally oriented and locally involved) is THE secret to success.
Thanks to a community-minded and determinedly hard-headed individual, WCLA radio will be alive and well on its 50th anniversary, July 20th, 2008.
Having worked at WCLA in the early 70's, I'm tickled to see it healthy. I only wish "Car 1" could've lived to see these improvements. He might've outwardly mumbled and grumbled, but I think he would've really been pround and pleased.
In 1993, the AM side of WCLA (1kw-D/260w-N) went silent. WCLA-FM had been granted a power increase to 25kw, and a decision was made to erect a new tower on station-owned property, as opposed to putting the new tower where the old one was (on leased property, about 150 yards from the new site). No provisions for the AM operation were made at the new site (no ground system or insulated tower).
The AM remained legally silent until early '97, after the station was sold in late 1996. The new owners wanted the AM on the air, so a folded unipole and ground system were hastily installed, and WCLA returned to the air.
The new owners were NOT good operators, and the stations pretty much fell apart. In late 2003, the FM was sold to Statesboro-based operators, which left the AM as the county's only locally based radio station.
A community leader, Danny Swain, had "helped" with the radio station for 25+ years, primarily as the play-by-play sports announcer, and handling most of the sales for the sports broadcasts. Swain has been the county's recreation director for nearly 40 years, and is an Evans County native. In September, 2006, Swain agreed to purchase WCLA, with an LMA beginning immediately.
Get this picture...WCLA was using a 1977 CCA AM-1000D transmitter (that had been poorly maintained), with a Hnat-Hindes processor (first one I've ever seen). The primary control board is a 1979 LPB S-13C, and the automation is a 10+ year Digilink. Despite this, the station's audio quality was better than average, and the coverage wasn't bad. The biggest surprise came when I was shown the amount of business (collected business) the station was doing. I can tell you that are some small-market FM stations that aren't doing the business that WCLA does.
Determined to make WCLA the best that it can be, Swain has now installed a new BE AM-1A transmitter, a new 9400 Optimod, a new antenna tuning unit and is installing a "jam-up & jelly-tight" ground system. In December, an application was filed to increase the daytime power to 5kw, and plans are underway to completely renovate the studio equipment.
While the idea is to work to provide better programming (as opposed to the mostly satellite-fed format now being run), I can tell you that the station has the local audience, based on what I've seen and heard.
No...AM radio (and small-market radio) is not dead. News/talk/sports, religion, ethnic or foreign language formats are not a requirement. I'm convinced that local, local, local (or, at the least, locally oriented and locally involved) is THE secret to success.
Thanks to a community-minded and determinedly hard-headed individual, WCLA radio will be alive and well on its 50th anniversary, July 20th, 2008.
Having worked at WCLA in the early 70's, I'm tickled to see it healthy. I only wish "Car 1" could've lived to see these improvements. He might've outwardly mumbled and grumbled, but I think he would've really been pround and pleased.