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WPCM 920 am Moving to 95.1

K

kraziguy

Found this on the "Beach Party Radio" Facebook page....

I felt the need to share this status from the Big Time Party Band regarding WPCM, Oldies & Beach, 920AM. I knew they were returning to the FM dial but thought they were doing so well that they were bringing Carolina Beach Music with them when they migrated. I have listened to & followed this station for decades given it has been a part of my hometown. To learn this is truly disheartening to me.

Rest assured that even though our radio show/station is not on the FM dial, we will work to bring you the BEST in Carolina Beach Music and oldies! We love this music & this is the music that other genres have been born of. See More
Are we losing our local 24 hour "Beach Music" station?? Here is a response letter written to a friend from Phil Zachary, President of Curtis Media who owns WPCM, 920 AM in Burlington.

Thank you for taking the time to write your concerns about the lack of true Carolina Beach Music on WPCM. Since it was I who made the decision to adjust the music, I'll take responsiblity for your displeasure.

I've been with Curtis Media Group for 11 years, and I couldn't be more proud of the place WPCM has earned with the Beach Music community. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you know, Alamance County is growing, changing, welcoming new residents who don't have that deep passion for the songs you love, and the station's ratings have been consistently slipping. In addition, WPCM will soon be on the FM dial at 95.1. This opens a fresh, new opportunity for the station to grow its audience and reach more listeners for our advertisers. Ultimately, that means we'll need to become more mass appeal in playing songs most everyone knows and loves. We'll still have Beach Music on the weekends and sprinkled throughout the weekdays, so rest assured that won't change.

I'm sorry you didn't receive a more prompt response. This is the first time the matter was brought to my attention.

Thank you, again, for writing and listening.

Phil Zachary
President
Curtis Media Group
 
.....? I'm confused....so they're changing the music and WPCM will be on 95.1 FM? In addition to 920 AM?

Phil Zachary is so full of it....does WPCM even show up in ratings books? Another overpaid radio suit clown spinning the teacups and raking in as much cash he can before he gets axed.
 
Sorry for the errors on my original post, this is my first time posting here.

The original post came from "BigTime Party Bands" facebook page and states the following...

Are we losing our local 24 hour "Beach Music" station??

Here is a response letter written to a friend from Phil Zachary, President of Curtis Media who owns WPCM, 920 AM in Burlington.

Thank you for taking the time to write your concerns about the lack of true Carolina Beach Music on WPCM. Since it was I who made the decision to adjust the music, I'll take responsiblity for your displeasure.

I've been with Curtis Media Group for 11 years, and I couldn't be more proud of the place WPCM has earned with the Beach Music community. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you know, Alamance County is growing, changing, welcoming new residents who don't have that deep passion for the songs you love, and the station's ratings have been consistently slipping. In addition, WPCM will soon be on the FM dial at 95.1. This opens a fresh, new opportunity for the station to grow its audience and reach more listeners for our advertisers. Ultimately, that means we'll need to become more mass appeal in playing songs most everyone knows and loves. We'll still have Beach Music on the weekends and sprinkled throughout the weekdays, so rest assured that won't change.

I'm sorry you didn't receive a more prompt response. This is the first time the matter was brought to my attention.

Thank you, again, for writing and listening.

Phil Zachary
President
Curtis Media Group

Here is the link to there fb page.....

https://www.facebook.com/bigtimepartyband?fref=ts
 
CMG bought translator W236BO a few months ago from Liberty University, so this explains the FM part. WPCM is a former daytime only AM which added a limited, 55-watt nighttime authorization. W236BO is being upgraded to the 250-watt maximum translator power. I'm surprised crosstown rival WBAG 1150 doesn't yet have an FM translator.
 
So, are they changing their playlist, or is the Big Time Party Band just complaining that they don't play enough Carolina Beach Music? I haven't really noticed a change in the past four or five years...
 
It sounds like they'll not play as exclusive/deep/obscure-to-the-masses slate of beach music, and they'll throw in more not-exactly-beach songs the general public recognizes. That might affect the Big Time Party Band and other hardcore-locals-only-recognize-them beach bands.
 
I just looked at the new coverage map, and shifting to 95.1 will be a good move, but what is the future of 920 AM?
 
I listened to WPCM for about a half hour today. There was nothing on 95.1 yet. Once that signal is on, it will battle a bit with Clear Channel's 95.3 translator which I can listen to clearly from the Triangle to Burlington.

Translators follow main stations so 95.1 will be the same as 920. Today 920 was definitely an Oldies station. Mostly 60s, some 70s, and a few unusual 80s. 920's slogan is the same as WKIX-FM, Carolina's Greatest hits. They've ramped up the imaging (cuts of the Simpsons, Family Guy). It sounds like it was done in-house. (BTW: WKIX-FM can't be heard in Burlington due to a translator on 102.9.)

The times I listened (going to and then from the Triangle), 920 was voicetracked.

WBAG does a very good job at being live and local but of course 920 has a bigger signal and better frequency (and the translator will be a big advantage, too).

Since WBAG does soft Oldies most of the day, my vote for 920 would be classic country.
 
what is the future of 920 AM?
Click to expand...

Signal #4 of the Triad's Sports Network! Kidding of course. I have no idea. Interesting though. Music on the AM band I just don't understand anymore....at least they woke up in that regard.
 
WSJS has to get on FM to survive. Perhaps eventually they'll find a way to put WSJS on the 95.1 translator. Owners get creative when it comes to getting what they want on a translator.

Speaking of translators, WCHL's 97.9 can't be heard in Burlington due to a low power station licensed to Burlington. Its odd that the FCC would allow the signals to be so close to each other. I know translators aren't protected. Are low power stations protected?
 
Back in the late 1990s (1998-1999, I think), WPCM briefly aired a classic country format after those calls moved to AM 920 from the country format on FM sister station 101.1. They soon moved to the oldies and beach format, which has continued save for one interruption in 2004, when the station went talk again briefly before 101.1 became "FM Talk 101.1 WZTK".

As for the the close 97.9s, neighboring Orange and Alamance counties actually have two full-power FM stations sharing the 89.3 frequency: UNC-Chapel Hill student station WXYC and Elon University's WSOE. A mix of low power, distance, and directional signals allow for this arrangement to work.
 
In regard to the protection of low power FM's, this is something the FCC should have considered when these translator licenses were handed out, what they should have done for AM's to migrate to FM, is expand the FM band which has been considered, this ought to have been done years ago, which would have meant stations like WPCM, WSJS, WBAG, WCHL, and many others could had a better signal and made a difference for listeners.
Regarding 920 going to "Classic Country", that would be a good idea.
 
Wouldn't it have made more sense to put it way up on the 101.1 tower?

CC did that with 95.3 in Cary and for a translator, that thing really gets out.
 
I think we are seeing the same thing we saw when FM became "the" thing years ago. AM's are picking up translators left and right and I feel those that do it first in their individual markets will be the initial winners. Many AM operators who have some degree of success in their markets have been dragging their feet on the translator issue and I fear they will be "johnny come lately". In the Burlington market WBAG had the same opportunites as WPCM and it appears BAG has dropped the ball. Good luck to all the AM'ers looking for translators.
 
w00t said:
Wouldn't it have made more sense to put it way up on the 101.1 tower?

CC did that with 95.3 in Cary and for a translator, that thing really gets out.
Click to expand...

no, the 101.1 tower is in the middle of nowhere.. halfway between siler city and burlington....if cows, deer and bears listened to radio then it may be practical to put it there... 95.3 is on a tower thats about 8 air miles from downtown raleigh
 
And according to "Radio Insight", Capitol Broadcasting is buying two translators at 97.1 and 99.3 with intentions of using these for WDNC, better known as "620 The Buzz".
 
w00t said:
Oh, I always assumed 101.1's tower was located at the studio. Never been there. Nevermind then!
Click to expand...

EncSpy said:
w00t said:
Wouldn't it have made more sense to put it way up on the 101.1 tower?

CC did that with 95.3 in Cary and for a translator, that thing really gets out.
Click to expand...

no, the 101.1 tower is in the middle of nowhere.. halfway between siler city and burlington....if cows, deer and bears listened to radio then it may be practical to put it there... 95.3 is on a tower thats about 8 air miles from downtown raleigh
Click to expand...

The FM translators for AM stations (as well as commercial FM "fill-in" translators and those rebroadcasting HD sub channels) also can't exceed the parent station's protected contour. A 95.1 FM transmitter on Cane Creek Mountain would probably do so. The tower on Tower Drive is pretty sufficient for a translator. I think it has (or had) an auxiliary for 101.1 on it.
 
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