Tom Taylor had a story in his TRI Newsletter this morning that 92.5 WFJO, 105.5 WSJF and 105.7 WHJX being sold off for $3.6 million to Family Broadcasting, LLC. Has anyone heard of this company. Tom said to expect a change very soon...as in how soon and what type of format are looking at? It looks like Jax radio is about to change once again.
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WFJO, WSJF and WHJX Sold
- Thread starter JAWilson
- Start date
If the Jacksonville newspaper is correct; there will be three new formats; Family Radio LLC (according to the article) will program one as Spanish Tropical, one as easy listening and one as a religious station.JAWilson said:
The article did not state how soon these changes will take place.
drt
the link to the article is below:
http://www.jacksonville.com/busines...e_radio_stations_going_to_family_broadcasting
WHJX - Spanish/Tropical
WSJF - Easy Listening
WFJO - Religious
I take it WSJF will compete again directly with WSOS...this also makes me wonder if the station will be live and local or automated. If its live and local and marketed directly for St. Augustine it will be a win for the area to have another live and local FM since the only one is WFCF which does a great job of being live and local to the community more often than any other radio station targeting St. Augustine.
WSJF - Easy Listening
WFJO - Religious
I take it WSJF will compete again directly with WSOS...this also makes me wonder if the station will be live and local or automated. If its live and local and marketed directly for St. Augustine it will be a win for the area to have another live and local FM since the only one is WFCF which does a great job of being live and local to the community more often than any other radio station targeting St. Augustine.
GR said:
Waaah. Deal with it.
So why is WSJF effectively downgrading?
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wsjf&sr=Y&s=C
G
Isn't WSOS already easy listening. Or are they going to try to be easier listening, or B/EZ or somewhere between SOS and Jones. If so do we have enough 65 Plus people in the area to support it.
D
DocWashburn
Guest
I have often found that when one attempts to understand someone else's viewpoint, one can actually learn something. So I have made several valiant efforts to listen to Andy Johnson. But he has never sounded "reasonable" to me. If there had been a market for what he was selling, it would seem to me that it would have been more successful. As far as the complaint about "more Jesus radio" is concerned, if there is a market for it, it should succeed. If not, they will eventually change it again. The irony of the idea of trying to contrast "reason" with "Jesus" is that all actual "reason" comes from God in the first place, right? Have a great weekend...GR said:
The "reason" religious radio is big in Jacksonville is not because it draws listeners. It is big because the preachers solicit donations and pay the stations. Thus it can survive with few or no listeners.
As for the poster who attempted to paint him as some kind of rabid dog, Andy Johnson is so "reasonable" he's almost not a liberal. The reason he can't buy a radio station is not because he's a bad businessman -- he's kept his show and others on various local stations for years. I don't think he's ever been off the air for a significant time since the 90's. The problem has many facets.
First, Jacksonville has always been a crummy market for local talk. WOKV established itself through syndication, thus Jax doesn't have the history of strong local radio of the type that developed in Orlando, Tampa Bay and South Florida in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Because talk radio's growth was stunted, brokered radio, as opposed to professional, salaried radio, became the order of the day. This shaped Johnson's environment and forced his operation to evolve the way it did.
Second, the second-tier owners (in this case the receivers of Tama) want too much for their fringe signals. This is not limited to Jacksonville; a trade publication says owners are still asking for eight times cash flow when six would be more realistic. The market is failing here, because these owners still think they have something special with all those megahertz and sticks. We need those owners to capitulate and drop their prices. Otherwise, it's just a matter of looking for another sucker -- an endangered species these days.
Third, there has been a deliberate effort around the country to buy up liberal talk stations and blow away the format. This happened in Atlanta, Rock Island, Illinois, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio among other places. The Columbus station had a one share when it was bought up and blown out, and now has no numbers. Fourth, the economy is hurting everybody. There's no room for conservative talk radio to brag when two of its leading lights (Citadel and Salem) have been reduced to penny stocks. Fifth -- Johnson doesn't do enough to promote the station. But he's hardly alone in that failure these days. That and not coordinating the lineup among three stations are the only faults I'd assign his way.
I'll say this for Johnson, he has bobbed up and down in the turbulent waters of Jacksonville radio like a cork, always popping back up... and he's got the business skills to get back on again. What he needs is a programmer who can help him shape his talent and get some attention for his lineup.
Johnson also tells the paper he has a lease that blocks the format change. Let the courts sort it all out. After all the stations that have bounced him around over the years, I wouldn't blame him for slipping in a poison pill or two.
D
DocWashburn
Guest
Interesting viewpoint. I appreciate your giving some context to what has gone on in the Jacksonville market. I do recall hearing a live, local host on WOKV some years back (before they picked up Hannity). But he just didn't sound compelling enough to listen to. I have done music radio and talk radio. There are a lot of guys who are very talented at doing the former who would have no idea how to do the latter. I wouldn't either if I had not been fortunate enough to have a consultant sit down and explain the basic rules of how to successfully execute the format. There are some basics which transfer over from music radio. Limbaugh and Gkenn Beck were both dj's before they went into Talk. But there are other basics which are (obviously) exclusive to the format. I will listen to local or syndicated talk radio - as long as the host is interesting and has a sense of humor. If the local guy is compelling enough, he can compete with a national host. For example, the big talk stations in Miami and Tampa run Todd Schnitt live and carry Hannity on a delayed basis.
There was a live local host on OKV in the afternoon - I think for a very short shift - who went from there into a major market then into syndication, with maybe a stop in Gainesville before the major (Houston?). Can't remember his name though.
P
preferprivacy
Guest
The WOKV host you mention is Gregg Knapp - who went to Gainesville first (WSKY-FM) - then Dallas (KLIF-AM)
Last I heard he was living back in Jacksonville and was syndicating a show.
It's a bit troubling to some to see a station like WOKV so successful - without much local talk.
Obviously they have the right mix of shows for the market - and they do produce lots of news content and Jaguars.
Complain all you want - but WOKV has what the local listeners want - and complaining about how much is local talk seems silly.
What WINS is what WORKS!
-PP
Last I heard he was living back in Jacksonville and was syndicating a show.
It's a bit troubling to some to see a station like WOKV so successful - without much local talk.
Obviously they have the right mix of shows for the market - and they do produce lots of news content and Jaguars.
Complain all you want - but WOKV has what the local listeners want - and complaining about how much is local talk seems silly.
What WINS is what WORKS!
-PP
I think the local listeners -- especially if they haven't lived in other markets -- know only what they know. And the transplants probably like having familiar voices on the radio. WOKV's news is a lot of sizzle -- and a contemporary sound -- but not much steak. I've never heard an out-of-studio report outside of morning drive.
Obviously they also have an FM and a 50,000-watt AM signal, too, and are going to lord it over everyone else with that. I thought the pre-WOKV news-talk format on 690 in the early 90's showed some promise, until it became a semi-brokered station with the shows talking about bee pollen and such.
Obviously they also have an FM and a 50,000-watt AM signal, too, and are going to lord it over everyone else with that. I thought the pre-WOKV news-talk format on 690 in the early 90's showed some promise, until it became a semi-brokered station with the shows talking about bee pollen and such.
Well, speaking of the Jaguars. They laid off Cole Pepper...
Cole doesn't seem to be having a good week. What can anyone say?
Anyway, back to the sold stations and the present format and the planned new formats. I'll go on the record to at least acknowledge Andy Johnson has a passion and drive. He doesn't have a give up attitude and so for that alone, he has earned my respect because overall local radio can use more like Andy.
Similarities can be drawn in formatting/programming talk and music radio. A lot of the success achieved often results when the right PD is in place who knows how to effectively position and promote the station -even with a limited budget. As many others have posted, I also believe local talkers can help provide an alternative. However, the product created has to be VERY good and that certainly wasn't the case here. With the right PD guiding Andy, he would have been even better. IMHO, Andy is the only one in the operation who comes close to having an on-air presence. That syndicated program they have opposite Boortz is a silly joke and a complete waste of time. Joe Lyles has the passion but he's too much like a bull in a china shop. Attacking the competition so their notarity rubs off on you is an old trick and he just couldn't pull it off.
Perhaps none of this matters now but if local talk is attempted here once again I suggest real radio folks are utilized along with an "Andy." Goodness knows, there are enough of them on the sidelines idle. Also, the programming shouldn't be 100% politics. People have reached the saturation point. There's a lot of great topics out there that hold a lot of community interest. Even with limited signal, I think Radio Free Jacksonville could have made greater inroads if they were local and occasionally did something like battle of the talk show hosts. This could have been promoted on the air and on the desginated day, virtually the entire staff would be on the air together discussing topics and taking calls. Usually ego is supposed to be left putside but not for this. I would encourage some raising of the voice. Yes, it's contrived controversy but it helps get ratings and gets you noticed. The Letterman/Palin thing is contrived controversy on Dave's part and indeed it works. Again, local talk can work but you need a hook and radio people who understand the medium.
Not that anyone listens to anything here, but I strongly suggest not going the AC and religion programming route for 2 stations in the cluster. This market doesn't need another AC. WSOS demonstrates that everyday. And don't give me this crap that it will prevent a competitor. If Cox so desired and they wanted to flip Eagle to AC, having an SOS in the market would mean nothing. Spanish programming - a big YES. My understanding is one of the sations will eventually be Spanish. I would include the St. Aug signal as well. Both markets are changing and the hispanic peopulation is growing in big leaps. Walk around and look at your community.
As much as I would like to see a greatest hits format of the 60s, 70s and 80s in our town, it would be a waste on those signals. WSOS is another story but it's like talking to a brick wall with those people.
Anyway, back to the sold stations and the present format and the planned new formats. I'll go on the record to at least acknowledge Andy Johnson has a passion and drive. He doesn't have a give up attitude and so for that alone, he has earned my respect because overall local radio can use more like Andy.
Similarities can be drawn in formatting/programming talk and music radio. A lot of the success achieved often results when the right PD is in place who knows how to effectively position and promote the station -even with a limited budget. As many others have posted, I also believe local talkers can help provide an alternative. However, the product created has to be VERY good and that certainly wasn't the case here. With the right PD guiding Andy, he would have been even better. IMHO, Andy is the only one in the operation who comes close to having an on-air presence. That syndicated program they have opposite Boortz is a silly joke and a complete waste of time. Joe Lyles has the passion but he's too much like a bull in a china shop. Attacking the competition so their notarity rubs off on you is an old trick and he just couldn't pull it off.
Perhaps none of this matters now but if local talk is attempted here once again I suggest real radio folks are utilized along with an "Andy." Goodness knows, there are enough of them on the sidelines idle. Also, the programming shouldn't be 100% politics. People have reached the saturation point. There's a lot of great topics out there that hold a lot of community interest. Even with limited signal, I think Radio Free Jacksonville could have made greater inroads if they were local and occasionally did something like battle of the talk show hosts. This could have been promoted on the air and on the desginated day, virtually the entire staff would be on the air together discussing topics and taking calls. Usually ego is supposed to be left putside but not for this. I would encourage some raising of the voice. Yes, it's contrived controversy but it helps get ratings and gets you noticed. The Letterman/Palin thing is contrived controversy on Dave's part and indeed it works. Again, local talk can work but you need a hook and radio people who understand the medium.
Not that anyone listens to anything here, but I strongly suggest not going the AC and religion programming route for 2 stations in the cluster. This market doesn't need another AC. WSOS demonstrates that everyday. And don't give me this crap that it will prevent a competitor. If Cox so desired and they wanted to flip Eagle to AC, having an SOS in the market would mean nothing. Spanish programming - a big YES. My understanding is one of the sations will eventually be Spanish. I would include the St. Aug signal as well. Both markets are changing and the hispanic peopulation is growing in big leaps. Walk around and look at your community.
As much as I would like to see a greatest hits format of the 60s, 70s and 80s in our town, it would be a waste on those signals. WSOS is another story but it's like talking to a brick wall with those people.
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