WCRV on FM

[mikl73]

Looks like Bott wants WCRV on FM via a translator on 100.7.

The app. was filed on 4/9.

It will cover a bunch of warehouses in SE part of town, Olive Branch, and Eastern part of Southaven from the WCRV AM site.

 

[sjs1959]

640 is a pretty strong AM stick. It's not a music station, so why the move?

 

[DeadElvis]

Why not? An FM signal is better than no FM signal. And the cost of running such a station is negligable.

DE

 

[firepoint525]

And no loss to their existing AM signal to simulcast it on FM. Win-win for them.

 

[mikl73]

Since its talk keep the pilot off and you would be suprised at the coverage.

 

[robgrayson]

I helped put together a show which aired there for close to a year. The fact that it was only on at night had a direct impact on the ability of the producer to get the funds needed to keep it on the air. An FM translator could possibly have made some difference.

 

[snazzyjazzy]

I know that station powers down to 800 watts at night from 50000 watts in the day. I can see how the ratings would go way down for WCRV after nightfall. That's even more so than your typical station does at night after afternoon drive is over.

 

[mikl73]

800 watts does well low on the AM dial at night. Check out 640 and compare to 1430, 1340, 990, or 730. Of course AM is quite noisy at night when AM signals are reflected back to earth.

 

[rgseark2009]

WCRV gets out well during the daytime. First ran across them years ago (1983ish) as a CCM station on the car radio...down in Southeast AR. Whenever I'm in Little Rock, I often bandscan what is on the air and sometimes WCRV will even "catch" on the seek.

 

[mikl73]

That happened to me last week. I was down around malvern and seeks stopped on WCRV.

 

[anotherguyTN]

When they were CCM the station was WMSO, and Bott bought them out in 1986. Bott has had a tendency of buying existing Christian stations and changing them to their format of Christian talk. Unfortunately in some cases that has meant the demise of CCM formats in some areas. It happened with WMSO in Memphis in 1986, and WNAZ in Nashville in 2011. But the previous owners deserve most of the blame for selling out to someone they knew had no intention of keeping a CCM format.

I think Bott is one of the best in the Christian talk format. but I wish they could have bought other stations in Memphis and Nashville instead of WMSO and WNAZ.

 

[briancraig]

At least in Nashville today, you have lots of other CCM choices (K Love, Salem, The Way) but in Memphis in 1986 there was what 1480 in between talk shows? 730 maybe?

At least Bott has standards and doesn't just sell time, so you won't hear the crackpot preachers or black helicopter conspiracy nuts on 640.

 

[anotherguyTN]

At least in Nashville today, you have lots of other CCM choices (K Love, Salem, The Way) but in Memphis in 1986 there was what 1480 in between talk shows? 730 maybe?

WMSO was the only CCM station in Memphis at the time they were sold to Bott. WMQM 1480 played CCM in the late 70's until probably 1980 or 1981, and went to being full time dollar a holler, probably around the same time WMSO moved to 630 and started carrying more CCM. KSUD 730 was Southern gospel and didn't start playing CCM until probably the early 90's. When Bott bought WMSO that left Memphis with no CCM station until late 1988 when WGSF 1210 picked up the format.

I was very vocal along with others when WMSO was sold about protesting Bott's removal of CCM, but they had it set in their minds that they were doing what they believed was God's will (right or wrong) and there was no changing it. As time went on and through contact with people who worked for Bott I realized that they didn't know anything about doing a CCM format and we should have never expected them to keep CCM, and that the previous owners deserved most of the blame for selling to Bott when they knew they had no intention of keeping CCM.

God was able to turn the sale of WMSO around however and start something even better. The previous owners made up for selling WMSO in the 90's by starting WYLT 94.9, which eventually became the first K-LOVE station in Memphis, and was the first of all the K-LOVE and Air 1 stations in West TN, North MS, East AR, and SE MO. So although I believed WMSO's owners were wrong in selling out, God used it in a way to eventually expand CCM radio into areas that never had it before.

WNAZ was a historic CCM station that shouldn't have ended the way it did. It needed to be updated, but Trevecca Nazarene University was more interested in bailing out than in saving the station, and they sold out to Bott.

At least Bott has standards and doesn't just sell time, so you won't hear the crackpot preachers or black helicopter conspiracy nuts on 640.

I've said before WMQM needs to stop the sham of claiming to be a Christian station. Their god is the almighty dollar.

 

[firepoint525]

I think Bott is one of the best in the Christian talk format. but I wish they could have bought other stations in Memphis and Nashville instead of WMSO and WNAZ.

At least in Nashville today, you have lots of other CCM choices (K Love, Salem, The Way) but in Memphis in 1986 there was what 1480 in between talk shows? 730 maybe?

WMSO was the only CCM station in Memphis at the time they were sold to Bott. WMQM 1480 played CCM in the late 70's until probably 1980 or 1981, and went to being full time dollar a holler, probably around the same time WMSO moved to 630 and started carrying more CCM. KSUD 730 was Southern gospel and didn't start playing CCM until probably the early 90's. When Bott bought WMSO that left Memphis with no CCM station until late 1988 when WGSF 1210 picked up the format.
I was very vocal along with others when WMSO was sold about protesting Bott's removal of CCM, but they had it set in their minds that they were doing what they believed was God's will (right or wrong) and there was no changing it. As time went on and through contact with people who worked for Bott I realized that they didn't know anything about doing a CCM format and we should have never expected them to keep CCM, and that the previous owners deserved most of the blame for selling to Bott when they knew they had no intention of keeping CCM.
God was able to turn the sale of WMSO around however and start something even better. The previous owners made up for selling WMSO in the 90's by starting WYLT 94.9, which eventually became the first K-LOVE station in Memphis, and was the first of all the K-LOVE and Air 1 stations in West TN, North MS, East AR, and SE MO. So although I believed WMSO's owners were wrong in selling out, God used it in a way to eventually expand CCM radio into areas that never had it before.
WNAZ was a historic CCM station that shouldn't have ended the way it did. It needed to be updated, but Trevecca Nazarene University was more interested in bailing out than in saving the station, and they sold out to Bott.

At least Bott has standards and doesn't just sell time, so you won't hear the crackpot preachers or black helicopter conspiracy nuts on 640.

I've said before WMQM needs to stop the sham of claiming to be a Christian station. Their god is the almighty dollar.

At least in Nashville today, you have lots of other CCM choices (K Love, Salem, The Way) but in Memphis in 1986 there was what 1480 in between talk shows? 730 maybe?
At least Bott has standards and doesn't just sell time, so you won't hear the crackpot preachers or black helicopter conspiracy nuts on 640.

In the case of Nashville, I am wondering if Bott was specifically looking for FM frequencies.

As for the other comments, it has always irritated me when a supposedly "music" station (regardless of the type of music being played) interrupted the music too often for non-music programming, usually sports. Yeah, I know, they gotta pay the bills! :

Wasn't 1480 in Memphis the original WMQM? And they played music back then? Did F.W. Robbert own them back then?

As for the Nashville station (WNQM), they do indeed sell airtime to non-Christian (notice that I did NOT say anti-Christian) broadcasters. They had a Saturday afternoon sports talk program a few years back. And their original Spanish-language music program (Radio Melodias) was NOT a Christian program. It was secular music, although it was later replaced by Radio Vida, which is indeed hispanic Christian music and programming.

Evidently, Bott was not necessarily looking for positions on the FM dial when they first came to Memphis back in the '80s, unlike when they came to Nashville in the mid 2000s. Just goes to show you how times change.

By the by, F.W. Robbert doesn't treat their employees very well, either! : They even terminated George McClintock, after bringing him here from Memphis! So even my (former) boss didn't last there! :

 

[Kent]

KSUD 730 was Southern gospel and didn't start playing CCM until probably the early 90's. When Bott bought WMSO that left Memphis with no CCM station until late 1988 when WGSF 1210 picked up the format.

I remember hearing CCM on KSUD in '93 when I was in Memphis for school. However, I don't think it was full-time CCM. One of my friends listened to mostly WGSF because "it's the only 24/7 contemporary Christian station." I'm thinking she had a button set for KSUD 730, too. So, she would have known if was full-time CCM.

Wasn't 1480 in Memphis the original WMQM? And they played music back then? Did F.W. Robbert own them back then?

Yes. WMQM was on 1480, disappeared for several years, and came back on 1600.

 

[mikl73]

George McClintock once owned 1480 WMQM

 

[anotherguyTN]

As for the other comments, it has always irritated me when a supposedly "music" station (regardless of the type of music being played) interrupted the music too often for non-music programming, usually sports. Yeah, I know, they gotta pay the bills! :

To me that was always the biggest problem with all the local CCM stations in Memphis. None of them could make it playing only music. And most of them were no better than WMQM in allowing any preacher on for a buck, especially after Bott got all the best programs. WGSF went longer with fewer programs than anyone, but even they added more toward the end of their time with a CCM format.

Wasn't 1480 in Memphis the original WMQM? And they played music back then? Did F.W. Robbert own them back then?

As for the Nashville station (WNQM), they do indeed sell airtime to non-Christian (notice that I did NOT say anti-Christian) broadcasters. They had a Saturday afternoon sports talk program a few years back. And their original Spanish-language music program (Radio Melodias) was NOT a Christian program. It was secular music, although it was later replaced by Radio Vida, which is indeed hispanic Christian music and programming.

I'd rather see FW Robbert go to more secular programming rather than claiming to be a "Christian" station and carry more crackpots and conspiracy freaks than good quality Christian programs. In Memphis they own 3 stations. WMQM 1600 is probably the only one that claims to be a "Christian" format now, but when you carry Alex Jones, how can you claim that's Christian programming? KQPN 730 (The former KSUD) is sports talk and WLRM is Hispanic programming, although I don't know if it's Christian, secular, or a mix, but it's mainly music the times I've heard it. I only know enough Spanish to order Mexican food, so I couldn't tell.

Evidently, Bott was not necessarily looking for positions on the FM dial when they first came to Memphis back in the '80s, unlike when they came to Nashville in the mid 2000s. Just goes to show you how times change.

I definitely think Bott was looking for an FM frequency in Nashville, and I don't have a problem with that. But I wish they had bought another station instead of WNAZ. They would probably like to get a full power FM presence in Memphis, but who could they buy? I've always thought that WYPL 89.3 could sell, but I'd rather see is end up as Air 1.

By the by, F.W. Robbert doesn't treat their employees very well, either! : They even terminated George McClintock, after bringing him here from Memphis! So even my (former) boss didn't last there! :

I kind of find that to be a little bit of sweet justice considering he's the one who dropped CCM and went dollar a holler on the original WMQM. : Isn't he involved with another dollar a holler shortwave station now?

 

[snazzyjazzy]

KSUD had a ton of talk in it during the midday with Christian teaching programs and "Unraveling the New World Order" with Larry Bates. It also had "Love Worth Finding" and "Focus on the Family". All Sunday morning as you might expect it was all church tapes and church services. I worked there from 1997-2000.

 

[anotherguyTN]

KSUD had a ton of talk in it during the midday with Christian teaching programs and "Unraveling the New World Order" with Larry Bates.  It also had "Love Worth Finding" and "Focus on the Family".  All Sunday morning as you might expect it was all church tapes and church services.  I worked there from 1997-2000.

I could barely receive KSUD where I lived South of Dyersburg at the time. I lked the music, but when they switched to programs I switched to secular radio or tapes. They had a few good programs like Adrian Rogers and Focus on the Family, but they had too much prophecy/conspiracy programs (including Larry Bates) and word of faith programs. Like I said earlier it was really not much better than WMQM. Worst of all they'd run infomercials in the middle of times that were music otherwise, especially on weekends. I never got to hear their FM station much But I'd heard it was more music, which I would have liked better, but it eventually became a K-LOVE station.

 

[snazzyjazzy]

KSUD-FM was on 94.7. I could get it okay on a car radio in midtown Memphis. It had praise music. Praise FM was just a computer in a production studio and nothing more than a jukebox. There wasn't even any voicetracked jocking at the station.