• 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

WJJL - future plans

R

Radio-Bored-Op

DISCLAIMER: My post is not meant to be disrespectful.

What are the plans for the station after MJ Phillips and
the Duke of drive hang up the headphones ?
It may have already happened... and the magic of radio
has successfully hidden this from the audience.

but, what happens if the current owners are unable
to continue to program or carry on day to day
duties? Im also placing Lenny Rico with these cats, MJP
and Earl..as he was at least twice my age in
1998 when I enjoyed working there.

so... what happens next ?
I mean I know what happens to houses when the rich
old man dies; either all the offspring yip and moan
until nothing is left and attorneys earn enough coin to buy
more office space and a nice set of golf clubs....
or, the state waits a short time, and then it is sold
at auction, ir a different scenario, somewhere in the
middle - but radio is different. It will not be an old
outdated building just sitting there rotting away, it
"shirley"/ surely will be sought after by someBuddy?

thoughts?
 
Like you, not to be disrespectful but the station may just fade away. I have seen it happen in other cities as it gets tougher for these small stations to compete. Much like the little to medium local newspapers. Like it or not the times they are a changing.
 
Mike Sheridan said:
Like you, not to be disrespectful but the station may just fade away. I have seen it happen in other cities as it gets tougher for these small stations to compete. Much like the little to medium local newspapers. Like it or not the times they are a changing.
Click to expand...

The station has gone into the abyss. No owned tower. No assets. It will go dark unless somebody wants to spend a ton of time and money to try to revive it. It would be me. Buffalo FM is my next move. The costs of just operating JJL the right way is just not worth it. Tower rent, FCC fees, electric, insurance, engineering, payroll, and that is just to keep it on, not to make it great.
 
kw1025 said:
The station has gone into the abyss. No owned tower. No assets. It will go dark unless somebody wants to spend a ton of time and money to try to revive it. It would be me. Buffalo FM is my next move. The costs of just operating JJL the right way is just not worth it. Tower rent, FCC fees, electric, insurance, engineering, payroll, and that is just to keep it on, not to make it great.
Click to expand...

The FCC has renewed the license of WJJL

Application Search Details
File Number: BR-20140131ACG
Call Sign: WJJL
Facility Id: 39517
FRN: 0021501770
Applicant Name: M. J. PHILLIPS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Frequency: 1440
Community of License: NIAGARA FALLS, NY
Application Type: RENEWAL
Status: GRANTED
Status Date: 09/26/2019
Application Service: AM
Disposed Date: 09/26/2019
Accepted Date: 02/03/2014
Last Public Notice: 10/01/2019
 
Frequency1 said:
The FCC has renewed the license of WJJL

Application Search Details
File Number: BR-20140131ACG
Call Sign: WJJL
Facility Id: 39517
FRN: 0021501770
Applicant Name: M. J. PHILLIPS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Frequency: 1440
Community of License: NIAGARA FALLS, NY
Application Type: RENEWAL
Status: GRANTED
Status Date: 09/26/2019
Application Service: AM
Disposed Date: 09/26/2019
Accepted Date: 02/03/2014
Last Public Notice: 10/01/2019
Click to expand...

My thought is that it will go dark. They are great guys. It’s too bad. I heard they are losing their tower lease. That will nail it. Small station owners think their stations are worth way more than they are. They would rather go dark, then to sell it at the price any smart business person would pay. With a purchase, yiu are starting ground up. With everything. Not worth it
 
Just opinion here, a station that doesn't have a full power night time signal needs to just fade away. That goes for 1120 too. Just turn them off. The age of the daytimer was over a long time ago.
 
Whens the last time anyone heard this station?

I live out of the area, but know of some of its history... so i went looking on on google maps street views and satelitte views from 2017 and 2019.. i don't see any tower from any view
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
Whens the last time anyone heard this station?

I live out of the area, but know of some of its history... so i went looking on on google maps street views and satelitte views from 2017 and 2019.. i don't see any tower from any view
Click to expand...

A reliable source tells me the co-ordinates are a bit off and is a few hundred yards west of where the coordinates say it is
 
Mike Sheridan said:
Just opinion here, a station that doesn't have a full power night time signal needs to just fade away. That goes for 1120 too. Just turn them off. The age of the daytimer was over a long time ago.
Click to expand...

The FCC database shows Phillips Communications as the current owner of the tower, with Comcast as the contact. Phillips may have leased it to Comcast but I don't see a change of ownership. It's still very much there if you use the proper FCC coordinates of 43°04'52.2"N 79°00'58.2"W.

Daytime-only AMs have a lifeline if they have an FM translator. The translators are allowed to broadcast 24/7 even if the daytime-only signal has to shut down. In this case WJJL has 55 watts at night so there's no question about their ability to keep a translator on the air. They do not currently have a translator so that point is moot. They are on the Tune-in app so they have online service available.

AM is dying because of interference from myriad devices that generate noise in spite of FCC regulations. A few big stations are likely to remain, but others will either find an FM outlet or simply go online as we move forward. You'll have to balance the difference between the costs of towers and transmitters with the additional costs of online-only music licensing if you plan to provide music that's still in the range of license fees.
 
SirRoxalot said:
You'll have to balance the difference between the costs of towers and transmitters with the additional costs of online-only music licensing if you plan to provide music that's still in the range of license fees.
Click to expand...

FYI The recently enacted Music Modernization Act placed all music, including pre-1972, under the licensing rules of the DMCA.
 
SirRoxalot said:


The FCC database shows Phillips Communications as the current owner of the tower, with Comcast as the contact. Phillips may have leased it to Comcast but I don't see a change of ownership. It's still very much there if you use the proper FCC coordinates of 43°04'52.2"N 79°00'58.2"W.

Daytime-only AMs have a lifeline if they have an FM translator. The translators are allowed to broadcast 24/7 even if the daytime-only signal has to shut down. In this case WJJL has 55 watts at night so there's no question about their ability to keep a translator on the air. They do not currently have a translator so that point is moot. They are on the Tune-in app so they have online service available.

AM is dying because of interference from myriad devices that generate noise in spite of FCC regulations. A few big stations are likely to remain, but others will either find an FM outlet or simply go online as we move forward. You'll have to balance the difference between the costs of towers and transmitters with the additional costs of online-only music licensing if you plan to provide music that's still in the range of license fees.
Click to expand...


The tower is there.. but it's several hundred yards away from where the co-ordinates say it is..... and not knowing the area, I didnt know where else to look
 
SirRoxalot said:


The FCC database shows Phillips Communications as the current owner of the tower, with Comcast as the contact. Phillips may have leased it to Comcast but I don't see a change of ownership. It's still very much there if you use the proper FCC coordinates of 43°04'52.2"N 79°00'58.2"W.

Daytime-only AMs have a lifeline if they have an FM translator. The translators are allowed to broadcast 24/7 even if the daytime-only signal has to shut down. In this case WJJL has 55 watts at night so there's no question about their ability to keep a translator on the air. They do not currently have a translator so that point is moot. They are on the Tune-in app so they have online service available.

AM is dying because of interference from myriad devices that generate noise in spite of FCC regulations. A few big stations are likely to remain, but others will either find an FM outlet or simply go online as we move forward. You'll have to balance the difference between the costs of towers and transmitters with the additional costs of online-only music licensing if you plan to provide music that's still in the range of license fees.
Click to expand...

No one no knows more about FM translators than Rox. He bats 100..... on being wrong.
 
TheBigA said:
FYI The recently enacted Music Modernization Act placed all music, including pre-1972, under the licensing rules of the DMCA.
Click to expand...

Yes, they did. That still wouldn't cover out-of-copyright music like classical or royalty-free music used for non-music programming like talk - in whatever language. As you're likely aware AM radio is doing much better as an outlet for talk-based formats than music formats.
 
SirRoxalot said:


The FCC database shows Phillips Communications as the current owner of the tower, with Comcast as the contact. Phillips may have leased it to Comcast but I don't see a change of ownership. It's still very much there if you use the proper FCC coordinates of 43°04'52.2"N 79°00'58.2"W.

Daytime-only AMs have a lifeline if they have an FM translator. The translators are allowed to broadcast 24/7 even if the daytime-only signal has to shut down. In this case WJJL has 55 watts at night so there's no question about their ability to keep a translator on the air. They do not currently have a translator so that point is moot. They are on the Tune-in app so they have online service available.

AM is dying because of interference from myriad devices that generate noise in spite of FCC regulations. A few big stations are likely to remain, but others will either find an FM outlet or simply go online as we move forward. You'll have to balance the difference between the costs of towers and transmitters with the additional costs of online-only music licensing if you plan to provide music that's still in the range of license fees.
Click to expand...

Doesn't look like much of a transmitter building and way too much vegetation around the tower. I would think that some of that needs to be cleared away.
 
Streaming would make perfect sense for WJJL as their mix of oldies is pretty unique. And streams get out far better than 250 watt translators. For a station like JJL the payment to SoundExchange would likely be the minimum which is $500 a year. Far from a killer though some of SoundExchange's computer requirements are a royal pain to comply with.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom