Any news on why WVOT is off the air? It hasn't been heard for most of October.
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WVOT 1420 Wilson is Silent
- Thread starter ToddJenkins
- Start date
M
Marathon Don
Guest
Did they ever fix that doubled-over tower?
Don
Don
ToddJenkins said:
Wasnt it in some license renewal issues?
Today's (Saturday) Wilson Daily Times has the scoop on WVOT, it was also mentioned this morning on WLLY.
Basically...
-WVOT has lost the lease on the land at the towers and must move them.
-The church that owns the station doesn't have the money to move the towers, and is having fundraisers.
-There isn't any application for the move at the FCC, nor have they prepared one.
-It has been silent for more than a month.
It's bad news for WVOT. It may be 'The End'.
Basically...
-WVOT has lost the lease on the land at the towers and must move them.
-The church that owns the station doesn't have the money to move the towers, and is having fundraisers.
-There isn't any application for the move at the FCC, nor have they prepared one.
-It has been silent for more than a month.
It's bad news for WVOT. It may be 'The End'.
Ah, I hardly call it the end just yet, even if its been silent more then a month (which is all youre allowed before you notify the FCC).. the worst they'd do is admonish the church and maybe fine them.....
Someone will come in and offer to buy the place.. and even if not, they really have a year to do anything.
Someone will come in and offer to buy the place.. and even if not, they really have a year to do anything.
M
Marathon Don
Guest
Let me check my wallet... I gotta a twenty. Who's with me!
Don
Don
Z
ZAX Double J
Guest
Marathon Don said:
I think I have a twenty as well. So there's 40, anyone else?
I'll kick in 50.
It's got night-time power, right?
It's got night-time power, right?
I might could squeeze out 75 then, but we gotta get moved in before my wife notices it's gone.
I was wondering about the station too, and I heard some things and after reading the article in the paper, there are some things that seemed clearer about WVOT.
One of the problems I have always seen with WVOT was that it was never run very well. They had problems with the Departement of Labor because they paid employees less than the minimum wage.
They also lost the opportunity to carry local sports because one of the commentators who used to do sports was told by the owner of the station that they wanted to charge more money. When given the opportunity to get more ads, they could not get any, and almost lost the entire season. They ended up losing that commentator after that year.
But from what I also understand, the tower stood on land that was not owned by WVOT. Apparently, another station here in Wilson, an LPFM Gospel station, had their antennae on that tower.
The night I was told that WVOT was off the air was actually like a week or two ago, and one of my friends told me he heard the owner of WVOT call a meeting with the owner of the FM Gospel station and asked him why he "told on him".
What this seems to imply is that maybe the owner of WVOT knew that he was getting free rent for years off that land, and never offered to pay for it. Now with them having to move it, they cannot afford to pay the costs and possibly keep the station.
From the article, they are going to try to have a fund raising event to get the tower, and purchase a new one so they can go in all directions instead of one. As a guy that has seen the station, I don't see how they can possibly come up with that much money for a station they claim is "non profit".
We'll see how it goes...
One of the problems I have always seen with WVOT was that it was never run very well. They had problems with the Departement of Labor because they paid employees less than the minimum wage.
They also lost the opportunity to carry local sports because one of the commentators who used to do sports was told by the owner of the station that they wanted to charge more money. When given the opportunity to get more ads, they could not get any, and almost lost the entire season. They ended up losing that commentator after that year.
But from what I also understand, the tower stood on land that was not owned by WVOT. Apparently, another station here in Wilson, an LPFM Gospel station, had their antennae on that tower.
The night I was told that WVOT was off the air was actually like a week or two ago, and one of my friends told me he heard the owner of WVOT call a meeting with the owner of the FM Gospel station and asked him why he "told on him".
What this seems to imply is that maybe the owner of WVOT knew that he was getting free rent for years off that land, and never offered to pay for it. Now with them having to move it, they cannot afford to pay the costs and possibly keep the station.
From the article, they are going to try to have a fund raising event to get the tower, and purchase a new one so they can go in all directions instead of one. As a guy that has seen the station, I don't see how they can possibly come up with that much money for a station they claim is "non profit".
We'll see how it goes...
Yes Carl Venters of Voyager Communications bought the combo for 1420 WVOT and 106.1 WXYY around 83 and flip 1420 to a oldies format, and moved 106.1 FM into Raleigh and built the new 106.1 FM tower about 5 miles south of middlesex. Voyager was like the only owner who really made 1420 WVOT very successful when he had both of them from 83 till 94 at sometime.
Weird i was just thinking about a previous incarnation of this station. I had a friend and co-worker who went to work at WVOT when it was a Top 40 station in about 1977. From the brief aircheck I heard, it sounded decent for it's market size and day.
Anyone know more about this station's Top 40 days?
Anyone know more about this station's Top 40 days?
I know not much has happened with WVOT, but last I heard (funny...since nobody is hearing anything there) my colleague had contacted MK Smith about a month and a half ago (about early march) and was told that they would be back on the air in about a week...that would have put it about mid March. To date, they are still not on the air, as we are about to step into May.
My colleague (in Indiana) called me to see if anything had changed, and I told him that it was as silent as it was in October. I think their inability to get on may have a lot to do with money, as MK seems to refuse to tell anybody why the station continues to not get back on the air. MK has personally told my colleague that they WOULD be back on the air in a period of time, but then that time passes and there is nothing. My friend told me he would call him back to see what is going on, but I mentioned to him that I don't believe you will get a sincere answer, since it seems obvious they are keeping things too close to the vest.
It has been 6 months since they have last been on the air, and I can imagine it is more than just engineering problems. I think a lot of it has to do with money, since they never seemed to invest it into the station when they should have. The last time I was inside the WVOT building, it looked a mess, and it really looked like they were letting it rot away. But because the station barely made money (through bad management) it just got worse, and you wondered how long the building was actually going to stand.
If WVOT is going to get back on its feet, I think MK has to be willing to allow people to help the station, instead of trying to keep it a secret mission, and let qualified people step in and help them. Until he does that, I just really think he will keep telling my colleague "we'll be back on real soon", knowing it isn't so true.
Of course, they COULD possibly come back on this week... who can tell? But I won't be holding my breath. We will see.
My colleague (in Indiana) called me to see if anything had changed, and I told him that it was as silent as it was in October. I think their inability to get on may have a lot to do with money, as MK seems to refuse to tell anybody why the station continues to not get back on the air. MK has personally told my colleague that they WOULD be back on the air in a period of time, but then that time passes and there is nothing. My friend told me he would call him back to see what is going on, but I mentioned to him that I don't believe you will get a sincere answer, since it seems obvious they are keeping things too close to the vest.
It has been 6 months since they have last been on the air, and I can imagine it is more than just engineering problems. I think a lot of it has to do with money, since they never seemed to invest it into the station when they should have. The last time I was inside the WVOT building, it looked a mess, and it really looked like they were letting it rot away. But because the station barely made money (through bad management) it just got worse, and you wondered how long the building was actually going to stand.
If WVOT is going to get back on its feet, I think MK has to be willing to allow people to help the station, instead of trying to keep it a secret mission, and let qualified people step in and help them. Until he does that, I just really think he will keep telling my colleague "we'll be back on real soon", knowing it isn't so true.
Of course, they COULD possibly come back on this week... who can tell? But I won't be holding my breath. We will see.
Word has it that WVOT was on the air for hours yesterday running some music without IDs or extra stuff...
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