WZUM 50 YEARS ?

[PHIL Z]

August 23 1957, John J Keel A Broadcast Radio Consultant,and 1/3 owner WCRO Johnstown. Along with Lloyd W Dennis 1/3 Owner of WCRO and Vice President of WTOP Washington DC, Apply for 1590 Jeanette Pa 500 Watts Daytime. January 3 1958 Hoyt C Murphy Owner of WJDY Salsbury MD. and G.R. Chambers Owner of WDVM Pocomoke MD. Apply for 1590 Carnegie, 1,000 watts DA Daytime. July 7 1960 FCC Grants Murphy and Chambers Application. January 1961 WCNE Call Letters Issued to 1590 Carnegie.March 28 1961 Carnegie Broadcasting Apply's for Additional Time To Construct 1590 due to Change in Transmitter Site. April 1961 Call Letters Changed to WZUM.July 12 1961Fcc Denied Petition By John Keel and Lloyd Dennis For Reconsidertion Per March 28 1961 C P Change. July 1962 WZUM 1590 is on the Air. One of the First Intergrated Formated Radio Stations in the Country. James D Psihoulis Is GM, [from GM WKWK Wheeling] AM Drive is Ken Reeth [aka Brother Love] and Eddie King From Hartford,Bill Hall From Detroit Mid Days, Buddy Lowe From Texas PM Drive. May 26 1965 James Psihoulis buys 5% of WZUM for $5,000.00. December 1966 Over Objections of WKJF Pittsburgh. [ Breach of Contract. They stated WZUM was offered to them first] .James Psihoulis 50%. And Samuel, Howard and Jason Shapiro 50%. [Owners of National Record Mart].Buy WZUM for $200,000.
September 11 1975 Hickling Broadcasting Buys WZUM for $375,000. January 1976 Call Letters Changed to WPLW [We Preach the Living Word] Using an Inspirational Format. April 28 1998 Michael Horvath Buys the License for WPLW [ Paying $80,000 ]. August 28 1998 Call letters Changed to WZUM Format Aldult Contempory. June 1999 WZUM Temporarily Silenced for a New Transmitter site Rebuilding. March 2000 WZUM on the Air with 1,000 watts Day 24 Watts Night Directional. 2 Patterns day and night. 2003 Starboard Media LMA's WZUM. September 23 2005 StarBoard Buys WZUM fom $435,000. June 15 2009 Believe and Achieve Teaching From VA. Buys WZUM. March 23 2010. WZUM Goes Slient. Had it Continued WZUM would be 50 Years Old.

 

[Boss Radio]

If Nixon hadn't died, he'd be 99.

 

[Pratte4Life]

Does anyone have any WZUM memories?

 

[FreddyE1977]

James Psihoulis 50%. And Samuel, Howard and Jason Shapiro 50%. (Owners of National Record Mart).Buy WZUM for $200,000.
September 11 1975 Hickling Broadcasting Buys WZUM for $375,000.

Wow, adjusted for inflation that's quite a bundle of cash for a 1kW daytimer.

 

[secondchoice]

James Psihoulis 50%. And Samuel, Howard and Jason Shapiro 50%. (Owners of National Record Mart).Buy WZUM for $200,000.
September 11 1975 Hickling Broadcasting Buys WZUM for $375,000.

Wow, adjusted for inflation that's quite a bundle of cash for a 1kW daytimer.

Back in the day, the unofficial value (rule) for radio stations was 2.5 to 3 times the billing or 10 times positive cash flow. $375K divided by 3 equals $125,000 yearly or around $10,416 a month billing or $37,500 positive cash flow a year.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

They had Frankie Crocker in 1964 actively advocating for the election of Johnson over Goldwater

 

[filenz]

Yes Frankie Crocker, Wild Bill Curtis, Al Gee, Bouncin' Bobby Bennette, Jeffrey Troy, Bob Mack, Mad Mike Metro. Andrea Griffin, Dee Thompson & Loran Mann did the news. In the rock years there was Kit Baron, Jeff Michaels (Stan Wall), Powerful Paul Perry, Laid Back Larry Gerson.

 

[Parttimer]

Was it an R&B station before it was rock?

 

[PHIL Z]

Was it an R&B station before it was rock?

Yes it Started as R&B in 1970/71 It had "Progrosive Hour "Daily. Then in 71/72 Became Rock 10 am to Sunset. Polka's 6am to 10 am With "Polka Larry Allen" When Jimmy Pol was off. in 74/75 it Became C&W like it's Sister station WINO Niles Ohio.

 

[PHIL Z]

The Selling Price from Starboard to Believe and Achieve was $800,000.

 

[FreddyE1977]

The Selling Price from Starboard to Believe and Achieve was $800,000.

I am guessing that is just a wee bit more than three times billing.
No wonder they couldn't pay their rent.

 

[laidback]

Mad Mike Metro, a great guy that helped many through the years, being one of a few white jocks during WZUM's R&B period, back in a day before PC and uptight no sense of humor, jokingly walked into the studio for his air shift and hollered "To the back of the bus"! :

 

[cingram]

Was it an R&B station before it was rock?

Yes it Started as R&B in 1970/71 It had "Progrosive Hour "Daily. Then in 71/72 Became Rock 10 am to Sunset. Polka's 6am to 10 am With "Polka Larry Allen" When Jimmy Pol was off. in 74/75 it Became C&W like it's Sister station WINO Niles Ohio.

When WZUM signed on in 1962, it was an R&B station. By 1967, the station had integrated its playlist and staff
and became a Top 40 competitor to KQV. That lasted for a few years, until the sign-on of WIXZ, which became
the #2 Top 40 station in town. WZUM ultimately went progressive/album rock until the sale to the Hicklings five
years later. I did not know WZUM ever had a period as a country station.

C.

 

[cingram]

The Selling Price from Starboard to Believe and Achieve was $800,000.

As I recall, most of that ($700,000) was in a tax certificate.

I don't know much about Believe & Achieve, but looking at the list of FCC violations, it seems that either
they didn't know what they were doing or they were in over their heads, or both. It's no surprise, but a
sad ending, that the station went dark.

C.

 

[PHIL Z]

The Selling Price from Starboard to Believe and Achieve was $800,000.

As I recall, most of that ($700,000) was in a tax certificate.



C.

True, with $75,000 Down. the CW format was Short Lived Just Before the Sale to Hickling. When WIXZ came on the air, Before WZUM Played its last song, A spot with Jim Quinn stated " Tune your radio now to 14 KQV." Then Again after that Song and WZUM would Sign Off.

 

[PHIL Z]

The sad part of the Saga . I Know of 3 Investors That Tried to Buy WZUM 2 in the Radio Bussiness 1 in Music Biz. 2 wanted an R&b Oldies Format. But Crafton Boro Wanted the Towers Down.

 

[Boss Radio]

I Know of 3 Investors That Tried to Buy WZUM 2 in the Radio Bussiness 1 in Music Biz. 2 wanted an R&b Oldies Format. But Crafton Boro Wanted the Towers Down.

Best thing that ever happened to those investors. They should take the money and buy lottery tickets. They'll have a better chance to make money.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

I Know of 3 Investors That Tried to Buy WZUM 2 in the Radio Bussiness 1 in Music Biz. 2 wanted an R&b Oldies Format. But Crafton Boro Wanted the Towers Down.

Best thing that ever happened to those investors. They should take the money and buy lottery tickets. They'll have a better chance to make money.

Maybe money is not their primary motivator.

 

[Boss Radio]

I Know of 3 Investors That Tried to Buy WZUM 2 in the Radio Bussiness 1 in Music Biz. 2 wanted an R&b Oldies Format. But Crafton Boro Wanted the Towers Down.

Best thing that ever happened to those investors. They should take the money and buy lottery tickets. They'll have a better chance to make money.

Maybe money is not their primary motivator.

If they're happy to break even or lose money just so they can play DJ and spin their favorite records on a scratchy AM signal that nobody listens to, I'm happy, too.