WZUM 1590

[cingram]

The Hispanic populatiion in the Pittsburgh metro is only 0.8%, John. I can think of bigger audiences to
serve. Philadelphia, which is around 5%, self-destructed two radio stations to go Spanish, and neither
of them have been terribly successful.

C.

 

[Whiplash]

Better yet, then posting here. Why don't I just buy it and show you. Does that work for you guys?

 

[cingram]

That sounds like a swell idea. Bring it on.

C.

 

[Talk_Dude]

The Hispanic populatiion in the Pittsburgh metro is only 0.8%, John. I can think of bigger audiences to
serve. Philadelphia, which is around 5%, self-destructed two radio stations to go Spanish, and neither
of them have been terribly successful.

C.

My relatives who still live in Da Burgh tell me that most of the Spanish speaking community in Pittsburgh is concentrated in and around Beechview. If that's the case, even if those 0.8% of the population all liked the format of the new station (which is no guarantee, since there are as many different kinds of Spanish music as there are English language music), the advertisers who would want to single out the Spanish speaking people are pretty much all located in the same neighborhoods.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Better yet, then posting here. Why don't I just buy it and show you. Does that work for you guys?

It's your money. I kind of like the idea of reading about someone who was extremely successful doing something in one situation who thought that if he could do it there, he could do it anywhere falling flat on his face.

I'm reminded of Rege Cordic moving to LA.

 

[cingram]

I'm reminded of Rege Cordic moving to LA.

That's one example. Bob Crane is another, and he was wildly successful on KNX.

C.

 

[Whiplash]

Ah if my memory serves me right, I've down it in 6 markets of various sizes.

 

[Boss Radio]

Yes, you're the greatest.

 

[Parttimer]

I think there's also room, if one could get one of the better signals such as 540,1080, or 660 (not as good, but covers Allegheny county pretty well), to do a station of syndicated talkers. There's a lot of good syndicated content that's either not represented at all in the market, or is on stations where the rest of the day is so bad there's no point in it being there.

Imus is currently on 1550, followed by the really awful Lifestyle Radio Network, which is owned by the same group which owns the station. Laura Ingraham shows up as filler on WEDO in unsold morning hours.

I'd take Imus from sign-on to 10, Ingraham 10-noon, Smerconish noon-3, and the re-feed of Ed Schultz 3-6. If you could get your hands on 1080, which is 50,000 watts right next to KDKA, it could be particularly interesting. Now I know that lineup is all over the map politically (Laura's conservative, Smerconish is in the middle, Schultz is an MSNBC lefty), which consultants will tell you can't work, but I think those are the 4 most entertaining shows not currently on a major signal here. None of these cost any real money to my knowledge, just inventory.

To me, that certainly would be more viable than a lot of what is on the AM dial now.

 

[cingram]

I'm sure that a long debate could ensue (perhaps it already has) on the viability of a directional, 1,000-watt
AM daytimer (okay, 24 watts at night), but this much I know for sure: (1) the station is dark and just about
anywhere it goes from here (short of turning in the license) will be an accomplishment. and (2) the believers
are more likely to accomplish something than the naysayers.

The bumblebee cannot fly; it's been scientifically proven it's just not aerodynamic. But the bumblebee does
not know this, so it flies anyway.

I look forward to seeing 1590 fly.

C.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Ah if my memory serves me right, I've down it in 6 markets of various sizes.

You'd know that better than anyone else. It ain't like 1250WTAE is a household name. If you think you can do it, and you can afford it, and you want to do it, then do it. If you don't want to, then don't. I haven't seen your resume. I wouldn't recognize you if I tripped over you. So naturally, my memories of your accomplishments are non-existent.

If you were successful at starting up an AM daytimer from scratch with minimal night time coverage in a market with one very powerful FM competitor and a second, less powerful FM competitor, and a weak, shrinking business climate, and you ran an all oldies format, mazel tov! I hold anyone who accomplished that feat in the same esteem with which I look up to someone who successfully drew to an inside straight in a high stakes poker game, or who played $50,000 on Double Zero and won. I'd say any person who accomplished any of those feats was one lucky SOB. And in the world nowadays, being lucky beats being good, 9 times out of 10.

 

[Whiplash]

Radio Info for a lot of years has been a great vehicle for those of us in the radio business, and those that wish they were, to post thoughts on stations, companies, formats, people etc. I salute that. But when it comes to actually going through the process of purchasing, owning and operating stations, few of you, if any have ever done so.

For those of us that do, that still have the passion for the business, and remain independent broadcasters, it would sure be nice to come here, read and post without reading posts from so many negative people, who again have never owned a radio station.

So with that, I'll keep you all informed, as to what is going on.

 

[Boss Radio]

We are in your debt.

 

[FreddyE1977]

My relatives who still live in Da Burgh tell me that most of the Spanish speaking community in Pittsburgh is concentrated in and around Beechview. If that's the case, even if those 0.8% of the population all liked the format of the new station (which is no guarantee, since there are as many different kinds of Spanish music as there are English language music), the advertisers who would want to single out the Spanish speaking people are pretty much all located in the same neighborhoods.

Very true. The lower end of Broadway Avenue in Beechview has become the center of the Pittsburgh
Hispanic community (along with some pockets in Washington County, etc.)

Unfortunately the local business district on Broadway Avenue has been decimated by a real estate scandal
(someone who owned 90% of the storefronts took some sort of URA grant and then fled the country). So
I really do not know to whom you would sell ad time for this station. Maybe for jitney service to drive people
to Kuhn's on Banksville Road, since the Foodland went belly-up a few months back.

A Mexican grocery recently opened in Brookline, and appears to be quite successful (though it is not
serving an exclusively Hispanic clientele....tons of locals line up at their weekend outdoor taco stand).
Given the concentration of this population I suspect a Part 15 station in Beechview could serve that
community quite nicely.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Look...I understand Chris' frustration here.

He's actually putting money into the game and buying small AM radio stations with what many might consider, charitably, challenges. Even BEING on the AM band in 2010 is a challenge for as stations as big as WJAS or even KDKA, the market's long-dominant AM station that has gotten quite a challenge with a talk station on FM.

I see it pretty similarly to my friend Clarke Ingram. Anything a new owner is able to do with 1590, hey, bring it on.

The new owner could well face obstacles he isn't facing in other, smaller markets. But as I have said before, we're talking a different level than the WJAS' or the KDKAs of the world.

I do have a soft spot for the small, independent owner trying to make a go of it. Could he fall flat on his face? Certainly. Could he get some modest success, within limitations? Certainly.

If 1590's new owner spectacularly fails, hey, it's not my money he's losing.

 

[dB]

The traditional thinking among marketers is that older folks spend less, have little interest in new products and have brand preferences set in stone. But across the USA, the 77 million members of the Baby Boom generation — folks born from 1946 through 1964 — are turning that conventional marketing wisdom on its head.

USAToday: http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2010-11-15-babyboomers-spending_N.htm

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Based on what Ohio Media Watch told us about your stations and their formats, and the fact that he didn't mention you making any format switches, I'm guessing that the stations you bought had some level of heritage.

My apologies if I gave that impression.

The stations Chris bought have very much been members of the Format of the Month Club, mostly prior to his ownership.

Under former owner Beacon Broadcasting, 1540 was running Christian AC (as "Freq 1540"), after its previous gospel format - originally in the format from the owner before Beacon, then Beacon kept it by using "Rejoice - Musical Soul Food" (ex-ABC/Citadel 24 hour format now on its own). Then, the flip to Christian AC, then Beacon briefly flipped it to a simulcast of 1570 (Fox Sports) before selling it to Chris.

Chris flipped 1540 to classic country "The Farm".

1570 has been through even more formats over the years. Beacon bounced it between Christian AC, secular soft AC/standards, secular oldies, and sports, among other formats I'm surely forgetting.

When Chris bought it, he kept it as "Fox Sports 1570", until the network moved to Clear Channel's WNIO/1390 Youngstown (it's not there yet, but will be soon). That's when he flipped it to "Classic Top 40" as "The Blizzard", and that just happened.

You may be confused because Chris does seem to celebrate the heritage of his stations, even if the formats have changed. But 1540 once did country in one of the WNIO incarnations, and we've already talked about oldies on 1570

What people will take away from this, I'm sure, is that the stations have no chance or hope because they have been through so many formats.

 

[KeyTimes950]

It would be a pity if a station is disregarded because it went through multiple formats. If the right format reaches enough of the right audiences, that get enough advertisers to back it, it would not matter how many formats it went through beforehand. Those previous formats will be quickly forgotten. Persistence would be necessary, however, because unless the licensee or LMA holder has enough money and/or ways to promote the product, it will be next to impossible to get anyone to sample the product.

Of course, in the case of WZUM, there will be a lot to do before the promotion can begin, even if all the new owner is doing is seeking out a new studio and getting a new deal in place with the property owner of the transmitter site. Mr. Lash seems to have enough on his plate with his Youngstown Country Legends and other operations to wish on him the dubious honor of trying to be the next savior of WZUM, too.

 

[Talk_Dude]

The traditional thinking among marketers is that older folks spend less, have little interest in new products and have brand preferences set in stone. But across the USA, the 77 million members of the Baby Boom generation — folks born from 1946 through 1964 — are turning that conventional marketing wisdom on its head.

USAToday: http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2010-11-15-babyboomers-spending_N.htm

On the one hand, that article is probably 100% dead-on correct. On the other hand, it might take five to ten years before that sinks into the heads of the people who make major media purchases based on age demographics.

It would be a pity if a station is disregarded because it went through multiple formats. If the right format reaches enough of the right audiences, that get enough advertisers to back it, it would not matter how many formats it went through beforehand. Those previous formats will be quickly forgotten. Persistence would be necessary, however, because unless the licensee or LMA holder has enough money and/or ways to promote the product, it will be next to impossible to get anyone to sample the product.

That is another totally correct and accurate statement. Whether a station has gone through multiple formats or only changed once from a decades old heritage format, the point is that for a new format to reach an audience, it is exactly as you described it. The sentence that I boldfaced is something every station owner should make into a poster and hang it in his office where he has to read it every day.

 

[cingram]

There's a brand of soap called ZUM. Maybe they could give it away.

http://www.indigowild.com/products/natural-soap

"WZUM -- where we're washing away the past!"

C.