WNKO MOVE-IN

[static_cling]

This talk of WNKO ending up in some other group's hands is pure speculation. It's not going anywhere anytime soon. Call it a gut feeling.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Maybe not a purchase -- or even an LMA -- but the circumstances here sure suggest there may be something going on between Nabco and Runnymede...perhaps a format change/adjustment at minimum.

 

[gabigley1]

From their FCC file:
Public Notice Comment
BLH-20110325AAR License to cover.
Dismissed per applicant's request 3/28/2011

This is almost heading into the direction of the "When will Mainline move 101.7 to 101.5 topic" ... Wonder why they would dismiss their request to be on the new tower? When I listened Sunday night, 101.7 clearly was not broadcasting from the new tower.. the signal was very weak even in Westerville.

They tell me they refiled form 302 with the FCC today. That is the "License to Cover" for their new tower site.

Maybe they will be at full power in the few days? What kind of reception are people getting of the new tower site in and around Columbus?

 

[chad43358]

I'm just outside of Raymond, 10 miles Northwest of Marysville, and it comes in pretty well. Staticy if you get into some of the hilly terrain around here, but still impressive.

 

[dawg4life]

It's coming in pretty strong on the East side. My seek button stops on 101.7 now.

 

[wilson1000]

comes in better than it ever has, but if they leave WINF as is...there's a crap ton of interference on the north outerbelt. I'm sure in delaware that you can't even get it in. WINF needs to be taken off the air. They are now illegal in accordance to fcc law.

 

[gabigley1]

They said before they got on the new tower site on the air, they were going to leave 101.9 WINF-LP alone. That seems a bit strange to me because, the last time I checked, Delaware, Ohio was part of Central, Ohio and their NEW IDs say they serve ALL of Central, Ohio, now.

 

[ericjbard]

Last I heard was NABCO was in talks with Runnymeade.

1. The rumor (note..just a rumor) I heard was NABCO was going to pick up the stick, and move the Classic Hits format over to the newly aquired freq.

2. 103.9 TRANSITIONS INTO TRIPLE A

AAA, Classic Hits, Rock in a cluster...nice sales combo.

3. 920 is part of the swap and goes to Runnymeade.

 

[xiradiodotcom]

From north of Powell to about Lane Ave on 315, it matches 102.5 in signal. Maybe even a little stronger than 102.5 north of town. Once you get downtown, it suffers quite a bit of interference. Many times down there I can seek to 102.5, but not 101.7. 101.9 is a problem and I'm not sure why they are being ignored.

 

[gabigley1]

3. 920 is part of the swap and goes to Runnymeade.

What would Runnymeade do with 920? ???

101.9 is a problem and I'm not sure why they are being ignored.

NABCO will probably ask them(101.9) to leave the air if they get the stick.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Last I heard was NABCO was in talks with Runnymeade. 

1. The rumor (note..just a rumor) I heard was NABCO was going to pick up the stick, and move the Classic Hits format over to the newly aquired freq.

2. 103.9 TRANSITIONS INTO TRIPLE A

AAA, Classic Hits, Rock in a cluster...nice sales combo.

3. 920 is part of the swap and goes to Runnymeade.

*IF* something like this were to actually happen, it would probably mean a shift by NABCO away from  "classic rock derivative" Classic Hits and more toward the broader CBS-FM type that is sizzling in the PPMs virtually everywhere else but has been bizarrely absent here.  Otherwise there would be too much overlap, unless we're talking an extremely eclectic, less familiar AAA...and those seem pretty scarce these days.

Also, assuming "Riverlea" still has a chance, this rumor would suggest NABCO betting more heavily on AAA than any shade of Classic Hits, since presumably the moved 103.9 would have a better signal than 101.7.

Sure would be nice to have a fascinating station like Cleveland's AAA WNWV here.  Or even CC/Cleveland's on-fire Adult Hits "The Lake."

 

[gabigley1]

From their FCC file:
Public Notice Comment
BLH-20110325AAR License to cover.
Dismissed per applicant's request 3/28/2011

This is almost heading into the direction of the "When will Mainline move 101.7 to 101.5 topic" ... Wonder why they would dismiss their request to be on the new tower? When I listened Sunday night, 101.7 clearly was not broadcasting from the new tower.. the signal was very weak even in Westerville.

They tell me they refiled form 302 with the FCC today. That is the "License to Cover" for their new tower site.

Maybe they will be at full power in the few days? What kind of reception are people getting of the new tower site in and around Columbus?

They filled a "License to Cover" yesterday:

3-30-2011
OH BLH-20110325AAR WNKO 57936 RUNNYMEDE, INC. License to cover.
E 101.7 MHZ NEW ALBANY, OH

 

[gabigley1]

I love how the studio is still in Newark though their COL is New Albany.. but I guess as long as the main studio is within the 70dbu their 'legal' It's still weird to hear them super-serve Newark ohio yet their Legal id is "WNKO New Albany" Newark is not exactly a suburb of New Albany nor Columbus so it's kinda 'odd' compaired to the normal rim shot serving columbus from Westerville, etc.

Question is , I wonder if they will encode for PPM now that they will have a much greater reach in Central Ohio..(their music mix isn't to bad for a non corporate owned station) ... They could easly shave a little off WTDA's share.

This is what I'm told I'm allowed to repeat. A NABCO employee told me NABCO is not in talks, nor has been in talks to purchase or LMA WNKO. "WNKO will stay a Newark radio station." He is also
installing encoding equipment at WNKO for those of you who have interest in PPMs. He also works
for WNKO, BTY.

Would WNKO have a competitive Columbus signal if it is ever sold and made a Columbus radio station? It's signal is not doing so well in Downtown Columbus.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

"WNKO will stay a Newark radio station."

After they went to all that trouble to "prove" to the FCC that New Albany needs its first aural service? Weird. Regardless, it will still overlap a lot with WTDA'a coverage area.

 

[gabigley1]

I have permission to share this email from him(see post above):

I can tell you with absolute certainty that Runnymede has no intentions of selling either of its stations. The COL change to New Albany was part of a much larger project that fell apart a couple of years ago. Additionally, Runnymede has no intentions of "going after" the Columbus market. It will remain a locally owned and operated station that has served the Newark community very well in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Expanding its signal coverage will provide additional listening opportunities for drivers that commute to work in Columbus each day as well as additional listeners for the Newark/Heath advertising clients.

The "much larger" project that I referred to was a series of several station moves, including WNKO, that was orchestrated by a third party. The COL for WNKO had already been changed when the third party ran out of money and went out of business. At that point we searched for another site that would better cover Newark because the earlier sites were chosen with coverage of New Albany as the primary concern. The current site, although not the first choice, does provide a better signal into Newark. I have no idea how many of the other moves were accomplished and it's been so long that I can't even remember what they were.

There were two other tower site CPs before they settled on this one. Interesting that the two
previous sites would have provided a much more competitive coverage of the Columbus radio market and NOT as good a signal into the Newark, Ohio area. They must have have wanted to be a Columbus stations with the two previous CPs because they didn't have a good signal into
Newark with those two previous CPs. Which we had the whole story on this.

 

[del_griffith]

Two things. There was a unamed third party involved. It would be interesting who that was.

AND they were considering selling which means they may be open to it again.

 

[xmusicmatt]

Two things. There was a unamed third party involved. It would be interesting who that was.

AND they were considering selling which means they may be open to it again.

Money talks in today's world... If someone is willing to offer anyone enough .. their willing to possibly sell. This goes for any other broadcaster too... However I do give the franks credit at this point for wanting to stay local to newark when they cuold EASLY sell out.

 

[Dave Sarnoff]

Their + they're + there = 3 different words.

 

[gabigley1]

Two things. There was a unamed third party involved. It would be interesting who that was.

AND they were considering selling which means they may be open to it again.

Maybe the third party was WCVO? WNKO-FM had originally received a CP to move to the old WCVO tower. The WCVO tower was dismantled a while back. Not sure why.

Here is the original thread on that:

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=111610.0

My point is WNKO-FM would not have had decent coverage of Newark on that tower(if it was built) and WNKO-FM would have turned into a Columbus station because it would have become too valuable of a property then. The old WCVO tower not being available with the original CP must have caused their original plans to falter. They had three CPs for three different tower site altogether.

 

[xmusicmatt]

Maybe the third party was WCVO? WNKO-FM had originally received a CP to move to the old WCVO tower. The WCVO tower was dismantled a while back. Not sure why.

I am pretty sure (If I remember reading on here) WCVO sold that property that their old studios and tower was located on which required them to move their transmitter site. They settled on a cell phone tower off Hamilton Rd near 161, and moved their studios to a site off Johnstown Rd in Gahanna.. I suspect the previous properly became very valuable to developers in the area as there was a lot of up scale housing being built around the old WCVO tower site and I gotta feeling there was a lot of "NIMBY" complaints about that 200 ft tower with a cross in their back yards. My Guess at least.