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WNIR To Pick Up ABC News, WKSU Wants Second Station?

> I'd hate to see a college student program station be sold
> and have automated NPR put on it. There is already ENOUGH
> all things considered on the Non Com FM dial for everyone to
> enjoy.


Some would say the same about WZIP's current daily format of the same multi-billion selling current hit singles played over and over and over again.
 
Re: Yes, WKSU Can Buy 88.1 or 91.3

Good point.

Isn't there also another high school station out that way that might be available?

Or maybe KSU would remain classical, with NPR on 88.1 and the rest of their network stations (Wooster, New Philly, Thompson). That would give them downtown Akron, and the rest of the Akron-Canton market with NPR/News, and Celveland for KSU.
 
Re: Yes, WKSU Can Buy 88.1 or 91.3

> The loss of CBS Radio News, a far better product than ABC by
> leaps and bounds, bothers me far more than what NPR does
> with its product..would 1350 pick it up?
>
> I'd hate to see WZIP go the internet route, for the simple
> reason that the people who work where I do are trained well,
> and adapt to commercial radio far better than the product
> that local ''broadcast schools'' turn out..
>

While I was a student involved with WZIP just a few years ago, there were rumors spreading that WKSU wanted to buy either WZIP or WAPS. IIRC there was an agreement between the Akron Public Schools and The University of Akron radio brass saying basically that if an offer were made from Kent State to buy WAPS, WAPS would then ask for an offer from the University of Akron for the station. The Akron Public Schools would then sell WAPS to the University of Akron. Part of that agreement, I believe, was that the AAA format on 91.3 would remain. I remember being told once that the current WZIP facilities were built to house 2 stations on-air just in case this occured. The new studios were built in the 1990's, so these rumors have been around for a while.

I would imagine that WKSU would make an offer to the Akron Public Schools first. Put simply, the Akron Public Schools need the money. WZIP is a recruitment tool for the University of Akron that actually works, and so I don't see them unloading on that asset anytime soon.
 
Re: Yes, WKSU Can Buy 88.1 or 91.3

> I would imagine that WKSU would make an offer to the Akron
> Public Schools first. Put simply, the Akron Public Schools
> need the money. WZIP is a recruitment tool for the
> University of Akron that actually works, and so I don't see
> them unloading on that asset anytime soon.

Well, now that these rumors are heating up again...

It makes a lot of sense, that the Akron schools would be the ones most likely to sell, due to the fact that they're a typically cash-crunched public school system. But that doesn't take into account whatever underwriting money they've sold on 91.3 since the AAA format took hold. If they're doing well, the place could actually be MAKING some money for 'em! (I wouldn't consider it likely that 91.3 is a "cash cow", but they seem to do well with underwriting.)

And it also doesn't take into account that at the end of the day, I think WKSU wants the better 88.1 signal. 91.3 is a much better signal than the old WAPS/89.1, but 88.1 would fit more with what WKSU would want to do...I think they'd want a signal that at least is competitive with their current 89.7. 88.1 is not quite there, of course, but it's a lot better than 91.3 in that regard.

We could also still have dominoes falling, with WKSU ending up with 88.1 and WZIP buying 91.3 from the Akron Public Schools for the replacement. But that's just my speculation of one possibility.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: Yes, WKSU Can Buy 88.1 or 91.3

> > I would imagine that WKSU would make an offer to the Akron
>
> > Public Schools first. Put simply, the Akron Public
> Schools
> > need the money. WZIP is a recruitment tool for the
> > University of Akron that actually works, and so I don't
> see
> > them unloading on that asset anytime soon.
>
> Well, now that these rumors are heating up again...
>
> It makes a lot of sense, that the Akron schools would be the
> ones most likely to sell, due to the fact that they're a
> typically cash-crunched public school system. But that
> doesn't take into account whatever underwriting money
> they've sold on 91.3 since the AAA format took hold. If
> they're doing well, the place could actually be MAKING some
> money for 'em! (I wouldn't consider it likely that 91.3 is
> a "cash cow", but they seem to do well with underwriting.)
>

Do we know to what extent WAPS is "operated" by the Akron Public Schools? They're the licensee, sure. But does the Akron Board of Education actually give any money in their fiscal year budget to run day-to-day operations of the station? Or is it more like, we'll pay for the license and give you guys a studio, but the rest is up to you?

I don't know, which is why I'm asking. If it's more the latter, such that WAPS is a self-run ship without more than nominal help from the Akron Bd of Ed, I can't see why the Board would give it up--other than greed (always a factor when discussing public schools and their financial situations today).

If the WAPS operation is losing money, then it's even more reason to sell. But I think that if the Akron Schools aren't losing their shirt, there might be enough of a circumstance that some letters in opposition to a sale (directed to the FCC and local media establishments) might put the ki-bosh on a KSU-2 in favor of more Acoustic Cafe.
 
Re: WNIR was ABC in the 70s

I worked as WNIR as News Director from 1971 to 1979. At that time we ran ABC Network News.

- Bob Long
General Manager, WSTB-FM<P ID="signature">______________
Bob Long - 88.9/WSTB</P>
 
Re: WNIR was ABC in the 70s

Actually, I should point out that WNIR was WKNT AM & FM during that time period. They changed over to the WNIR call sign shortly after I left in November, 1979.



> I worked as WNIR as News Director from 1971 to 1979. At that
> time we ran ABC Network News.
>
> - Bob Long
> General Manager, WSTB-FM
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Bob Long - 88.9/WSTB</P>
 
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