WMYR/WCNZ/WVOI change hands

[CapeFish]

According to Inside Radio's Transactions log, Starboard Media has handed over 1410 WMYR (Fort Myers), 1480 WVOI (Marco Island), and 1660 WCNZ (Marco Island) to Sovereign City Radio Services to retire some debts. Sovereign City also owns a radio station in Chicago.

1410 and 1660 are both Relevant Radio for now with 1480 as oldies last I heard. I wonder if a new format for 1410/1660 will come and what it will be. Hopefully something that allows the Fort Myers Miracle to keep their baseball games on 1410/1660 along with all the high school sports they air.

1410 has a great signal in Lee County, while 1480 covers Collier well. During the day 1660 has a very good signal that I have heard in Broward County quite well.

 

[TerryKay]

Let's hope for a good format change and the swift elimination of Irrelevant Radio. I thought 1660 did a great job when they were News/Talk. If I recall correctly, they were a good source after Charley in 2004, along with Beasley's B-103.9, which was also audible up here.

The 1660 signal was pretty good here in Pinellas, though it seems to be consistently lesser (sometime after the sale and flipping to Irrelevant Radio). Always strong in Key West and Everglades City, of course.

Will it all be a sale or LMA's?

 

[CapeFish]

I hope 1410 and 1660 are kept as a pair, since their signals are complimentary to cover this market, especially at night. A news/sports talk format would do them well.

The Miracle have an agreement to air their games there, on a time buy I believe, so that is something to bring people and money in. They also have done local high school sports for a while which should not go away.

Hopefully if 1410/1660 get such a format, they can take some sports rights off the hands of the overloaded 770 WWCN.

We need better use of our signals down here. Spanish radio is not doing it and I suspect 1200 may flip to English and be pair with 1460 which just signed on from Collier County with a WINK News Radio simulcast.

 

[bigtalkradiofan]

Sovereign City also owns a radio station in Chicago.

Joseph R. Giganti, Sovereign City's President & COO, is also the President of "Music That Matters Inc." which owns WOVM 91.1 FM in Appleton, WI and airs Sovereign City's Oasis format.
http://www.wovmfm.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOVM

 

[JayR]

Let's hope for a good format change and the swift elimination of Irrelevant Radio.

I agree. It's long overdue.

Spanish radio is not doing it and I suspect 1200 may flip to English and be pair with 1460 which just signed on from Collier County with a WINK News Radio simulcast.

One can only hope for a flip at AM 1200. As for 1460: where in Collier are they broadcasting?

 

[CapeFish]

One can only hope for a flip at AM 1200. As for 1460: where in Collier are they broadcasting?

1460 is licensed to Golden Gate as WNPL-AM, owned by Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, and the towers are north of Golden Gate in Collier County.

 

[radiosanchez]

1460 which just signed on from Collier County with a WINK News Radio simulcast.

....so what is 1270/WNOG doing now?? They were the WINK simulcast for Collier County up until now.

 

[CapeFish]

1460 which just signed on from Collier County with a WINK News Radio simulcast.

....so what is 1270/WNOG doing now?? They were the WINK simulcast for Collier County up until now.

They continue to be the WINK simulcast in Lee County.

My theory: WNPL may be testing with WINK News Radio until WPTK flips to sports, which is when WNPL will officially sign on.

 

[twinsfan]

I broke into the business working across the hall for WMYR, for their country FM WHEW...how long has WMYR not been owned by Robert Hecksher?

 

[CapeFish]

I broke into the business working across the hall for WMYR, for their country FM WHEW...how long has WMYR not been owned by Robert Hecksher?

Since 2004: http://216.235.201.127/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?&id=84

They were Radio Disney in the last few years before the sale with the only local program I can remember being high school football. The signal is great and the station can be a gem if someone picks it up and programs it right.

 

[JayR]

WINK/WNOG

....so what is 1270/WNOG doing now?? They were the WINK simulcast for Collier County up until now.

They continue to be the WINK simulcast in Lee County.

Where in Lee? Bonita Springs? Estero?

My theory: WNPL may be testing with WINK News Radio until WPTK flips to sports, which is when WNPL will officially sign on.

Sign on with what?

 

[CapeFish]

Re: WINK/WNOG

....so what is 1270/WNOG doing now?? They were the WINK simulcast for Collier County up until now.

They continue to be the WINK simulcast in Lee County.

Where in Lee? Bonita Springs? Estero?

My theory: WNPL may be testing with WINK News Radio until WPTK flips to sports, which is when WNPL will officially sign on.

Sign on with what?

sorry, try this linky: http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,107039.0.html

 

[CapeFish]

Re: WINK/WNOG

....so what is 1270/WNOG doing now?? They were the WINK simulcast for Collier County up until now.

They continue to be the WINK simulcast in Lee County.

Where in Lee? Bonita Springs? Estero?

My theory: WNPL may be testing with WINK News Radio until WPTK flips to sports, which is when WNPL will officially sign on.

Sign on with what?

OK, let me clear up the mess I made while groggy.

WINK-AM/Fort Myers belongs to Meridian now and is the WINK News Radio in Lee County.
WNOG-AM/Naples also belongs to Meridian and is the WINK News Radio in Collier County.
WPTK-AM/Pine Island Center belongs to FMBC and is La Raza (Regional Mexican) but I think a flip to English talk/sports is in the works with WNPL-AM/Golden Gate (also owned by FMBC; currently simulcasting WINK News Radio) as the Collier signal.

FMBC sold WINK-AM to Meridian when it bought the CP for WNPL-AM which it has since built out. WNPL-AM is quietly on-air with WINK News Radio running.

 

[CapeFish]

Bob in Naples has informed me that WNPL-AM 1460 has not signed on yet. He theorized that I heard 1240 bleeding over since I was close to the tower in Fort Myers. I agree with that, since it makes alot more sense. ;D

As for 1410/1660/1480, he confirmed 1480 was oldies and the new guy taking over was the original founder of Starboard. Hopefully he takes 1410/1660 to a talk format other than Relevant Radio. I prefer Ave Maria Radio (with EWTN) to Relevant Radio.

Thanks to Bob.

 

[sbe1]

Wasnt 1480 supposed to go off the air after 1660 had been on for 5 years? Maybe the FCC is no longer enforcing the rules. I know they eminate from the same site in the glades.

 

[CapeFish]

Wasnt 1480 supposed to go off the air after 1660 had been on for 5 years? Maybe the FCC is no longer enforcing the rules. I know they eminate from the same site in the glades.

I believe that those rules are under consideration for changes, so that is why the FCC has held off.

Right now there are 2 options:
1. Surrender license
2. Surrender license, apply for a new license using surrendered license's former frequency

The proposed rule changes would give 3 options:
1. Surrender license
2. Sell license
3. Surrender license, apply for a new license using surrendered license's former frequency

 

[HadYourPhil]

Yep. 1480 was supposed to be off last September, but Relevant Radio decided on their own to leave it on.
1460 is due to be built out by late this year or more likely, early next year.
I had a major hand in building 1660, and would love to get involved with it again...

 

[radiosanchez]

I had a major hand in building 1660, and would love to get involved with it again...

Allegedly, 1660's new owners are supposed to use it for some music-based format, or at least that's what they're touting with their first acquisition, that non-com which they call their 'beta test' up north somewhere.

Phil, being the purveyor of fine AM Stereo (I have the aircheck of WODX to prove it), I believe it is your civic duty to make sure you, at the very least, turn the pilot on and get the separation going again on 1660.