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WQMS-AM 1500 in Quitman SOLD!

R

radioguybroadcasting

From ALLACCESS.COM:

In another deal filed with the FCC, RANDOLPH JOHNSTON is selling WQMS-A/QUITMAN, MS to IRA LITTMAN's ACME BROADCASTING, INC. for $30,000. JOHNSTON bought the station in JUNE 2007.

FINALLY!! Someone with some real radio expierience who knows how to operate a station is buying the place and will actually make something of it!
 
Let's hope so. I rode out that way over the weekend to see the tower. I will be living in Stonewall after my wedding next month and my fiance is a big fan of KLOVE. So, just thought I'd give her another taste of my inner radio nerd and show her the tower. I was hoping that someone would do something with 1500. I remember in my earlier radio days when I'd work on Sundays bored oping Saints games when it was a Sporting News Radio affiliate. Those were actually some fun days... especially having to dial in to the Saints Network phone feed. Man, that sounded bad. :)
 
You know, Jonathan, my ex didn't want me working in radio when we were together, but she encouraged me to geek out on it. After all, it meant I wouldn't be interacting with any woman other than her!

So, if your fiancee thought it was weird to see 1500's tower, just remind her that virtually no women find the technical side of radio interesting, and anyone you talk radio with will be male. My ex even stayed up until 4 AM one Friday night/Saturday morning with me when I was getting KESY 97.7 from Omaha on the stereo in Kansas City. She stayed up because she found it beyond weird and felt it was strange male behavior worth observing!
 
jo-nathan said:
Let's hope so. I rode out that way over the weekend to see the tower. I will be living in Stonewall after my wedding next month and my fiance is a big fan of KLOVE. So, just thought I'd give her another taste of my inner radio nerd and show her the tower. I was hoping that someone would do something with 1500. I remember in my earlier radio days when I'd work on Sundays bored oping Saints games when it was a Sporting News Radio affiliate. Those were actually some fun days... especially having to dial in to the Saints Network phone feed. Man, that sounded bad. :)
Click to expand...

So 1500 AM will have at least one listener;)

Good things are coming!
 
it was in Radio And Records Today Too...

Mississippi
WQMS-AM/Quitman
PRICE: $30,000
TERMS: Asset sale for cash
BUYER: ACME Broadcasting, Inc., headed by President Ira Littman. Phone: 808-753-5111. It owns no other stations. This represents its entry into this market.
SELLER: Randolph Johnston. Phone: 559-269-1223
FREQUENCY: 1500 kHz
POWER: 1kw
FORMAT: DARK
COMMENT: Randolph Johnston's WQMS-AM/Quitman, Miss., to ACME Broadcasting for $30,000, payable in monthly installments of $1,400 beginning 30 days after closing for 24 months.
 
Y'know, I bet if they changed from a "DARK" format to, say, chacoal gray; or even work in some block "light" programming... I know I'm being radical here... they just make make it in this market!
 
robgrayson said:
Y'know, I bet if they changed from a "DARK" format to, say, chacoal gray; or even work in some block "light" programming... I know I'm being radical here... they just make make it in this market!
Click to expand...

LOL Good joke, I didn't think of it before I posted it.. lol. I guess Radio And Records should've said "Silent" LOL.

Quitman is a town of just over 2200 and Clarke County has a population of of just over 17,000 people. The only other station is all satelitted Klove. I don't see why WQMS can't do well if you have an operator who knows how to be local and run a tight operation.
 
I kid with you, but I am tickled to see someone snatch an AM from the jaws of "DARK". I have seen so many signals that were around when I was a kid just vanish over the years. Best of luck!
 
robgrayson said:
I kid with you, but I am tickled to see someone snatch an AM from the jaws of "DARK". I have seen so many signals that were around when I was a kid just vanish over the years. Best of luck!
Click to expand...

I'm tickled to see someone buy WQMS because I started at a station like WQMS, in an even smaller tower..... and I still have a soft place in my heart for small town, community radio.
 
radioguybroadcasting said:
Quitman is a town of just over 2200 and Clarke County has a population of of just over 17,000 people. The only other station is all satelitted Klove. I don't see why WQMS can't do well if you have an operator who knows how to be local and run a tight operation.
Click to expand...

Yes, it has potential and they could snag up some of the business that WYKK (formally the country signal that occupied 98.9 before EMF bought it from Terry Bonner) had but, honestly, it really wasn't much in Quitman itself. They had several accounts from around Meridian that helped keep them afloat for so long. Not many Meridian businesses will be interested in making buys in a 1,000 daytimer that barely gets out of Quitman proper. It's going to be a challenge to make a huge profit but a hard worker can make some rice and beans money in Quitman. Hey, that means ramen money. ;D
 
jo-nathan said:
radioguybroadcasting said:
Quitman is a town of just over 2200 and Clarke County has a population of of just over 17,000 people. The only other station is all satelitted Klove. I don't see why WQMS can't do well if you have an operator who knows how to be local and run a tight operation.
Click to expand...

Yes, it has potential and they could snag up some of the business that WYKK (formally the country signal that occupied 98.9 before EMF bought it from Terry Bonner) had but, honestly, it really wasn't much in Quitman itself. They had several accounts from around Meridian that helped keep them afloat for so long. Not many Meridian businesses will be interested in making buys in a 1,000 daytimer that barely gets out of Quitman proper. It's going to be a challenge to make a huge profit but a hard worker can make some rice and beans money in Quitman. Hey, that means ramen money. ;D
Click to expand...

The potential includes high school sports on the radio... something The Town of Quitman hasn't had in years... and there are moves afoot to see WQMS get a 24/7 signal!

I think the reason the signal, as you put it, "Barely gets out of Quitman proper" is because the AM stations unipole antenna which is on the WLKO 98.9 tower and the Antenna Tuning Unit need some minor repairs/adjustments/retuning and the ground system needs to be look at. Also, the Audio Processor currently in there at WQMS leaves alot to be desired... and doesn't really have the OOMPH and PUNCH that WQMS needs.

And Ramen money? I've been there before!:)
 
The problem with running high school sports on WQMS is that the station has to sign off at sunset in order to protect WLAC. During the day, 1500 hardly does anything but it can give WLAC some nasty bleed over at night (I should know LOL).

The equipment never was great. Honestly, it needs to be totally replaced from the board to the tranny. The antenna probably could just be repaired but I think the grounding system needs to be totally redone. I really hope the new owner is prepared to spend some money because he's going to have to if he wants to make a good go at it.

Edit: Missed the part where you said they were trying to make move in order to have a 24 hour signal. I'd be interested to know what that might be and I hope it works. BTW, if you PMed me I didn't get it because I don't have access for some reason. Email me at my Myspace page. It should be linked in my profile.
 
jo-nathan said:
The problem with running high school sports on WQMS is that the station has to sign off at sunset in order to protect WLAC. During the day, 1500 hardly does anything but it can give WLAC some nasty bleed over at night (I should know LOL).

The equipment never was great. Honestly, it needs to be totally replaced from the board to the tranny. The antenna probably could just be repaired but I think the grounding system needs to be totally redone. I really hope the new owner is prepared to spend some money because he's going to have to if he wants to make a good go at it.

Edit: Missed the part where you said they were trying to make move in order to have a 24 hour signal. I'd be interested to know what that might be and I hope it works. BTW, if you PMed me I didn't get it because I don't have access for some reason. Email me at my Myspace page. It should be linked in my profile.
Click to expand...

Nothing at WQMS, wether in the studio or at the tower is completely unfixable or too hard to take care of.

The station has a brand new Energy Onix 1KW Transmitter.
 
Any more updates on 'QMS?
 
Must a a doctor's money in it. They love investments like a high dial daytimer
in a market without any retail base.
 
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