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WMDX Madison

P

pattywells

I was listening to WMDX 1580 AM. It appears they skipped the critical hours transition, and switched the station off two hours before sundown.

The FM translator remained on, but audio quality was poor.

Any ideas on what's going on?
 
Not sure what's going on with WMDX, but your post and some other recent comments in the Auducy/Cumulus Rumors thread (https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/audacy-cumulus-rumors.775495/post-6796665) reminded me I'd been meaning to post about some of Civic Media's flyers I've seen around town, like this one:

IMG_3563-lowres.jpeg

I give Sage Weil credit for trying to run a center-left talk format and for putting his money into a project he feels passionately about, and I would love to see them succeed, but it just seems doomed to failure. There seems to be very little advertiser support (the few times I've tuned in, commercial breaks have been all PSAs) and I just think it's an idea past its time on a weak signal. Kind of the classic "if a tree falls in a forest, and no one's around" question. Is there really enough of an audience left for this format in Madison even if it wasn't stuck on a fringe AM signal with a marginal translator covering the city? I have serious doubts. To me, it seems like folks who might be interested in this type of content are more likely to listen to a podcast or NPR.

For 13 of the last 21 months, WMDX posted 0.0 12+ ratings, and they have topped out at 1.5 in the December 2024 ratings (tying their best 12+ ratings from a couple months in spring 2023). Midwest Family Broadcasting last tried a center-left talk format in Madison years ago on 1670 AM, and they were rewarded with a lot of 0.0 12+ books, too.

So, back to these flyers -- I'm admittedly not a marketing or broadcasting professional, but when I saw these, I wondered whether the person who came up with them was similarly inexperienced. These flyers offer little info about the station besides the frequency and callsign, like why you might want to tune in or what programming is offered. "The CMEDIA Mothership" means nothing to the average Jane or Joe. Even though Civic Media is based here in Madison, they're not exactly well known. The flyer says"on air and online" but does not include the address for their website (wmdxradio.com), just a QR code.

Seems like a lot of things would have to break the right way for this to work, and when I see stuff like this poster, or hear the ad breaks filled with PSAs ... it doesn't seem like things are breaking the right way.
 
You have to wonder why Weil continues to buy secondary signals in rural areas (most recently Ely, Minnesota) when the liberal talk format isn't even working in Madison and Milwaukee.
 
jlalande said:
Thanks, I’m aware of how QR codes work. My point was that including the web site address instead of just the QR code might have been helpful info to include, too. 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
If you know how they work, why are you complaining about it? Why don't you contact Sage Weil and volunteer to help him out if you think what his station's doing isn't going to get the job done?
 
radiofan2023 said:
If you know how they work, why are you complaining about it? Why don't you contact Sage Weil and volunteer to help him out if you think what his station's doing isn't going to get the job done?
Click to expand...
Shocker, same guy who contributed nothing to the discussion besides a dumb Captain Obvious explanation now says instead of posting our thoughts and questions about a local radio station on a discussion board dedicated to radio we should (checks notes) just contact station ownership directly. I'd keep that in mind next time I see one of your posts on here, but thanks to the Ignore button I guess I won't have to. 👋
 
jlalande said:
Shocker, same guy who contributed nothing to the discussion besides a dumb Captain Obvious explanation now says instead of posting our thoughts and questions about a local radio station on a discussion board dedicated to radio we should (checks notes) just contact station ownership directly. I'd keep that in mind next time I see one of your posts on here, but thanks to the Ignore button I guess I won't have to. 👋
Click to expand...
No need for YOU to be adding unwarranted personal attacks. Mute button is to be used in silence if someone bothers you so much, not with profound announcements...

Remember that quotes are the best way to keep comments threaded. Just because someone replies means in our view it is for the entire audience not just the person being replied for...

As far as the QR Code, that is the preferred way of sharing links to certain demographics, especially the ones that WMDX is attempting to reach. To me that flyer tells you all you need to know about the station. Everything else is just nitpicking, which is what this board is for...
 
It appears Weil and Civic Media's strategy is:
1. Buy frequencies on the cheap
2. Prop up an FM translator
3. Run some local talk programming or MOR music
4. Switch to political talk programming during big election years
5. World domination

I lived in Milwaukee when they got 1510 up and running. Reception was terrible. Now they have 540 and a solid FM translator. Not bad anymore.

Even in a liberal city like Madison, I'm not sure how successful you can be when your FM frequency sounds like garbage, and your AM frequency turns off two hours before it needs to. But there is some success with liberal talk in neighboring Chicago and Minneapolis. So, it's possible.

The flyer is a little bland. But never underestimate the power of a flyer in a college town!

Overall, it's nice to seem some local ownership in media. I hope they can make a good run.
 
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