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WRBP Hubbard to flip on January 1

Y

YtownGuy

According to an article in yesterday's (Youngstown) Vindicator, WRBP 101.9 will drop its urban format after December 30.

The station has been sold to EMF Broadcasting and will begin broadcasting their K-Love contemporary Christian programming beginning January 1, 2013.
 
A very sad day as Youngstown's urban voice will be silenced. The funny this is I heard that Skip(The GM) was going to buy a translator in Niles and move it into town and was going to place the music format on 1500 AM along side 94.3 (http://www.radio-locator.com/info/W232AI-FX) and that 1330 AM WGFT was going to be shut down as there was to many technical issues.

I know that there was going to be a meeting to discuss all of the up coming changes as they knew the deal was going to close soon as they were not renewing sales orders.

The article states EMF is based in Omaha when it is really based in Rocklin, California which is in the Sacramento area.

http://valley24.com/news/2012/dec/13/jamz--sold-to-get-christian-format/
 
mavtv said:
A very sad day as Youngstown's urban voice will be silenced. The funny this is I heard that Skip(The GM) was going to buy a translator in Niles and move it into town and was going to place the music format on 1500 AM along side 94.3 (http://www.radio-locator.com/info/W232AI-FX) and that 1330 AM WGFT was going to be shut down as there was to many technical issues.
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"Shut down", as in turning in the license to the FCC? Say it ain't so. While I'm well aware of the limitations of operating a daytimer, the deletion of 1330 would be a sad conclusion to a historic frequency. Ditto on the fate of WRBP. That's a station that has so much potential, but in my opinion, potential that has largely gone to waste in recent years.
 
static_cling said:
mavtv said:
A very sad day as Youngstown's urban voice will be silenced. The funny this is I heard that Skip(The GM) was going to buy a translator in Niles and move it into town and was going to place the music format on 1500 AM along side 94.3 (http://www.radio-locator.com/info/W232AI-FX) and that 1330 AM WGFT was going to be shut down as there was to many technical issues.
Click to expand...

"Shut down", as in turning in the license to the FCC? Say it ain't so. While I'm well aware of the limitations of operating a daytimer, the deletion of 1330 would be a sad conclusion to a historic frequency. Ditto on the fate of WRBP. That's a station that has so much potential, but in my opinion, potential that has largely gone to waste in recent years.
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From my understanding WGFT-AM has a screwed up signal that would cost a lot of money to recoup and they have no desire in staying in Youngstown. My question what happens to the am that is left?

As for jamz, it is sad as those stations is where i got my start so for me it is bitter sweet to here that one radio station is off the air forever, and the FM going to EMF just makes my heart break as now Youngstown looses another commercial band station to the out of town K-LOVE.
 
From my understanding WGFT-AM has a screwed up signal that would cost a lot of money to recoup and they have no desire in staying in Youngstown. My question what happens to the am that is left?

As for jamz, it is sad as those stations is where i got my start so for me it is bitter sweet to here that one radio station is off the air forever, and the FM going to EMF just makes my heart break as now Youngstown looses another commercial band station to the out of town K-LOVE.
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1330 has been largely neglected since WHOT moved out, so I wouldn't be surprised by any technical issues. It wasn't in great shape when I worked there a dozen years ago. In my opinion, selling the nighttime transmitter site and failing to move it to the daytime site killed any lingering potential. AM radio has enough challenges facing it without having to be limited to a sunrise-to-sunset operation.

I don't know what will happen to WASN 1500. I don't fancy its chances as a standalone daytimer with a lackluster signal. It may well be time to shut it down, too.
 
The Vindicator article said that WASN 1500 would be shut down; they weren't making any money and WRBP 101.9 was keeping them going financially.

This is the first I've heard about 1330. I agree it would be a shame if WGFT went off, but they don't seem to have much of a signal and they don't seem to be getting enough ad revenue to do much.
 
Does Z107.9 Cleveland reach Youngstown, or is it too close to Y108 Pittsburgh? (Depending on which way you point the antenna, you *might* be able to get both from Youngstown with a decent portable... I know on rare occasions when 107.7 WGNA has been off the air in Albany, I've gotten both Hot 108 from Syracuse and WEBE 108 on 107.9)

I like the translator and AM idea for niche formats (such as for an Urban in Youngstown), we have a couple stations in Albany like that (900/106.1, 105.7HD2/99.1); the problem is finding a decent free frequency that doesn't have many co or adjacent channel problems...
 
Z107.9 does reach Youngstown if you've got a good digital radio, but you might not get it on a clock radio. The signal is qutie a bit stronger in Warren.
 
YtownGuy said:
The Vindicator article said that WASN 1500 would be shut down; they weren't making any money and WRBP 101.9 was keeping them going financially.

This is the first I've heard about 1330. I agree it would be a shame if WGFT went off, but they don't seem to have much of a signal and they don't seem to be getting enough ad revenue to do much.
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From what I have been told, Bernard looked at various options including selling, the two AM'S, placing sports (ESPN RADIO) on one of the two AM"S, and making one of the AM's a urban with a FM translator but it was determined that it was not worth any more of an investment.

What is sad is that their would of have been someone who would of either leased or bought both of the AM's as despite the limitations, running a daytime AM, and a daytime AM with critical hours can be done and there are both individuals and groups that would of love to run them as WASN could have focused on the core city/urban community, and WGFT could have ran a niche format.

The WFGT staff was briefed of the upcoming changes on Friday, the chief engineer who also overseas Forever Broadcasting in New Castle Pa was let go but was given a referral, the business manager will be working for the company in traffic department remotely for another market from her Youngstown area home.

As for the jamz staff, the on-air people have been already moved to Ft Wayne and they have been voice tracking their on-air breaks, and sadly the sales staff have not been told anything but not to renew the orders for January. They have already given away their jazz and gospel CD collection, and outside of the Herb Washington promotion, they have been almost non stop with no commercials. Sadly this year there will be no free turkey give-a-way for christmas as that along with thanksgiving, Halloween and back to school was their time of giving to the community.

WASN is running a good bye promo on air informing them of all of the changes yet it has yet to be heard on Jamz 101.9.
 
My former colleagues say that it is as their is too many technical problems and that Bernard wants out of Youngstown and for whatever reason, they are decided to kill the two AM'S but from what i have heard on air, I am wondering if they are not going for a temporary shut off as opposed to turning the license.
 
WHTX doesn't have a much stronger signal than WASN 1500 or WGFT 1330. I figure more people in Youngstown are going to be tuning in WENZ 107.9 from Cleveland.
 
1250WTAE said:
The new owner of WHTX in Warren-Youngstown announced in todays Y-Town Vindicator that the station is again flipping format to Urban R&B. http://www.thetouchradio.com/default.asp
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What happens to the local staff such as Gary and the local weekend shows?

Ironically this same satellite format was used back in the day when Dale Edwards owned sister station WYCL-AM 1540 in 2003-2004. Also at one point WRBP when Percy Squire owned the station used this service for off hours on 101.9 WRBP-FM and when they had their hands on 1440 AM in Warren. Since this format is from cumulus I am wondering if they can add Michael Basiden from WASN-AM since they are from the same distributor.
 
YtownGuy said:
WHTX doesn't have a much stronger signal than WASN 1500 or WGFT 1330. I figure more people in Youngstown are going to be tuning in WENZ 107.9 from Cleveland.
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WENZ has a hip-hop/rap format, and the new WHTX will have a oldies/urban AC similar to WZAK-FM. So it looks like they are going after a older demo.
 
I heard WHTX will cater to R and B from the 80's and 90's only, Gary Rhamy has been a joy to listen to every morning and is a great air talent that is hard to come by these days, over 50 years in the business-I enjoyed listening to the chi-lites, Paul Davis, Little River Band, Dean Martin, Player, Ace, Al Stewart and so many other songs that no one else is playing...goodluck Gary whatever you decide on January 1st.
 
JNight said:
I heard WHTX will cater to R and B from the 80's and 90's only, Gary Rhamy has been a joy to listen to every morning and is a great air talent that is hard to come by these days, over 50 years in the business-I enjoyed listening to the chi-lites, Paul Davis, Little River Band, Dean Martin, Player, Ace, Al Stewart and so many other songs that no one else is playing...goodluck Gary whatever you decide on January 1st.
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That is what I heard as well as the format is geared to an older crowd. I am wondering if there will be a local element to the station as I now at least one former on-air (T-LUV) would be perfect for the format and for this to have any shot you need to have some sort of local element. If they could grab at least on on-air person local, and grab at least the Micheal Basiden show, the station has a shot of filling the niche nicely.
 
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