Jolly Joe knows one fact that I have never heard anyone express on this site! He has a GREAT SIGNAL despite the fact that the station runs on 250 watts. How easy is it to get a good signal from 1230 or 1400 (rest in peace) on the eastern end of the valley up in Allentown? But with his transmitter in the heart of the valley, he gets a great signal to the places that count: Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. What else really matters? To tell the truth, WGPA's signal is just as good as WAEB or WSAN where I live in the eastern part of the Valley. Speaking of WEST, ya gotta love its standing in the latest Arbitron ratings, down at the bottom of the barrel. At least Jolly Joe can claim he has the second highest AM station in the Arbitron ratings with the new book out, now that WEST has regrettably (and I do mean regrettably) gone all Spanish.
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WGPA Thought
- Thread starter mrwattson
- Start date
i have kind of eluded to this in a prior post when i mentioned bobby koch used to talk about some over the air listener in sinking spring. WAEB has the best AM signal in the valley, but WGPA is clearly second. WGPA goes farther west into berks county than WKAP, WEEX, WEST/WHOL. if only they'd be given the permission to run 24/7. my farthest WGPA over-the-air DX was in eastern Lancaster County near the famously named town of intercourse. not bad for 250 watts!!
Thanks for the info, Interstate. On a somewhat related note, I think WGPA should work on how they sound on the internet. If it wouldn't cost a lot of money to do so, it would be worth it. WAEB's oldies on the internet sounds fantastic and sets the standard for people who want to hear oldies on local radio online around here.
i agree 100 percent. 'GPA sounds like a tin can on-line.
C
carlvenorden
Guest
I don't know that it sounds like a "tin can", but it does sound like an AM station. They use Live 365, which is basically the poor man's way of doing internet radio. I didn't realize they even were online until I read it here, and I had to give it a listen. I'm somewhat out of their contour.
Todays DJ, although he may have mentioned his name was talking with someone else about being out late at a station showoff. This guy sounded as though he was eating lunch during his outro of a Bob Dylan song.
I guessed which group he was going to play next because he cued the CD over the air.
There was a 5 second gap between his sentences about the Bob Dylan song, maybe he was trying to figure out how old the song was.
He also mentioned after the third song I listened to, that "everyone is laughing down the hall" and then he quoted a very lame and old tagline, something to the effect that he was working and they were not. (I"m wondering if they were laughing at his on-air delivery?)
I was surprised at the stopset which started with a product designed to maintain erections, the next cm was another internet or cable-tv type product, and a promo for the station.
The music mix was strange, but not unwelcome: Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone, Elton John's I'm Still Standing, and one song which was obviously an oldie that I can not say I have ever heard (and I'm a collector).
I'm thinking that if the rest of the station sounds like this particular show, it doesn't sound very professional at all, almost like a college radio station.
I'll also point out that as I visited the WGPA website, I saw a LOT of entries stating "new exciting programming coming soon" in many of the hourly portions of dayparts throughout the broadcast day. To me, it looks like hourly inserts of paid programming, as it is not likely that these hours scattered about would include live dj's.
And the program that was scheduled for 5pm: "polka", was somehow replaced with what the annnouncer said was a "rebroadcast of the Real Estate Program..so stay tuned for that after USA Network News". Which means WGPA is another station who has no local news during drivetime.
It is true that WGPA has a killer daytime local on-air signal. Most of the Daytimers do. It is an ironic situation.
Most daytimers are licenced to clear channels, who do take precedence at night, and that is why few if any have pssa's. Because the channel is so clear (unlike those mentioned on this thread: the dreaded local channels of 1230, 1400, 1450 and 1600 which are always congested), 250 watters can sound big and bold and have a wide signal on a clear channel.
In fact we have a 750 near Scranton that runs about 1700 watts and it is the loudest signal except for 630 Scranton (obviously).
I've heard rumors that Jolly Joe wishes to retire, and with all the businesses he runs along with WGPA, I can understand that.
However he would have to have a decent product to sell, and at this point, the programming on WGPA would have to be improved immensely, because as I see it, the physical plant isn't for sale.
Todays DJ, although he may have mentioned his name was talking with someone else about being out late at a station showoff. This guy sounded as though he was eating lunch during his outro of a Bob Dylan song.
I guessed which group he was going to play next because he cued the CD over the air.
There was a 5 second gap between his sentences about the Bob Dylan song, maybe he was trying to figure out how old the song was.
He also mentioned after the third song I listened to, that "everyone is laughing down the hall" and then he quoted a very lame and old tagline, something to the effect that he was working and they were not. (I"m wondering if they were laughing at his on-air delivery?)
I was surprised at the stopset which started with a product designed to maintain erections, the next cm was another internet or cable-tv type product, and a promo for the station.
The music mix was strange, but not unwelcome: Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone, Elton John's I'm Still Standing, and one song which was obviously an oldie that I can not say I have ever heard (and I'm a collector).
I'm thinking that if the rest of the station sounds like this particular show, it doesn't sound very professional at all, almost like a college radio station.
I'll also point out that as I visited the WGPA website, I saw a LOT of entries stating "new exciting programming coming soon" in many of the hourly portions of dayparts throughout the broadcast day. To me, it looks like hourly inserts of paid programming, as it is not likely that these hours scattered about would include live dj's.
And the program that was scheduled for 5pm: "polka", was somehow replaced with what the annnouncer said was a "rebroadcast of the Real Estate Program..so stay tuned for that after USA Network News". Which means WGPA is another station who has no local news during drivetime.
It is true that WGPA has a killer daytime local on-air signal. Most of the Daytimers do. It is an ironic situation.
Most daytimers are licenced to clear channels, who do take precedence at night, and that is why few if any have pssa's. Because the channel is so clear (unlike those mentioned on this thread: the dreaded local channels of 1230, 1400, 1450 and 1600 which are always congested), 250 watters can sound big and bold and have a wide signal on a clear channel.
In fact we have a 750 near Scranton that runs about 1700 watts and it is the loudest signal except for 630 Scranton (obviously).
I've heard rumors that Jolly Joe wishes to retire, and with all the businesses he runs along with WGPA, I can understand that.
However he would have to have a decent product to sell, and at this point, the programming on WGPA would have to be improved immensely, because as I see it, the physical plant isn't for sale.
the tower site is rented along with the 528 north new street studios. i don't know advantages to renting studios. but i do have the savvy enough to know...it is highly advantageous to own your tower site due to mr green jeans selling his farm and having to move your tower/towers...that is big $$$$.
D
drpickle
Guest
I've been playing the Lottery as of late. One of these days Im going to scratch off a couple million. When that happens I will be marching upstairs to Timmer Towers with a huge check in hand.
A couple million??
Yeah right.
Timmer will take 750K cash if you plunk it under his nose.
Show him a Million and he'll be playing Metallica and J-Lo
'GPA aint about music
It aint about anything but business on New Street
Yeah right.
Timmer will take 750K cash if you plunk it under his nose.
Show him a Million and he'll be playing Metallica and J-Lo
'GPA aint about music
It aint about anything but business on New Street
I remember seeing that WGPA had a PSSA of 14 watts...guess it was never used. Hey, it could still cover Bethlehem at night. We use our SIX watt night power at WVCH, and I got a listenable signal in my old apartment in Collingdale; it's 8.8 miles from the Brookhaven studio/tx site.
Dave Gardiner
WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
Philadlphia
Dave Gardiner
WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
Philadlphia
D
drpickle
Guest
I would never buy it for the whole 2 million. I actually would try 500K. If he hemmed and hawed then I'd have to offer 750k. He would still be allowed to stay and do polka from 1 to 3. And Steve Capwell and I would run against WAEB. A topical radio with a little bit of music. Mark Thomas would have afternoons.
Actually, that line-up is pretty good.
The question is....could it be profitable?
???
The question is....could it be profitable?
???
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