According to VARTV.com, WQOK-FM, South Boston, VA has filed to move it's COL to Carrboro NC and effectively reduce its power from 100k to 50K. What could Radio One be thinking? True, coverage will probably be increased in south Wake, but the surrounding area will lose coverage. Southside Virginia will be the big loser, becoming even more of a radio wasteland. Or is Radio One looking to cash in by recieving a big payment from 97.7 who is seeking to "move in" to Roanoke from the hollars of WV?
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WQOK files to move to Carrboro, halve transmitting power.
- Thread starter fortmill
- Start date
Sorry, but this post doesn't make much sense to me.
1) One presumes that Radio One's target audience would be better served by a closer-to-metro signal than one licensed to Southside Virginia.
2) Radio One doesn't operate WQOK for Southside. It operates WQOK because it's a Raleigh-market rimshot for them.
3) Thus, on paper, it would appear to be a very good move for them. The FCC service area map for the new application would put it "in market" and not as a rimshot:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM1168273.html
Southside Virginia's radio issues are not connected to this. When's the last time Radio One tried to market this signal to Danville and South Boston?
1) One presumes that Radio One's target audience would be better served by a closer-to-metro signal than one licensed to Southside Virginia.
2) Radio One doesn't operate WQOK for Southside. It operates WQOK because it's a Raleigh-market rimshot for them.
3) Thus, on paper, it would appear to be a very good move for them. The FCC service area map for the new application would put it "in market" and not as a rimshot:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM1168273.html
Southside Virginia's radio issues are not connected to this. When's the last time Radio One tried to market this signal to Danville and South Boston?
R
Radio-X
Guest
Actaully, it's good for the rock geeks of Southside. If you're South of Farmville, you'll be able to get the AOR goodness of 3WV in C'ville without getting snippets of Ludacris mixed in.
I really don't see why Radio One didn't do it any earlier. Top-rated station operating as a rim-shot from near Oxford! I say forget that and let 'em move where the money is...
Plus, most of Southside gets a decent signal from 106.5 in Richmond, 102.1 in GSO, or 101.7 in Lynchburg...(ok, maybe a CHR-Urban, but whatever)
Radio-X
I really don't see why Radio One didn't do it any earlier. Top-rated station operating as a rim-shot from near Oxford! I say forget that and let 'em move where the money is...
Plus, most of Southside gets a decent signal from 106.5 in Richmond, 102.1 in GSO, or 101.7 in Lynchburg...(ok, maybe a CHR-Urban, but whatever)
Radio-X
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM1168273.html
Looking at the map above, looks like they'll be on the 500' tower of sister station WFXC "Foxy 107".
Looking at the map above, looks like they'll be on the 500' tower of sister station WFXC "Foxy 107".
although the map does show it would be out there at 107.1's site. the COL change to Carrboro has me stumped.
Altho I may have an idea :
Altho I may have an idea :
I stand by my original opinion on WQOK's move in. First, WQOK could hardly be called a rimshot, since its present facilities deliver an interference-protected grade A signal to the entire metro area, except for extreme southern Wake County and a large part of Johnston County. The proposed facilities will do nothing to improve coverage in Johnston Co. I do know from personal experience that WQOK has an excellent signal in Cary, easily pentetrating buildings, and comes in fine on even the cheapest clock radios. I'm sure a case can be built that coverage will improve in downtown Raleigh, which will be more important as taller buildings go up, but I would say even that is not certain. Is 50K from 25 miles away really any better than 100K from 45 miles away, especially considering the elevation of the antenna will be less than half of the present facilities? Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of potential listeners will be lost, all in the Raleigh-Durham TSA and most in the R-D TV market. Because of potent interference from WCOS-FM in Columbia, it is very doubtful any meaningful coverage area will be gained to the south. And, Southside Virginia coverage IS a consideration. The present WQOK, covers several of those counties with an A signal and is the only black-oriented radio station (other than Radio One's WPZZ, a gospel station) that reaches the area. WBTJ does not reach the area at all. The area has a high African American population. Though WQOK did not focus on Halifax/Mecklenburg Co. VA, you can be sure they are number one in listenership there. Previously, the FCC would have considered those issues, but unfortunately those days are gone.
R
Radio-X
Guest
Number 1: WBTJ DOES come in in parts of Southside where K-97.5 does well...primarily Nottoway, Lunenberg, and Southern Prince Edward. Granted if you have a cheap $20 boombox, the signal is staticy. 106.5's signal is probably one of the best metro-Richmond signals in Southside as it's on a 1200'+ tower about 12 miles WSW of Richmond.
Number 2: WQOK just doesn't sell any ads in Southside. They don't! They really don't even sell too many in Granville or Vance Counties! Sure, 97.5 is quite popular in Southside VA, but it's all about the $$$! Sure, the station is licensed to South Boston, but in reality, the station has never targeted Halifax/Mecklenburg for almost 20 years.
Number 3: I'm not sure who owns the land or the tower for WQOK in Oxford, but it is quite possible that the land was leased and the contract is about to expire (mind you, it's been about 15-20 years) and the land owner doesn't want to renew! Shoot, not too many people want a 1000' station cranking 100kW in their backyard and after 20 years of only getting rap music in your stereo from RF bleeding, you'd have to pay me some good money!!!
Come to think of it, there's a good possibility of number 3. Otherwise, what would have stopped them from moving five years ago?
Radio-X
Number 2: WQOK just doesn't sell any ads in Southside. They don't! They really don't even sell too many in Granville or Vance Counties! Sure, 97.5 is quite popular in Southside VA, but it's all about the $$$! Sure, the station is licensed to South Boston, but in reality, the station has never targeted Halifax/Mecklenburg for almost 20 years.
Number 3: I'm not sure who owns the land or the tower for WQOK in Oxford, but it is quite possible that the land was leased and the contract is about to expire (mind you, it's been about 15-20 years) and the land owner doesn't want to renew! Shoot, not too many people want a 1000' station cranking 100kW in their backyard and after 20 years of only getting rap music in your stereo from RF bleeding, you'd have to pay me some good money!!!
Come to think of it, there's a good possibility of number 3. Otherwise, what would have stopped them from moving five years ago?
Radio-X
i live near to the WQOK tower. I've been out there several times, just out driving around...the tower itself is in the middle of a large field which is used to hold cattle. mind you, of course, there is a fence around the actual structure. and there are very few homes within a 3 mile radius of that site it's out in the middle of nowhere, honestly.
it's out in the middle of nowhere, honestly.carlosswicegood said:i live near to the WQOK tower. I've been out there several times, just out driving around...the tower itself is in the middle of a large field which is used to hold cattle. mind you, of course, there is a fence around the actual structure. and there are very few homes within a 3 mile radius of that site
my point is that radiodxrichmond may be on the right track. they moved out there back in the late 80's
XTalker said:
The original premise is based entirely on the station "abandoning" Southside.
It did, long ago.
It may have listeners up there, and the signal is certainly strong enough, but the station has been a Triangle-based operation as long as I can remember. There may be an African-American population in Danville and South Boston, but I'd almost guarantee Radio One doesn't give a rip about trying to sell up there.
ANY gained coverage in the southern end of the market will make them a LOT more money than serving the minimal population in Southside VA...even if it's not a substantial increase due to other considerations. And the closer signal WILL be a better in-market signal for them...particularly in building penetration.
Another friggin' bone-headed move by corporate radio--this is very similar to the WFMX move. Move the tower(with an already lust-worthy signal), and cut the power in half, or more just to get the tower closer to the skyscrapers.
Yeah, I know it's the way of doing BUSINESS...but with these kind of moves, you can pretty much NEVER go back.
Eric
Yeah, I know it's the way of doing BUSINESS...but with these kind of moves, you can pretty much NEVER go back.
Eric
As "radio freaks", many of us really love big-signal coverage, but easily the most important things to the broadcaster (jockeying for position with a multi-million dollar property) have to be ratings and revenue. WQOK has to be laser-focused on the Raleigh-Durham market, for both. Last I knew, that metro includes only Wake, Durham, Chatham, Orange and Franklin counties (nothing in VA... in fact Person, Granville, Warren and Halifax counties are outside the metro.) In addition, it's important to remember that the great majority of black listeners in the metro are located in the cities of Raleigh and Durham.
It might not seem logical, but focusing on those areas is hugely important for a few reasons. First, potential clients in places like Danville and South Boston can very seldom afford to pay the rates typical of a successful station in the Raleigh market, so no account executives are assigned to those areas. Second, whether the station has a 90% share in VA or a 0% share, the ratings in the metro stay exactly the same. Meanwhile, 'QOK's present tower doesn't put a city-grade signal over all of Durham... and barely any of Raleigh (to clarify, 'QOK doesn't city-grade I-40 at any point!).
From the new tower, they'll city-grade all of Durham with ease, plus all of Raleigh. Of course, it's possible that the application is just a move to prevent some other station's application from being approved... but the tower site move (and power reduction) *would* make a very noticeable difference in WQOK's target areas. The station will jump off the dial on cheap radios, especially in lower level homes and apartments.
This really could lead to better (and more stable) ratings.
It might not seem logical, but focusing on those areas is hugely important for a few reasons. First, potential clients in places like Danville and South Boston can very seldom afford to pay the rates typical of a successful station in the Raleigh market, so no account executives are assigned to those areas. Second, whether the station has a 90% share in VA or a 0% share, the ratings in the metro stay exactly the same. Meanwhile, 'QOK's present tower doesn't put a city-grade signal over all of Durham... and barely any of Raleigh (to clarify, 'QOK doesn't city-grade I-40 at any point!).
From the new tower, they'll city-grade all of Durham with ease, plus all of Raleigh. Of course, it's possible that the application is just a move to prevent some other station's application from being approved... but the tower site move (and power reduction) *would* make a very noticeable difference in WQOK's target areas. The station will jump off the dial on cheap radios, especially in lower level homes and apartments.
This really could lead to better (and more stable) ratings.
i thought not too long ago, that K97.5 was no. 1
1
1q2w3e
Guest
XTalker said:
And something else people seem to miss... the station is worth MORE money if it is in the RDU market, versus BFE VA. Station worth more money you can obtain more credit to add more stations or invest more into the stations you have.
Just having a flame thrower signal doesnt mean much when the flame shoots over forest.
Though I know I will be flamed again, I am standing behind my original statement---Downgrading WQOK is a stupid move. You don't need to tell me advertisers on R-D radio are not interested in reaching listeners outside of the metro area. If that was the case, why don't WRAL, WDCG, WQDR, etc. reduce their power to 25 or 50 K and make big bucks recieving payments from station owners in other markets that want to increase their signals ( which is what Radio One will do with the 97.7 move-in in Roanoke). Raleigh-Durham merchants want to reach people in their trade area, which reaches far beyond the 5 county metro area (contrary to what was said previously, Johnston Co. is also in the metro area). Of course, national advertisers want to reach listeners wherever they are. I would expect WQOK reaches more listeners outside the metro than any other station. Example: in the recent Arbitron for the Rocky Mount-Wilson market, WQOK ranked 3rd overall. Common scents would tell me they rank higher than that in Henderson and Roanoke Rapids. They usually rank a point or so in the Triad market. With their new weak transmitting power they will lose all of that. Meanwhile, other 100K R-D stations will continue to have listenership in all those areas. BTW, several posters have said WQOK has no VA advertisers. Actually, the VA lottery has been a long time heavy advertiser on 97.5. And, it is true that WQOK has been a top-rated station, often number 1, in the market for many years with their present signal. The truth is Radio One is doing this to cut costs, deserting a 1000 ft stick for a much shorter one they already own or control, and recieving a cash payment from the Roanoke move in to boot. It is a short-sighted move however. They would be at a great disadvantage should another R-D 100k flip to urban....
Hi, fortmill. Believe me, I'm not trying to attack anybody, but I think you might be surprised by the attitudes of the advertisers. Local (one location) clients just want to reach people who'll actually hit their location. Clients like McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Applebees, etc. buy commercials through agencies that represent them in each market. That group of local outlets spends money to build market share *only in their own market.* They'd never spend a cent to build business in Martinsville, for instance, or even to support a single outlet outside their area. Clients such as newspapers (that really could possibly benefit from wide coverage) whether bought locally or through agencies, see it as a battle between the popular stations... they just never give consideration to coverage outside the metro.
Good point about the VA lottery, but how many other dollars are made (and would be lost) off VA buys? Probably, not a dime. As for G-105, WRAL and WQDR, they'd certainly never want to downgrade becuse they *already* city-grade their primary target areas... so why lose coverage for no possible gain? If 'QOK could keep their present power and tower height *and* move to this new location (to city-grade both Raleigh and Durham), they'd do it in a minute... but that's not an option open to them. Instead they have a choice... to city-grade less than half of their most important target area or to city-grade all of it (with less power) and lose area on the fringes.
If 'QOK can increase its ratings (for instance from a 1.5 to a 1.6 or 1.7 *rating* (not share) in 25-54, they can charge more for each commercial. Stop and think... isn't it possible that the numbers could be improved by more than doubling the city-graded area within the two cities that deliver more than 80% of the black households on which your ratings depend? It's pretty likely that this would be a good idea even if they had to pay twice as much for the new tower lease.
Good point about the VA lottery, but how many other dollars are made (and would be lost) off VA buys? Probably, not a dime. As for G-105, WRAL and WQDR, they'd certainly never want to downgrade becuse they *already* city-grade their primary target areas... so why lose coverage for no possible gain? If 'QOK could keep their present power and tower height *and* move to this new location (to city-grade both Raleigh and Durham), they'd do it in a minute... but that's not an option open to them. Instead they have a choice... to city-grade less than half of their most important target area or to city-grade all of it (with less power) and lose area on the fringes.
If 'QOK can increase its ratings (for instance from a 1.5 to a 1.6 or 1.7 *rating* (not share) in 25-54, they can charge more for each commercial. Stop and think... isn't it possible that the numbers could be improved by more than doubling the city-graded area within the two cities that deliver more than 80% of the black households on which your ratings depend? It's pretty likely that this would be a good idea even if they had to pay twice as much for the new tower lease.
Thanks Bryan, for your comments, but I'm still not convinced. First, I would say I'm sympathetic to the urban listener in, for example, an apartment in south Raleigh who cannot recieve clear reception on 97.5. But is that a widespread problem, and if so, how do such people compensate? Do they tie aluminum foil to their attennae to improve reception or do they listen to WQDR? Ratings would indicate they use the foil. They may continue to have to use the foil, since I doubt 50K from 30 miles away will do much better in that area. But returning to the needs of advertisers, I find your comments about McDonalds, Applebees, and Budwiser interesting. How many McDonalds do you think there are outside of the R-D metro but within WQOK's present listening area? Several dozen, I would estimate. Lets take South Hill VA as an example. Not only do they have a McDonalds there, but also an Applebees, and I imagine some people there also drink Budwiser. There is also a Catoes and Babcock Furniture, two other frequent advertisers on QOK (is there a single Babcock store in the R-D metro area?). And when South Hill residents tire of all that shopping luxury, they make the 45 minute trip down 85/US1 to Triangle Town Center, perhaps to take advantage of a sale at Macys they heard about on QOK. Why would advertisers want to give all that coverage up?
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