WWON in the Radio-Info Spotlight

[firepoint525]

"Most" smaller stations are in debt up to their keesters because the owners paid too much for them, miscalculated the overhead, over-estimated their (or their staff's) sales ability, over-estimated local listener loyalty, counted on years long relationships with advertisers (house accounts) that dwindle away, didn't count upon equipment repairs and replacement, insurance costs, taxes, property taxes, license fees, franchise costs, and etc.

Example: the 1993 version of WDXN in Clarksville. :

Others are purchased AND operated with finances already on hand, are satisfied to operate at a loss for write-offs to cover other income, were left to the owners in a will with NO overhead, and are SO OLD and been owned by the same people for so long that everything is paid for, etc.

Example: WCMT in Martin. That station has run off inertia for years!

Still others (Smallest list) are small market stations that are still doing things with live local programming, the way they should be done, getting and KEEPING local listeners and advertisers, and are making good money doing things the right way.

Example: WENK in Union City.

If your "well-off" station is in the latter group-congratulations!

However, if it's in the middle group, I wouldn't be bragging too much about really old paid-for equipment and buildings...if something goes wrong and sudden unexpected financial issues come up, (transmitters and buildings are expensive-and so are toilets and water heaters)

If they have to suddenly cut costs somewhere...it is very easy to add another couple of hours from the sat. feed and send a human to the house.

You don't have to pay salary or worker's comp on satellite feeds. ;D ;D

I was able to work for WCMT and WDXN, but I was never able to get on at WENK. So as an outsider, I must assume that they are still doing something right!

 

[jovialjay]

Main studio & public file rules

you have to maintain business hours at your main studio location, and with a staff/management presence. Your public file is required to be kept in your city of license. If your station is outside the corporate limits of your city of license, then you need to keep it in a place where it can be easily accessed during those hours, like a local attorney or public library.

Here are the rules as I understand them:

Your "main" studio must be located (a) Within not more than a 25 mile radius of the center city coordinates of the city of license, or (b) within the city-grade (5 mV/m-AM, 3.16 mV/m-FM) contour of any radio station licensed to your station's city of license, and/or within the city-grade contour of any television station licensed to your station's city of license. So, you can have a 250 watt AM or 6kw FM station, and legally locate your "main" studio more than 40 miles away from your city of license, IF you have either a full C FM or VHF TV station licensed to your city of license.

Your public file can be located (a) at your "main" studio (see above), or (b) at a location within the corporate limits of your city of license which is accessible to the general public during "regular business hours" [generally believed to be 9-5 M/F].

 

[kenhawk1160]

Re: Main studio & public file rules

you have to maintain business hours at your main studio location, and with a staff/management presence. Your public file is required to be kept in your city of license. If your station is outside the corporate limits of your city of license, then you need to keep it in a place where it can be easily accessed during those hours, like a local attorney or public library.

Here are the rules as I understand them:

Your "main" studio must be located (a) Within not more than a 25 mile radius of the center city coordinates of the city of license, or (b) within the city-grade (5 mV/m-AM, 3.16 mV/m-FM) contour of any radio station licensed to your station's city of license, and/or within the city-grade contour of any television station licensed to your station's city of license. So, you can have a 250 watt AM or 6kw FM station, and legally locate your "main" studio more than 40 miles away from your city of license, IF you have either a full C FM or VHF TV station licensed to your city of license.

Your public file can be located (a) at your "main" studio (see above), or (b) at a location within the corporate limits of your city of license which is accessible to the general public during "regular business hours" [generally believed to be 9-5 M/F].

Jay:

I thought they repealed the provision of the main studio rule pertaining to the contours.

 

[Whiplash]

Doubled their money in two years! Congratulations!

Tennessee
WWON-AM/Waynesboro
PRICE: $118,000
TERMS: Asset sale for cash
BUYER: Small Potatoes Broadcasting Co., LLC., headed by Managing Member John Rabick. Phone: 615-228-7065. It owns no other stations. This represents its entry into this market.
SELLER: Huntingdon Broadcasting, Inc, headed by President Brittany Garner. Phone: 931-722-3631
FREQUENCY: 930 kHz
POWER: 470 watts day/91 watts night
FORMAT: Oldies/Full Service
BROKER: Doyle Hadden of Hadden & Assoc. Media Brokers
COMMENT: Huntingdon Broadcasting's WWON-AM/Waynesboro, TN to Small Potatoes Broadcasting Company for $118,000, payable in cash at closing.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Doubled their money in two years! Congratulations!

Tennessee
WWON-AM/Waynesboro
PRICE: $118,000
TERMS: Asset sale for cash
BUYER: Small Potatoes Broadcasting Co., LLC., headed by Managing Member John Rabick. Phone: 615-228-7065. It owns no other stations. This represents its entry into this market.
SELLER: Huntingdon Broadcasting, Inc, headed by President Brittany Garner. Phone: 931-722-3631
FREQUENCY: 930 kHz
POWER: 470 watts day/91 watts night
FORMAT: Oldies/Full Service
BROKER: Doyle Hadden of Hadden & Assoc. Media Brokers
COMMENT: Huntingdon Broadcasting's WWON-AM/Waynesboro, TN to Small Potatoes Broadcasting Company for $118,000, payable in cash at closing.

Not a bad deal, TAE. Are the new people local owners?

 

[Whiplash]

Their from Nashville!

 

[SuperQ]

I think the owner has a syndicated oldies show and used to be on 97.1 in Nashville. Jonathon Apple I think.

Still a pretty weak price for including a downtown building and 4 acres at the transmitter.

But then it is a little town just a few short miles beyond the end of the earth.

 

[ajhenderson]

Yes, it seems like a great deal for a radio station, a newspaper, and real estate. Of course, I don't know that you'd make much money, but for $118k, you could retire. Or cash in, leave the rat race, and live there for next to nothing.

 

[kenhawk1160]

I wish the Lashes and the new owners the best of luck. Chris brought that station back from the dead and turned it over to a responsible (somewhat) local owner, and it's going to be a very solid investment for a hands-on operator.

 

[robgrayson]

And you've got to dig the name... Small Potatoes Broadcasting Company!

 

[scottwmro]

I think the owner has a syndicated oldies show and used to be on 97.1 in Nashville. Jonathon Apple I think.

Still a pretty weak price for including a downtown building and 4 acres at the transmitter.

But then it is a little town just a few short miles beyond the end of the earth.

Oh my God! If it's Jonathon Apple, he is a worry wart! Back when my station was Oldies, he bugged the s*** out of me about taking off what I had on and put his format on. At the time, his format was the same ole, same ole that songs 96.3/97.1 played as oldies. We switch to from Oldies to a Hot AC/AAA mix in August of "06", and it drove him crazy I bet (HA!)

I'm not nocking him as a station operator/owner, because I've never seen the guy, but he called so much that I started to get the Sumner County Sheriff's Department contact the Davidson County Sheriff's Department to get him to stop harrassing me and to have him arrested for stocking me!

He was living in East Nashville at the time. He was calling my cell phone night and day, sending lettters (via snail mail), etc. He was worse than a car salesperson and I couldn't figure out what part of "NO" he didn't understand. I told him I didn't buy this station for someone else to program, I bought it for me to run by myself and to leave me alone before I have him arrested!

Finally, he got that job at Cumulus 97.1 and he left me alone, and I never heard back from him, thank goodness!

 

[Meepster]

And with all the money you saved (and EARN) as a hot-shot station OWNER...
you can pick up some spelling and definition pointers.

nocking-should be "knocking" (However, I'll give you that one in the event of a typo)

stocking-: a usually knit close-fitting covering for the foot and leg

stalking- : to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment

I hope this helps. :

 

[scottwmro]

And with all the money you saved (and EARN) as a hot-shot station OWNER...
you can pick up some spelling and definition pointers.

nocking-should be "knocking" (However, I'll give you that one in the event of a typo)

stocking-: a usually knit close-fitting covering for the foot and leg

stalking- : to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment

I hope this helps. :

And when you're in P.O. mood, I tend to mis-spell words! My fault!

 

[scottwmro]

And with all the money you saved (and EARN) as a hot-shot station OWNER...
you can pick up some spelling and definition pointers.

nocking-should be "knocking" (However, I'll give you that one in the event of a typo)

stocking-: a usually knit close-fitting covering for the foot and leg

stalking- : to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment

I hope this helps. :

Oh by the way, I'm NOT a hot shot owner. Everyday, I have some idiot calling me wanting to buy my station. Anything is for sale at the right price, but nobody on this board, nor any other board could pay me what I would want for it. I would turn down all offers from group owners.

Sentimental feelings come in the way, in addition, everyone wants to be your friend because you have a station, and force themselves in to be a part of it, when you don't need them, then before you know it, you're fighting with them and payroll issues start to pop up. my advice is to automate a small AM station and keep the want to be stars out! Peace, quiet, and no drama!

It's like hitting the lottery, and friends come around that you didn't know you had. They don't realize you do not have the money they think you have, and Mr. Meepster, I don't! I do not take a salary out of this station. No need to, I have an income coming from somewhere else to pay my bills.

The jealous people and greedy people in dark suits and white shirts can go jump in the river!

Oh by the way, in my will, if I die, the station is to leave the air, the license turned in, and my property and assets of the station will be sold.

Once an AM station's license is turned in, no getting it back! That's how I'm going to get the "last laugh" at the big and small corporate groups. There will never be another "AM Window to file for new AM stations. The FCC is trying to clean up the AM band and get rid of daytimers. ;D

 

[Meepster]

Just yankin' your chain a bit.
Long live the hometown controlled daytimer!
I suppose I assumed you'd catch the sarcasm about the money-but apparently not.
nevermind. :

 

[J-Rod]

Hey Scott, don't let Meep bother you.

He's a good guy, he just yanks chains a little harder than he means to some times

 

[Whiplash]

WMRO Scott

 

[scottwmro]

WMRO Scott

At least I’m blessed to get to do what I always wanted. Run my own “small town” station. Now WMRO is not always on satellite. On Sunday mornings, it’s mostly live preachers, and live church services.

I do have a “live” in studio jock running my board from 12:30 PM to 5 PM on Sunday Afternoons. His name is Wayne Akins; know to everyone in Sumner County as “The Ole Mail Man”. He plays southern gospel & bluegrass music; he takes request, puts people on the air, and even talks about local and national issues. I let Wayne do what he wants on his show. Then after he goes off, I have 2 more churches on for Sunday Evening Services. I feel we do enough local to cover a whole week.

I’m around if an emergency comes up (i.e. tornado coming towards Gallatin & Sumner County).

Local is not gone on WMRO (Magic 1560), I just had to cut back the costly ways of doing it, and find cheaper ways to do it and stay on a budget. Starting May 1st, I am hiring a new newsgirl to do local news during ABC’s Jonathan & Mary Show that we carry off ABC’s Hot AC Format. Bill Buntin will always be covering local sports and we give current weather forecast with current temperatures.

You would be surprised what automation can do, IF one does it right! You just can not take the attitude of “throwing the bird on and walking away”! That’s what I’ve seen moron GM’s and owners do and I get P.O. when that happens. It shows me that they do not care anything about their station.

The satellite feed frees me up to do local inserts in the format clock to make the station as local as possible, and I don’t have to worry about programming music or hiring somebody to do it for me. It saves me $$$$$$$!

Have a good wk-end! (HA, HA!)

 

[Meepster]

Scott,

"Dollar a Holler" programming is a must for small local "community" stations.
What do you think is the advantage to the sat. feed programming over just computer only automation?
I know of small stations that are live only in the morning, then computer the rest of the day.
Someone comes in to do ballgames (board)
The "Dollar a Hollers" are ripped into system prior.
Sales does most of their own production and traffic/logs are done at the "home office".
Just got off the WMRO web site...read some history. Sounds like you probably are having fun.

 

[kenhawk1160]

At least I’m blessed to get to do what I always wanted. Run my own “small town” station. Now WMRO is not always on satellite. On Sunday mornings, it’s mostly live preachers, and live church services.

I do have a “live” in studio jock running my board from 12:30 PM to 5 PM on Sunday Afternoons. His name is Wayne Akins; know to everyone in Sumner County as “The Ole Mail Man”. He plays southern gospel & bluegrass music; he takes request, puts people on the air, and even talks about local and national issues. I let Wayne do what he wants on his show. Then after he goes off, I have 2 more churches on for Sunday Evening Services. I feel we do enough local to cover a whole week.

I’m around if an emergency comes up (i.e. tornado coming towards Gallatin & Sumner County).

Local is not gone on WMRO (Magic 1560), I just had to cut back the costly ways of doing it, and find cheaper ways to do it and stay on a budget. Starting May 1st, I am hiring a new newsgirl to do local news during ABC’s Jonathan & Mary Show that we carry off ABC’s Hot AC Format. Bill Buntin will always be covering local sports and we give current weather forecast with current temperatures.

You would be surprised what automation can do, IF one does it right! You just can not take the attitude of “throwing the bird on and walking away”! That’s what I’ve seen moron GM’s and owners do and I get P.O. when that happens. It shows me that they do not care anything about their station.

The satellite feed frees me up to do local inserts in the format clock to make the station as local as possible, and I don’t have to worry about programming music or hiring somebody to do it for me. It saves me $$$$$$$!

Have a good wk-end! (HA, HA!)

Amen to that, Scott! I worked at a small station in Indiana, PA that started in 1983, when the band was starting to become passe. It was a 250-watt daytimer that was competing with a well-established AM/FM combo that began in 1945. It was satellite from the very beginning and grew from a 250-watt daytimer that barely got out of the city into a 10,000 powerhouse (1kw at night) at a different dial position just four years after going on the air. They maintained the same ownership for 20 years before selling it to a group owner who bought out the competitor, but was a hometown boy who grew up in the area. He did very well with his other stations, and sank a TON of money into these new acquisitions, making them even better than ever.

Satellite can work if it's done right. We did ours right. We did so much college and high school sports and community-based remotes that you barely noticed we were on the bird. More than that, because of this, we were able to afford multi-talented on-air professionals who were capable of much more than sitting in an 8x8 room for four hours doing nothing but talking between records.