FWB/Destin is a very small market. All that water to the south and all those woods (national forests and the biggest air force base in the world) to the north. Very small sliver of a market. Pensacola's not that much better, water to the south, air force base to the east and woods to the north, but we have Mobile to the west. New Orleans and Mobile get the big signals. Dothan and Panama City split divide up some big signals and Fort Walton puts some small to medium signals in the empty spots on the dial. Pretty simple. Great for DXing with a rooftop Yagi antenna. Sucks for a clock radio.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Who's holding 107.3 back?
- Thread starter Poledo
- Start date
Y'all have no idea how lucky you are. FWB isn't all that small--200,000 people in the market and 16 local-quality FM signals. Yeah, Pensacola is about twice the size, right next door, with 24 local FM choices... and Mobile at more than a half-million people and 29 local-quality FM stations to choose from. The good folks of little ol' Robertsdale have 10 full Class C FM signals booming in on their damn toasters, plus a C-0 (107.3) just for good measure--that's more than Atlanta, for godsakes.
You need to move to Hillsboro, West Virgina--about an hour east of Charleston and an hour northwest of Roanoke. Beautiful country... and not that far from civilization. Their radio choices amount to 4 commercial stations with local-grade signals: a Classic Rocker, a Hot AC and two "variety" stations--meaning All Over The Road.
No, the Emerald Coast/RNR has not been short-changed. It remains one of the most severely over-radio'd regions in the United States. If you can't find something to listen to... on terrestrial radio, Sirius/XM, or online... well, I suppose that's what iPods are for...
You need to move to Hillsboro, West Virgina--about an hour east of Charleston and an hour northwest of Roanoke. Beautiful country... and not that far from civilization. Their radio choices amount to 4 commercial stations with local-grade signals: a Classic Rocker, a Hot AC and two "variety" stations--meaning All Over The Road.
No, the Emerald Coast/RNR has not been short-changed. It remains one of the most severely over-radio'd regions in the United States. If you can't find something to listen to... on terrestrial radio, Sirius/XM, or online... well, I suppose that's what iPods are for...
Amen to those thoughts amfmxm.
My area of the world has more radio stations than we know what to do with them, as well.
Too many stations and so few choices format wise.
That's the way things are in the Black Belt area of Alabama.
R.D.P. <><
P.S. And yes we're still one of the most poorest regions of the United States. Just wanted to add that in, since Mr. Poledo brought it up recently. I wanted to say that I still agree with your thought on that too.
My area of the world has more radio stations than we know what to do with them, as well.
Too many stations and so few choices format wise.
That's the way things are in the Black Belt area of Alabama.
R.D.P. <><
P.S. And yes we're still one of the most poorest regions of the United States. Just wanted to add that in, since Mr. Poledo brought it up recently. I wanted to say that I still agree with your thought on that too.
I know we have too many signals, I was just commenting on the physical size of the market. All that water to the south and that huge air force base and those national forests don't allow towers to be built on them (or in them when it come to the Gulf). So we have a small piece of land to place towers on which gives us too many signals. So many signals also leads to too many people wanting to be #1 which causes too much competition for the top spots with the same old formats. I actually think that if we had less signals and Clear Channel and Cumulus owned all the stations they might just give us a little more variety. It would probably still suck though. I can't believe how many years I've been listening to mostly Clear Channel and Cumulus owned radio stations. I'm an embarrassment to radio listeners nationwide. If I didn't tune in WAAZ at least once a week y'all would tar and feather me.
WAAZ would be a perfect news/talk/sports station, not sure if the current owners want to sell but, if the new owners (gonna guess ***, unless they own too many stations in the FWB area) can buy it for a lump sum.
As long as they keep the Braves Baseball as well as the local HS football games, I don't see why they can't do this. Were in country music overload now.
WFTW-FM 104.7 has a nice ring to it. They can still serve the community just like AAZ is and put the stick on Hollywood, ditch the AM and we'd (finally) have a full power Coast affiliate.
(Unless the ticket goes back to 98KW..they are not suited to carry Braves Baseball as they have a Crestview audience and that's where and they can still have local CView sponsors)
As long as they keep the Braves Baseball as well as the local HS football games, I don't see why they can't do this. Were in country music overload now.
WFTW-FM 104.7 has a nice ring to it. They can still serve the community just like AAZ is and put the stick on Hollywood, ditch the AM and we'd (finally) have a full power Coast affiliate.
(Unless the ticket goes back to 98KW..they are not suited to carry Braves Baseball as they have a Crestview audience and that's where and they can still have local CView sponsors)
Count your blessings sir and be glad that you got some variety in your radio market.
Wish we had some here in the poor ol' Black Belt area of the world.
R.D.P. <><
P.S. I know someone will agree with me on this. If so, then good for you. My thought is this, if someone though that talk could sell on a full powered FM signal, they would have tried it already.
Wish we had some here in the poor ol' Black Belt area of the world.
R.D.P. <><
P.S. I know someone will agree with me on this. If so, then good for you. My thought is this, if someone though that talk could sell on a full powered FM signal, they would have tried it already.
WAAZ Jimmy, to my knowledge doesn't have any children that would take over. His wife passed away a few years back and I think she had a brother or sister that appeared to be next in line, but my guess is they'd not be interested in maintaining this station at this point in their lives. Jimmy is probably just going to stick with it until he can't. He's a different breed. The best of the best. Money doesn't allure him. He's old school radio (note the spelling) and only upgraded a decade or so back because he had to Go from 3kw up to 50k min., or the FCC would allow another station to upgrade and encroach on Crestview. He believes it's his mission to serve his community and be a good neighbor. He doesn't need the lights of the beach (or $) to pull him away from his own brilliant plan. Not that be can't tell it like it is, mind you...you probably still don't want to 'cross him'. I know my favorite part of his great nature was when he told me his father turned off his radio station with huge power back in the times when the FCC decided they had to start regulating power, frequencies and actually issue licenses. His dad say no way to that. Radio, by then, was all Jimmy wanted to do, so he got the licenses and eventually set up the Crestview properties. If there EVER was a case of anyone Playing what he wants....it's 104.7 WAAZ "Jimmy Whitaker FM". CCENG I think most of this is semi factual, but it's been a long time since he told me lots of this, so maybe, it's at least close. You might know his plan, but I can't see him ever selling to any of the corporate big talkers that used to stalk him..
So Tibbs, are you suggesting that you believe Jimmy would just assume let the WAAZ license go dark when he's no longer able to run the station instead of selling it? Or are you suggesting that an offer from the local owner of Sea Breeze 106.3 or possibly locally owned Pensacola 98.7 Cat Country would trump any higher offer from Cumulus?
amfmxm said:Y'all have no idea how lucky you are. FWB isn't all that small--200,000 people in the market and 16 local-quality FM signals. Yeah, Pensacola is about twice the size, right next door, with 24 local FM choices... and Mobile at more than a half-million people and 29 local-quality FM stations to choose from. The good folks of little ol' Robertsdale have 10 full Class C FM signals booming in on their damn toasters, plus a C-0 (107.3) just for good measure--that's more than Atlanta, for godsakes.
You need to move to Hillsboro, West Virgina--about an hour east of Charleston and an hour northwest of Roanoke. Beautiful country... and not that far from civilization. Their radio choices amount to 4 commercial stations with local-grade signals: a Classic Rocker, a Hot AC and two "variety" stations--meaning All Over The Road.
YOU, my friend, have obviously had time to clear your head of the panhandle clouds of heavily radio along the bikini laden coast that has lulled us into still thinking it was bliss... YES...I agree. Keep trying to 'plain that at least there are lots of options left. Take market #45, Nashville, great market, growing fast, probably the greatest mid market city in America and radio is predictable and often stale. It could be worse guys! Granted, if I was ownin a few of them sticks, I'd wish for the old clear dial scans with a dozen signals, but as listeners go...you've got 100s of choices in you count tropo days. Admittedly, there's a lot of urban, CHR younger skewing stations (10?) and now a fair share of rockers that are just too much for my old ears. BUT, at least you've got them. What tropos are going rob? I heard WTIX out of NO way up north, bet it was blastin you in Navarre.
No, the Emerald Coast/RNR has not been short-changed. It remains one of the most severely over-radio'd regions in the United States. If you can't find something to listen to... on terrestrial radio, Sirius/XM, or online... well, I suppose that's what iPods are for...
Back in the good old days WBHY 88.5 in Mobile would sign off at midnight... the same time WUSM 88.5 NPR/public radio at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg would turn the controls over to the students who played Punk Rock for about 2-3 hours each night. I don't know how they did it, but that little class A radio station about 200 miles away would boom into Pensacola almost every night to entertain us. I don't know why the Christians in Mobile decided they needed to stay on the air past midnight. Ruined the show for all of us. That was the same time that The Zephyr on 106.1 from New Orleans would appear on the Pensacola dial several times a week.
- Status