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WYNS format change

J

JDog

Guest
Just noticed that 1160 WYNS Lehighton has dropped its simulcast of the sports format from WEEX. It's now simulcasting the religious format from WBYN-FM "107-5 Alive"... and 1160 has even picked up the WBYN call letters. I wonder if Nassau is is planning to sell 1160 AM, or if this is just an LMA with the owners of WBYN.
 
Yeah, I noticed this Thursday or Friday afternoon and actually I was sorry to hear it. I sort of like ESPN Radio and, living in Hazleton, WYNS had the best signal of the three nearby stations to carry it. YNS is just 18 miles from town and its signal is very strong here -- while WBAX/Wilkes-Barre and WEJL/Scranton (the two other ESPN affiliates nearby) have very poor signals here.





> Just noticed that 1160 WYNS Lehighton has dropped its
> simulcast of the sports format from WEEX. It's now
> simulcasting the religious format from WBYN-FM "107-5
> Alive"... and 1160 has even picked up the WBYN call letters.
> I wonder if Nassau is is planning to sell 1160 AM, or if
> this is just an LMA with the owners of WBYN.
>
 
From what I've heard, Nassau will now be operating 107.5 under an LMA with WDAC Radio, Inc. I knew that they'd be moving the religious format from 107.5 to the AM band, but I didn't know where...apparently it's 1160 AM. Rumor has it that the new format for 107.5 will be country, but I haven't heard any updates on that in the last few weeks. Sounds like this flip could be happening sooner rather than later. This is probably the reason that posters in previous threads noted the departure of some of the WBYN staff in the last several months.

> Just noticed that 1160 WYNS Lehighton has dropped its
> simulcast of the sports format from WEEX. It's now
> simulcasting the religious format from WBYN-FM "107-5
> Alive"... and 1160 has even picked up the WBYN call letters.
> I wonder if Nassau is is planning to sell 1160 AM, or if
> this is just an LMA with the owners of WBYN.
>
 
> From what I've heard, Nassau will now be operating 107.5
> under an LMA with WDAC Radio, Inc. I knew that they'd be
> moving the religious format from 107.5 to the AM band, but I
> didn't know where...apparently it's 1160 AM. Rumor has it
> that the new format for 107.5 will be country, but I haven't
> heard any updates on that in the last few weeks. Sounds
> like this flip could be happening sooner rather than later.
> This is probably the reason that posters in previous threads
> noted the departure of some of the WBYN staff in the last
> several months.
>

Seems like a big step down for the religious format of WBYN-FM, considering how well the WBYN-FM signal covered the region, especially the growth areas of eastern Berks / Northwestern Montgomery / Western Lehigh counties.

I will admit there was probably a fair amount of footprint overlap between WDAC and WBYN-FM; there is much less overlap between WDAC and WYNS.

Wonder if WBYN-AM will go to all-talk, given the on-air staff departures... that would be a loss, as there are plenty of places to hear the on-air ranters, less so the Christian music.

Richard
 
> From what I've heard, Nassau will now be operating 107.5
> under an LMA with WDAC Radio, Inc. I knew that they'd be
> moving the religious format from 107.5 to the AM band, but I
> didn't know where...apparently it's 1160 AM. Rumor has it
> that the new format for 107.5 will be country, but I haven't
> heard any updates on that in the last few weeks. Sounds
> like this flip could be happening sooner rather than later.
> This is probably the reason that posters in previous threads
> noted the departure of some of the WBYN staff in the last
> several months.

Sounds credible. This is similar to what Nassau did on 94.5 in Trenton years ago. The Christian format that was on 94.5 moved to 920 AM, which the owners of 94.5 operated under an LMA. At the same time, Nassau began to operate 94.5 under an LMA, debuting Oldies on it, then Classic Rock, and now CHR. At some point, Nassau bought 94.5 outright.

Country makes a lot of sense for 107.5, as it could permanently knock 96.1 out of contention for #1 in the Allentown market. It could also take a big bite of WIOV's audience in Reading, and even make some inroads on WXTU in Philadelphia if they promoted it in upper Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester Counties. 107.5 right now is very underutilized, and those looking for Christian music will probably find 88.9/103.5, 94.5, or the new 1160.
 
Re: LMA Question

I should know this, but what does it mean to be operating under an LMA? Is that different from outright owning a station?
 
>
> Sounds credible. This is similar to what Nassau did on 94.5
> in Trenton years ago. The Christian format that was on 94.5
> moved to 920 AM, which the owners of 94.5 operated under an
> LMA. At the same time, Nassau began to operate 94.5 under
> an LMA, debuting Oldies on it, then Classic Rock, and now
> CHR. At some point, Nassau bought 94.5 outright.
>
> Country makes a lot of sense for 107.5, as it could
> permanently knock 96.1 out of contention for #1 in the
> Allentown market. It could also take a big bite of WIOV's
> audience in Reading, and even make some inroads on WXTU in
> Philadelphia if they promoted it in upper Montgomery, Bucks,
> and Chester Counties. 107.5 right now is very
> underutilized, and those looking for Christian music will
> probably find 88.9/103.5, 94.5, or the new 1160.
>

94.5 doesn't work up in Allentown -- it's a duel between Lancaster and Trenton there.

WBYO (88.9/103.5) is a good suggestion, but -- admittedly splitting hairs -- WBYN's music and WBYO's music are two different genres within the Christian music segment.

My fear is that WBYN-AM will drop music entirely and switch to a brokered format for 1160, and that would be a loss.

Playing a bit of devil's advocate here -- it would be a shame to lose radio diversity to another "me, too" formatted station.

Richard / Allentown
 
Re: LMA Question

> I should know this, but what does it mean to be operating
> under an LMA? Is that different from outright owning a
> station?
>
Yes. An LMA (Local Marketing Agreement) is where one company operates a station that is owned/licensed by/to another company. It's basically a lease, although I don't know all legal issues involved, though. I'm sure someone else could probably explain it better and in more detail than I can.
 
> From what I've heard, Nassau will now be operating 107.5
> under an LMA with WDAC Radio, Inc.

Nassau's usual modus operandi is to operate a station under an LMA until it can close on a purchase of that station. That company tends to speculate in radio properties, as the Nassau of Lou Mercatanti, unlike the "old" Nassau of Herb Hobler, is an investor, not a broadcaster. Mercatanti himself is a car dealer who owns two dealerships near Trenton, NJ.
 
> > From what I've heard, Nassau will now be operating 107.5
> > under an LMA with WDAC Radio, Inc.
>
> Nassau's usual modus operandi is to operate a station under
> an LMA until it can close on a purchase of that station.
> That company tends to speculate in radio properties, as the
> Nassau of Lou Mercatanti, unlike the "old" Nassau of Herb
> Hobler, is an investor, not a broadcaster. Mercatanti
> himself is a car dealer who owns two dealerships near
> Trenton, NJ.
>

This might amount to nothing reportable, but found it interesting...

Some people that I have spoken to, with connections inside radio, can only say "something funky is up @ 107.5FM".

(And I wouldn't read into my use of the word "funky", it was a direct quote and does not necessarily represent this person thinking an urban format is coming to WBYN)<P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
 
> This might amount to nothing reportable, but found it
> interesting...
>
> Some people that I have spoken to, with connections inside
> radio, can only say "something funky is up @ 107.5FM".
>
> (And I wouldn't read into my use of the word "funky", it was
> a direct quote and does not necessarily represent this
> person thinking an urban format is coming to WBYN)

Jazz is "funky." SMOOTH JAZZ 107.5. WOOH! (I wish). LOL
 
> > This might amount to nothing reportable, but found it
> > interesting...
> >
> > Some people that I have spoken to, with connections inside
>
> > radio, can only say "something funky is up @ 107.5FM".
> >
> > (And I wouldn't read into my use of the word "funky", it
> was
> > a direct quote and does not necessarily represent this
> > person thinking an urban format is coming to WBYN)
>
> Jazz is "funky." SMOOTH JAZZ 107.5. WOOH! (I wish). LOL
>

LOL, but we saw what Nassau did with Smooth Jazz in South Jersey.<P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
 
> Jazz is "funky." SMOOTH JAZZ 107.5. WOOH! (I wish). LOL
>

The stereotypical Nassau stations run some version of the "Hawk" rock format on FM and either ESPN Sports or a satellite business news service on AM. Watch for the Hawk to roost at 107.5 in Boyertown...unless Nassau fools all of us and actually does something original for a change!
 
> The stereotypical Nassau stations run some version of the
> "Hawk" rock format on FM and either ESPN Sports or a
> satellite business news service on AM. Watch for the Hawk to
> roost at 107.5 in Boyertown...unless Nassau fools all of us
> and actually does something original for a change!

99.9 and 107.5 have way too much overlap for them to both be Hawks.
 
Factual Correction

> > From what I've heard, Nassau will now be operating 107.5
> > under an LMA with WDAC Radio, Inc.
>
> Nassau's usual modus operandi is to operate a station under
> an LMA until it can close on a purchase of that station.
> That company tends to speculate in radio properties, as the
> Nassau of Lou Mercatanti, unlike the "old" Nassau of Herb
> Hobler, is an investor, not a broadcaster. Mercatanti
> himself is a car dealer who owns two dealerships near
> Trenton, NJ.
>

Mr. Mercatanti DOES NOT own any car dealerships and is NOT a car dealer. As far as being an investor, any business is for sale if the price is right, however, he operates a large group of stations, decently equipped (much better than most) and employs many people directly (unlike a true "investor" only). Those that work for him (must be in the hundreds of people) earn thier livings from his "investment", so Mr. K2PG perhaps you would like to define to us all here what being a "broadcaster" means. It looks like he is a much more successful in the business than you may ever hope to be...
 
>
> LOL, but we saw what Nassau did with Smooth Jazz in South
> Jersey.
>
I lost track of SJ radio a bunch of years ago. What did they do?

Richard / Allentown
 
> > The stereotypical Nassau stations run some version of the
> > "Hawk" rock format on FM and either ESPN Sports or a
> > satellite business news service on AM. Watch for the Hawk
> to
> > roost at 107.5 in Boyertown...unless Nassau fools all of
> us
> > and actually does something original for a change!
>
> 99.9 and 107.5 have way too much overlap for them to both be
> Hawks.
>

Hawk would then move to 107.5 and a new station would launch at 99.9, now under the tutiledge of Access.1<P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
 
Re: Factual Correction

> Mr. Mercatanti DOES NOT own any car dealerships and is NOT a
> car dealer.

I guess, then, that you've never heard of Mercatanti Ford in Trenton and Bordentown? Or did he sell those too? As for the difference between an investor (or station trafficker) and a real broadcaster, the record speaks for itself. When Nassau Broadcasting was owned by Herb Hobler and operated WHWH and WPST in the Trenton/Princeton area, the stations carried local news, their programming was live and local, and the stations were actively involved with their community in Central New Jersey. Nowadays, that company will buy a station, fire the news staff (if one exists), gut the programming department, and park some cookie cutter format on it (usually satellite-delivered, if the station is an AM) to run the station on the cheap while trying to suck as much money as possible out of it. For an example closer to home, get some old airchecks of WEEX when the Easton Express owned it and compare them to what airs on that station nowadays. An investor hooks a satellite receiver to a transmitter (or imports some lame formula music format from its other markets) and calls it a "radio station", holding onto it only until commodity prices rise enough to get him to sell it. A broadcaster programs that radio station to serve the community and sticks with that station for the long haul.

Such a track record is a good reason to lobby for a return of the antitrafficking rule. Let the investor types deal in real estate or agricultural commodity futures, rather than playing their Monopoly games with the public's airwaves!
 
> >
> > LOL, but we saw what Nassau did with Smooth Jazz in South
> > Jersey.
> >
> I lost track of SJ radio a bunch of years ago. What did
> they do?
>
> Richard / Allentown
>

They got 104.9, flipped it to smooth jazz after runs as country and a simulcast of WPST, then sold it to Millenium, who killed smooth jazz for Sojo 104.9. <P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>
 
> > > The stereotypical Nassau stations run some version of
> the
> > > "Hawk" rock format on FM and either ESPN Sports or a
> > > satellite business news service on AM. Watch for the
> Hawk
> > to
> > > roost at 107.5 in Boyertown...unless Nassau fools all of
>
> > us
> > > and actually does something original for a change!
> >
> > 99.9 and 107.5 have way too much overlap for them to both
> be
> > Hawks.
> >
>
> Hawk would then move to 107.5 and a new station would launch
> at 99.9, now under the tutiledge of Access.1
>
Wouldn't it make sense for them to launch the Hawk on 107.5? There is so much overlap between 97.5 & 99.9 right now. With 107.5, they'd still be able to cover the Lehigh Valley, but they'd also have great coverage of Berks County.
 
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