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Which would you buy ?

H

HarveyBrowning

If you were in AC, which stations would you buy ?

Equity - AYV, ZXL, TTH and CMC

OR

Millennium Radio - FPG, PUR, ESPN and 97.3

OR

Access.1 - MGM, KOOL, WOND and JSE

Have had it scribes...
 
If you will allow me, I'd also like to throw in the Cape May stations:

Coastal: WCZT, WILW, WSJQ

Equity "South": WEZW, WAIV, WSNQ (WCMC should be listed here and replaced on your list with WMID)

Brancadora: WIBG


This is still a tough one. I would love to get my hands on WCMC and an FMer full signal. Then, move the ABC Timeless feed to the FM and relaunch 1230 as a news/talker to take on WOND. Otherwise, I'd obtain one of the other stations, operate it/them free of consultants and expand the libraries.
 
I would take Millennium's stations in a heartbeat.

50,000 watt WFPG-FM sends a signal into parts of Philly and north of mile marker 100 on the GSP
50,000 watt WXKW is loud and clear from just East of Camden and just South of Toms River all the way to Cape May with a fringe signal getting into parts of PA and Monmouth Counties.
25,000 watt WPUR covers every inch of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean Counties along with significant chunks of Burlington and Camden Counties.
1450 WENJ, which is only 1,000 watts is loud and clear from Barnegat to Cape May Court House by day.

Equity's only real big signal is WAYV.

WZXL covers Atlantic and Cape May Counties well, along with Southern Ocean County, however during summer tropo there are times when WZXL can't even be heard at Bayport One. Not to mention that there's almost no office in Atlantic City proper that can pick up the station.

WTTH is probably one of the worst 3,000 watt signals in New Jersey, barely making it 30 miles on a good day. Plus lots of interference from WCTO, WRAT and WOSC.

WCMC gets out very well for a 1,000 watt AM but has virtually no signal West of the Parkway in Atlantic or Ocean Counties.

Access 1 is also in rough shape.

WMGM is a real flamethrower in certain cases and a real wimp in others. Good signal 45 miles away in Seaside Heights, but barely usable 40 miles away in Medford. Even in Hammonton (Atlantic County) WXCY breaks through when driving around.

WTKU has a great signal, reaching from Tuckerton to Cape May, but lacks any real building penetration in Atlantic City.

WOND is a good signal, loud and local from Manahawkin to Cape May but for some reason just not nearly as good as WENJ which has the same ERP.

WJSE is just a mess, but *COULD* be upgraded to be decent. On a good day it reaches from Manahawkin to Vineland to Cape May. On a bad day it's not even useable 10 miles from the tower. Again, absolutely no building penetration in Atlantic City.
 
Some facts to consider. WMGM-FM is directional, with a null to WNNJ, Newton, NJ. But is still receivable in full stereo in Pottstown, PA at the old Mrs. Smith's Pie Factory and the Hanover Street Bridge. (why? I don't know, but there really was an Amanda Smith)

WENJ is 1000 watts ONLY at night (strange licence that actually powers UP at night).

In the Equity group, you forgot the Jersey Giant WMID. Still with a strong signal from Chincoteague VA to Long Island, along with WOND and WENJ, but not like the old days. The noise floor is so high anymore, the stations need an elevator to reach it.

WTAA doesn't make that long trip anymore, and Virginia Beach's 1490 hurts it. WOND gets clobberred in Southern Cape May County by WDOV 1410 in DE by sideband.

zxl, mgm, tku were all clearly receiveable in the grandstands at Dover Downs Raceway, but new co and adjacent channel signals have killed that.
 
Although it is not on the list, I would not mind taking 104.9 WSJO from Millennium........For a Class B1 station they get out pretty damn far.
 
IMHO...

Best Buys: Millenium and Access.1. Have worked for and/or know people who work for both companies. Millenium seems to be a class act with management and Access.One has a good group of people. I'd probably buy both, along with Equity, for a giant cluster to be called RGBG (Radio Guy Broadcast Group).

Worst: Coastal. What started out as a good "local" company years ago now relies more on computers and limited local air staffing. Known for its "bargain- basement" spot pricing... but even that is compromised by very limited coverage. Several sales of Coastal have apparently fallen through... probably not a good investment due to their shortcomings.

Amfmsw... good point about WMID in the Equity group. Ditto to GSP163 on SOJO 104.9.

After I win the MegaMillions, who knows? ;D
 
More to consider. Mellenium is the revenue leader, but owns little other than signals. Thw WFPG tower and land are still owned by the Deiner Brothers, the studios and offices are rented. They do own WSJO tower & site. WXKW sale came without site, which is still owned by and leased from Beasley Broadcasting.

Equity owns the WMID/Buzz complex/land and magnificent tower. The WAYV tower, formerly Ch 52, I don't know. WCMC/WZXL building and "tower" on Wildwood's Pacific Avenue is owned, as is the WCMC tower site. The WAIV Rio Grand site is long-term leased, but the WBNJ deal came with tower/site on 15.9 acres of highway frontage. WZXL is leasing space on WMGM-TV tower in Swainton.

Now, Access.1 has the cream. They are on of Linwood's largest taxpayers with the Green Broadcast Plaza complex. It's a massive piece of real estate taking up half a city block. The TV complex and set/equipment storage building fronting Patcong Avenue looks deceivingly small. It's massive. The Radio and Sales building fronting Rt9 is well maintained, three stories, with still more room to grow. ALL stations own their waterfront or watershed property/towers for transmitting with lots of leasing. Even WGYM Hammonton has realestate. WMGM-TV is the only network afiliate in the Garden State. It also has Channel 7 LPTV in Atlantic City, whose license, I think, will be upgraded to another full power HD UHF in the VHF band shutdown. THAT's a lot of land. Howard Green was excellent at looking long-term value.
 
amfmsw said:
More to consider. Mellenium is the revenue leader, but owns little other than signals. Thw WFPG tower and land are still owned by the Deiner Brothers, the studios and offices are rented. They do own WSJO tower & site. WXKW sale came without site, which is still owned by and leased from Beasley Broadcasting.
Click to expand...

It's Millennium ...
The WFPG/WENJ/WPUR tower and building IS owned by the station. The land was never owned by
the station ... it has always been leased from the ACUA and the Atlantic City Sewer Co. before that.
The WSJO tower is not owned by the station, it's a lease involving Nassau and Crown Castle.

Most station owners don't want to be in the real estate business these days.
Name a couple of Philly and New York FM's that own their tower sites, or studios.
 
Tom, you would know. But I do remember Joel Harstone (H&D Broadcasting) always complaining that the Deiner's would sell him the tower site.

As far as Philly/NY? Lots! WCAU / WPVI / Salem WFIL/WNTP, KYW TV and Radio. WNWR. WABC (Lodi NJ) WOR, WMCA, WWRL, WCBS Greater Media, or there's many more. I agree that most broadcast groups aren't in the real estate business.

But having been in too many bank board rooms looking for financing, an independant guy like you or I face terrible chances of getting a mortgage for a station purchase without land attached to the deal. I believe the real estate helps keep the value of stations level in tough times. Say 105.5 was independently owned and went belly up. That 16 acres is a shopping center waiting to happen. And that's what the banks see.
 
me: Name a couple of Philly and New York FM's that own their tower sites, or studios.
amfmsw: As far as Philly/NY? Lots! WCAU / WPVI / Salem WFIL/WNTP, KYW TV and Radio. WNWR. WABC (Lodi NJ) WOR, WMCA, WWRL, WCBS Greater Media, or there's many more.

None are FM.

Often the AM sites are worth more than the station in smaller markets, and many
larger markets have sold off the tower sires, or portions of them, to make a buck.
 
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