I have heard from different sources that the location for the transmitter site of both WCUE 1150 and WKDD 98.1 is now being listed for sale. Both stations have to find new sites for their signals. WCUE is a Family Radio station, while WKDD is owned by iHeartMedia.
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WCUE/WKDD Transmitter Site for Sale
- Thread starter MediaLover
- Start date
The only thing I've found listed is a house located directly across from the site. You can even see a tower behind it!
4017 BELLAIRE LN, PENINSULA, OH 44264 | RE/MAX
Take a closer look at this $550,000, 2 bed, 2 bath, 3,512 Sq Ft, Single Family for sale, located at 4017 BELLAIRE LN in PENINSULA, OH 44264.
www.remax.com
It's going to be hard to relocate WCUE, as land is needed for their tower array. I'm guessing the sale will mark the end of the station forever.
Also, not changing the subject, but isn't/wasn't the land around the WTAM tower up for sale for commercial use?
WCUE could move to the WHLO towers in Norton.
I don't see how that would work for their signal at least as far as nighttime goes. Currently: WCUE-AM Radio Station Coverage Map
If they move to WHLO's tower they'd have to radically alter their nighttime signal to cover the areas of Akron that they currently cover being north of the city. Moving to WHLO's site means they'd be west of Akron [Copley Twp. actually] WHLO's location: WHLO-AM Radio Station Coverage Map
Maybe they could rejigger WCUE's nighttime signal but I'm thinking that maybe they either become a daytime only station [highly unlikely] or cut their night power to something ridiculous like 20 watts.
If I remember correctly, their nightime signal is protecting WRVA [1140 AM] from adjacent channel interference.
It is not specified who the seller is. If Family Radio bought the land with the station, they must already have decided what will happen to it. They could put up a single tower somewhere and operate with just enough juice to get it on an HD channel or use a translator Klove may give up now that they have 95.5. Or maybe they have a deal in the works to buy an FM like they did in Detroit.
As for WKDD, they can put it almost anywhere, maybe even on Keith Kennedy's house!
I remember how popular WCUE was at one time with Sweet Richard in the morning. Whatever happened to him?
As for WKDD, they can put it almost anywhere, maybe even on Keith Kennedy's house!
I remember how popular WCUE was at one time with Sweet Richard in the morning. Whatever happened to him?
This is probably the end of WCUE. The assigned pattern requires several towers and -- as is in the case with many AMs these days -- the tower land is worth more than the station. They shoehorned in the station some years ago and both the assigned day and night patterns are tight enough (see links) but are now even worse since they have deteriorated badly over the years.
WCUE-AM Radio Station Coverage Map
WCUE-AM Radio Station Coverage Map
Yet, the marker in the LoopNet listing clearly shows it on the WKDD facility. Likely a mistake, or the marker is offset a bit and is ironically positioned over WKDD. So yes, another AM station likely leaving the airwaves forever due to being unprofitable, and the land being sold to what will most likely become residential housing, or perhaps a park as it's within the Cuyahoga Valley.
If Family Radio wants a solid Cleveland signal they're better off buying 1220 WHKW from Salem. Land and everything. WCUE is terrible and useless especially at night.This is probably the end of WCUE. The assigned pattern requires several towers and -- as is in the case with many AMs these days -- the tower land is worth more than the station. They shoehorned in the station some years ago and both the assigned day and night patterns are tight enough (see links) but are now even worse since they have deteriorated badly over the years.
WCUE-AM Radio Station Coverage Map
Could Salem sell off the rest of its Cleveland cluster to Family Radio or someone else?
Yes
They have virtually erased their debt so they don't have to deal with lender's worrying about "asset shenanigans".
I've actually ridden my bicycle on Quick Road past Bellaire several times but never turned onto Bellaire itself. Maybe I should for the heck of it this spring.
It's a beautiful area that I'm surprised hasn't been subject to additional development.
It's a beautiful area that I'm surprised hasn't been subject to additional development.
If it's within the CVNP, there's no way houses will be built on it. They'll probably try and revert it back to its natural state before anyone was in the area [remove invasive plants, let it be reclaimed by Mother Nature, etc.].
No way in hell [pun intended] would they buy an AM signal unless they want to lose even more money. I think they've been selling off their AM stations to better their financial outlook. The only listeners they have are probably close to triple digits in age. Sorta like my old boss who was trying to listen to an Indians broadcast on an AM station during a Thunderstorm and was bitching about all the static. Told him to switch to FM and listen to the broadcast on an FM station and his response was "What's FM?" He had no clue there was another audio band on his radio and I had to show him how to switch his radio to FM to pick up the broadcast. My mother...the same way. Listening to her religious station on AM and complaining about the sound. Told her to switch it to their FM translator station. She had no clue they also broadcast on FM.
Not too long ago, Family Radio sold off the transmitter land for 1560 NYC (the sole green space in a literal island of warehouses) for $51M. The license still exists but has been moved two different times (once after another land sale).
If you look at the historical aerial images of that area, houses have been and are continuing to be built off of Bellaire Road, which began several years ago. Prior to then, only a few houses existed, including the one that's currently for sale in my post above. No doubt that a builder may buy the land that the WCUE array currently sits on to build a neighborhood, though I would rather see a park or some sort of nature preserve. Doing a quick search also reveals that the WCUE site just barely falls outside of the CVNP, bordering it to the north and west, and is technically located in Cuyahoga Falls.
How old was your old boss?
Then if it's OUTSIDE of the park, yeah, anyone can do what they want with it providing it fits whatever it's zoned for. I guess if they wanted it the park could offer to buy the property [or eminent domain it.] Not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV, so I am not sure what all the park system can or can't do. With what's going on in Washington, I'll be surprised if its not put up for a fire sale. I mean, they bought the Coliseum and tore that down [a tragedy in my opinion] and let that revert back to natural conditions, if they were interested in making money, they could have left it up, got someone to manage it for them and rent it out to whomever or brought in minor league teams or what have you.
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