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WWON in the Radio-Info Spotlight

Question tonight? Why is this string so popular? Why has the WWON thread been the most posted, and viewed thread on radio-info for such a long period of time?

One of the smallest, yet successful little AM's in the state of Tennessee, has more written about it, and more questions than anywhere from Nashville to Memphis.

Just wondering why tonight?
 
1250WTAE said:
Question tonight? Why is this string so popular? Why has the WWON thread been the most posted, and viewed thread on radio-info for such a long period of time?

One of the smallest, yet successful little AM's in the state of Tennessee, has more written about it, and more questions than anywhere from Nashville to Memphis.

Just wondering why tonight?
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I think it's because we opened up the can of worms concerning a possible competitor in an otherwise AM-dominated market. Talk of CCM's success is always fuel for the fire as well. You're talking about a strong, community-focused station like WWON that has overcome the stigmas and challenges associated with going dark, and is enjoying the most success it's ever had in years.
 
radiofan4life said:
Salem actually does CCM in Nashville with no P/T to support it. I agree though it is best to have multiple formats to cross-sell. Salem has managed to do what many thought was impossible by actually selling radio advertising on a Christian formatted station. You don't actually have to beg for dollars from listeners. Imagine that!!!
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But according to the other poster, this is one of three Salem-owned stations in that market. Still, you have two other stations propping this one up, yes? Is it possible that their CCM station is being sold combo or trombo?
 
Dr. Flinn has indicated their not selling this FM CP.

The Lashes are running home! Nothing like putting Chris on the defense. Watch what happens.
 
The Lash's purchasing the FM would make more sense than any other scenario that has been thrown out. The question may not be why so much attention to WWON because my guess is that most of us don't even know anything about the station or the owners but the real question may be why you are so extremely passionate about both. Me thinks there may be more to this story than meets the eye.
 
Good for you. Everyone should have a friend like you.
It will indeed be interesting to see what Salem eventually does with the Nashville market. I'm not sure which station actually is propping up the others though. I also have no idea as far as their revenue being generated in that market is concerned. None of the three stations get arb #'s to brag about. I would also assume that they have tremendous overhead in Nashville.
 
littlebigradio said:
Legend has it that when Terry Hailey left his first radio job (WTRO in Dyersburg) he erased all of the carts that had his voice on them and didn'nt tell anybody. Everytime they'd fire one of those carts......dead air......That was many years ago. From there he went on to become a first class broadcaster and owner.
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It was 19 seventy-something, and I had been 'released' from this certain radio station (statute of limitations, you know). I'd made a copy of the key to the door (for emergency use only, of course), and used it one last time. The carts...ALL the carts...were in a 200-count carousel. With the hand-held bulk eraser in my hand, the "ERASE" button depressed, I quickly went from top to bottom on each of 8 vertical stacks of carts. When I listened the next day...on my way out of town, on the air, you would hear about 5 seconds of okay audio, then a 'WHUMP' sound, then another 5 seconds of okay audio, and so on. Convinced that the problem was with the multi-deck cart machine, the owner replaced it with a new one! Now, some 30+ years later, I still think he deserved it :mad:

From Hawkinsville, Georgia (where the local stations have been essentially destroyed) to Waynesboro, Tennessee...y'all keep on keepin' on. And remember to always smile...it makes everybody wonder what in the Sam Hill you're up to!
 
I was kinda the opposite. At my last station in west Tennessee, I was the production director. So when the end was in sight for me, I voiced as many spots as possible so that my voice would remain on that station for MONTHS after I left! And it did! ;D I would come in from out of town and still hear some of my spots playing! I loved it! ;D
 
radiofan4life said:
Good for you. Everyone should have a friend like you.
It will indeed be interesting to see what Salem eventually does with the Nashville market. I'm not sure which station actually is propping up the others though. I also have no idea as far as their revenue being generated in that market is concerned. None of the three stations get arb #'s to brag about. I would also assume that they have tremendous overhead in Nashville.
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You say there's an FM at Salem Nashville that's CCM, and two others in the portfolio, one of them gospel. What's the third one doing?

Having worked for Salem, they don't have very much overhead at all for a major market station. Fairly lean. Three announcers (one is Ops mgr.) to handle round-the-clock on-air responsibilities, a receptionist, business manager, traffic manager, and your sales force. That's about it. When they picked up their AM in Pittsburgh, they had only part-timers to run tapes in the morning, and then CCM from Morningstar in the afternoon.

Overall, they were a nice bunch to work for. I only left because my station ended up getting sold so they could buy out their competitor under ownership regs at that time.
 
They simulcast 93.7 and 94.1 (94 The Fish) and they have 104.9 (Solid Gospel). They were simulcasting 104.9 with 105.1 but decided to change the format on 105.1 to Praise & Worship. They later sold 105.1 to a group out of West Tennessee. I think they do have quite a bit of overhead in Nashville. Like I said I have no idea as to the revenue being generated. Great market but a lot of tough competition I would imagine. Like you said, they are a nice bunch of folks from what little I have dealt with them. How long ago did you work for them?
 
radiofan4life said:
They simulcast 93.7 and 94.1 (94 The Fish) and they have 104.9 (Solid Gospel). They were simulcasting 104.9 with 105.1 but decided to change the format on 105.1 to Praise & Worship. They later sold 105.1 to a group out of West Tennessee. I think they do have quite a bit of overhead in Nashville. Like I said I have no idea as to the revenue being generated. Great market but a lot of tough competition I would imagine. Like you said, they are a nice bunch of folks from what little I have dealt with them. How long ago did you work for them?
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I started in December 1990, less than a year after they bought 104.7 and 1150 in (New Kensington) Pittsburgh. I started as a board op, became a jock less than a month later, then station manager for the AM seven months after that. After 1150 was sold, they let me continue to work part-time running the tapes for WPIT until I found something else, despite the fact that they already gave me a severance. Chuck Gratner was really nice about it.
 
radiofan4life said:
They simulcast 93.7 and 94.1 (94 The Fish) and they have 104.9 (Solid Gospel). They were simulcasting 104.9 with 105.1 but decided to change the format on 105.1 to Praise & Worship. They later sold 105.1 to a group out of West Tennessee. I think they do have quite a bit of overhead in Nashville. Like I said I have no idea as to the revenue being generated. Great market but a lot of tough competition I would imagine. Like you said, they are a nice bunch of folks from what little I have dealt with them. How long ago did you work for them?
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This got my curiosity up. I'm listening to 105.1 right now, and they just billed themselves as "Solid Gospel." I'm in Pegram, so listening to 104.9 is not an option for me. 105.1 had a high school basketball game on earlier tonight, and they took a llloonnnggg commercial break during that game! Most of the advertisers were from either Erin or Clarksville.
 
105.1 is owned by Grace Broadcasting, and indeed they carry the Salem Solid Gospel format.

They do a ton of sports on all of their stations.
 
I think they do a lot of the local high school sports as well as some local university sports as well. Good to see that local flavor versus just riding a network. Don't see that very much anymore.
 
1250WTAE said:
105.1 is owned by Grace Broadcasting, and indeed they carry the Salem Solid Gospel format.

They do a ton of sports on all of their stations.
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Is Grace the company that already owns stations in Dickson, Trenton, and (I think) Selmer? I believe that Trenton station, under a former owner and previous format (country) wanted more of a presence in Dyersburg, so they looked at moving their studio to the upstairs of a building in downtown Dyersburg on the southeast side of the court square. It might have been on Court Street. Anyone remember this? I believe it was around 1985. I don't know if they ever actually moved into that building or not. I don't remember if they were broadcasting at 97.7 or 97.9 at that time. (I think WTRO and WDSG originally broadcast from downtown Dyersburg before they moved to their later locations out on the edge of town.)

Of course, SL-100 now has Eagle on 97.3, so they may actually be accomplishing the same thing with that.
 
1250WTAE said:
105.1 is owned by Grace Broadcasting, and indeed they carry the Salem Solid Gospel format.

They do a ton of sports on all of their stations.
Click to expand...

Very true...73 WPIT has aired North Allegheny high school football games for many years.
 
Being familiar with Grace Broadcasting, yes there is alot of Local and College Sports on the stations that Grace owns, in-fact on 8 out of 11 if I am not mistaken....

As far as local broadcasting, local sports are about the only way Grace shows anything to the communities they serve... aside from providing a Christian Format, But to be local I believe you need to be able to give something back to the community aside from air-waves..... You need to have a firm presence in the community, and be active as well....It is my opinion that this is why local radio is dying out, "wanting something for nothing", another words, some owners have the stations, will not support the community organizations etc with-out some type of financial payback, but yet question their sales exec., managers why the numbers continue to fall with the stations they own....

My Hats off to the crew at WWON.... Small staff, but they were concerned with there community, and from what I saw they contributed back to the community as well.... This may be a reason for their success, Doing local radio as it should be... :eek:

Local programing continues to be cut on all Grace stations..... WVRY is complete Solid Gospel... WFGZ is complete "Todays Christian Music"... WWGM is back on Solid Gospel as well, with the exception of the morning show which is partly voice tracked... WTNE has I think around 10 hours of local a day Mon-Fri.... WTKB is voice tracked through-out the day with the exception a about 2 hours each day, WSIB has a LIVE morning show, but is a jukebox the rest of the day.... The AM's are either solid computer tracked, or Sat., maybe a swap and shop on on 2 I believe there are sports.... And don't forget about the great infomercials that play on all the stations Grace owns, so of which are scams....
 
I'm not sure when Grace took over 93.1 in Jackson, but for years the station would do nothing with CCM until satellite networks like K-LOVE and WAY-FM came into West TN and proved that there really was an audience for CCM. After that they started the Dove stations in Jackson, Selmer, and Dickson. I was glad that there was finally local CCM radio in the area when they started, but they do seem to be less live and local than they were when they started, with the exception of drive time and live sports. Unless things have changed recently 94.5 in Dickson only carries Salem's CCM network feed, which is the same programming as the Fish stations in Nashville. As close as they are to Nashville I don't see the point in it.

I've had the same thought about infomercials on Christian stations, not just Grace's. Some of the ads on Salem's CCM network feed are in the same category. Some of the same Christian stations that keep alcohol, gambling, etc. off their stations will have ads and infomercials for questionable junk that they shouldn't carry either. They need to do a better job on this.
 
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