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"Your Music, Your Station" vs. "Magic 1560"

S

soundsandsports

I flipped on "Magic 1560" WMRO an hour ago and I'm hearing the Dial Global "Hot AC" format. It's awesome! Sure beats "Your Music, Your Station" on V102.5, or so I think...

Listen to both and tell me which is better.
 
Hello.....From the Horse's Mouth, WMRO's General Manager, Scott Bailey:

What is happening to WMRO is this, we are SLOWLY converting to Dial Global's Bright AC format. There are a few reasons for the slow change. ONE is the music is different in different day parts with Bright AC, which Dial Global has assured me that will change. TWO, the Bright AC "Daytime" Format clock only allows me 11 minutes of local inventory time, where thier Oldies Channel clock gives us about 16 minutes. Gary Thompson, whom is over the Dial Global formats assured me that they are working on streamlining the format clocks for Bright AC.

One of the major reason why we are changing is because WQKR-AM 1270, in neighbooring town of Portland, TN has gone Oldies. It's not your traditional "Olides" format like what was on 96.3 or 97.1. It's ABC's Timeless Format, where alot of the songs played on ABC's "Timeless Format" that are also played on Dial Global's Oldies Channel. I must admit, Lee Dorman is doing a good job with WQKR and we talked the other night about both stations. Lee and I agreed that WMRO going Bright AC would be for the best.

Right now, on the weekends, WMRO is fully on BAC, except on Sundays when all the religion is on. The weekday plan coming up shortly is Monday thru Thursday, we will keep AM Drive and Midday's on Dial's OC, then we'll switch to BAC at 2 PM in the afternoon and remain on BAC through the evening and overnights. Fiday's we will switch to BAC at 9 AM Friday Morings, and remain on BAC through the weekend.

I know this makes no sense to some of you, but Dial Global is going through some transistions with thier BAC format sicne they purchased the 24/7 Formats from Westwood One. BAC is moving to include more 70's gold, with the 80's thru Now. When they get things more iron out at Dial Global, the format here will BAC fulltime.

If you want to email me in private, my email address is: [email protected]
I don't monitor this board that much, so if you leave a comment here, I may not see it for a while. Oh, Mr. SoundsandSports, thanks for the kind words! I look forward to hearing from some of you!

Scott Bailey
General Manager/Owner/Operator
WMRO-AM Magic 1560
Gallatin, TN
 
I forgot to add to Chris Romer's Comment, at this time, we are having antenna problems at WMRO, so I had to lower the daytime power on my transmitter to keep from causing damage to it. I hope in the next two weeks, the tower riggers will be here and will will fix the folded unipole feed to the tower. This will get the power back up to normal.


Scott Bailey
General Manager/Owner/Operator
WMRO-AM Magic 1560
Gallatin, TN
 
As of April 1st, which was Monday, WMRO, Magic 1560, flipped from Oldies to Bright AC fulltime. The station's new slogan is "The Best of the 80's, 90's & NOW!" The change has been positive for us, as I have some great compliments on how the station has sounded.

The station had been oldies for over 13 years, and it was time for a change. I apoligize to the 60 plus crowed that has gotten on this and other boards about how bad it is that there is now longer a what I call 60's & early 70's Oldies station in the market. Sorry, but this station was getting stale and needed to change! Thanks from me to the people in Sumner County that listen and supported the station in the previous format over the years. Please don't get upset and post negative feedback on this because it's not going to change anything here. We are under contract for this new format.

We have signed a new 15 year agreement with Dial Global Radio Networks for the BAC Format. Thanks to Gary Thompson at Dial Global for a smooth transistion for us.

Scott Bailey
President/General Manager/Chief Operator
WMRO-AM, Magic 1560
Gallatin, TN
 
A 15 year agreement? Wow! I never sign longer than 3 years on anything. Dial Global may not be around in 15 years. Their really not that good, so my station went live in three dayparts. I appreciate the imaging, the jingles and the libraries they have given me, but they can take their programming and air talent, and keep them. We only run them at night, and some weekend dayparts.

Their bright AC format, I'm even less impressed with!
 
lash said:
A 15 year agreement? Wow! I never sign longer than 3 years on anything. Dial Global may not be around in 15 years. Their really not that good, so my station went live in three dayparts. I appreciate the imaging, the jingles and the libraries they have given me, but they can take their programming and air talent, and keep them. We only run them at night, and some weekend dayparts.

Their bright AC format, I'm even less impressed with!
Click to expand...

I know I am showing complete ignorance here, but what is Bright AC?

As for people getting POed about format changes, I always knew how bad that felt after one of my favorite stations pulled the plug.

I remember calling one of my stations asking if changes had been implemented. The lady on the other end, who I had met a few places at various functions relating to the format, jumped down my throat and said: Gee, you're Mr Einsteine . I was kind of taken back, but got it together to give her a mature, classy responce.

I know a change in formats can be bad for the radio people on the other end also. I know they must get tired of dealing with irate callers when a format change occurs.

Anyway, forgive me for asking this, but I tried to tune in to 1560 on my car radio and it was static city. Can that signal be received in Northeast Nashville? I would think so?
 
SwissVol said:
lash said:
A 15 year agreement? Wow! I never sign longer than 3 years on anything. Dial Global may not be around in 15 years. Their really not that good, so my station went live in three dayparts. I appreciate the imaging, the jingles and the libraries they have given me, but they can take their programming and air talent, and keep them. We only run them at night, and some weekend dayparts.

Their bright AC format, I'm even less impressed with!
Click to expand...

I know I am showing complete ignorance here, but what is Bright AC?

As for people getting POed about format changes, I always knew how bad that felt after one of my favorite stations pulled the plug.

I remember calling one of my stations asking if changes had been implemented. The lady on the other end, who I had met a few places at various functions relating to the format, jumped down my throat and said: Gee, you're Mr Einsteine . I was kind of taken back, but got it together to give her a mature, classy responce.

I know a change in formats can be bad for the radio people on the other end also. I know they must get tired of dealing with irate callers when a format change occurs.

Anyway, forgive me for asking this, but I tried to tune in to 1560 on my car radio and it was static city. Can that signal be received in Northeast Nashville? I would think so?
Click to expand...

As far as 1560 being received in Northeast Nashville, it depends on where you are. Since WLAC on 1510 has fired up thier IBOC/HD signal, they have caused some interference to us and WVOL on 1470, in addition, WMRO is having some antenna problems. We have order the parts and should be here next week, and I hope I will have a tower crew and a consultant engineer help me get the antenna back to normal soon.

A sort of example of Bright AC is V-102.5, which can not be heard well in Sumner County. I can hear it in the car, but it's hissy. On portable radios in Gallatin, forget it, you can't pick up V-102.5. I feel our format has more variety to it than V-102.5. We play 70's Oldies as well.

Our format's target demo is 30-54, who love the music of the 80's (stuff when we were in high school and college), but we still want to keep up with the current music out there, with no hard rock, no rap, or too soft like Mix 92.9. The music of the late 70's, 80's and early 90's is the "New Oldies", at least it's Oldies to the 30-54 demo. I'm almost 43, so the 80's music is Oldies to me.

R
 
I don't think the IBOC hash from WLAC makes if up to 1560...1530 would be a stretch.
I used to be able to hear WMRO over by Percy Priest Lake...but nothing recently...and
WBRY on 1540 still makes it in without IBOC from WLAC: not very well...but it's there.
How's the ground system on the tower?
 
romer979fm said:
I don't think the IBOC hash from WLAC makes if up to 1560...1530 would be a stretch.
I used to be able to hear WMRO over by Percy Priest Lake...but nothing recently...and
WBRY on 1540 still makes it in without IBOC from WLAC: not very well...but it's there.
How's the ground system on the tower?
Click to expand...

Chris,

That's one of the issues, the ground system. There is not much of one. Over a period of time, I believe it was stolen, well, you know the neighboorhood. The new tower I put up in 99 is not in the same place where the old one was behind what was the old transmitter building.

I've contacted Kevin Kidd, on replacement of the ground system as well. I've looked into a elevated radial system that has been proven by NEC software to be just as effective as the traditional 120 buried ground system. The elevated sytem only consist of six "overhead" radials. Check out this site:

http://www.nottltd.com/elevatedradials.html

Ron Nott has a kit for this, but Kevin tells me he can build one. The folded unipole on my tower is solid copper. I'm replacing it with a #6 stranded, copperweld type wire with a center conductor. This will make it more effective.

When you get a chance, drive up towards Rivergate on I-65 going towards Gallatin. It's not the hash (sounds almost like white noise) that is heard, but some kind of wierd splatter past 1530 on my side and up past 1480 towards WVOL's channel. WVOL kind of covers it up, due to they are closer.

This is part of the problems I'm having and why your not hearing it out at the dam in Hermitage as well as it once was. I have antenna and ground system problems. It forced me to cut the power down on the transmitter about 100 watts, due to I was getting reflected power back in to it from the tower.

Scott
 
This is a matter of receiver selectivity, a problem that permeates most radios today. I conduct the annual bandwidth measurements on WLAC for NRSC-2 and IBAC and can say the station is in compliance with the mask with room to spare. A typical automobile radio is into some degree of desensitization anywhere in southern Sumner or northern Davidson County from WLAC and/or WPLN. Power line RF rectification and the resulting noise along Gallatin road and other area locations is horrendous. It’s been like that as longs as I have been here and impacts everything on the AM band.

Yes, elevated radials have been proven to be as effective as 120 radials ninety degrees long and easy to install. Kevin should be able to do that easily. Should be high enough to walk under with lawn mower but too high to hang laundry on.

w/
 
Watt Hairston said:
This is a matter of receiver selectivity, a problem that permeates most radios today. I conduct the annual bandwidth measurements on WLAC for NRSC-2 and IBAC and can say the station is in compliance with the mask with room to spare. A typical automobile radio is into some degree of desensitization anywhere in southern Sumner or northern Davidson County from WLAC and/or WPLN. Power line RF rectification and the resulting noise along Gallatin road and other area locations is horrendous. It’s been like that as longs as I have been here and impacts everything on the AM band.

Yes, elevated radials have been proven to be as effective as 120 radials ninety degrees long and easy to install. Kevin should be able to do that easily. Should be high enough to walk under with lawn mower but too high to hang laundry on.

w/
Click to expand...

Watt,

Those TVA ( I guess they are 161 KV lines) going across Rivergate are terrible! This afternoon, getting back on the bypass to Gallatin, those lines put out more RF interference than they should, at least in my opinion. I have a GM receiver in the Monte Carlo, which is terrible on AM. Selectivity is somewhat horrible and they have taken the high end down to about 3 Kc. AWFUL!
I've got Dale Howard working on my antenna situation. Bob Mayben was suppose to get us the wire for the unipole, but it seems that has fallen through, so Kevin is taking care of it.
I discussed this with Dale, and it is our understanding that a station must do a Proof of Performance and file a 301 if they propose to do an elevated radial system. Is this true? Dale didn't want me to go that route if it was going to cost more money than just to redo the buried system. We figured an elevated system would scare the copper thieves (which have hit us in the past) if we went that route. I guess Dale would like an answer from you on this and I will relay it to him.
I've got reflected power coming back into the Armstrong X-1000B, 1 KW box we use, so I cut the power back to 850 watts to keep from causing damage to the low pass filter. The manufacture made that suggestion to me.

Thanks,
Scott
 
Scott,
I don't know for sure but I have also heard that is the case. I'll find out for sure and let you know next week. Can you get Kevin to see how much of the old ground system is still in tact? Might be easier to fix it and you might be supprised how much is left. The off center ground situation you mention might be a consideration as well. Do you know how far off it is from the old tower?

w/
 
Watt,

The newer "Pirod" tower is 60' from where the old tower sat. We did GPS readings and this is on file. I'll have Kevin see or Dale see how much is left of the old system. Dale did field readings and found most of my signal is going east. We think maybe this is happening because there is RR Tracks right behind my property. Dale is suppose to stop by sometime today and try to move some taps on the coils at the ATU in hopes of getting out some of the VSWR and make the transmitter happy until the Kevin gets the Unipole wire in.

I'm having Dale check everying so when it comes time for WMRO to go HD, the antenna will be ready. The Armstrong is HD ready, just need the exciter added.

Scott
 
My Chevy Silvarado truck with XM antenna just can not pick up 1560;however, while traveling into downtown Nashville in my other sedan type car, I picked up the signal just fine in front of East Nashville High School on Gallatin Road. The signal did well as I continued through downtown on the way to West Nashville.

Coming back though, I could no longer receive the station's signal.

Anyway, I guess you tech guys got the technical what have yahs and so ons as to why that was. LOL

I listened to the 1560 DJ that did the sat afternoon shift around 1 PM.

Nice job on the station.
 
SwissVol said:
My Chevy Silvarado truck with XM antenna just can not pick up 1560;however, while traveling into downtown Nashville in my other sedan type car, I picked up the signal just fine in front of East Nashville High School on Gallatin Road. The signal did well as I continued through downtown on the way to West Nashville.

Coming back though, I could no longer receive the station's signal.

Anyway, I guess you tech guys got the technical what have yahs and so ons as to why that was. LOL

I listened to the 1560 DJ that did the sat afternoon shift around 1 PM.

Nice job on the station.
Click to expand...


The jock on at that time was Steve Evans. He has a nice voice and a great personallity. Hopefully, we will get these tech issues ironed out in a couple of weeks.

Scott
 
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