WIFE-FM Connersville to go dark by next Thursday

[flagwaver]

Worth noting that Rodgers' (101.3FM) WFMG puts a strong signal into Connersville, and seems to be getting involved in a lot of the Connersville community happenings lately.

 

[gr8oldies]

Interesting to know "the rest of the story: on the Shine 99 situation. The tower on SR 26 is about halfway between Kokomo and Frankfort. It's city grade in Kokomo, not quite in Lafayette. When I was there in the mid 80s, Vern had a big push on to sell ads in Logansport.

More than likely the folks in Connersville will percieve the move as just another format change. While I'd agree that people tend to think dealing with the federal beauracracy is a waste of time..I'm still questioning whether the station will actually be missed, any more than Piqua, OH residents mourn the loss of WPTW-FM or even Kool 95.

 

[brian_stevens]

I was but a newly-crowned teenager, who wondered why 99.5’s 19 kHz pilot illuminated the stereo beacon on my new Realistic home receiver for only HALF the day.

Ah yes. The stereo pilot that fired up just in time for Lum 'n Abner - sponsored by Chuck Meadows' White House Restaurant.

 

[brian_stevens]

Re: The former WSMJ calls stand for...

Brian... It dawned on me after you returned the WSMJ calls to my memory...

Could they possibly have stood for: We're SuperMarket Jams :

Works for me. The actual history of the calls is less clear. I've heard two stories. One that they stood for the initials of the original owner's daughter's first names. The other that they stood for "Sweet Music and Jazz."

 

[brian_stevens]

Frankfort actually got a 50,000 watt FM on 99.7 thanks to the WSMJ/WIKS move...

The Frankfort move was just prior to 99.5's move to the Post Road tower site. About a year after WIKS had become the Apple. I'm thinking spring of '84.

The FCC allocated signals which could reach far beyond their City of License...it should have been easy to foretell that given the chance, these signals would go after greener pastures

Case in point. In June 1975 and years before selling to Heftel, WSMJ was a breath away from becoming the Indianapolis affiliate for NBC's News and Information Service Network. I understood that the deal breaker was Braden not wanting to make the investment to staff the station at a level NBC expected.

I don't neccesarily believe that if Community A has a station licensed to it (especially a higher powered one), that it needs to stay licensed there until the end of time.

Nor do I.

But WSMJ was always different to me. While I was in elementary school my dad did PBP for the original owner. In Junior High and High School, I was a news stringer while Braden was owner. I think of WSMJ and the changes there on a far more personal level. In a perfect world, perhaps WSMJ could have been a player in Indy and maintained the local service.

But professionally, I know better.

 

[brian_stevens]

Rodgers also stated that “Connersville will have an FM radio station – it just won’t be at 100.3.”

Haven't I heard a translator for WJCF Morristown broadcasting on 104.5 in Connersville?

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

The WIFE move is taking it much further than WSMJ's conversion to WZPL. In that case the people of
Greenfield could still get emergency messages from their licensed signal on 99.5 In this case the signal is actually being moved 55 miles and downgraded from a class B to a class A. The people
in Connersville, nearby towns, and counties will no longer be able to hear it. And we are not talking about just one station leaving. Also, 103.1 in Versalles.
I see people on here who don't understand. Let em listen to Richmond. Let em listen to Cincinnati.
Sounds like let em eat cake.
Well, the FCC didn't give Rural towns like Connersville 50 kw for nothing. That station didn't serve
Connersville only.
Perhaps next spring, a tornado will come through southern Fayette or northern Franklin County.
Why would Cincinnati or Richmond radio cover it? They wouldn't be in the path. Their EAS wouldn't
go off. Will it take death for the FCC to realize this is a mistake.
And yes, there is a big battle going on in broadcasting and the FCC right now.
This war is between those who love radio and those who love money.
Now you guys can just sit back and watch the show. More than 60,000 Americans
have recently commented against this type of thing. And your damn right, I will be fighting too.
Not just making noise on this board. We couldn't stop 100.3 and we might not stop 103.1.
But we'll sure try to stop the next one. And in the end we will win.

 

[brian_stevens]

The WIFE move is taking it much further than WSMJ's conversion to WZPL. In that case the people of Greenfield could still get emergency messages from their licensed signal on 99.5

Connersville can still get emergency messages from 1580. And if you mean what you say around here, I'd expect from 104.5. Along with Richmond, Dayton and Cincinnati radio and television. I hear and see the watches and warnings for Fayette, Union and Franklin counties every time they're issued.

 

[brian_stevens]

Well, the FCC didn't give Rural towns like Connersville 50 kw for nothing.

I recall Connersville getting 50 kw not for any grand ideal of local service but because the then owner wanted to target the greater ad dollars available from Richmond.

 

[gr8oldies]

It (targeting dollars from bigger markets) happens in all market sizes. A lot of stations were built on Class B frequencies that only ran 6,000 watts or so (WERT-FM, Van Wert, OH,) WILO-FM..now WSHW in Frankfort and many others. Some took the oportunity to upgrade, some not until the FCC issued an ultimatum to either upgrade or face being stuck at whatever power you were using. I can remember hearing the former WCNB-FM in Western Ohio even in the late 70s and early 80s.

Connersville will hardly be without "local" service, with WFMG being 16 miles away (presuming air miles according to radio-Locator.com) and WQLK being 19 miles away. It's inconceiveable that these stations wouldn't run EAS's for Fayette County.

 

[Apollo7979]

Unlike a lot of other stations around these parts, the Richmond FMs do a wonderful job at servicing the vast majority of their primary listening area. WQLK and WFMG have always included Connersville events, weather info, etc. over the years. You even hear a handful of Connersville advertisement on these stations so they'll hardly be without FM service...just without an FM service that's licensed to Connersville itself, but then again, it appears no one really cared about the FM when it existed anyway. Like gr8oldies has said a few times, there wasn't a public outcry concerning the loss of 100.3 in Connersville at least when it was country, but then again, their listeners could have easily shifted to WQLK, WKWH-FM, WMDH-FM, WFMS, WHKO, and even possibly WUBE to get their country fix.

Not to change the subject, but I also heard another Richmond FM, WVXR, was sold to a Christian broadcaster from Columbus, Ohio. Any word on their new format (inspirational, Christian AC, Christian rock, etc.). A music format, if done right, may foil WJYW's attempt to cover Richmond with 2 translators in order to bring Christian music to the city.

 

[ten_four]

reply about brian_steven post:

Shine 99 hit the air as a 50K stick in April of 1982. the x-mtr and tower were installed in their location on state road 26 in late 1981.

 

[brian_stevens]

reply about brian_steven post:

Shine 99 hit the air as a 50K stick in April of 1982. the x-mtr and tower were installed in their location on state road 26 in late 1981.

Thanks for the information. That's certainly more than just prior.

For someone who might know...am I off by a year on those ZPL dates? Was ZPL already on the Post Road tower with their 1983 rollout? I know their offices were still in Greenfield with the Apple.