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WFSX to drop AM Simulasts.....Finally

S

swfl

WFSX 92.5 Fort Myers/Naples is finally dropping the simulcasts on 1240AM Fort Myers and 1270AM Naples after three years. This three way broadcast stated way back in 2009 when Oldies were dropped from 92.5 to broadcast the conservative talk programming on FM.

Their is no official announcement on what the new format on the AM's will be but whatever it is the new programming will begin next Monday, July 22nd. This is very long overdue in my opinion. Why on earth they let this go on as long as they have always seemed such a waste to me. I know AM is hard to sell now a days but come on. Three years of Beck, Rush and Hannity on THREE stations in the same market is a bit overkill no matter what your political leanings might be.

Any guesses what format they will program on the two AM's?
 
swfl said:
WFSX 92.5 Fort Myers/Naples is finally dropping the simulcasts on 1240AM Fort Myers and 1270AM Naples after three years. This three way broadcast stated way back in 2009 when Oldies were dropped from 92.5 to broadcast the conservative talk programming on FM.

Their is no official announcement on what the new format on the AM's will be but whatever it is the new programming will begin next Monday, July 22nd. This is very long overdue in my opinion. Why on earth they let this go on as long as they have always seemed such a waste to me. I know AM is hard to sell now a days but come on. Three years of Beck, Rush and Hannity on THREE stations in the same market is a bit overkill no matter what your political leanings might be.

Any guesses what format they will program on the two AM's?
Click to expand...

Hopefully it will be some type of news programming or something with a heavy emphasis placed on local news content. Even full service with select music interspersed with local news, talk and information will fill a local void and provide compelling programming not found on any other Fort Myers - Naples station.
 
jmtillery said:
swfl said:
WFSX 92.5 Fort Myers/Naples is finally dropping the simulcasts on 1240AM Fort Myers and 1270AM Naples after three years. This three way broadcast stated way back in 2009 when Oldies were dropped from 92.5 to broadcast the conservative talk programming on FM.

Their is no official announcement on what the new format on the AM's will be but whatever it is the new programming will begin next Monday, July 22nd. This is very long overdue in my opinion. Why on earth they let this go on as long as they have always seemed such a waste to me. I know AM is hard to sell now a days but come on. Three years of Beck, Rush and Hannity on THREE stations in the same market is a bit overkill no matter what your political leanings might be.

Any guesses what format they will program on the two AM's?
Click to expand...

Hopefully it will be some type of news programming or something with a heavy emphasis placed on local news content. Even full service with select music interspersed with local news, talk and information will fill a local void and provide compelling programming not found on any other Fort Myers - Naples station.
Click to expand...

That would be nice but I am not expecting that myself. They already had an all news station with WINK 1200AM so I would be very surprised to see that type of programming. I guess we will all know next Monday.
 
Hopefully it will be some type of news programming or something with a heavy emphasis placed on local news content. Even full service with select music interspersed with local news, talk and information will fill a local void and provide compelling programming not found on any other Fort Myers - Naples station.

I agree with jmtillery about how FMB/Sun should program the soon to be untethered 1240/1270, but don't believe a full service operation has a snowballs chance in SWFL. The suits have already gone through 2 recent cash hemorrhaging episodes when they attempted "live & local" programming. The GM said they were in it for the long haul when they put sports on 1200/1460. In my view, they pulled the plug in this format too soon, which is all too common in this business today.

The second attempt at 1200/1460 with the full service local news staff was wildly incredulous. Full service all news stations have trouble generating a profit in markets inside the top 15-20. That format is guaranteed not to generate a return in this market. To this day, I still cannot believe that
they actually tried to pull it off. You know it was a high pressure sucking money pit. Adding insult to injury, the current format on now 50kw 1200 is a fine example of dreck radio.

Will FMB/Sun make a conscious and voluntary walk back to the cash flow hell woodshed ? Doubt it and don't blame them. Look for 1240/1270 to be some version of syndicated bird programming via NBC or CBS sports or 2nd tier talk. What ever it is will be an improvement over wasting the AM signals via the current trimulcast.
 
4merOwner said:
Hopefully it will be some type of news programming or something with a heavy emphasis placed on local news content. Even full service with select music interspersed with local news, talk and information will fill a local void and provide compelling programming not found on any other Fort Myers - Naples station.

I agree with jmtillery about how FMB/Sun should program the soon to be untethered 1240/1270, but don't believe a full service operation has a snowballs chance in SWFL. The suits have already gone through 2 recent cash hemorrhaging episodes when they attempted "live & local" programming. The GM said they were in it for the long haul when they put sports on 1200/1460. In my view, they pulled the plug in this format too soon, which is all too common in this business today.

The second attempt at 1200/1460 with the full service local news staff was wildly incredulous. Full service all news stations have trouble generating a profit in markets inside the top 15-20. That format is guaranteed not to generate a return in this market. To this day, I still cannot believe that
they actually tried to pull it off. You know it was a high pressure sucking money pit. Adding insult to injury, the current format on now 50kw 1200 is a fine example of dreck radio.

Will FMB/Sun make a conscious and voluntary walk back to the cash flow hell woodshed ? Doubt it and don't blame them. Look for 1240/1270 to be some version of syndicated bird programming via NBC or CBS sports or 2nd tier talk. What ever it is will be an improvement over wasting the AM signals via the current trimulcast.
Click to expand...
 
Hopefully it will be some type of news programming or something with a heavy emphasis placed on local news content. Even full service with select music interspersed with local news, talk and information will fill a local void and provide compelling programming not found on any other Fort Myers - Naples station.

I agree with jmtillery about how FMB/Sun should program the soon to be untethered 1240/1270, but don't believe a full service operation has a snowballs chance in SWFL. The suits have already gone through 2 recent cash hemorrhaging episodes when they attempted "live & local" programming. The GM said they were in it for the long haul when they put sports on 1200/1460. In my view, they pulled the plug in this format too soon, which is all too common in this business today.

The second attempt at 1200/1460 with the full service local news staff was wildly incredulous. Full service all news stations have trouble generating a profit in markets inside the top 15-20. That format is guaranteed not to generate a return in this market. To this day, I still cannot believe that
they actually tried to pull it off. You know it was a high pressure sucking money pit. Adding insult to injury, the current format on now 50kw 1200 is a fine example of dreck radio.

Will FMB/Sun make a conscious and voluntary walk back to the cash flow hell woodshed ? Doubt it and don't blame them. Look for 1240/1270 to be some version of syndicated bird programming via NBC or CBS sports or 2nd tier talk. What ever it is will be an improvement over wasting the AM signals via the current trimulcast.


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4merOwner said:
Hopefully it will be some type of news programming or something with a heavy emphasis placed on local news content. Even full service with select music interspersed with local news, talk and information will fill a local void and provide compelling programming not found on any other Fort Myers - Naples station.

I agree with jmtillery about how FMB/Sun should program the soon to be untethered 1240/1270, but don't believe a full service operation has a snowballs chance in SWFL. The suits have already gone through 2 recent cash hemorrhaging episodes when they attempted "live & local" programming. The GM said they were in it for the long haul when they put sports on 1200/1460. In my view, they pulled the plug in this format too soon, which is all too common in this business today.

The second attempt at 1200/1460 with the full service local news staff was wildly incredulous. Full service all news stations have trouble generating a profit in markets inside the top 15-20. That format is guaranteed not to generate a return in this market. To this day, I still cannot believe that
they actually tried to pull it off. You know it was a high pressure sucking money pit. Adding insult to injury, the current format on now 50kw 1200 is a fine example of dreck radio.

Will FMB/Sun make a conscious and voluntary walk back to the cash flow hell woodshed ? Doubt it and don't blame them. Look for 1240/1270 to be some version of syndicated bird programming via NBC or CBS sports or 2nd tier talk. What ever it is will be an improvement over wasting the AM signals via the current trimulcast.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. Knowing the history of the owners of these stations I do not expect any kind of News/Full Service type of format on either one of these stations. I too think it will end up being something fed off the bird whether it be sports/2nd tier talk or possibly some sort of oldies format. Either way don't expect anything too exciting to happen here.
 
Most likely the new format will consist of some sort of nationally syndicated talk or music programming due to the cost factor. However, something local will definitely fill a void. There is always a very careful weight placed on management to consider cost verses ROI in any decisions made regarding how a station should be operated. And, also considering that 1240 and 1270 are not dominate signals, and probably never will be, this creates an even greater challenge in identifying and implementing the correct balance.
 
jmtillery said:
Most likely the new format will consist of some sort of nationally syndicated talk or music programming due to the cost factor. However, something local will definitely fill a void. There is always a very careful weight placed on management to consider cost verses ROI in any decisions made regarding how a station should be operated. And, also considering that 1240 and 1270 are not dominate signals, and probably never will be, this creates an even greater challenge in identifying and implementing the correct balance.
Click to expand...

As someone from Naples I feel confident in saying that many people here would like to see WNOG/1270 return to local programming serving the Naples and Collier County community like it once did. WNOG is the "heritage" station here locally and at one time it was a very important part of the community but since the local ownership sold the station to FMB people it has slowly degraded into nothing more than programming fed off the bird. I know the radio business has changed a lot the past few years and sadly it has taken what were good stations such as WNOG down with it.

Given the past history of the current owners no one should expect anything close to groundbreaking here. They have had other chances to do some good things with some of their other signals but not have. Personally I think the original news format at WINK/1200AM might have worked if they would have included some local talk hosts on that strong signal. But no, they just degraded it to another satellite fed news format. What a waste of a 50,000 watt signal.

I agree these two stations will end up being fed off the bird as either 2nd tier talkers, sports or possibly some sort of music programming. Actually I think that running something like Scott Shannon Oldies might not be so bad. This area has no real oldies station left. Whatever happens it has to be better than wasting these signals on a three way broadcast of conservative talk.
 
Sports.
 
Sports was one of my guesses. I'm thinking if they go that route they will run either CBS or NBC sports. One question is would they do any local hosts or just network? While I would not be against a sports format I am not sure if it will work given that ESPN is now on a full service FM signal. Would they be able to compete? Or do they even care that much. Network sports would be a cheap, easy way to fill the signals. Whatever they do has to be better than the three way broadcast of Rush and his minions.
 
Louis_009 said:
I am not from the area but can someone tell me what is WFSX-AM any updates? flip?
Click to expand...

The proposed flip is scheduled to happen on Monday morning, July 22nd. Beyond that, that is all that is known. No rumors going around to what may happen. Right now I am leaning toward a sports format. HadYourPhil seems to think it will be sports and he seems to always have a pretty decent handle on what's happening in this market so I tend to agree with him. We will all find out tomorrow I guess.
 
Louis_009 said:
I am not from the area...
Click to expand...
Louis_009 said:
If they are going to sports hopefully they have a very good nightime [sic] singal [sic] like WDAE-AM Tampa Bay.
Click to expand...

Not happening. WFSX AM 1240 is the weaker of the two. I have to move the radio in my bedroom just to receive AM 1240.
 
The switch will occur at 6AM. IMHO, they should've left the right wing talk on AM and switched the FM. After all, there is already an AM and an FM sports station in the market. Actually two AM's because WWCN 770 is still in English.
 
As of this morning, the station is now airing NBC Sports Radio. They will also air The Jim Rome Show.

They are going by the moniker 1240/1270 The Fan.
 
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