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wlbe 790 leesburg

A soft AC or Mor would be a winner (60/70's) AM solid gold hits. ditch what is not working. Your winner seems to be your swap shop. Go local mornings, news weather, bring local guests in. Keep your sports and religious programming. Clean up your on air presentation if needed. Serve your city as a full service AM.
 
Good call. There's an AM in Bartow (1130) running 60s/70s hits and it has a very loyal following. It also runs "specials" and coupons via their website for local businesses and such. Bartow's demo is similar to the Leesburg area from what I can tell....
 
Congrats on the new gig!

Many years ago I worked at a graveyard AM station with 1000 watts day, 250 watts night that
was a couple of years into more of a full service, soft AC format after having been Top 40 for years.

It featured artists like Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Nicolette Larson and such, but also played some country artists or crossovers like Kenny Rogers, Oak Ridge Boys, and Barbara Mandrell. Every third song was a 'real oldie." Combined with ABC News, Paul Harvey, and sports (some local high schools and we also had Auburn football) it ranked 8 out of 13 stations. They tried Larry King overnights, but when it was eventually cancelled, only one person called to complain.

Swap shop sounds like a winner. You could leave what's profitable and fill in that syndicated time with music.

Been thriiugh this, and it CAN work.
 
Congratulations, O. K. You have the signal and potential to have a real competitor in the market. MOR / Full Service / Local News sounds like a big winner to me for the Central Florida market demographics. Whatever you decide, I wish you the very best of luck in making WLBE shine above all the rest.
 
It featured artists like Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Nicolette Larson and such, but also played some country artists or crossovers like Kenny Rogers, Oak Ridge Boys, and Barbara Mandrell.
Click to expand...

That is a good mix of AC/MOR, just make sure that every song is a favorite.
 
I agree with the MOR leanings being necessary. Don't forget the good new artists like Michael Buble that fit in the Great American Songbook...
 
Don't forget the good new artists like Michael Buble that fit in the Great American Songbook...
Click to expand...

I would go with core AC/MOR Artists

Roberta Flack
Jim Croce
Bill Withers
Ben E. King
Carly Simon
America
Seals & Crofts
Beatles
Paul Simon
Anne Murray
Chicago
Carole King
James Taylor
Hollies
Cat Stevens
Gary Puckett
Dave Mason
Orleans
England Dan & John Ford Coley
Rita Coolidge
Four Tops
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Gordon Lightfoot
Supremes
Boz Scaggs
Dan Fogelberg
Byrds
Kenny Loggins
Beach Boys
 
Just managed to listen for a few minutes to WLBE, while in the car, up in eastern Hernando county.

WLBE is one of the stronger AM daytime signals here. (540, 640 and 760 being the strongest daytime signals, but 720 and 790 are close behind.)

Like the new jingle I heard just before the top of the hour and the hourly i.d.* (just before 1PM, Sunday the 2nd); the song before that I hadn't heard before but I liked it nonetheless and hearing new music is not a tune out factor for me. Just curious what group it was, it almost sounded like Boston.

Good luck, I do have 790 as a preset for my car radio for the times I'm up here, of course, Ridge Manor East is in the null at night but sometimes even between the null and reduced power I can still hear WLBE under Radio Raloj.


* 790 WLBE - LeesBurg-Eustis.
Best of luck.

drt
st. petersburg
 
rockabye35 said:
to go a change the format that ur valued listeners have enjoyed for countless years will sign the death warrant for the station as i gather quite alot of factual and great information from the many shows on wlbe as well as the partyline every morning. so i be advised to not change the format but improve on the shows otherwise ur faithful everyday uses will say goodbye.
Click to expand...

I believe the general consensus is to improve upon what is already in place rather than implementing a complete format change. Programs such as the Party Line and other informative informercial style programming, I believe, will remain on the schedule with entertaining music, news and information added that is tailored to the desired Lake County / Central Florida target demographic that make up the core WLBE listening audience.
 
I would program fifties and sixties music on WLBE. WVLG already plays 60's and 70's songs, plus Orlando has an fm station that does the same. You have to play what no one else is playing! Make your money with block programming and sports and when it comes to music programming, be exclusive. Fiffties and sixties would do that. The format has a universal appeal and has many loyal followers. The minute you start programming whan another station plays, the minute you're in competition (and as far as competing with fm, forget it). Be exclusive, be original with a format that can succeed if handled properly.
 
Bottom Line, FM is for music..........AM is for the best talk possible. Hot Conservative talk......compelling talent. Alex Jones can be had, and has a massive following. Or Sports, hot talk.................there are great talent out there who combine funny regular guy talk with great sports talk..........thats it for AM
 
Bottom Line, FM is for music..........AM is for the best talk possible. Hot Conservative talk......compelling talent. Alex Jones can be had, and has a massive following. Or Sports, hot talk.................there are great talent out there who combine funny regular guy talk with great sports talk..........thats it for AM
Click to expand...

... and of what use is that for a signal that reaches two retiree-oriented, very suburban counties and is barely a fringe signal in Orlando with no hope of an upgrade?

Show me one market where Alex Jones is even competitive, much less dominating, in ratings. Show me one where he SHOWS UP. A station that picks up Alex Jones can indeed be had, if they make that mistake. Ultraniche is hard enough in a major market. In the boonies, forget it. Orlando has FOUR sports talkers now... three of them reach Leesburg during the daytime. Then there's ESPN 900 up the road in Ocala. I'm not sure I agree with music being the best strategy here but if they can get an FM translator it might work. WLBE needs to put out a product tailored to its market, rather than settling for being the 'Orlando' pin in the map for a bottom-tier talk or sports network.
 
Thanks for all of the info/opinion, guys and gals. It is all a great help. Changes coming soon, so stay tuned.
 
shoothoops said:
Alex Jones can be had, and has a massive following.
Click to expand...

On what planet?

Jones, among other things, thinks 9/11 was a self-inflicted hit that was part of a CIA conspiracy. Try selling that to local advertisers in Leesburg.

Might as well bring back Chuck Harder.
 
Music can be put on A.M. & it sounds pretty good in stereo! Alex Jones, on the other hand, has a grating voice who would wear thin within 5 minutes. I've tried listening to him via WWCR. UGH! BRUTAL!
 
Not every AM listener wants talk - period.
 
Parttimer said:
shoothoops said:
Alex Jones can be had, and has a massive following.
Click to expand...

On what planet?

Jones, among other things, thinks 9/11 was a self-inflicted hit that was part of a CIA conspiracy. Try selling that to local advertisers in Leesburg.

Might as well bring back Chuck Harder.
Click to expand...

When 810AM had Alex live, they had him come to Orlando to speak at the Jai-Alai fronton. It sold out quickly, and was standing room only. Wacky theories aside, folks absolutely FLOCK to that show.
 
strawhat88 said:
Parttimer said:
shoothoops said:
Alex Jones can be had, and has a massive following.
Click to expand...

On what planet?

Jones, among other things, thinks 9/11 was a self-inflicted hit that was part of a CIA conspiracy. Try selling that to local advertisers in Leesburg.

Might as well bring back Chuck Harder.
Click to expand...

Who is Alex Jones?

When 810AM had Alex live, they had him come to Orlando to speak at the Jai-Alai fronton. It sold out quickly, and was standing room only. Wacky theories aside, folks absolutely FLOCK to that show.
Click to expand...
 
strawhat88 said:
When 810AM had Alex live, they had him come to Orlando to speak at the Jai-Alai fronton. It sold out quickly, and was standing room only. Wacky theories aside, folks absolutely FLOCK to that show.
Click to expand...

But you can't sell it. It's like putting psychics on the air, they light up phone lines but they don't generate any business.

In a small market where you're not selling ratings, you have to program to the advertisers. They will only buy it if they like it (or if they, or their customer base, are tin-foil hat-wearing conspiracy theorists).
 
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