WWZN to be put out of it's misery?

[FMRadio1]

R&R is reporting that Paul Allen is putting the Sporting News up for sale, which consists of the paper, network and their three AM O&O's, including 1510. No word on any potential buyers or if the assets will be sold off separately or as a group. Now that the Kowloon Coot will soon be clearing his throat in stereo on 96.9 in a few weeks, my guess is that he won't be buying WWZN station as he threatened to do awhile back....

Mike "not the WZLX guy" Thomas

 

[JIBGUY]

Well, if there's ever a new format on that station, the only way it can make money would be to go brokered ethnic or Spanish. If the former, then smaller stations like 950, 1060, 1330, 1360, 1470, 1550 and 1600 had better look out. Brokered ethnic is the only income-producer that can exceed their $240,000.00/year tower site rental.



> R&R is reporting that Paul Allen is putting the Sporting
> News up for sale, which consists of the paper, network and
> their three AM O&O's, including 1510. No word on any
> potential buyers or if the assets will be sold off
> separately or as a group. Now that the Kowloon Coot will
> soon be clearing his throat in stereo on 96.9 in a few
> weeks, my guess is that he won't be buying WWZN station as
> he threatened to do awhile back....
>
> Mike "not the WZLX guy" Thomas
>

 

[thedougpound]

I think they need to drop a few towers and reduce the cost of their rent... 50KW means nothing when it's as directional as WWZN is.. and gets beaten by the 250 Watts of WJIB 740.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

If WWZN-1510 is sold, the next owners should make an attempt to purchase the transmitter site.

That's the only way I think they could make any money with the station.

I would think that buying the transmitter site will pay for itself within three or four years.

 

[raccoonradio]

> R&R is reporting that Paul Allen is putting the Sporting
> News up for sale, which consists of the paper, network and
> their three AM O&O's, including 1510.

After the local talent was let go a few months back there was a rumor
that the whole station would go down in January; well, late Feb now
and with the report of the sale, we wonder how long WWZN will continue
in its current form.

I would wonder if USA TODAY might want to buy Sporting News--the
paper, that is. They put out a "Sports Weekly" (formerly Baseball
Weekly) and might want to buy it and consolidate it into one
publication. As for the network, not sure whom would want to buy it,
but if it ceases to be, the affiliates might try to affiliate with
Fox Sports or ESPN instead IF those networks aren't yet in that
particular market. 1510 would be out of luck of course as WEEI
has Fox and 890/1400 is ESPN, but I'm talking elsewhere.<P ID="signature">______________

</P>

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> If WWZN-1510 is sold, the next owners should make an attempt
> to purchase the transmitter site.
>
> That's the only way I think they could make any money with
> the station.
>
> I would think that buying the transmitter site will pay for
> itself within three or four years.

That also depends on what is programmed and whether the station gets any ratings, advertisers, etc... if not, they may never make such an expensive investment back.

That is, if the land is even for sale in the first place, and the station is bought by a company with other profitable properties that can afford such a purchase.

 

[hellohello]

Ahh for the days when WMEX and WRKO battled it out with music on
1510 AM and 680 AM - there may have been no internet to voice complaints or compliments - but audiences
enjoyed those two stations for the most part.

> Well, if there's ever a new format on that station, the only
> way it can make money would be to go brokered ethnic or
> Spanish. If the former, then smaller stations like 950,
> 1060, 1330, 1360, 1470, 1550 and 1600 had better look out.
> Brokered ethnic is the only income-producer that can exceed
> their $240,000.00/year tower site rental.
>
>
>
> > R&R is reporting that Paul Allen is putting the Sporting
> > News up for sale, which consists of the paper, network and
>
> > their three AM O&O's, including 1510. No word on any
> > potential buyers or if the assets will be sold off
> > separately or as a group. Now that the Kowloon Coot will
> > soon be clearing his throat in stereo on 96.9 in a few
> > weeks, my guess is that he won't be buying WWZN station as
>
> > he threatened to do awhile back....
> >
> > Mike "not the WZLX guy" Thomas
> >
>

 

[HHH]

> Well, if there's ever a new format on that station, the only
> way it can make money would be to go brokered ethnic or
> Spanish. If the former, then smaller stations like 950,
> 1060, 1330, 1360, 1470, 1550 and 1600 had better look out.
> Brokered ethnic is the only income-producer that can exceed
> their $240,000.00/year tower site rental.


I would either go:

Full time Spanish

Standards off the bird

Liberal Talk (if WKOX drops it after their power increase)

or (here's a wild idea) DONATE the station to the WGBH foundation or WBUR who runs it as an NPR AM, a la WNYC in New York or (even wilder idea) WGBH or WBUR runs it as a classical music station, especially with HD AM now available.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> > Well, if there's ever a new format on that station, the only
> > way it can make money would be to go brokered ethnic or
> > Spanish. If the former, then smaller stations like 950,
> > 1060, 1330, 1360, 1470, 1550 and 1600 had better look out.
>
> > Brokered ethnic is the only income-producer that can exceed
> > their $240,000.00/year tower site rental.
>
> I would either go:
>
> Full time Spanish

That could work, since there is now no full-time Spanish in the market. The audience is now being served piecemeal by shows on various brokered stations.

> Standards off the bird

Bob has Standards covered with WJIB. If 1510 were to go that way with music, I'd rather hear a 50's/60's "Real Oldies" bird or even Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Channel" on 1510. Perhaps even get the old WMEX-AM calls and jingles back for the few of us old fogeys who remember them, and see if a deal could be cut with Little Walter to run his syndicated version of "The Time Machine" on weekends.

If WEEI 850 ever goes with IBOC-HD, the hash splatter would cream "True Oldies" WCRN 830 Worcester anywhere east of Route 128, rendering the current area affiliate unlistenable in metro Boston.

> Liberal Talk (if WKOX drops it after their power increase)
>
> or (here's a wild idea) DONATE the station to the WGBH
> foundation or WBUR who runs it as an NPR AM, a la WNYC in
> New York or (even wilder idea) WGBH or WBUR runs it as a
> classical music station, especially with HD AM now
> available.

I doubt either WGBH or WBUR would be willing to be saddled with a $240k/year tower site rental for an AM, even if the station was donated.

 

[blabhead]

Re:If a Tree falls..........

> R&R is reporting that Paul Allen is putting the Sporting
> News up for sale, which consists of the paper, network and
> their three AM O&O's, including 1510. No word on any
> potential buyers or if the assets will be sold off
> separately or as a group. Now that the Kowloon Coot will
> soon be clearing his throat in stereo on 96.9 in a few
> weeks, my guess is that he won't be buying WWZN station as
> he threatened to do awhile back....
>
> Mike "not the WZLX guy" Thomas
>
Signal=bad.
When They switched to local sports proramming in the afternoons They "talked the talk",but couldn't "walk the walk".Never more than a minor threat to WEEI,WWZN quickly become a joke with a has been mid-day host who wasn't aware his time was past.
It seems pretty clear to me that if a You want to go up against WEEI You will have to take up the fight on FM & get the Red Sox Broadcast rights.
Later WWZN I will not miss you!

 

[HHH]

> I'd rather hear a 50's/60's "Real Oldies"
> bird or even Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Channel" on 1510.
> Perhaps even get the old WMEX-AM calls and jingles back for
> the few of us old fogeys who remember them, and see if a
> deal could be cut with Little Walter to run his syndicated
> version of "The Time Machine" on weekends.


Wow, didn't think of that. What a great idea! WODS is drifting Billy Joel-Elton John 70s, and with Shannon's "Real Oldies" bird feed (keep costs down) and the classic WMEX calls, jingles and imaging--and specialty shows like Little Walter and others--it would be a very cool station. If they can bill a mil and a half or two, the model might just work. Plus when HD-AM gets rolling, they would have a boost from that, too.

Spanish would be OK, too.

ANYTHING but another slummed-out infomercial/religious dumping ground. And a 50KW one to boot! Yes, I know it is a tight DA, but it covers the coast pretty well from the Cape up into Maine.

 

[MrAl]

too bad...

I listen to the station quite a bit, especially in the mornings with Matt Spiegel and Bill Leykis (sp?) as a sports alternative to the tiresome Dennis and Callahan... the overnight shows are far superior to JT the Brick too. I have occasional insomnia and find David Stein's 3 AM to 6 AM show very good.

Plus, on weekends, with all the reruns early morning, it's good to hear some live shows.

 

[Oldbones]

> > I'd rather hear a 50's/60's "Real Oldies"
> > bird or even Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Channel" on
> 1510.
> > Perhaps even get the old WMEX-AM calls and jingles back
> for
> > the few of us old fogeys who remember them, and see if a
> > deal could be cut with Little Walter to run his syndicated
>
> > version of "The Time Machine" on weekends.
>

Given the success (or lack thereof) that big-signal stations like WSAI & WWKB had trying to revive their heritage with an oldies format, I doubt this would fly. Very few people turn to AM for music anymore. Besides the WMEX calls haven't been on 1510 for 30 years now...how many people besides a handful of oldies geeks would know the station existed, or even care?

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> > > I'd rather hear a 50's/60's "Real Oldies"
> > > bird or even Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Channel" on 1510.
> > > Perhaps even get the old WMEX-AM calls and jingles back for
> > > the few of us old fogeys who remember them, and see if a
> > > deal could be cut with Little Walter to run his syndicated
> > > version of "The Time Machine" on weekends.
> >
>
> Given the success (or lack thereof) that big-signal stations
> like WSAI & WWKB had trying to revive their heritage with an
> oldies format, I doubt this would fly. Very few people turn
> to AM for music anymore. Besides the WMEX calls haven't
> been on 1510 for 30 years now...how many people besides a
> handful of oldies geeks would know the station existed, or
> even care?

As for the call letters, that's why I said "for the few of us old fogeys who remember them". You're right that it would be a long shot to even barely float at best though, even without paying local DJ's like WSAI and WWKB did.

Full-time Spanish would probably be the best potential use of this signal, probably the only format that would have any chance of making any profit.

 

[Mickey37]

Early Vegas money is on 1510 being sold to a group from south of the border.
Proposed new calls: WMEX

> > If WWZN-1510 is sold, the next owners should make an
> attempt
> > to purchase the transmitter site.
> >
> > That's the only way I think they could make any money with
>
> > the station.
> >
> > I would think that buying the transmitter site will pay
> for
> > itself within three or four years.
>
> That also depends on what is programmed and whether the
> station gets any ratings, advertisers, etc... if not, they
> may never make such an expensive investment back.
>
> That is, if the land is even for sale in the first place,
> and the station is bought by a company with other profitable
> properties that can afford such a purchase.
>

 

[HHH]

The comments about oldies on 1510 make pretty good sense. I would like to believe that the station could be resurected as WMEX with Scott Shannon's "Real Oldies" format, but I must admit, the points about the failures of KB in Buffalo and WSAI in Cinci attempting to capture past glories are unavoidable. I suppose the only difference would be that those stations attempted to have custom jocks, and even tho most were voicetracked, they still cost money. Shannon's feed would be 100% bird and cheaper, but even so, they may be better off just going Spanish and serving that community. I believe that 1510 is heard reasonably well in the heavily Hispanic areas of Lowell-Lawrence, too, so that's yet another revenue reason.


> Early Vegas money is on 1510 being sold to a group from
> south of the border.
> Proposed new calls: WMEX

Maybe just a few of us care about such things, but wouldn't it be nice if they at least got the old WMEX calls back. The calls date back 72 years on that station, and represented an important part of Boston history. Aside from their famous run as a pop music station (Late 50s through Mid 70s), I recently got a CD of a Billy Holiday radio concert from a Boston club in the 1950s ("broadcast by Radio Station WMEX" according to the notes), not to mention the historic Malcom X broadcasts with Jerry Williams, and several other assorted moments in Boston broadcast history transmitted from this feisty independent station.

I think that WBZ and WEEI (which is not even the original station) are the only
pre-WWII calls left on a Boston radio station. (WESX in Salem goes back to '39,
but don't get me started on how THAT station is about to be thrown on the scrap heap).<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by HHH on 02/24/06 01:16 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> The comments about oldies on 1510 make pretty good sense. I
> would like to believe that the station could be resurected
> as WMEX with Scott Shannon's "Real Oldies" format, but I
> must admit, the points about the failures of KB in Buffalo
> and WSAI in Cinci attempting to capture past glories are
> unavoidable. I suppose the only difference would be that
> those stations attempted to have custom jocks, and even tho
> most were voicetracked, they still cost money.

1510 is also saddled with that afforementioned $240k/year tower site rental fee, which would make it even more of a financial challenge.

> Shannon's feed would be 100% bird and cheaper, but even so, they
> may be better off just going Spanish and serving that community.
> I believe that 1510 is heard reasonably well in the heavily
> Hispanic areas of Lowell-Lawrence, too, so that's yet
> another revenue reason.

The Lowell-Lawrence Merrimack Valley area already has full-time Spanish on 800 WNNW, but that's weak in the Boston area by day, and not really listenable down here at night (often drowned out by CLKW Detroit). The 1510 signal is strong in the Boston communities it would serve, and on the North and South Shores.

 

[2longinbiz]

That would be a neat trick, as IIRC, the WMEX calls are on a Rochester NH FM at 106.5. Something tells me the owner wouldn't consent to any new owner of 1510 using them on the AM band without a serious potload o' cash. Probably be cheaper to buy the station, take it dark and keep the calls...and we all know the odds of that happening.
>
>
> > Early Vegas money is on 1510 being sold to a group from
> > south of the border.
> > Proposed new calls: WMEX
>
>

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> That would be a neat trick, as IIRC, the WMEX calls are on a
> Rochester NH FM at 106.5. Something tells me the owner
> wouldn't consent to any new owner of 1510 using them on the
> AM band without a serious potload o' cash. Probably be
> cheaper to buy the station, take it dark and keep the
> calls...and we all know the odds of that happening.

The owner of WMEX-FM in Rochester, NH is Dennis Jackson in Connecticut. I really don't know, but he might agree to let the calls be used on 1510 if it happened, especially if it was to be an oldies station.

 

[ciao99]

> R&R is reporting that Paul Allen is putting the Sporting
> News up for sale, which consists of the paper, network and
> their three AM O&O's, including 1510. No word on any
> potential buyers or if the assets will be sold off
> separately or as a group. Now that the Kowloon Coot will
> soon be clearing his throat in stereo on 96.9 in a few
> weeks, my guess is that he won't be buying WWZN station as
> he threatened to do awhile back....
>
> Mike "not the WZLX guy" Thomas
>
I know it's a sin to say in Boston, but our market has too many sports stations, particularly sports stations that don't pull any numbers.