101.9 wldr

[TC Shuts Up]

WTCM in fact has had some losers working for them. They also ran some hate-filled programming in my opinion. but I have also seen them take steps to become a community resource rather than a political patsy.

I really don't see how your opinions about WTCM are relevant to a discussion of WLDR. That said, YOU ASKED FOR IT.

Consider the hatred that ABC, NBC, CBS had this week for people exposing their covering up of the Epstein and Weinstein and Lauer situations, etc. Look at The View when Donald Trump, Jr. exposed Joy Behar's and Whoopie Goldberg's hypocrisy this past week. Look at their hatred of the ONLY REAL TRUE whistleblower. The whistleblower that told the truth worked for ABC, but was terminated at CBS for exposing ABC. There's your "collusion" right there, between the networks.

Talk about hate. I don't hear it on WTCM. I hear the truth that the others cover up. Talk about HATE, try listening to WCCCPT Chicago, Chicago's Soviet Talk station. They hate Middle America. They think they are "deplorable".

[TC Talks]

Good one

[zzand]

Anyhow, back to the actual topic, WLDR, is there any new word on movement, not of the bowel variety, on his stations? Doesn't he need to file STA's to take them dark for an extended period? Not that they make a difference when on air.

[TC Talks]

They are running a carrier

[zzand]

So they are legal...but just. Fort Bend's MO it seems.

[BigFreq]

Running carrier without audio is still illegal in the eyes of the FCC; so the potential for additional fines exists as long as the transmitters are on the air without programming and legal IDs. It would be wiser to shut them off, apply for an STA and sit on them for another six months. At least within 6 months, it's likely the ESPN format will be available in the market, and it's inexpensive programming to run. Meanwhile, as it pertains to the new abomination at 106.3; why anyone would rush to put a station on the air without ensuring the automation was tight, imagery in place, and the airstaff can perform tasks, is mind boggling. First impressions... not good; but also not surprising. Driving through TC Friday, there was anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds between cuts. It must have been running an iPod, until they needed to pause it to clear Gaylord ads on a station that's not even heard there. As I understand it, the simulcast signal at 94.5 is operating at deficient power levels, due to transmitter woes there. But, I'll give Blarney Stone this... three different LMA's in the same market over a year span; that's got to be a record anywhere!

[EdWalker]

Running carrier without audio is still illegal in the eyes of the FCC; so the potential for additional fines exists as long as the transmitters are on the air without programming and legal IDs.

At the very least, its money down the drain. The power bill for 25kw TPO can run up to a couple grand a month, depending on local rates.

[audiophile]

Running carrier without audio is still illegal in the eyes of the FCC; so the potential for additional fines exists as long as the transmitters are on the air without programming and legal IDs. It would be wiser to shut them off, apply for an STA and sit on them for another six months. At least within 6 months, it's likely the ESPN format will be available in the market, and it's inexpensive programming to run. Meanwhile, as it pertains to the new abomination at 106.3; why anyone would rush to put a station on the air without ensuring the automation was tight, imagery in place, and the airstaff can perform tasks, is mind boggling. First impressions... not good; but also not surprising. Driving through TC Friday, there was anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds between cuts. It must have been running an iPod, until they needed to pause it to clear Gaylord ads on a station that's not even heard there. As I understand it, the simulcast signal at 94.5 is operating at deficient power levels, due to transmitter woes there. But, I'll give Blarney Stone this... three different LMA's in the same market over a year span; that's got to be a record anywhere!

In other words, it sounds like 100.3 WQON?

[TC Talks]

Be careful folks, you might hurt someone's feelings in here...

Given that Roy has consistently ignored rules, how long on dead air before the FCC will realistically send a letter? 99.3 has been off except for a day or two for years at a time.

Side note, who remembers The Wolf? It's the only iteration of that signal that was exciting.

[MWmetalhead]

I do! Station was completely automated and had no advertisers. Music wasn't bad. Imaging was rock solid. Problem is - it launched at damn near the same time as Real Rock 105.1/95.5. 95.5's incumbent listenership was already substantial, and 95.5's signal across the Grand Traverse region is much stronger than that of 99.3.

[ftballfan]

Running carrier without audio is still illegal in the eyes of the FCC; so the potential for additional fines exists as long as the transmitters are on the air without programming and legal IDs. It would be wiser to shut them off, apply for an STA and sit on them for another six months. At least within 6 months, it's likely the ESPN format will be available in the market, and it's inexpensive programming to run.

Is a format flip likely at 106.7/105.5?

Back on topic, IPR buying the 101.9 frequency almost makes too much sense (101.9 with IPR News would fill some coverage holes in the IPR News network)

[ftballfan]

I do! Station was completely automated and had no advertisers. Music wasn't bad. Imaging was rock solid. Problem is - it launched at damn near the same time as Real Rock 105.1/95.5. 95.5's incumbent listenership was already substantial, and 95.5's signal across the Grand Traverse region is much stronger than that of 99.3.

I remember 99.3 the Wolf (barely). It may have done better under better ownership and/or with better sales people even with its signal disadvantage compared to 95.5 (the only areas where 99.3 had a stronger signal than 95.5 were parts of Benzie County as well as Manistee, Mason, Wexford, and Lake counties, which combined has less population than Grand Traverse County)

[MWmetalhead]

95.5's signal in Wexford is better than it looks on paper. It overachieves.

99.3 at full strength is no stronger in Cadillac than 95.5. If anything, 99.3 is a touch weaker.

[BigFreq]

Much of Northern's cluster will soon be broken up, as deals are becoming lined up for each property; which will move to various buyers; including the multiple signals presently used to air ESPN. I would imagine the agenda of the new various owners would be to put new formats across those frequencies. It's possible ESPN could remain on one, but I don't speculate that will be the case. It would free up a low maintenance format for WLDR to scoop up and cover the market.

[ftballfan]

A few weeks ago, while browsing the FCC history cards online, WTCM-FM was originally planned to be on 101.9 before it changed its CP to 103.5. I wonder if the 103.5 frequency was originally allocated to Manistee or Ludington at that time (early to mid 1960s; I found it odd that neither Manistee nor Ludington had a Class C in the pre-80-90 days as they had a much higher population at the time than Petoskey or Gaylord, both of which had a Class C)