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WKZV
- Thread starter PHIL Z
- Start date
Z
Zipperhead
Guest
Essentially what you would get for your purchase price of WKZV would be 6 acres of land, a license to operate on 1110 AM and not much else.
Walking into the studios of WKZV is like walking into a station in the late 1970's.
The station still uses cart machines, the machines and the carts are in bad repair.
An old Radio Systems board is there, you probably can't get parts for it any more.
The station is connected to the transmitter site via phone lines. There are no interfaces for satellite programming or satellite news services.
The junk CD players skip and are consumer grade not commercial grade.
The production studio (if you can call it that) is practically non-functional.
There isn't a computer in the building.
The transmitter is housed in an old mobile home that is literally falling apart.
The transmitter itself is junk and parts for it are very hard to come by.
I wouldn't be surprised if the almost 42 year old towers and ground system are shot.
There is no billing to speak of.
The purchaser of this station will need to gut the whole place an virtually start from scratch. How many thousands of dollars will it take to do that? 100,000, 200,000...more??
And what will you have when you do that? A daytime AM that signs on at 7:45AM in January and signs off at 5:00 PM.
You can get night time authorization from the FCC you say.....add another huge price for your 48 watts (or whatever) of night time broadcasting.
No responsible broadcaster would touch this station with a 10 foot pole. The buyer will be someone who doesn't have a clue about the radio business, much like the people who own it now.
Walking into the studios of WKZV is like walking into a station in the late 1970's.
The station still uses cart machines, the machines and the carts are in bad repair.
An old Radio Systems board is there, you probably can't get parts for it any more.
The station is connected to the transmitter site via phone lines. There are no interfaces for satellite programming or satellite news services.
The junk CD players skip and are consumer grade not commercial grade.
The production studio (if you can call it that) is practically non-functional.
There isn't a computer in the building.
The transmitter is housed in an old mobile home that is literally falling apart.
The transmitter itself is junk and parts for it are very hard to come by.
I wouldn't be surprised if the almost 42 year old towers and ground system are shot.
There is no billing to speak of.
The purchaser of this station will need to gut the whole place an virtually start from scratch. How many thousands of dollars will it take to do that? 100,000, 200,000...more??
And what will you have when you do that? A daytime AM that signs on at 7:45AM in January and signs off at 5:00 PM.
You can get night time authorization from the FCC you say.....add another huge price for your 48 watts (or whatever) of night time broadcasting.
No responsible broadcaster would touch this station with a 10 foot pole. The buyer will be someone who doesn't have a clue about the radio business, much like the people who own it now.
Other than that it sounds like a great deal. No, really,you are correct. Even if you poured thousands into the station, what would you do with it? Who listens to small AMs anymore. If you had some night time power you could do high school sports. I don't know how many people listen to those games, but the sponsors seem to think someone is and you can sell them. However, with WTAM and WBT they will never be able to operate at night.
C
california
Guest
let's face it, with few exceptions, very few, owning a small am radio station is like owning a vcr. i have 5 i'll give you for nothing. barter or trade is the only income. expenses continue to rise while revenues are non-existant. in many cases it's even too costly to broadcast local football games. the kid or retired guy still are demanding at least gas money to do the play by play. california
Parttimer said:Maybe they should broker more during the week
They're trying.
hypwr said:Other than that it sounds like a great deal. No, really,you are correct. Even if you poured thousands into the station, what would you do with it? Who listens to small AMs anymore. If you had some night time power you could do high school sports. I don't know how many people listen to those games, but the sponsors seem to think someone is and you can sell them. However, with WTAM and WBT they will never be able to operate at night.
One thing this station has going for it is a niche format. What's hampered it isn't the music, but the lack of reliability insofar as the transmitter and the full-service news and information element that AM radio listeners demand.
They're not playing the independent-label artists as much as they once had, but more mainstream classic country titles. Musically, it's pretty sound and could be profitable. It has potential. If they brought back a full-time news director that went out and about the area and brought a satellite news network (there's two dishes out back, so it's possible) in, you could make a nice but modest living if you're realistic about it.
There's plenty of business around where they could tape-delay the football games JPA isn't carrying and air them the following morning. That's an option.
Mike and Helen know this. They have for some time. But they've had health problems and have had enough. They're having a hard time finding people with the sick and twisted commitment level you need to be a success at this.
kenhawk1160 said:One thing this station has going for it is a niche format. What's hampered it isn't the music, but the lack of reliability insofar as the transmitter and the full-service news and information element that AM radio listeners demand.
They're not playing the independent-label artists as much as they once had, but more mainstream classic country titles. Musically, it's pretty sound and could be profitable. It has potential. If they brought back a full-time news director that went out and about the area and brought a satellite news network (there's two dishes out back, so it's possible) in, you could make a nice but modest living if you're realistic about it.
Their "niche format" is bringing in ZERO income. You might literally hear one spot an hour. The entire Mon-Fri week is a waste of electricity. They are only making money with the polka shows and whatever else they can broker. There's no value in holding onto the music format, and especially in paying local jocks.
kenhawk1160 said:There's plenty of business around where they could tape-delay the football games JPA isn't carrying and air them the following morning. That's an option.
How much money can you make doing a game like that? $200?... $500?... and besides the 10 sponsors who paid $50 each to hear their kid's name on the radio, that tunes out everyone else who might have chosen to listen.
kenhawk1160 said:Mike and Helen know this. They have for some time. But they've had health problems and have had enough. They're having a hard time finding people with the sick and twisted commitment level you need to be a success at this.
If they're holding out for a buyer who will pay enough to fund their retirement they are going to have a problem. $50K is probably the max they're going to get.
Really, I feel bad for them. Plus, I got my start in that trailer, so it's sad for me to see it in that condition. But they've got to cut their losses and get out... only someone who can buy it cheap could then also swing the funds to make it a viable facility again.
I listen to WKZV -- low power, outages and all. Of course, when I die, I may become the patron saint of small AM stations.
AM is a tough proposition these days, but almost anything can work if it's local and relevant enough. And there is room for someone to do "classic country" in this market.
That said, the facility is definitely a fixerupper.
C.
AM is a tough proposition these days, but almost anything can work if it's local and relevant enough. And there is room for someone to do "classic country" in this market.
That said, the facility is definitely a fixerupper.
C.
Perhaps they could make a deal with a TV station to simulcast their audio now that TV "radios" don't function anymore. There may be some copyright problems. Then lease tower space to some cell companies.
Now that I'm being idiotic, they could also grow hay at the xmtr. site and sell it to the nearby horse people.
Then you get interns from W&J to fill most of the time slots as board ops.
Now that I'm being idiotic, they could also grow hay at the xmtr. site and sell it to the nearby horse people.
Then you get interns from W&J to fill most of the time slots as board ops.
I would cut a deal with Keymarket and move the studios up to their building on the Parkway West (might have to change the city of license to do that). I'd simulcast Froggy during the week and retain the rights to the weekends in their entirety, and give them a cut of revenue if I covered up Froggy with brokered programming on a weekday.
What they should do is put Jones "True Country" on there. Would save a lot of money and still give the same programming.
They could rig up the cart machines to do the liners and ID, have a back up reel to reel of music in case of outage/fill in. I am sure there are still some old relay type automations blowing around pretty cheap.
Yeah, I am thinking of the "old fashioned cheap way" of running it. LOL!
They could rig up the cart machines to do the liners and ID, have a back up reel to reel of music in case of outage/fill in. I am sure there are still some old relay type automations blowing around pretty cheap.
Yeah, I am thinking of the "old fashioned cheap way" of running it. LOL!
M
mc_billy_bob
Guest
I remember they used to play some good music back in the late 90's. But you could tell nobody was listening when they asked a trivia question or an opinion thing and asked people to call, only one person did. lol But I was listening. lol
Parttimer:Parttimer said:kenhawk1160 said:One thing this station has going for it is a niche format. What's hampered it isn't the music, but the lack of reliability insofar as the transmitter and the full-service news and information element that AM radio listeners demand.
They're not playing the independent-label artists as much as they once had, but more mainstream classic country titles. Musically, it's pretty sound and could be profitable. It has potential. If they brought back a full-time news director that went out and about the area and brought a satellite news network (there's two dishes out back, so it's possible) in, you could make a nice but modest living if you're realistic about it.
Their "niche format" is bringing in ZERO income. You might literally hear one spot an hour. The entire Mon-Fri week is a waste of electricity. They are only making money with the polka shows and whatever else they can broker. There's no value in holding onto the music format, and especially in paying local jocks.
kenhawk1160 said:There's plenty of business around where they could tape-delay the football games JPA isn't carrying and air them the following morning. That's an option.
How much money can you make doing a game like that? $200?... $500?... and besides the 10 sponsors who paid $50 each to hear their kid's name on the radio, that tunes out everyone else who might have chosen to listen.
kenhawk1160 said:Mike and Helen know this. They have for some time. But they've had health problems and have had enough. They're having a hard time finding people with the sick and twisted commitment level you need to be a success at this.
If they're holding out for a buyer who will pay enough to fund their retirement they are going to have a problem. $50K is probably the max they're going to get.
Really, I feel bad for them. Plus, I got my start in that trailer, so it's sad for me to see it in that condition. But they've got to cut their losses and get out... only someone who can buy it cheap could then also swing the funds to make it a viable facility again.
I’m prepared to refute your argument as follows:
1. The reason WHY this station isn’t making money is pure and simple: IT’S NOT BEING SOLD. There is no sales force other than Mike or Helen to bring in ads. Usually that responsibility has been falling upon Mike, more so in recent years. He knows how to sell it, but again, he has health problems that have been hampering his efforts.
The transmitter issues aren’t helping any either. If this station could stay on the air in a consistent manner, it would be a different situation. You’re looking at this entirely from a music standpoint, when there’s a lot more to it than that.
2. There’s plenty of talent willing and able to go out and record a game. They don’t have to be career radio people. Retired coaches, gym teachers, and officials can fill the bill nicely and get paid maybe $50 for a home game or $65 for an away one. Since the game is being recorded on tape, line/cell charges aren’t an issue. And I think $500 is better than nothing at all, don’t you think? I don’t see why you can’t generate up to $1,000 a game in that area.
3. I will agree with you that the property is overpriced for what they’re asking. I hate to see them take a loss on it, but they’ve been burned by a lot of people whom they trusted to “fix” their problems. Like I said, I know Mike and Helen personally and have had the inside track as to what some of the goings-on were. One person tried to ruin them financially and came very close to doing it.
I know of one broadcaster in western Pennsylvania that has the moxie and the money to pull this off. However, I don’t think even he wants to take on a project of this magnitude.
clangham said:What they should do is put Jones "True Country" on there. Would save a lot of money and still give the same programming.
They could rig up the cart machines to do the liners and ID, have a back up reel to reel of music in case of outage/fill in. I am sure there are still some old relay type automations blowing around pretty cheap.
Yeah, I am thinking of the "old fashioned cheap way" of running it. LOL!
They were satellite when they went back on as KZ Country in October 1992. It damn near buried them. That's why they got rid of it. For what they were paying on-air people that had to be there anyway, they might as well be live and local.
Yep, that was the pitfall when you had to have a babysitter in the building all the time. You always had a salary being added up each hour, whether they were sleeping, chatting on the phone, or actually doing something worthwhile like the job they were supposed to be doing. Things are sure a lot easier now that you can control operations from a computer and have no one there.
Z
Zipperhead
Guest
As hard as it is to believe, the owners of WKZV have not joined the computer age.
Zipperhead said:As hard as it is to believe, the owners of WKZV have not joined the computer age.
I think Helen is computer-literate. To my knowledge she has email access at her home. Mike's strictly old-school. He's more a phone guy or face-to-face. At any rate, the lack of a computer radio environment has really hurt them. For what they've paid to rebuild carts, replace needles, repair turntables and CD players, they could have bought a few computers, put everything on hard drive and eliminated such worries forever. The problem is, the same people who told them they need to go this route are the same ones that burned them in the past like I mentioned before.
clangham said:Yep, that was the pitfall when you had to have a babysitter in the building all the time. You always had a salary being added up each hour, whether they were sleeping, chatting on the phone, or actually doing something worthwhile like the job they were supposed to be doing. Things are sure a lot easier now that you can control operations from a computer and have no one there.
If you brought back a satellite, you'd better have enough local content to offset it...like local news, sports, public affairs and/or talk. You put it on the bird and expect it to do all the work, you might as well turn off the lights, lock the door, and mail the license back to the FCC.
You want some great examples of how to do satellite right, listen to WDAD, WMBS and WCNS. They are by far, the best...and most importantly...PROFITABLE.
kenhawk1160 said:1. The reason WHY this station isn’t making money is pure and simple: IT’S NOT BEING SOLD. There is no sales force other than Mike or Helen to bring in ads. Usually that responsibility has been falling upon Mike, more so in recent years. He knows how to sell it, but again, he has health problems that have been hampering his efforts.
The transmitter issues aren’t helping any either. If this station could stay on the air in a consistent manner, it would be a different situation. You’re looking at this entirely from a music standpoint, when there’s a lot more to it than that.
2. There’s plenty of talent willing and able to go out and record a game. They don’t have to be career radio people. Retired coaches, gym teachers, and officials can fill the bill nicely and get paid maybe $50 for a home game or $65 for an away one. Since the game is being recorded on tape, line/cell charges aren’t an issue. And I think $500 is better than nothing at all, don’t you think? I don’t see why you can’t generate up to $1,000 a game in that area.
3. I will agree with you that the property is overpriced for what they’re asking. I hate to see them take a loss on it, but they’ve been burned by a lot of people whom they trusted to “fix” their problems. Like I said, I know Mike and Helen personally and have had the inside track as to what some of the goings-on were. One person tried to ruin them financially and came very close to doing it.
I know of one broadcaster in western Pennsylvania that has the moxie and the money to pull this off. However, I don’t think even he wants to take on a project of this magnitude.
I don't dispute that you can make that kind of money on a tape-delayed game. But I think it's the absolute worst radio you can put on the air. I'd actually rather hear the medical shows on 620, the Frankie Day show sponsored by Frankie Day and his sponsors, or a religious teaching broadcast before I'd listen to that. If you have to resort to tape delayed games you should turn in the license.
Ken, you work for a successful small-town operation that does obits and ultra-local stuff. However Butler is further away from the metro than this is.... Peters Township and its affluent population are 5 minutes from these towers. Southpointe is one exit away. The Meadows is right around the corner. Quit programming to the 5 businesses left in Downtown Washington.
I think you can come up with something more upscale, and structure it so that only 8AM-5PM year-round matters.
If someone is going to fix this facility, doing so to run tape-delayed basketball games is an extremely poor investment.
And frankly, the more we hear about this story, the worse it gets.... owners who are apparently behind the times, have been misled, had people try to ruin them... wow.
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