WNAZ-FM 89.1 sold to Bott Broadcasting

[NashvilleNative]

Yeah, I believe their tower is right by highway 25 and I-65. Pull them in nearly to E-town, KY. I'm sure they'd come in clear in Cookeville if it weren't for Kick's translator on 100.9. Not the strongest in Columbia, but that's understandable.

 

[jetfli]

That has already been tried here in Nashville. See "The One" about a decade or so ago.

For all of you that came on the scene after The One, or who don't know the history, let me clarify that The One went out a winner. It's not a matter of having been "tried" and "done" -- based on ratings/sales success, The One might have still been here today had Clear Channel not purchased 101.7. Whether they just didn't want a Christian station, or just wanted the even higher ratings and sales that The Beat has generated, is subject of debate.

In short, a better signal for CCM could be a good thing, in the right hands.

 

[romer979fm]

The One might have still been here today had Clear Channel not purchased 101.7.

actually CC owned 101.1 before launching "The One"...which followed smooh jazz 101.1 "Jazzy 101"
my understanding is that the format was a difficult sell.
CC did not purchase and kill "The One"

 

[jetfli]

The One might have still been here today had Clear Channel not purchased 101.1.

actually CC owned 101.1 before launching "The One"...which followed smooh jazz 101.1 "Jazzy 101"
my understanding is that the format was a difficult sell.
CC did not purchase and kill "The One"

You are right, they scenario I foggily remembered was about Jazzy, not The One. Never get old, kids.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I only heard The One once or twice on trips to Nashville, but I still preferred WAY-FM, and I think WNAZ was more AC at that time. Even if it was successful, Clear Channel proved they can't be trusted to do a CCM format and stay with it, like most secular owned companies that try to do a CCM format. They currently do Urban Gospel stations in places like Memphis and Atlanta, but I won't be surprised to see them change formats if CC decides they can make more money doing something else, which is what I believe happened with The One.

Also, didn't Salem start out calling the Nashville Fish stations The One?

 

[JustinT]

Even if it was successful, Clear Channel proved they can't be trusted to do a CCM format and stay with it, like most secular owned companies that try to do a CCM format. They currently do Urban Gospel stations in places like Memphis and Atlanta, but I won't be surprised to see them change formats if CC decides they can make more money doing something else, which is what I believe happened with The One.

Clear Channel launched and ran a CCM format for several years in Austin, "The River". They recently had to sell the station as it ended up in the Aloha Trust.

Also, didn't Salem start out calling the Nashville Fish stations The One?

Yup, for about a year - 94FM The One became 94FM The Fish in October 2003.

 

[romer979fm]

Never get old, kids.

too late for most of us, huh? one more 101.1 mention: they were urban AC before "jazzy"...calls WJCE...
called it "The Juice". not bad...but the OJ Simpson adventure happened shortly after the launch. ouch!

 

[firepoint525]

Also, didn't Salem start out calling the Nashville Fish stations The One?

Yup, for about a year - 94FM The One became 94FM The Fish in October 2003.

I remember that, and I also remember thinking that that (calling themselves "the One" (maybe they should have been "the OTHER One")) was a mistake. At least they didn't keep it, and eventually got their own moniker.

Did this change also coincide with the call letter changes (from WYYB/WRLG to WFFH/WFFI) also take place at or about that same time? I remember really missing the Phoenix when Tuned In sold that one to Salem! :'()

 

[w9wi]

I note Bott filed today for a significant power increase for WNAZ, to 22,000 watts vertical-only.

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101407349&formid=340&fac_num=67633

There is at least one technical error on that application: it's listed as a class A station (box 2 in Technical Section VII) but at 22,000 watts/59m it would be class B1. I'm also not so sure why they want to go vertical-only, since the LPTV in Alexandria isn't entitled to protection and there aren't any other channel 6's left anywhere near here. But I strongly suspect both errors can be corrected with an amendment to the application.

Here's the "comprehensive technical exhibit". Maybe someone else can get it to open -- I can't. ("corrupt PDF file")

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101407349&qnum=5120&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

 

[K4WRF]

Also is very directional to the southeast. There is a statement in there that the "pattern is with in the 15db max-min ratio and the pattern slope does not vary more than 2db per 10 degrees of azimuth". I must be behind the times! At one time, I thought non-com fm's didn't have to comply with these specific rules. I find it difficult to not to have any H component at all. Over the years, discovered that stations around here with excessive V component over H tended to multi-path a lot more than stations that had similar or even a little less V component.

Best,

w/

 

[w9wi]

Also is very directional to the southeast. There is a statement in there that the "pattern is with in the 15db max-min ratio and the pattern slope does not vary more than 2db per 10 degrees of azimuth". I must be behind the times! At one time, I thought non-com fm's didn't have to comply with these specific rules. I find it difficult to not to have any H component at all. Over the years, discovered that stations around here with excessive V component over H tended to multi-path a lot more than stations that had similar or even a little less V component.

73.510(a) incorporates 73.316 (the commercial rule for antenna systems) into the non-commercial rules. 73.510(b) requires compliance with the 15dB max-min ratio limit. (it says "No application for a construction permit of a new station, or change in channel, or change in an existing facility on the same channel, will be accepted for filing if a directional antenna with a maximum-to-minimum ratio of more than 15dB is proposed." To me that implies that regulation has not always applied to non-comms, and there are some out there that are not in compliance.)

73.316(a) reads "It shall be standard to employ horizontal polarization; however, circular or elliptical polarization may be employed if desired. Clockwise or counterclockwise rotation may be used. The supplemental vertically polarized effective radiated power required for circular or elliptical polarization shall in no event exceed the effective radiated power authorized." (emphasis mine) I read that to indicate that the horizontal power must exceed the vertical unless 73.525 (see below) is applied -- but maybe not? -- maybe it's permissible to use more vertical than horizontal in *any* case, as long as the vertical power doesn't exceed the power on the license? (but by my reading there must be some horizontal power, otherwise it would be vertical, not elliptical or circular... The WNAZ application doesn't specify any horizontal power at all.)

73.525 allows the use of greater vertical ERP than horizontal. I find it a bit confusing but it strongly implies this is only permitted when necessary to avoid interfering with a channel 6 TV station. On 89.1, the TV-6 station must be within 211km (about 125 miles) to require protection. Even in the analog days, I don't know of a TV-6 station within 211km of WNAZ.

Does the attachment evaluate 2nd-adjacent issues vs. WMOT & WAYM?

 

[Kent]

actually CC owned 101.1 before launching "The One"...which followed smooh jazz 101.1 "Jazzy 101"
my understanding is that the format was a difficult sell.
CC did not purchase and kill "The One"

I don't think that's quite right. I remember Capstar/AMFM buying 101.1 from Keymarket. Keymarket launched WJCE-FM. I don't remember if it was AMFM or Keymarket who launched WJZC, but I remember AMFM launching and operating The One. When AMFM sold to Clear Channel, The One hung around for a year or two before going urban as The Beat.

 

[kr0nic]

Romer is correct. 101.1 was purchased from Sinclair as WJZC Smooth Jazz - along with WLAC-AM and Star 105 (now The Rock). They changed it to The One some months later.

 

[onetake]

[ Also, CCM is not dying - it's growing and based out of Nashville, [/quote]

Not trying to be argumentative but I'm not sure what your quote is based on. I'm looking for facts vs the emotion of being a loyal listener or record promoter or writer or manager.

CCM is not dying. That is correct. But it's not really growing. Just because it's based in Nashville has nothing to do with radio success. Nationally, the format is not growing and all gospel music (of which CCM is merely a portion) is only 5% of total sales. One might think getting an attractive All American family as part of a listening audience would be seductive to advertisers, right? You'd be startled to learn how many big accounts in big cities hear the term "Christian format" and run. That's why you don't hear the big national accounts on stations like the Fish. And in the most successful Christian CCM markets, Dallas & Atlanta with more churches, more Christian book sales and the biggest audiences for the fish, they call themselves..."family friendly" rather than Christian.
Don't forget the 800 lb gorilla. Dove Awards have moved from Nashville to Atlanta to try and jump start interest as no major network has ever carried the Doves.
I've been hopeful for decades this format would be big.
Bott isn't a slouch operator. If there was a need for or revenue from this format of any significance, they would have kept wnaz as a music operation. It could have been worse. I know
there was an inquiry from a group that would have taken it Southern Gospel. Now talk about a format NOT growing....

 

[JimmyJames]

"If there was a need for or revenue from this format of any significance, they would have kept wnaz as a music operation"

Bott doesn't operate music stations. Even if WNAZ was making decent revenue or could, they wouldn't have kept it CCM.

 

[mbatchelor]

I don't see Bott selling the AM station - what they will likely do is as they have done in St. Louis and Kansas City - the FM Non Comms are operated by Community Broadcasting, then Non-Comm wing of the Bott organization, wheras the AM will remain a commercial outlet that has more local programming then the FMs, which by and large relay BRN Programming exactly off the bird.

One has to wonder with the advent of AM to FM translators the last couple of years if the 103.9 frequency could somehow be allowed 24 Hour operation - pretty confusing to listeners to have a station that broadcasts only after sunset...

 

[xmusicmatt]

One has to wonder with the advent of AM to FM translators the last couple of years if the 103.9 frequency could somehow be allowed 24 Hour operation - pretty confusing to listeners to have a station that broadcasts only after sunset...

The problem currently is 103.9 is not licensed as a translator.