WWBA a Couple of Months Later

[SCMcKinney]

It seems that WWBA is now running longer blocks of local news. I find it actually quite listenable, content-wise. Billboard promotion or something ought to done. Any opinion from veterans here as to how it sounds, or what the prospects for the future might be?

 

[Mike_Hennessy]

The last full on attempt to go all news was WHNZ back in the 90's. It was part of a all news network built by Bud Paxson. Despite having some really good people come through it never made any impact at all. Of course, part of the problem was that they were pushing technology to the very edge of performance and the software vendors, to put it politely, oversold the ability of their software to hold up under intense demands, so the systems were always crashing. I would think with PPM replacing diaries WWBA will have a much better chance of building some meaningful cumes. They have a small staff, but they're good and I think there is always a niche for news. Promotional support would be nice, but it's a chicken or egg situation: do they use promotion to build an audience or do they wait to see if there's an audience that promotion can help expand?

 

[smedge2006]

It looks as though they got a bump from the last survey, but too soon to say this isn't a fluke. Also there's the question of how a certain other AM station's thinning of its own herd over the years has affected its perception as a news source.

But a major impediment to 820's success is the right-wing bias in the national content. Instead of trying to clone WCBS or WTOP, America's Radio News is conservative talk radio minus the shouting. But WWBA tries to insist it isn't, and has even hired an ad agency to promote the claim that its news is "objective." Note that the words "nonpartisan delivery" are emphasized. If they had ever listened to the station, they'd realize otherwise.

http://schifinolee.com/advertising/am-820-news-launches-with-new-format-and-brand-offering-tampa-bay-%E2%80%9Call-news-all-day-%E2%80%9D

 

[JerkyBoy33707]

Yes- America's Radio News is absolutely conservative . I can't see how anyone could ever argue that. I like it myself - because thats how I lean. WWBA is probably doing what's best by having it that way. Its the inverse of the NPR news format, politically speaking.

 

[LiveLocal]

I drove by their Largo studio/transmitter site the other day. I was suprised to see the parking lot packed with cars. It looked like a real radio station, broadcasting from their transmitter site with towers out back. I know there's more than one station there, but it was nice to see people working there. Nothing worse than driving by a station with only one or two cars out front.

 

[druidhillsradio]

Or no cars out front.

 

[Nostalgia]

I drove by their Largo studio/transmitter site the other day. I was suprised to see the parking lot packed with cars. It looked like a real radio station, broadcasting from their transmitter site with towers out back. I know there's more than one station there, but it was nice to see people working there. Nothing worse than driving by a station with only one or two cars out front.

I have worked at many AM stations in the 1-5kw range with the offices/studios in the shadow of the tower, but 50kw? Can everyone say "faraday underwear"?

 

[druidhillsradio]

My question would be, why run 50KW Daytime and push most of the signal out into the Gulf of Mexico when 5-10KW would provide city grade coverage over the Tampa Bay area?

 

[jmtillery]

My question would be, why run 50KW Daytime and push most of the signal out into the Gulf of Mexico when 5-10KW would provide city grade coverage over the Tampa Bay area?

There are three main reasons that come to mind: 1) The existing 50kw Directional daytime signal on 820kHz literally covers half the state; and, 2) it looks very impressive on paper to show a prospective advertiser you are offering a 50kw monster signal; and, 3) at 50kw, the fringe signal associaed with a 10kw signal are filled leaving little or no nulls in the immediate target area, including impressive building penetration.

 

[azumanga]

The reason for the close proximity between tower and studio was that it was back in the day when the station was a pea-shooter, Christian daytimer, WSST, on 800AM. After it became WRFA with a country format, it relocated to 820 AM with 50kw during the day, with low power at night to protect WBAP in Fort Worth.

 

[BJohnson]

I like the new longer local blocks. The national network is annoying.