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WZUM 1590

Talk_Dude said:
As I recall, Pittsburgh has been steadily losing population for several decades. Is that not accurate?
Click to expand...

Here are the Allegheny County numbers, which peaked in 1960:

1960: 1,628,587
1970: 1,605,016 −1.4%
1980: 1,450,085 −9.7%
1990: 1,336,449 −7.8%
2000: 1,281,666 −4.1%
2009: 1,218,494 −4.9% (estimated)

(from Wikipedia)

Radio tends to confuse the issue because several counties have been added to the market area as defined
by Arbitron. If you are in extreme southern Fayette or Greene County, for instance, you are better served
by the Morgantown radio stations, but you're part of the Pittsburgh radio market.

C.
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
Talk_Dude said:
Thanks for those examples. I wasn't aware of them. I was only guessing that there might be owners like that. It could come to pass that there might be more "vanity" radio stations like those than regular commercial radio stations someday.
Click to expand...

It should be noted here that both Sajak and King are considered professional radio operators, and probably shouldn't be considered "vanity owners".
Click to expand...

That's what putting the word "vanity" in quotes means. Just because someone does something as a hobby instead of their full-time career doesn't mean that they aren't good at it, or that they don't do a professional-calibre job of it. In some fields, the amateur/hobbyists are among the best practitioners.
 
1250WTAE said:
Perhaps this a clue who bought it. www.1590wzum.com
Click to expand...

If so that would be a very welcome development.
I'd even be willing to go around asking the pizza joints in my part of town
whether they'd be willing to host live remotes.
 
The domain is indeed registered to Phil Lenz, and was registered in August, according to GoDaddy WHOIS records.

I have no idea if it means he's buying WZUM, though. There is no sale application in the FCC's CDBS, at least online...last thing in there is the transfer to Believe & Achieve, and a silent STA...
 
Phil had expressed an interest in leasing the station. However, that would not make the violations go away. He was also interested in the 1110 in Washington. I suggested that he link both stations, along with 950 in Steubenville then he could cover a larger area.

However, to consider purchasing any of those stations is, at best, depraved.
 
Very interesting, indeed.

The website in question is something called the Pittsburgh Oldies Channel. The site has a 2008 copyright and gives no indication about WZUM, other than the website's address.

It also asks for contributions, ala Frankie Day.
 
Yes, it is very interesting. (I feel like peeking out from behind the bushes like Arte Johnson used to do
on Laugh-In.)

Note that the web site has "WIQK" in the upper left-hand corner of the main page. The FCC database
says those call letters are currently available.

Again, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but if WZUM is purchased, the liability for the FCC violations
rests with the previous owner. Bringing the radio station into compliance, though, would rest with the
new owner.

WZUM vs. WKZV: At least WZUM has a relatively new transmitter (and towers) and covers the city of
Pittsburgh proper, plus most of Allegheny County. WKZV has no such advantages.

There aren't many options for a 1,000-watt directional daytimer (okay, 24 watts at night) but you get
out of a radio station what you put into it. WZUM could be something if costs are carefully controlled
and the format (whatever it might be) carefully targeted. The most recent format attempt, Gospel, is
not a bad idea.

C.
 
That would be an interesting development for Phil, who I last worked with when he was with Renda a few years back. I know he had a hand in doing some oldies shows online, including a one shot deal that was hosted by Doug Hoerth.
 
The violations should go with the previous owners but you have to show you are bringing it into compliance when purchased. There is still the issue of studios and a valid transmitter site lease, rumor has it they lost both due to nonpayment. Maybe I am not into it but if that is true it seems like just another attempt at oldies that the region will not support. Maybe a few select small groups will but nowhere near enough to fund a station to remain commercially viable in the long run.
 
cingram said:
There aren't many options for a 1,000-watt directional daytimer (okay, 24 watts at night) but you get
out of a radio station what you put into it. WZUM could be something if costs are carefully controlled
and the format (whatever it might be) carefully targeted. The most recent format attempt, Gospel, is
not a bad idea.
Click to expand...

Exactly right! Unless you have a moneytree there is no way that this scenario will last. Take a lesson from the groups in town now running their major stations as shoestring as possible.
 
A station playing "real" oldies from say 1957 to 1972 or so would work in Pittsburgh. The format is working on several other AMs, at least part time. The problem is nobody wants to sit through the snake oil, and religious programming.
 
Jkf said:
A station playing "real" oldies from say 1957 to 1972 or so would work in Pittsburgh. The format is working on several other AMs, at least part time. The problem is nobody wants to sit through the snake oil, and religious programming.
Click to expand...

Yep, it'd work great, until they had to try to sell some commercials and the advertisers noticed that the audience was as old as the songs.
 
Honestly I don't know how most of the AM stations here survive. How 660 and 1550 even operate is beyond me. When I turn on either of those stations and hear the programming, I have to wonder WHO is paying to broadcast this stuff, and why? Certainly someone with enthusiasm could sell a local oldies station here. Remember, we're not talking about a major market FM station here. We are talking about a 1,000 watt daytimer (24 watts at night). If someone can have such niche programming as "Outdoor Sports" on 660 and God knows what boring talk programming on 1550 - then certainly someone COULD make oldies work on WZUM.
 
If memory serves, 660 and 1550 are in the same building, and even share the same tower, though they
are not co-owned.

660 is owned by Langer and serves as a placeholder for his network programming. Presumably, it costs
him little/nothing but the electric bill. I can't speak for 1550, but it hasn't had a successful incarnation
since WLOA.

Neither station has shown up in the ratings, but it's entirely possible that the stations are not encoded
for the PPM.

C.
 
Jkf said:
If someone can have such niche programming as "Outdoor Sports" on 660 and God knows what boring talk programming on 1550 - then certainly someone COULD make oldies work on WZUM.
Click to expand...

If by "work" you mean make just enough to pay the electric bill and keep a few old retired radio guys busy re-living their glory years, on a hobby station that a slightly more expensive version of a big train set, then yes, someone could make oldies "work" on WZUM. If by "work", you mean turn it into a profitable operation that can afford to hire professional on-air talent that actually earns a living by their work, and that makes enough money to operate totally in the black, that's another issue.

Perhaps you might share with us what you mean by "work" in that context?
 
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