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WIFM, Elkin Sold To GM

J

Josh Owens

The estate of Gary York’s Yadkin Valley Broadcasting Corporation sells AC 100.9 WIFM-FM Elkin NC to Jennifer Chatham’s JKC Media LLC for $800,000. Chatham has served as General Manager of WIFM-FM since 2019.
radioinsight.com

Station Sales Week Of 3/6

Heartland Signal will acquire Liberal Talk “AM 950” KTNF St. Louis Park/Minneapolis from Chad Larson’s JR Broadcasting for $250,000. The buyer is operated by non-profit Future Now Action and acquired Liberal Talk 820 WCPT Willow Springs/Chicago and Brokered Ethnic 1240 WSBC Chicago from...
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Right off the bat, when did Gary York pass away? I remember him from York Oil Company and his People Doing Good For Others radio show, heard on 'PAQ and (reckon) 'IFM. I first heard 'IFM, probably back in like '87, while vacationing with my family, near Plumtree. Wonder if any changes will be made? Reckon we'll see.
 
Obviously the big companies didn't want this one. The signal doesn't cover the two closest metropolises, Winston-Salem and Greensboro. And (please correct me if I'm wrong) the signal barely makes it up to Mt. Airy. Since a corporation owned by the current GM now owns WIFM-FM, I expect few, if any, format or playlist changes for the foreseeable future.
 
ted chittenden said:
Obviously the big companies didn't want this one. The signal doesn't cover the two closest metropolises, Winston-Salem and Greensboro. And (please correct me if I'm wrong) the signal barely makes it up to Mt. Airy. Since a corporation owned by the current GM now owns WIFM-FM, I expect few, if any, format or playlist changes for the foreseeable future.
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I too believe, it doesn't get out that far. So how in the world did I hear it in Plumtree as a kid? Chalk that up to the olden days, I reckon. Talked with a friend in that neck of the woods earlier today and he doesn't see things changing that much, either.
 
How much of a factor would it make if R1 would make a deal with WIFM's owners, downgrade or change the Elkin station, in order to give the 100.9 in Charlotte a maximum signal upgrade potential, to gain some much needed coverage in the Northern Charlotte suburbs. 🤷‍♂️

I think they should just put Mix back on 107.9 and let WBT have 100.9 and 99.3, it would probably be the best option for both stations, assuming if they someday wanna resume normal 'non-loop' programming on 1110.
 
Digging through history cards, it looks like WIFM predates WLNK by about 10 years (~1948 vs ~1957) So its most likely the biggest limiting factor for that signal, but it covers pretty much a very rural swath of NW NC. It is a really good sounding small town station and does cover Mount Airy a bit better than what's on paper. I doubt any major broadcaster would be interested in such a small stick. The ROI would most likely never be there to downgrade/move WIFM to increase WLNK. The big signals out the Triad and Charlotte put a B-C grade signal into that area as it is.
 
MammothCabinet said:
Digging through history cards, it looks like WIFM predates WLNK by about 10 years (~1948 vs ~1957) So its most likely the biggest limiting factor for that signal, but it covers pretty much a very rural swath of NW NC. It is a really good sounding small town station and does cover Mount Airy a bit better than what's on paper. I doubt any major broadcaster would be interested in such a small stick. The ROI would most likely never be there to downgrade/move WIFM to increase WLNK. The big signals out the Triad and Charlotte put a B-C grade signal into that area as it is.
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If they add a directional antenna SE, they can probably move to 100.5 from the same location, not too tight a squeeze with terrain, but maybe a comfortable fit between WMKS 100.3 Triad and 100.7 WZJS near Boone, and still far enough from WSSL too.

Maybe 100.9 could upgrade to more central location, such as co-lo with 92.7 WFNZ, with similar or better coverage, just a slight directional null to the SW & NE (towards WROQ & WYMY).
 
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KyleSmith1988 said:
How much of a factor would it make if R1 would make a deal with WIFM's owners, downgrade or change the Elkin station, in order to give the 100.9 in Charlotte a maximum signal upgrade potential, to gain some much needed coverage in the Northern Charlotte suburbs. 🤷‍♂️

I think they should just put Mix back on 107.9 and let WBT have 100.9 and 99.3, it would probably be the best option for both stations, assuming if they someday wanna resume normal 'non-loop' programming on 1110.
Click to expand...


Seeing as the GM just bought 'IFM and she's been there for a while anyway, I doooooon't think that'll happen on their end. As for 'BT on FM, they are way up on the dial and they haven't been there that long, so they don't have traction yet. Flip-flopping wouldn't be good for them either and besides, I don't think two frequencies would be the way for them to go anyway. I am all for 'BT unlooping and reckon R1 has a plan, but from the armchairs I'm hearing from, including this proberbial (and yes Firefox, that is a word) one, it doesn't look like they do and it is taking too long.
 
MammothCabinet said:
Digging through history cards, it looks like WIFM predates WLNK by about 10 years (~1948 vs ~1957) So its most likely the biggest limiting factor for that signal, but it covers pretty much a very rural swath of NW NC. It is a really good sounding small town station and does cover Mount Airy a bit better than what's on paper. I doubt any major broadcaster would be interested in such a small stick. The ROI would most likely never be there to downgrade/move WIFM to increase WLNK. The big signals out the Triad and Charlotte put a B-C grade signal into that area as it is.
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You raise some good points and from what I've read, you are correct on the history.
 
Digging deeper into WIFM, we see a spur of a now dark AM on 1540with 250 watts daytime only, The same callsign application about a year after the FM, WIFM with the studio/tx location on 1147 spur street in Elkin, with a building still holding the callsign. The License turned in around 1995.

1773075904554.png
 
MammothCabinet said:
Digging deeper into WIFM, we see a spur of a now dark AM on 1540with 250 watts daytime only, The same callsign application about a year after the FM, WIFM with the studio/tx location on 1147 spur street in Elkin, with a building still holding the callsign. The License turned in around 1995.

View attachment 11580
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Yeah, that was the old WJOS, had some friends who worked there over the years, when it was Southern Gospel. Never heard the station, would have loved to, though. It's kinda one of those forgotten stations, like 'GSB, Mebane. WGSB, Mebane: Thanksgiving Day
 
Having lived near there, I was told they took the AM dark due to one of the cellular companies placing their cell tower in that location. As I recall WIFM was one of the early FMs to sign on but added the AM a few years later as there were few FM receivers at the time.
 
Ke4kls said:
Having lived near there, I was told they took the AM dark due to one of the cellular companies placing their cell tower in that location. As I recall WIFM was one of the early FMs to sign on but added the AM a few years later as there were few FM receivers at the time.
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Roger on that. From what I gather, I'd say your commentary is correct. If the FM came on before the AM, that'd be kinda backwards from the way most places did it LOL.
 
Foothills_Caster said:
Not really a bad price when you consider that 400K of that 800 is prob the building that it is in. Def do not expect much to change with the sound of the station.
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Good point on the price and probably right as well on the sound. All due respect to the new owner, it's been said (whoever Itsbeen is, they get quoted a lot), that she knows how to run an office, but not a radio station.
 


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