Hey - Macon folks, is WROK no longer owned by Cumulus Media? Noticed on radio online that the owner is listed as Joule Broadcasting and they are also now showing up on the ratings books where before they were not reporting.
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WROK Macon
- Thread starter acheron1982
- Start date
Found this. If someone can explain this to me, it would be helpful. Some legal stuff I'm not totally clear on. Almost as if Cumulus still owns it but it being held in a trust by Joule Broadcasting. http://msgdeals.com/florida/wrok/WROK Executive Summary.pdf
No idea. Whoever owns it seems to not care about it much though. It's essentially a jukebox with commercials.
EDIT: Yeah, it's probably in a trust. Cumulus might have one too many stations in Macon, maybe?
EDIT: Yeah, it's probably in a trust. Cumulus might have one too many stations in Macon, maybe?
I'll bet that it's owned by a subsidiary of Cumulus.
No different than many big corporations.
The station's website identifies it as a Cumulus station.
This is on the bottom of their home page.
Copyright 2014 Cumulus Media Cumulus Media is an equal opportunity employer / AA
No different than many big corporations.
The station's website identifies it as a Cumulus station.
This is on the bottom of their home page.
Copyright 2014 Cumulus Media Cumulus Media is an equal opportunity employer / AA
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When Cumulus bought Citadel and the ex-Susquehanna stations from privately held Cumulus Media Partners, it ceded a ton of its equity to both Citadel stockholders and the private equity firms that helped pay for the deal. That resulted in a substantial enough ownership change to remove its grandfathered ownership status in some markets, including Macon.
Joule is a trustee that will operate and hold WROK-FM until either Cumulus finds a buyer for it or another one of its stations in Macon, the ownership limits change, or enough stations move into Macon to put it under the limit again (highly unlikely).
Joule is a trustee that will operate and hold WROK-FM until either Cumulus finds a buyer for it or another one of its stations in Macon, the ownership limits change, or enough stations move into Macon to put it under the limit again (highly unlikely).
This is the Same as what used to be Volt Stations. It's a trust Cumulus still calls the shots at the station. We have a station here in Savannah WTYB that was in the Volt trust it's now in the Joule trust.
So now it appears the 105.5 frequency in Macon is being sold by Joule to EMF. I guess Cumulus finally gave up on hoping the market cap for Macon would be changed and they could hold on to that one.
Wonder if this equates to a future format change? Something I should have my bible in handy to listen to? Going to be some pissed off metal heads because I doubt current format will last much longer. Sorta sucks because a modern rock option in Macon is appreciated. Perhaps Q106 will go in a more mainstream rock (Everything That Rocks) direction similar to the Columbus Iheart station.
As a fan of heavy rock/metal, I say good riddance. 105 is way too safe and boring. I too hope that q106 goes in a Rock 103-style direction.
Looks like Cumulus is getting rid of Joule as quickly as possible. In addition to WROK-FM, WTYB was relicensed to a community in the Hilton Head Island market enabling Cumulus to take it back while WNFN in Nashville is now in the process of being sold to Midwest Communications. Also, Cumulus is now operating WELJ, which serves New London, CT but is licensed to a community in the NYC market, though it hasn't filed to take it back from Joule. Cumulus was allowed to operate WELJ again after it sold its Danbury stations to Townsquare to buy Dial Global. WDBY 105.5, though targeting Danbury, was also in an embedded NYC community. Cumulus also had a deal to sell KINB 105.3 in OKC a few years ago, but the bank backing the buyer killed the deal because it appraised below the sale price.
I've noticed Family Life Radio, which is buying some Syracuse stations, withdrew its application to take WSEN-FM 92.1 non-commercial. Rumors around the market seem to indicate a commercial broadcaster is buying it, and obvious signs point to Cumulus. If that comes to fruition, don't be surprised if a Joule or Last Bastion station (or two) gets traded for WSEN.
I've noticed Family Life Radio, which is buying some Syracuse stations, withdrew its application to take WSEN-FM 92.1 non-commercial. Rumors around the market seem to indicate a commercial broadcaster is buying it, and obvious signs point to Cumulus. If that comes to fruition, don't be surprised if a Joule or Last Bastion station (or two) gets traded for WSEN.
I'm more of an alternative fan, especially one that is not afraid to rock. I can't say I like an active/alternative hybrid but I just feel some alternative stations skip over the harder stuff so that active rock stations only can play it and many of these artist can be played on both.
With that being said, I'm not sure alternative would work in Macon. Way too blue collar of an area for alternative. When I lived in St. Louis, there was a 100KW alternative station that leaned harder. However, it was still to hipsterish for many of those outside of St. Louis so if you turn the dial and you live just outside of the city, you pick up a bunch of smaller active rock stations which tend to attract the more blue collar rural areas. In the 90s, active would never work in these areas but boy have times changed.
KBPI in Denver is a good active rock station (and it's iheart suprisingly). Also, Entercome has a good active rock station (Greenville SC and KC, MO).
With that being said, I'm not sure alternative would work in Macon. Way too blue collar of an area for alternative. When I lived in St. Louis, there was a 100KW alternative station that leaned harder. However, it was still to hipsterish for many of those outside of St. Louis so if you turn the dial and you live just outside of the city, you pick up a bunch of smaller active rock stations which tend to attract the more blue collar rural areas. In the 90s, active would never work in these areas but boy have times changed.
KBPI in Denver is a good active rock station (and it's iheart suprisingly). Also, Entercome has a good active rock station (Greenville SC and KC, MO).
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It was announced that 105.5 would be flipping to Christian AC K LOVE. Considering that EMF does own 102.5 and must be leasing 102.1 in Macon area, obviously more changes are coming. I would assume that 105.5 blankets Macon and Warner Robbins but i could see that 102.5 stays KLOVE to cover into Perry as well. By then going south 95.3 keeps the format going towards Florida. I know KLOVE does lease several Flinn stations so I guess that means that 102.1 will be going Christian Hot AC Air 1 the sister network. EMF did a recent trade with AFR and nothing in Macon was included.
Cumulus could have cared less about Rock 1055 in Macon. Rock 1055 came out back when Rock 100.5 in Atlanta was dubbed as "Quality Rock" which basically was a mainstream, almost adult rock station. That was how 100.5 in Atlanta originally introduced itself back in 2008 (I think).
Macon's Rock 1055 started off that way, hence the "Quality Rock" moniker on their website. Quickly, Rock 1055 went more in the direction of pure AOR but the complaints of the the classic rock and not as much new rock forced the station to slowly lean newer and basically became a straight Active Rock station with 60% post 2005 music and 40% pre 2000 music. Q106 in Macon got a little scared and switched from their Classic Rock premium satellite feed during the day over to their active rock feed at night. It was incredibly odd and lots of Q106 fans were not having it so the station quickly went back to classic rock and allowed Rock 1055 to take the Active Rock trophy.
Still, Rock 1055 remained basically jock less, no local feel to it at all and the sweepers and moniker never changed. They kept the "Quality Rock" description on their website which was clearly outdated. Again, Cumulus could have cared less about Rock 1055.
I don't see Q106 going in a newer rock direction since their ratings are pretty good as classic rock. Would be a perfect opportunity for a rim shot to go in a modern rock direction though. I know Dublin has a small translator station that does the AOR stuff but barely even covers Dublin, much less Macon. I know folks south of Macon gets Rock 103 Columbus and folks north of Forsyth gets the Atlanta station but Macon/Warner Robins are now modern rockless.
Macon's Rock 1055 started off that way, hence the "Quality Rock" moniker on their website. Quickly, Rock 1055 went more in the direction of pure AOR but the complaints of the the classic rock and not as much new rock forced the station to slowly lean newer and basically became a straight Active Rock station with 60% post 2005 music and 40% pre 2000 music. Q106 in Macon got a little scared and switched from their Classic Rock premium satellite feed during the day over to their active rock feed at night. It was incredibly odd and lots of Q106 fans were not having it so the station quickly went back to classic rock and allowed Rock 1055 to take the Active Rock trophy.
Still, Rock 1055 remained basically jock less, no local feel to it at all and the sweepers and moniker never changed. They kept the "Quality Rock" description on their website which was clearly outdated. Again, Cumulus could have cared less about Rock 1055.
I don't see Q106 going in a newer rock direction since their ratings are pretty good as classic rock. Would be a perfect opportunity for a rim shot to go in a modern rock direction though. I know Dublin has a small translator station that does the AOR stuff but barely even covers Dublin, much less Macon. I know folks south of Macon gets Rock 103 Columbus and folks north of Forsyth gets the Atlanta station but Macon/Warner Robins are now modern rockless.
Lots of fans weren't having it? I heard almost nothing but praise for them playing modern stuff when it started.
Also, they were doing it for over a year and a half. Would hardly call that quickly dropping it.
But yeah, I definitely agree that Cumulus didn't care about 105.5 at all.
Also, they were doing it for over a year and a half. Would hardly call that quickly dropping it.
But yeah, I definitely agree that Cumulus didn't care about 105.5 at all.
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So, any idea when this station might flip?
Well, R.I.P. Rock 105.5. Station flipped sometime today.
It flipped at 5 pm yesterday.
Yeah, I found that out after I posted.
*shrug* I thought the station was quite boring and played it too safe. I won't miss it, really.
*shrug* I thought the station was quite boring and played it too safe. I won't miss it, really.
Contact within WQBZ in Macon said they would not move in that direction because of lack Advertising dollars on rock 1055. Also made mention of rock 103 in Columbus which has recently flipped from active rock to the man up format which is basically the most generic classic rock with an 80s and 90s focus. Not as deep as your Q1063 for example. Active rock is failing in Savannah as well and Valdosta lost theirs. So with the exception of Rock 1061 in Savannah and a small 50 watt station in Athens, Georgia literally active rockless. In fact, on one full power alternative station which is out of Atlanta and I guess x1029 out of Jax which reaches southeast tip of Ga.
Pretty sure Valdosta still has their Active station. It just moved to a translator (106.9). Also, I think Columbus still has their 106.9 (also a translator), which is Active.
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