wtfx off the air

[knoxbob]

I read on the FCC web site that WTFX signed off the air with the loss of their transmitter site. Did they not see this coming or what?

I understand that a 4 tower array takes up a little space but they could have went with 1 tower at low power to stay on the air.

Or did CC just say lets save the cash and shut her down.

 

[ddsparxx]

Yeah, CC shut down WTFX 610 and moved 610's sports talk format to nearby WMRE 1550 in Martinsburg, WV, and eliminated the 1550's adult standards format.

 

[bk77]

Yeah, CC shut down WTFX 610 and moved 610's sports talk format to nearby WMRE 1550 in Martinsburg, WV, and eliminated the 1550's adult standards format.

WMRE is actually in Charles Town, West Virginia ( the old 16 WXVA ), not Martinsburg. Martinsburg already has their own sports talker.."Sportsradio 1340 WEPM" though it is no secret that for many years Clear Channel wanted to get their hands on WEPM.

 

[knoxbob]

Did they sell the tower site for more than the station was worth or did they just let the lease expire?

 

[ddsparxx]

Sorry, I thought it was in Martinsburg. My bad.

 

[Old PD]

It's my understanding that the land has been sold to a developer. Also, CC is holding on to the license even though the station has gone dark. According to the FCC filing they are "searching for another transmitter site". :(yeah, right). It would prevent any station on the same or adjacent frequency from increasing power, like CC competitor Mel Wheeler's WVBE also on 610 in Roanoke.

 

[mleach]

It's my understanding that the land has been sold to a developer. Also, CC is holding on to the license even though the station has gone dark. According to the FCC filing they are "searching for another transmitter site". :(yeah, right). It would prevent any station on the same or adjacent frequency from increasing power, like CC competitor Mel Wheeler's WVBE also on 610 in Roanoke.

This is the first time I heard about CC still holding the license for Winchester's 610 despite the station being dark, though it doesn't suprise me at all.

Oddly the sports talk format 610 had was (despite the lack of ratings ) the most successful format that station had since the old WHPL. Back in the mid 80s when 610 was WVAI their top forty format was pretty good ( for an AM station anyway ) though after awhile it was clear that the then-owners Holt really didn't care about it. When 610 was WNTW, with Joe Pasquali and John Shriner in the mornings they werent bad either but the other dayparts left a lot to be desired. Syndicated shows popping up and then it seemed overnight they disappeared like Talknet for example. In other words WNTW really didn't know what to do outside of that "John & Joe" Morning show. Of course the big factor in that is the constant turnover that then Benchmark Comunications had in the 90s. How many Program Directors did 610 have during the 90s? I can think of 5 !!!!! Randy Woodward, Steve Williams, Rodger Smith, Mike Kelly, Jeff ( I have since forgot his last name ) and that was during the time when I worked at Benchmark and I was there for only 4 years. And of course all 5 had their own ideas what to do with 610 and took it to all different directons...too many cooks in the kitchen perhaps? Who knows how many PDs they had when 610 went religious in 1999.

I have always believed that the biggest mistake Winchester's 610 ever did was drop the format/calls of WHPL in April 1982. Actually some years later ( early 90s ) I actually worked with the guy who was the GM at the time of the format switch ( Gary Kirtley ) and even he admitted to that. Changing the fromat from gospel to country on the FM which became Q102..yes that was a VERY smart move. Changing the calls and format of 610 from AC/WHPL to big band muisc WVAI..not so good.

True had WHPL stayed AC sooner or later the music would have gone away but with the calls WHPL , 610 could have been developed into a good sized regional news and information station and chances are they could have done that way before WINC-AM 1400.Sort of like the case With Martinsburg, WV's 1340 WEPM-AM. Cutting back the music a little bit each year and put in more of an effort when it comes to local and national news and talk. Today WEPM is doing quite well and Winchester's 610 is dark. Afterall WHPL, like WINC they were well known call letters at the time ( early 80s ) and people knew who they were unlike say the calls WVAI or WNTW ( by the 80s and 90s many people thought 610 was a WEST VIRGINIA station ) but then again going back to the turnover during 610's Benchmark days...maybe it would not have made a difference had 610 kept those WHPL calls.

We will never know !!!!!!