What's with WHAT 1340? (See what I did there with the title?..heehee)

[TheBigA]

WHAT would better serve the older Caucasian peoples who remember the Standards when they were just released, I am talking the Main Line, Bala, Bryn M, Ardmore, Pennwynn, Narberth, Havertown, Overbrook and points Southwest, where their signal is decent and the Hispanic population is very low.

But once again, this station has already tried that format. It didn't work.

Serving older Caucasian people is great if you're in healthcare. Bad if you're in radio. You're better to aim at a smaller younger audience than a bigger older audience. Hispanics love OTA radio. By a higher percentage than white people.

 

[MarioMania]

As Stone Cold Steve Austin would say

WHAT

 

[davideduardo]

Beg to differ with you; but my buddie(sic) Hector, who lives in South Philadelphia around 5th and Mifflin Streets, cannot pull in WHAT at night, so he listens to WEMG, and WHAT is only about 6 miles from him as the crow flies, WEMG is 4 miles.

But ZIP Code analysis does show listenership in Camden and South Philly.

There is a large influx of Hispanic peoples moving into that area, mostly of Mexican decent(sic), so as I stated, WHAT does not serve them, but WEMG does, signal wise.

With most listening in the daytime, is definitely appears that they are listening to WHAT in those areas.

However, both Mega and El Sol are tropical or rhythmic variants, which are formats that Mexican audiences will not listen to at all.

WHAT would better serve the older Caucasian peoples who remember the Standards when they were just released, I am talking the Main Line, Bala, Bryn M, Ardmore, Pennwynn, Narberth, Havertown, Overbrook and points Southwest, where their signal is decent and the Hispanic population is very low.

WHAT is billing nearly $1.5 million a year, which is more than it billed as a standards station. While it does not bill as much as WEMG, it's certainly enough to be nicely profitable based on having a frugal operation and little competition.

Oh, and just to remain correct, the term is "non-Hispanic white" as "Caucasian" is not a U.S. Census descriptor.

As BigA says, there is no money in serving an audience that is mostly well over 70.

 

[Bill_981]

While the FCC database lists WEMG at 1kW day, there is a special condition on the license that states they must run at 576 (IIRC) watts. The license was issued when the Commission used specific power levels (250w, 1kW, 5 kW, 10 kW, etc.) so an oddball had to have the standard classification and then a special condition. The power level was to protect 1310 in Asbury Park, NJ. I would imagine if a DA could be constructed, it would have been. Gotta remember, the COL is Camden, not Philadelphia, and WEMG covers Camden very well. The FCC could care less if it covered Philadelphia.

 

[davideduardo]

While the FCC database lists WEMG at 1kW day, there is a special condition on the license that states they must run at 576 (IIRC) watts. The license was issued when the Commission used specific power levels (250w, 1kW, 5 kW, 10 kW, etc.) so an oddball had to have the standard classification and then a special condition.

Lower Transmitter Output Power are often employed when the antenna exceeds the efficiency rating for the class of station.

This could also be achieved with a dropping resistor that dissipated part of the RF.

 

[hangman]

In certain cases, tuning one of the guy wires can be used to directionalize a station.
(WEMG uses a stand alone tower, no guys and always had, even in the old days WCAM/WSSJ.)

As BigA says, there is no money in serving an audience that is mostly well over 70.
(Wouldn't you say this is a form of discrimination, every other miniscule act that goes on in America, is some sort of discrimination, and has to be corrected or watch out. We all have to watch what we say and be so politically correct its pathetic. If a certain minority was not served, you know all hell would break loose, so what about the people who embrace Standards, I guess they don't count and everyone hopes they will soon be gone forever)

 

[TheBigA]

Wouldn't you say this is a form of discrimination,

It's been brought up many times before. Do you consider being a target audience of advertising to be a right? It's not that "people who embrace standards...don't count." Just that the courts haven't mandated radio stations to carry certain formats. They leave that to the marketplace. The Standards format is available for those who want it...either on Sirius or various online sources.

 

[frankberry]

In certain cases, tuning one of the guy wires can be used to directionalize a station.

That isn't a very effective way to create a directional pattern. It's also not legal in the USA.
WHAT is sandwiched between two stations on the same frequency. One in Reading, PA and another in Atlantic City, NJ.
WHAT is lucky that they got licensed at all.

 

[FredLeonard]

WHAT is lucky that they got licensed at all.

WRAW, Reading signed on first in 1922. WHAT in 1926. Before the Havana Treaty both were on 1310 (WRAW shared time with WGAL). WMID didn't come along until 1949.

 

[davideduardo]

That isn't a very effective way to create a directional pattern. It's also not legal in the USA.

But some come close... KRLA in LA uses a vertical wire strung from a guywire as its third tower.

WHAT is sandwiched between two stations on the same frequency. One in Reading, PA and another in Atlantic City, NJ.
WHAT is lucky that they got licensed at all.

As Fred points out, the station was licensed in the earliest days of radio, and like many early stations never got an upgraded facility (thing "WHA") despite being pioneers before the FRC and FCC and NARBA eras. In other words, they came from the time when 250 watts was a very good signal!

 

[davideduardo]

(Wouldn't you say this is a form of discrimination, every other miniscule act that goes on in America, is some sort of discrimination, and has to be corrected or watch out. We all have to watch what we say and be so politically correct its pathetic. If a certain minority was not served, you know all hell would break loose, so what about the people who embrace Standards, I guess they don't count and everyone hopes they will soon be gone forever)

Commercial radio stations must find an audience that is big enough and desirable enough to attract advertisers.

In many US metros, Spanish language programming achieves this goal. There are listeners to respond to advertising and there are advertisers who wish to reach them.

Standards may reach a sizable audience. But that demographic is not desirable to advertisers. So even if a station gets a decent listening level, because nearly 100% of the listening will be among persons over 65, there is no money available from advertisers because essentially no advertiser is interested in super-seniors.

Advertisers can not be forced to spend money on media that does not reach the target demo for the goods or services being advertised.

Radio stations can't be forced to program to audiences that attract no advertisers.

This is not about being politically correct. It is about ad revenue, and there is none for "geezer demos".

 

[hangman]

I was always taught from way back when, the main function of radio is to serve the public, no matter how old, what color, religion or size. Todays radio is not doing that. If you look at most of the formats, they target minorities and in reality aren't we all minorities in this country. Non-whites do not realize that Caucasians are not all the same, there are Irish, Italian, Polish, English, Greek, French, German and so on, so just because someone is white, they are not in the majority and should not be characterized in one group called White...A great example is the big apple, a slew of urban formats and not one Rocker.

 

[TheBigA]

I was always taught from way back when, the main function of radio is to serve the public, no matter how old, what color, religion or size. Todays radio is not doing that. If you look at most of the formats, they target minorities and in reality aren't we all minorities in this country.

Not sure what you're talking about. The #1 station in Philadelphia is the Bee. It is what is called Adult Contemporary, which targets all adults, not minorities. The only station with Spanish programming is WHAT. Philadelphia has several rock stations. New York has tried the format several times, and each time, it hasn't attracted enough people.

The days of one station serving everybody went out with in the 70s. Towns like Philadelphia went from a handful of radio stations to over 50. So targeting became the way to carve out an audience. That's how radio has worked for 40 years.

 

[FredLeonard]

But some come close... KRLA in LA uses a vertical wire strung from a guywire as its third tower.



As Fred points out, the station was licensed in the earliest days of radio, and like many early stations never got an upgraded facility (thing "WHA") despite being pioneers before the FRC and FCC and NARBA eras. In other words, they came from the time when 250 watts was a very good signal!

Some current blow-torches started out with less wattage than your reading lamp - and then upgraded to less than your yard light.

As David and others keep pointing, there's a lot more electricity interfering with AM radio today. If you go out in the ocean, away from any ambient light, the light from your smartphone screen could be seen miles away. That's AM radio in the 20s. In Times Square, one of those search lights car dealers used to use would have trouble standing out. That's AM radio today.

 

[davideduardo]

I was always taught from way back when, the main function of radio is to serve the public, no matter how old, what color, religion or size.

Nowhere is anything written that requires a station to serve a specific segment of the audience. Nor is there a requirement for a station to serve "all the people all the time".

Todays radio is not doing that.

It certainly is.

But to serve any group, first there must be a way of supporting the station. Whether that be from advertising or grants or donations, a station has to have money to pay expenses.

Formats that don't get enough income to survive are changed. Think of 50's Oldies or Smooth Jazz or Standards or even jazz and classical in most markets.

If you look at most of the formats, they target minorities and in reality aren't we all minorities in this country.

Except for stations specifically targeting African Americans (WUSL, WDAS, WPHI, WRNB) or Hispanics (WEGM, WHAT, WPHE, WPWA) or specific foreign language groups, every station programs to the general market. And there are 44 commercial stations and 30 non-commercial stations licensed to the Philadelphia MSA.

Non-whites do not realize that Caucasians are not all the same, there are Irish, Italian, Polish, English, Greek, French, German and so on, so just because someone is white, they are not in the majority and should not be characterized in one group called White...A great example is the big apple, a slew of urban formats and not one Rocker.

Uh, "Hispanics" are for the most part classified by the Census Bureau as "white". "Hispanic" is a cultural classification, not a race.

That said, there are stations in areas where certain European languages are still spoken that broadcast in Polish or Russian. But in most cases, the migrations from Ireland (mid to late 1800's), Italian (late 1800's to early 1900's), German (late 1800's) are so far back in history that, after 4, 5 or 6 generations there is no "old country" distinction among those groups.

While some radio format preferences may be based on ethnicity of language, most are simply based on taste. In other words, based on "nurture" and not "nature". Some adults like country, some like classic rock, some like adult contemporary and so on...

Trying to make a case for ethnic bias or discrimination fails on all counts.

 

[davideduardo]

If you go out in the ocean, away from any ambient light, the light from your smartphone screen could be seen miles away. That's AM radio in the 20s. In Times Square, one of those search lights car dealers used to use would have trouble standing out. That's AM radio today.

Good analogy. We have agreed twice this week, so I am going to call my doctor for a check-up.

 

[Bill_981]

Lower Transmitter Output Power are often employed when the antenna exceeds the efficiency rating for the class of station.

This could also be achieved with a dropping resistor that dissipated part of the RF.

Before vacating the old WCAM building, the transmitter was still in there and a dropping resistor was used to dissipate the extra energy. When Mega bought the station and ilnstalled the current building, a new BE AM1A was installed, eliminating the need for the resistor as it could achieve that power level directly. The Continental was moved out of the fallout shelter into the new building, but was never actually connected.

 

[quadpain]

Still talking about WHAT!

View attachment 373 You all forgot when they were Skin Radio, with a good chancie Alternative format.

At least someone remembers Skin!

A few things to keep in mind... The Adult Standards format was run by Marconi Broadcasting which sold the station to Aztec Broadcasting which is now doing the Spanish language format so they probably aren't changing back to anything...
Spanish language stations (no matter how small) get an automatic buy from agencies for national ads. That can really prop up billing for a small station. Local direct sales also tend to ignore the ratings and buy just because you are the only spanish station or two...
The Adult Standards did not attract that national ad buy right away, agencies wanted to see some numbers, which would take time to grow. Some local direct sales would buy just off the story of the station, but sales staff would run into apprehension without the hard numbers to show the audience wasn't just 65+ and where people were listening...
Martini Lounge and Skin Radio were streamed, but that was pre-iPhone pre-Facebook pre-Twitter. It was impossible to Mobile stream the stations in your car, or on the train, etc. Of course you could sit at your computer and listen at work or home as many did inside and outside of that 10 mile daytime radius. I'd leave the station in Manayunk each night, lose it on the way to Coshohocken 7 miles away, and turn on the stream in my house...
WHAT might survive as a station but it costs a lot of money to just keep the power going to that tower to broadcast a signal to a tiny area. The only thing(s) that will work would have a big enough audience that wants to listen to AM radio during the day that people will pay to send messages to. Spanish Hits seems to be working. The one thing this station NEVER will be is a bigger station, you can only work with what you got. perhaps a digital presence could grow the station beyond it's actual broadcast area.

Al Clay
former PD/OM WHAT

PS. I got rid of the expensive towers and other overhead and turned to the internet. You can still hear Martini Lounge and Skin Radio along with 21 other stations online at http://www.iradiophilly.com . You can only broadcast 1 station on 1340, no limit on the web (except maybe you sanity).

 

[hangman]

and there is none for "geezer demos".

Its fine to bash an age group but as soon as someone comes out against anything Hispanic you are up in arms, typical....

 

[davideduardo]

and there is none for "geezer demos".

Its fine to bash an age group but as soon as someone comes out against anything Hispanic you are up in arms, typical....

"Geezer demos" are simply the ages over 65 that essentially never get any ad buys in all but a few of the most concentrated retirement areas. "Senior demos" might be used for "55-64" pre-retirement consumers, while "geezer demos" indicate persons who may be in their 70's or 80's and even beyond.