wlou

[leanradio10]

WLOU should just close their doors, put a lock it and call it a day. Those stations should be sold or given to someone who will pay attention and maybe do something anything at this point with them.

 

[The King Bee]

The Golden Door stations can be saved...but they need a total, drastic, and immediate change of management and a commitment to proper station operation, sales, and programming. And I think that the Urban Gospel can shine if it's consolidated onto one station, with the other switching to real Urban Oldies as opposed to WMJM's Urban AC, and the Spanish programming on WTUV given proper attention, instead of being treated as an afterthought.

(Scanman, I've heard the hip-hop creeping onto WMJM...why can't adult listeners have a station free of it?)

Frankly, I don't think Golden Door wants to make such an effort.

 

[stereolane]

From what I gather, Golden Door is also operated by Peter Davidson. Unless I am misunderstanding, when Davidson sold his company, he wanted to keep a few stations, and formed Golden Door in order to do so. Davidson, in my experience, is not a "slumlord" operator. Is the problem here the management? Is Bill Price still the GM?

 

[Bengalsfan]

From what I gather, Golden Door is also operated by Peter Davidson. Unless I am misunderstanding, when Davidson sold his company, he wanted to keep a few stations, and formed Golden Door in order to do so. Davidson, in my experience, is not a "slumlord" operator. Is the problem here the management? Is Bill Price still the GM?

Davidson has yet to close on the sale of the stations from Davidson Media. The last consummation extension was filed August of last year.

And yes.

 

[oxford777]

WLOU should just close their doors, put a lock it and call it a day. Those stations should be sold or given to someone who will pay attention and maybe do something anything at this point with them.

Good point. I know economic times are tough, but Cox, CC, Lou Pub Media, WGTK, and WNDA seem to operate within parameters like they are supposed to. And I know keeping 620 and (especially) 1350 within parameters is both tough and disadvantageous to the operator. But if they can't (afford to) do it right, just close it down. 1240 should be fairly simple to keep in line, but 1350 made a huge mistake locating where they did and it's probably just too tempting or too expensive or too whatever to keep it in line, so just shut it down. 620 wouldn't seem to be quite as much of a problem, but I'm no expert here so maybe there's more to it than meets the eye (ear). Again, I know times are hard. But the performance here is such that they should just sign 1350 off.

 

[Bengalsfan]

Good point.

It's not hard at all, however you have to have someone on staff who can work on directional antennas.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Good point.

It's not hard at all, however you have to have someone on staff who can work on directional antennas.

Engineers able to work magic on a directional antenna array are becoming few and far between. Many have gone to that great engineering shop in the sky.

As mentioned 620 and 1350 are lost causes but 1240 is the less of all the evils. Despite being a graveyard, it does have potential. It's just a matter of getting people to tune in, there is your challenge.

 

[WildcatGuy]

As mentioned 620 and 1350 are lost causes but 1240 is the less of all the evils. Despite being a graveyard, it does have potential. It's just a matter of getting people to tune in, there is your challenge.

The last sentence says it all. In 2010, is there really hope for a limited signal AM in Metro area of nearly a million people? An area already served by a wide variety of much superior signals, AM and FM?

I think I'd rather find the nearest hole in the ground, and just pour my money in there.....

 

[scanman1809]

As mentioned 620 and 1350 are lost causes but 1240 is the less of all the evils. Despite being a graveyard, it does have potential. It's just a matter of getting people to tune in, there is your challenge.

The last sentence says it all. In 2010, is there really hope for a limited signal AM in Metro area of nearly a million people? An area already served by a wide variety of much superior signals, AM and FM?

I think I'd rather find the nearest hole in the ground, and just pour my money in there.....

WLLV should have potential. However, it needs prudent attention and a radical change in operation. The reason why people aren't currently listening to WLLV is because it is a predominately brokered station, similar to WKJK. However, if they were to focus on a tight gospel music format (perhaps affiliating with Sheridan's "The Light" network) then it would receive better listenership, similar to it's very 1st quarter in 1984 when it was ranked #11 overall in the market. Christian radio is a tough sell. However, WFIA-AM has managed to stand the test of time with a focused Christian Teaching/Talk format for over 40 years and now has expanded to FM. WJIE has also found a loyal niche in the market as the local Christian AC outlet and WAYI-FM is growing with the younger CCM genre. WJIE, WFIA, and WAYI all have a well-focused format. You know what to expect from these stations. Maybe if WLLV would follow their examples and re-brand to a more focused music format while limiting the talk to certain dayparts, such as the nighttime hours like WJIE, then they would began to build a loyal listener base. WTUV should be able to build a loyal base as the area's only Spanish speaking station. As far as WLOU, I believe their days are over. A few people mentioned earlier of switching WLOU to an urban oldies format, similar to WDIA in Memphis. However, WDIA is able to work with a larger potential audience and a better signal than WLOU. In Cincinnati, WCIN as an Urban Oldies/Talk format was faced with similar audience and signal limitations as WLOU and they weren't able to survive. I don't think WLOU could survive with a similar format in Louisville.

 

[Bengalsfan]

Engineers able to work magic on a directional antenna array are becoming few and far between. Many have gone to that great engineering shop in the sky.

As mentioned 620 and 1350 are lost causes but 1240 is the less of all the evils. Despite being a graveyard, it does have potential. It's just a matter of getting people to tune in, there is your challenge.

There are engineers in this market that know the black magic that is the directional AM antenna system....Golden Door fired them. And to get people to tune in, you need to be more than a gospel jukebox. I can do that on my Ipod. Why WLOU dumped The Light is beyond me. And some of the music they have in rotation sounds like it belongs on B96 or Hot 104...Uugh

 

[radiorob2.0]

Engineers able to work magic on a directional antenna array are becoming few and far between. Many have gone to that great engineering shop in the sky.

As mentioned 620 and 1350 are lost causes but 1240 is the less of all the evils. Despite being a graveyard, it does have potential. It's just a matter of getting people to tune in, there is your challenge.

There are engineers in this market that know the black magic that is the directional AM antenna system....Golden Door fired them. And to get people to tune in, you need to be more than a gospel jukebox. I can do that on my Ipod. Why WLOU dumped The Light is beyond me. And some of the music they have in rotation sounds like it belongs on B96 or Hot 104...Uugh

I was in Louisville last year and tuned into WLOU. My car radio has AM stereo and WLOU sounded very nice. Their former engineer, who used to hang out here under a username, said he left the pilot on for a possible return to AM stereo. At the time, the station had a local morning show and again, the audio was amazing. Granted, I was less than one percent of listeners able to hear the quality but at least there was an attempt.

 

[The King Bee]

Many valid points being made here! I agree, and have said before, that WLOU's directional array is in the wrong place. I remember that Johnson Communications bought the station in 1982, then immediately overrode ex-owner/consultant Bill Summers and engineer John Smith, Sr. (A true DA wizard) and took the land on Gibson Lane for the new towers.

Summers and Smith saw the theoretical studies put huge nulls over most of the city, and tried to convince numbskull Johnson management, particularly Charles Mootry, that they needed to re-think that site. But, it was cheap state owned excess land (part of the former State Fairgrounds and Miles Park thoroughbred track), so they were stuck with it. Smith dutifully built the site, proofed it to spec, and on March 8, 1984, it went on with 500 w/nights. One other factor was the anticipated switch of WZZX-FM in Jeffersontown to Urban WJYL by April 1, 1984...WLOU had to rush their building and licensure to beat that!

John, Sr. went on to build and maintain a new DA and add nighttime service on WDGS-AM 1290 (nee WREY), among other projects. WDGS included a tricky NE-side lobe tuck-in to protect co-channel WHIO, Dayton. Little 'ol WDGS had 500w days and went UP to 1kw nights, with a new Harris SX-1 and the first CRL processor in town...they roared across the river and blanketed the city, while WLOU nighttime couldn't even (and still won't) get a lock-in on an auto-tune car or home radio downtown!

Now, I don't think the Golden Door stations are lost causes. But Davidson has to act quickly in sorting out the quality employees from the hangers-on, get new management, commit to proper engineering, programming and operations practices including engaging and retaining competent contract engineering (try re-hiring who you had if they'll have you), crank up a coherent sales unit, and in other words, think like a radio station!

 

[The King Bee]

By the way, Radio Rob, I've got my late father's 1986 Chrysler in mint condition (still occasionally drive it) with the factory AM Stereo/FM Stereo/cassette deck. And I do detect the pilot at 1350 KHZ.

(I remember KMOX, St. Louis football and baseball Cardinals and Blues Hockey broadcasts in AM Stereo...fabulous audio!)

When conditions are right and the former engineer's processing presets are in use, WLOU sounds fine on a high-end radio. Unfortunatey, I think they've tweaked something and the signal is suffering, particularly at night when I'm cruising through a lobe and can hear them. That's whatcha get when you don't keep qualified engineers on staff or on call.

 

[Bengalsfan]

When conditions are right and the former engineer's processing presets are in use, WLOU sounds fine on a high-end radio. Unfortunatey, I think they've tweaked something and the signal is suffering, particularly at night when I'm cruising through a lobe and can hear them. That's whatcha get when you don't keep qualified engineers on staff or on call.

People just can't stand it. The Optimod has so many nice little knobs and lights, they just have to play with it. It could also indicate the antenna is getting just a little bit out of tune since it likes to drift some.

 

[stereolane]

Funny, I have an old WZZX window decal on the dust cover of an old "Monkey Ward" turntable, after all these years...

Back to WLOU, just curious, what happened to WLOU's original transmitter site?

 

[Bengalsfan]

Funny, I have an old WZZX window decal on the dust cover of an old "Monkey Ward" turntable, after all these years...

Back to WLOU, just curious, what happened to WLOU's original transmitter site?

You mean the daytime site? University of Louisville took it back once the day site was moved to the night site. The old tower was removed about 6 years ago.

 

[greg.hahn]

WLOU Louisville KY AM BAL-20100909ABX 1350 BB N 38° 13' 52.0" W 85° 49' 22.0" License 250 70 0.0 12
Accepted App for Assignment of License for AM Station; Release Item within 100.0 kilometers of Flag Point; Licensee: Davidson Media Station WLOU Licensee, LLC; Voluntary Assignment Of License From: Davidson Media Station WLOU Licensee, LLC To: Anchor Radio, LLC FORM 314; Assignor: Davidson Media Station; Assignee: Anchor Radio, LLC; Applicant: Davidson Media Station WLOU Lice
WLLV Louisville KY AM BAL-20100909ABY 1240 CC N 38° 14' 49.0" W 85° 42' 19.0" License 195 15 0.0 2.0

Accepted App for Assignment of License for AM Station; Release Item within 100.0 kilometers of Flag Point; Licensee: Davidson Media Station WLLV Licensee, LLC; Voluntary Assignment Of License From: Davidson Media Station WLLV Licensee, LLC To: Anchor Radio, LLC FORM 314; Assignor: Davidson Media Station; Assignee: Anchor Radio, LLC; Applicant: Davidson Media Station WLLV Lice

 

[Bengalsfan]

Accepted App for Assignment of License for AM Station; Release Item within 100.0 kilometers of Flag Point; Licensee: Davidson Media Station WLLV Licensee, LLC; Voluntary Assignment Of License From: Davidson Media Station WLLV Licensee, LLC To: Anchor Radio, LLC FORM 314; Assignor: Davidson Media Station; Assignee: Anchor Radio, LLC; Applicant: Davidson Media Station WLLV Lice

If you'll look closer, you'll see that Peter Davidson has 80% of Anchor Radio, LLC and Russ Jones has 20%. They are buying those stations, and only those two stations for $800k (we'll see if he can come up with the cash for this transaction since he couldn't for the Golden Door aqusitions). None of the other stations that Golden Door was trying to acquire from Davidson Media is included. I just do not understand what Peter Davidson's facination with Louisville is.

It also means there is possibly another station for sale in the market, 620 AM. And of course, the Eminence FM.

 

[The King Bee]

Spanish-language AM 620 (WTUV-AM) has had silent carrier with no ID'S more often than having any program audio the past few days. Technical snafus due to the lack of engineering support, or has Davidson abandoned the station?

Another thing...Davidson is proposing to sell WLOU and WLLV to Anchor Radio for significantly less money than the Davidson-to-Golden Door deal that was never consummated. I work with station brokers all the time, and such a drop in sale value indicates the sad state of sales revenue generation, lack of proper facilities and equipment, and other problems this combo is suffering from. Although I have no high regard for current management, I wonder just how big a mess Archie Dale left them in before he was finally exposed and dismissed?

 

[Bengalsfan]

Spanish-language AM 620 (WTUV-AM) has had silent carrier with no ID'S more often than having any program audio the past few days. Technical snafus due to the lack of engineering support, or has Davidson abandoned the station?

Probably a little of both. The station has no staff anymore.

Another thing...Davidson is proposing to sell WLOU and WLLV to Anchor Radio for significantly less money than the Davidson-to-Golden Door deal that was never consummated. I work with station brokers all the time, and such a drop in sale value indicates the sad state of sales revenue generation, lack of proper facilities and equipment, and other problems this combo is suffering from. Although I have no high regard for current management, I wonder just how big a mess Archie Dale left them in before he was finally exposed and dismissed?

Wasn't all Archie. They have had plenty of time since he left to turn the ship around. Current management has just not put the money into making the stations profitable. Questionable programming decisions (really, who wants to listen to Christian rap?) and lack of serious maintenance on the facilities. Wintertime is the time that the WLOU transmitter site gives the most trouble. There's nobody around to keep a close eye on things.