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WVLY/WMLP sold to Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation

N

namenotneeded

Guest
Sunbury Broadcasting announced today they bought WVLY-FM and WMLP-AM for an undisclosed amount of money, though WLZS-FM (Wheels 106.1) wasn't part of the deal.

This means SBC now owns five stations in the Sunbury/Lewisburg area. Any idea on what SBC will do with those stations?
 
> Sunbury Broadcasting announced today they bought WVLY-FM and
> WMLP-AM for an undisclosed amount of money, though WLZS-FM
> (Wheels 106.1) wasn't part of the deal.
>
> This means SBC now owns five stations in the
> Sunbury/Lewisburg area. Any idea on what SBC will do with
> those stations?
> R&R says the price was $3 million. "Wheels 106.1" is owned by Starview Media.
 
> Sunbury Broadcasting announced today they bought WVLY-FM and
> WMLP-AM for an undisclosed amount of money, though WLZS-FM
> (Wheels 106.1) wasn't part of the deal.
>
> This means SBC now owns five stations in the
> Sunbury/Lewisburg area. Any idea on what SBC will do with
> those stations?
>

Wow! I remember when I interviewed with SBC, Roger Haddon Jr. and Joe McGranahan back in late 1996 that SBC was interested in expanding their portfolio from three to five stations. Took nine years, but they came through on their promise :) Congrats!

Given WMLP-AM's current lineup (appears to be all syndie talk -- Steve and DC, Rush, O'Reilly, Dr. Dean, etc.), I don't see any changes there, outside of putting SBC news and public affairs programming on the station. Maybe they'll roll the dice and try some kind of local chat show.

WEGH-FM and WQKX-FM doesn't really play the music that The Valley does (Eagle is classic rock, while 94KX is rock-heavy CHR), so I see Valley's AC format staying put as well.
 
> Given WMLP-AM's current lineup (appears to be all
> syndie talk -- Steve and DC, Rush, O'Reilly, Dr. Dean,
> etc.), I don't see any changes there, outside of putting SBC
> news and public affairs programming on the station. Maybe
> they'll roll the dice and try some kind of local chat show.

Doesn't WKOK already do that? I know they air two local public affairs-style talk shows during the week. Maybe WMLP could become some sort of bureau office for WKOK's news reporters?

I don't understand this message on WVLY's website though. "...regret to inform our faithful listeners?" Unless Sunbury Broadcasting is planning some major changes, wouldn't this be a good thing for WVLY/WMLP?
 
> > Given WMLP-AM's current lineup (appears to be all
> > syndie talk -- Steve and DC, Rush, O'Reilly, Dr. Dean,
> > etc.), I don't see any changes there, outside of putting
> SBC
> > news and public affairs programming on the station. Maybe
>
> > they'll roll the dice and try some kind of local chat
> show.
>
> Doesn't WKOK already do that? I know they air two local
> public affairs-style talk shows during the week. Maybe WMLP
> could become some sort of bureau office for WKOK's news
> reporters?
>
> I don't understand this message on WVLY's website though.
> "...regret to inform our faithful listeners?" Unless
> Sunbury Broadcasting is planning some major changes,
> wouldn't this be a good thing for WVLY/WMLP?
>
Maybe good for the new owners but not necessarily for the air staff? What kind of operation is Sunbury anyway?
 
> Maybe good for the new owners but not necessarily for the
> air staff? What kind of operation is Sunbury anyway?

You can usually judge a company by the amount of disgruntled employees who trash them on message boards.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> > I don't understand this message on WVLY's website though.
>
> > "...regret to inform our faithful listeners?" Unless
> > Sunbury Broadcasting is planning some major changes,
> > wouldn't this be a good thing for WVLY/WMLP?
> >
> Maybe good for the new owners but not necessarily for the
> air staff? What kind of operation is Sunbury anyway?

They seem like an OK outfit to me. It's certainly no Clear Channel. Maybe the staff at WVLY/WMLP aren't happy with the buyout?
 
> > Maybe good for the new owners but not necessarily for the
> > air staff? What kind of operation is Sunbury anyway?
>
> You can usually judge a company by the amount of disgruntled
> employees who trash them on message boards.
>
Then let me say this...I can't say enough good about them, top to bottom. And there really aren't many disgruntled former SBC'ers out there, mainly because they're good to their staff...even the one's, like me, who move on. As for their space in that market, honest to god a monkey could spend an hour farting over 94KX's stick and it'd still rate higher than just about anyone up there.

Add on VLY to their mix with KX, KO, and EGH, good stuff. Don't know much about the AM talker, but maybe they can add some of KO's news to it and give it a WHP feel? I can't see them with a local show on it, though.
 
> Then let me say this...I can't say enough good about them,
> top to bottom. And there really aren't many disgruntled
> former SBC'ers out there, mainly because they're good to
> their staff...even the one's, like me, who move on.

I used to work for SBC as well. All in all, it was an OK operation, and I worked with some great people. Of course, there were still boneheaded decisions coming from the "west wing" of the building (including one or two major ones), but seriously, what shop doesn't have that?

> Don't know much about the AM talker, but maybe they can add
> some of KO's news to it and give it a WHP feel? I can't see
> them with a local show on it, though.

WKOK already has two local public affairs programs. And that should be that. When I worked there, I learned people didn't tune in to 1070 for talk; they wanted to know why the power suddenly went out.

I think WMLP should remain a talk radio station, because there is a place for it in this market. But maybe SBC could use it as a regional news bureau?
 
> When I worked there, I learned people
> didn't tune in to 1070 for talk; they wanted to know why the
> power suddenly went out.

What are they doing for audio nowadays after AP All-News Radio bit the dust?
 
> > When I worked there, I learned people
> > didn't tune in to 1070 for talk; they wanted to know why
> the
> > power suddenly went out.
>
> What are they doing for audio nowadays after AP All-News
> Radio bit the dust?
>

According to the WKOK website, it's now a combination of CBS News, CNN Radio News, Wall Street Journal Report and local cutaways. Outside the football season (when they go all Penn State, NFL from WW1 and ESPN), the station airs the Ron Insana show on Saturdays, as well as an audio feed of Meet the Press on Sundays.

As far as working for SBC, I agree with the previous poster that, for the most part, SBC was a good experience. It's a family-run operation that cares about the local community, and it was a good first step in my career.

Why the "regret to inform" message (since removed) from the Valley website? Can't say -- maybe John Yingling (previous owner) didn't get a chance to say goodbye to his listeners. Also, there are a few former SBC employees on staff at WVLY -- do they want to work there again, if given the opportunity?

Like I said before, I can't see any changes to the formats of either station, outside of a greater news presence on WMLP. But who knows?
 
> What are they doing for audio nowadays after AP All-News
> Radio bit the dust?

They switched from AP Radio to CNN Radio, which also includes CNN Sports and some health/technology feature reports. Frankly, I miss AP's 24-hour network, and so did a few other people. Nothing says fun like getting a call from an angry old lady who thinks "that CNN Radio sucks!"
 
I have worked fot WVLY/WMLP several years ago, anything SBC can bring in will be an improvment to the stations. I would love to see WMLP transform into a great station like it once was, and The Valley get some real people in there once in a while..

My question is what ever happened to Kathy Coup????
 
> I have worked fot WVLY/WMLP several years ago, anything SBC
> can bring in will be an improvment to the stations. I would
> love to see WMLP transform into a great station like it once
> was, and The Valley get some real people in there once in a
> while..
>
> My question is what ever happened to Kathy Coup????
>
I'm from out of town, but I heard about the WVLY/WMLP sale by reading Northeast Radio Watch. I hope you'll all allow me to toss my two cents worth in here.

While SBC may be a family run, locally owned, and community oriented operation, their acquisition of WVLY/WMLP exhibits the behavior of a typical radio conglomorate. So many times we have seen companies which are "locally owned and operated" buy out their competition. I know, it's just the free market at work here. But at the same time, it seems that SBC wants to own it all, or at least come very close. By creating a near monopoly on advertising revenues in the market, and giving listeners fewer choices when it comes to where they get their local news and entertainment.

With the purchase of WVLY/WMLP, what other "competition" does SBC now have outside of the religious broadcasters and WVBU?

Jake
upstate New York
 
Cheap Channel, Backyard Broadcasting, and 2 or 3 little one station owning operations in Williamsport..





> > I have worked fot WVLY/WMLP several years ago, anything
> SBC
> > can bring in will be an improvment to the stations. I
> would
> > love to see WMLP transform into a great station like it
> once
> > was, and The Valley get some real people in there once in
> a
> > while..
> >
> > My question is what ever happened to Kathy Coup????
> >
> I'm from out of town, but I heard about the WVLY/WMLP sale
> by reading Northeast Radio Watch. I hope you'll all allow me
> to toss my two cents worth in here.
>
> While SBC may be a family run, locally owned, and community
> oriented operation, their acquisition of WVLY/WMLP exhibits
> the behavior of a typical radio conglomorate. So many times
> we have seen companies which are "locally owned and
> operated" buy out their competition. I know, it's just the
> free market at work here. But at the same time, it seems
> that SBC wants to own it all, or at least come very close.
> By creating a near monopoly on advertising revenues in the
> market, and giving listeners fewer choices when it comes to
> where they get their local news and entertainment.
>
> With the purchase of WVLY/WMLP, what other "competition"
> does SBC now have outside of the religious broadcasters and
> WVBU?
>
> Jake
> upstate New York
>
 
There is also the Max Media operations in Selinsgrove and Bloomsburg, which includes the Big Country simulcast (four stations, I believe) and Y 106.5 (which features former longtime WQKX morning man Tom Morgan on morning drive).
 
> With the purchase of WVLY/WMLP, what other "competition"
> does SBC now have outside of the religious broadcasters and
> WVBU?

There's the Max Media and Backyard Broadcasting groups down around Selinsgrove, as well as Susquehanna University's WQSU. WVIA, the public radio station up in Wilkes-Barre, has translators in Sunbury and Lewisburg.

Some of the Williamsport stations also reach down here, including WKSB, WILQ, WRAK, and sometimes WVYA.

That's about it for competition.
 
> > With the purchase of WVLY/WMLP, what other "competition"
> > does SBC now have outside of the religious broadcasters
> and
> > WVBU?
>
> There's the Max Media and Backyard Broadcasting groups down
> around Selinsgrove, as well as Susquehanna University's
> WQSU. WVIA, the public radio station up in Wilkes-Barre,
> has translators in Sunbury and Lewisburg.
>
> Some of the Williamsport stations also reach down here,
> including WKSB, WILQ, WRAK, and sometimes WVYA.
>
> That's about it for competition.


So, I guess WGRC, Lewisburg and WPGM, Danville are not competition?

BP
 
> > > With the purchase of WVLY/WMLP, what other "competition"
>
> > > does SBC now have outside of the religious broadcasters
> > and
> > > WVBU?
> >
> > There's the Max Media and Backyard Broadcasting groups
> down
> > around Selinsgrove, as well as Susquehanna University's
> > WQSU. WVIA, the public radio station up in Wilkes-Barre,
> > has translators in Sunbury and Lewisburg.
> >
> > Some of the Williamsport stations also reach down here,
> > including WKSB, WILQ, WRAK, and sometimes WVYA.
> >
> > That's about it for competition.
>
>
> So, I guess WGRC, Lewisburg and WPGM, Danville are not
> competition?
>
> BP
>
Didn't you see up top, "outside of the religious broadcasters..."

But to answer your question...nope
 
> > So, I guess WGRC, Lewisburg and WPGM, Danville are not
> > competition?
> >
> > BP
> >
> Didn't you see up top, "outside of the religious
> broadcasters..."
>
> But to answer your question...nope
>
Really?

I've heard WGRC scoop WKOK right in their own backyard. Yesterday, for example, there was a river search for that missing kid from Thanksgiving Day. Some guy thought he saw a body in the water, and waited a couple of hours before calling police)

I heard it on WGRC, but nary a peep on WKOK, but of course, they'll likely pull it out of the paper today. (edited)

For covering 10+ counties, WGRC does a fine job with what resources they have.

Religious broadcaster does not equal incompetant broadcaster.

BP<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by ButteredParsnips on 12/08/05 02:48 AM.</FONT></P>
 
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