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WPAY Portsmouth Sells to Northen Kentucky University

C

chad43358

Well, I wonder how this will affect the Columbus market. WPAY-WPFB radio has sold to NKU, and WPAY is currently a class C at 100k, but is under a construction permit to become a C0. I remember hearing that 104.3 was wanting to move closer to Columbus, but WPAY was a limiting factor. This may open up possibilities for 103.9 as well.

Back in 2006 I used to visit my ex-girlfriend in Portsmouth while she attended Shawnee State, and I really liked WPAY. Aside of their on-air screw ups and lack of talent, you couldn't beat their country playlist. They were probably the best sounding country station I've ever listened to. They played new music as soon as it came out, didn't matter if it was a Top 40 hit or not, unlike most stations. I would hear songs down there that would take 3-4 weeks to become "new" on WCOL or any other country station. Not only that, but they covered 90's country like no other. Then on Saturday nights, they would have the "Saturday Night Power Party," which was commercial-free for the most part. Maybe one or two at the top of the hour. Then a few years later, they changed it up, became much more professional, and shrunk their playlist to mostly newer country. NKU will have GREAT coverage, especially since WPAY usually leaks into Cincy quite a bit, and even south Columbus. There are some days when WPAY would kill 104.3 and I live 6 miles from 104.3's tower.

What do you guys think? Should we expect any changes from Saga or NABCO?
 
I doubt it. I do know alot of listeners in Portsmouth will probably be dissapointed by this. The Cincinatti board has a ton of replies about this.
 
chad43358 said:
Well, I wonder how this will affect the Columbus market. WPAY-WPFB radio has sold to NKU, and WPAY is currently a class C at 100k, but is under a construction permit to become a C0. I remember hearing that 104.3 was wanting to move closer to Columbus, but WPAY was a limiting factor. This may open up possibilities for 103.9 as well.

What do you guys think? Should we expect any changes from Saga or NABCO?
Click to expand...

WPAY had agreement with Saga which would have allowed 104.3 to move closer to Columbus but
Saga had that application dismissed last March.

Here is that application that was dismissed by Saga:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...xt=25&appn=101311430&formid=301&fac_num=54813

103.9 already has an application to move closer to Columbus but that application has no bearing on WPAY making any changers at all.
 
chad43358 said:
Well, I wonder how this will affect the Columbus market. WPAY-WPFB radio has sold to NKU, and WPAY is currently a class C at 100k, but is under a construction permit to become a C0. I remember hearing that 104.3 was wanting to move closer to Columbus, but WPAY was a limiting factor. This may open up possibilities for 103.9 as well.

Back in 2006 I used to visit my ex-girlfriend in Portsmouth while she attended Shawnee State, and I really liked WPAY. Aside of their on-air screw ups and lack of talent, you couldn't beat their country playlist. They were probably the best sounding country station I've ever listened to. They played new music as soon as it came out, didn't matter if it was a Top 40 hit or not, unlike most stations. I would hear songs down there that would take 3-4 weeks to become "new" on WCOL or any other country station. Not only that, but they covered 90's country like no other. Then on Saturday nights, they would have the "Saturday Night Power Party," which was commercial-free for the most part. Maybe one or two at the top of the hour. Then a few years later, they changed it up, became much more professional, and shrunk their playlist to mostly newer country. NKU will have GREAT coverage, especially since WPAY usually leaks into Cincy quite a bit, and even south Columbus. There are some days when WPAY would kill 104.3 and I live 6 miles from 104.3's tower.

What do you guys think? Should we expect any changes from Saga or NABCO?
Click to expand...

Why would a station do this without some incentive from another station that benefits from the move? Is there a significant cost-savings involved?

As for opportunities for Columbus rimshots, I could have sworn seeing some mention of a 103.9 upgrade foiled by WPAY's failure to make a planned move awhile back. I know gabigley cites the relation to 104.3, but could it have been both stations? And getting back to 104.3, I too wonder if this re-opens a window of opportunity for Saga. In fact, could Saga have something in the works with WPAY that is behind this news...some sort of W-PAYout?
 
Nu_Roo_2 said:
As for opportunities for Columbus rimshots, I could have sworn seeing some mention of a 103.9 upgrade foiled by WPAY's failure to make a planned move awhile back. I know gabigley cites the relation to 104.3, but could it have been both stations? And getting back to 104.3, I too wonder if this re-opens a window of opportunity for Saga. In fact, could Saga have something in the works with WPAY that is behind this news...some sort of W-PAYout?
Click to expand...

104.3s move in to Columbus is DOA due to the fact that 104.9 had to locate on a tower in Columbus (Hamilton Rd/New Albany Area) ... the 104.3 move to West Jeff was conditional of WCVO locating it's tower just north of the Franklin County line in Deleware (Near Hoover Dam) but this was shot down by various "NIMBY" folks despite WCVO trying for at least two tower sites NE of Columbus before moving to the Cell tower on Hamilton Rd..
 
xmusicmatt said:
Nu_Roo_2 said:
As for opportunities for Columbus rimshots, I could have sworn seeing some mention of a 103.9 upgrade foiled by WPAY's failure to make a planned move awhile back. I know gabigley cites the relation to 104.3, but could it have been both stations? And getting back to 104.3, I too wonder if this re-opens a window of opportunity for Saga. In fact, could Saga have something in the works with WPAY that is behind this news...some sort of W-PAYout?
Click to expand...

104.3s move in to Columbus is DOA due to the fact that 104.9 had to locate on a tower in Columbus (Hamilton Rd/New Albany Area) ... the 104.3 move to West Jeff was conditional of WCVO locating it's tower just north of the Franklin County line in Deleware (Near Hoover Dam) but this was shot down by various "NIMBY" folks despite WCVO trying for at least two tower sites NE of Columbus before moving to the Cell tower on Hamilton Rd..
Click to expand...

WPAY is still changing their COL and downgrading from C to CO to allow WNLT 104.3 in Harrison to move into Cincinnati (Delhi Heights) and the station in Delhi Heights WORI which is owned by K LOVE, is moving to Harrison. Im not sure what compensation is being given for this deal, But when the Saga deal was on they were going to buy (through the tower management company they own) the new Tower that WPAY was leasing space on and turn it over to them. in exchange for the move and downgrade. and all of this got started when an ice store brought their main tower down several years ago.
 
In Columbus, we must not forget WPFB-FM was also sold to Northern Kentucky University and we
will lose yet another great choice for Country and Western music. :'( We already lost the fine Country and Western format on 102.5 FM last July. To quote this sentence from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110120/SPT/101210350/End-of-an-era-for-Middletown-s-WPFB

End of an era for Middletown's WPFB
By John Kiesewetter • [email protected] • January 20, 2011

Gordon knows why WNKU wanted Middletown's blowtorch FM signal reaching from north of Dayton to Northern Kentucky.

"We were sitting in my car one night at St. John's Arena (in Columbus), and picked it up clear as a whistle," he said.
Click to expand...

When will it end? ??? Before long, we may not have many choices for CW music here in Columbus. :eek:
 
Ironically, WNKU plays a lot of decent Americana and roots music that contemporary country radio has ignored for years.
 
gabigley1 said:
In Columbus, we must not forget WPFB-FM was also sold to Northern Kentucky University and we
will lose yet another great choice for Country and Western music. :'( We already lost the fine Country and Western format on 102.5 FM last July. To quote this sentence from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110120/SPT/101210350/End-of-an-era-for-Middletown-s-WPFB

End of an era for Middletown's WPFB
By John Kiesewetter • [email protected] • January 20, 2011

Gordon knows why WNKU wanted Middletown's blowtorch FM signal reaching from north of Dayton to Northern Kentucky.

"We were sitting in my car one night at St. John's Arena (in Columbus), and picked it up clear as a whistle," he said.
Click to expand...

When will it end? ??? Before long, we may not have many choices for CW music here in Columbus. :eek:
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. I thought I was the only fan for WPAY and WPFB (which I can *sometimes* get here at my house. WPAY's country music variety up to about 3 years ago was remarkable. They would play 90's country songs that most have forgot about. Columbus' country stations just blow. I mean, if you're into the new country and hearing it ever 2 hours, then WCOL is obviously the way to go. WHOK covers a WIDE range in years of music, but you still hear the same songs every day. They could make their playlist 10 times larger. I actually liked 102.5's playlist very much. They played a lot of the songs that WPAY would play. 107.1 is a waste to me. I think Wilks should send the classic country to 107.1, and turn 95.5 into a 90's, 2000's, and today country format. They could jab some shares from WCOL and WCLT. WCLT is pretty good as well, but still nothing like WPAY, WPFB and WCVZ.

I mean, the rock format has now been separated in Columbus. 99.7 plays a lot of newer rock, 96.3 plays 60's-90's, and 105.7 plays mainly 80's. Why not do this to country? Have 107.1 do 50's-70's, 95.5 do 80's through the mid 2000's, and WCOL pick up the newer country? If 95.5 would simulcast from Sirius XM's Prime Country channel, they would be pretty good. Or at least pick up some song ideas from them.

This is just me ranting. There are a lot of country fans out there who like the older unheard music. 95.5 just doesn't get it. I've got half a mind to create my own. All local programming and all local news. I wonder if Saga would sell 104.3 to me? Haha.
 
Most markets have a lot more rock fragmentation than country fragmentation.  The Columbus market has far more than its fair share of country with WCOL, WHOK, WCLT and Wink.  Probably more country than just about anywhere else.
 
Nu_Roo_2 said:
Most markets have a lot more rock fragmentation than country fragmentation. The Columbus market has far more than its fair share of country with WCOL, WHOK, WCLT and Wink. Probably more country than just about anywhere else.
Click to expand...

Thanks for hitting the nail on the head. Just read in between the lines the post. Using a little sarcasm.
 
Kinda sad. Been on the air for 80 years. Became notable during the Portsmouth floods, staying on and keeping people informed. The way radio was meant to be.
 
In the commercial band for FM, everything is done by distance. A Class A station must stay 165 kilometers from a first adjacent Class C station, or 152 from a Class C0 station. A Class B-1 station must stay 193 km from a Class C, 180 km from a Class C0

Class A is 6 kw at 328 feet (or equivalent) antenna height, Class B-1 25 kw at 328 feet. Class C or C0 100kw, which is which determined on how high the antenna is.

The "Saga" of WPAY-FM began when an ice storm took down their old tower a couple of years ago. FAA refused permission to rebuild the tower to the same height. Because the antenna was then lower then the minimum height for a Class C, Saga asked the FCC to reclassify the station as a C0. (PAY also had short-spacing problems with other 104.1 stations--they were grandfathered at the original site, but not if they moved).

Eventually Saga reached agreement with PAY to reclassify the station to a C0, so 104.3 could be downgraded to a Class A but moved further south into Franklin County. That move cratered for various reasons, including the NIMBY's that refused to allow 104.9 to change sites. Meanwhile, a 104.3 near Cincinnati reached a separate agreement for the class change (and required antenna change) allowing that station to move onto a tower in downtown Cincy. There's yet another change triggered by the class change, allowing 103.9 to move from New Martinsville to Vienna, WV, near Parkersburg.

Here's a tool to play with showing where various distances "fall" from the PAY tower:

http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-around-point.htm If you use actual coordinates, remember longitude must be a - (eg. -82.1234 degrees), otherwise you'll end up in western China.

The tower is in Kentucky, abt 5 miles SW of downtown Portsmouth, near the river.

Bottom line: 103.9 can't improve to a B-1 at Columbus.
 
Well, I'm not talking about 103.9 at a B1. I'm talking about 104.3 at a B1 at it's current tower. If 103.9 moves to Riverlea with a tower change further south, then it might be possible. Just sayin.

104.3 as a B1 at current tower.
 
Yes, you're right--it fits as to PAY as a C-0 (required 180/actual 182). Whether it will make it towards the other stations it must protect is another question--e.g. 104.3 Delhi Hills (cincy), 104.1 Muncie, 104.3 WOMC Detroit, 104.5 Wooster, 104.7 Dayton, 104.9 WCVO, 103.9 WTDA, etc.

Very much a matter of fitting all the puzzle pieces together.
 
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