Conrad on Jethro

[originalzzmfmjock]

I was listening to Conrad on Jethro-FM today. It's nice to hear a guy who cares for his radio station, cares for his audience, and cares for the music he's playing, while also having some fun. It's refreshing to hear a local guy, doing local radio, the way it's meant to be done.

[mocom70]

I'll second that

[MatthewMckenzie]

I'll 3rd that! Station is fun to listen to.. you know.. how radio used to be!

[BayCityJohn2337]

First time I met Conrad was at the Lone Star concert, in the Rockford High School gymnasium. Remember how B93 hosted many concerts there? That must have been over 30 years ago.

[Trophyhead]

Well, it was the Spring of ‘92 when B-93 got started, so almost. Not sure how early Conrad joined up, moving over from KLQ.

[Reese K Rickards]

The original afternoon guy was Dave "the beef" Wellington. He didn't believe country would ever work. Conrad joined us a month or so after sign on. Turned out country worked till I Heart and it's greedy minions got a hold of it.

[BayCityJohn2337]

What year did B93 get sold to Clear Channel and why did the old owners sell? Midwestern broadcasting in TC is still family owned even after 100 years. So sad West Michigan has nothing comparable to that..

One last question.... Is it possible that WTCM in Northern MI bills more than B93? They just purchased WKLT not long ago and put 250K down. The Biedermans don't seem to be selling towers to stay afloat like the rest and somehow afford to pay live jocks all day long.

[Reese K Rickards]

The sale of B-93 and the two WOOD stations was announced on February 19, 1996. In 1992 The Miller Brothers (two Kalamazoo lawyers) bought B-93 from Fetzer for two million. A year later the station was sold to Bruce Holberg who owned the WOOD stations for 10 or 11 million. Tim Feagan had lined up an employee buyout if Holberg blinked at the closing table. Sadly he did not.
Three years later Clear Channel offered and paid 44 million for the three station cluster.

I remember asking an exec with Clear Channel about the sale. He told me "everything is for sale, you just have to agree on the price." The purchase was a natural for Clear Channel. They were on a mission to become the largest radio owner in America, and they wanted the most powerful FM in the nation, along with monster xmitter WOOD FM. WOOD AM came with the deal.

I have often wondered what might have happened if the employees had been offered the Clear Channel buyout. I hope we would have had the courage to say no.

And imho There is no way TCM (as good as they are) out bills B-93. No earthly way. And imvho you can afford live jocks all day if all your profits are not poured into paying off a corporate masters tremendous debt load. Imagine a locally owned station in GR. They could become a MONSTER.

[MatthewMckenzie]

When In Interned at WTCM the phone would just ring and the orders would come in. Never saw a station like that before (or after for that matter) WTCM (was and is) making Bank. It was usually sold out Months in advance.

[Autoblemike]

I heard Conrad last night unexpectedly, and it was really nice to hear a familiar voice! I worked with Conrad and I always enjoyed his personality! IReese, you too man! Good to see you are posting. I loved chatting with you early mornings while filling in for Canuck(Rest In Peace).B93 was such a great team.

[ftballfan]

B93 at its peak, early 00s, billed over $7 million a year. Pre-COVID, they were probably doing between $3 million and $4 million a year, probably closer to $4.

WTCM-FM pre-COVID was billing around $1.5 million a year.

However, WTCM has a much bigger piece of the pie than B93 in their respective areas.

[blakeharms]

Imagine a locally owned station in GR. They could become a MONSTER.

There is a local owned station in GR... not country, but local nonetheless. 91.3 WCSG! They do just about everything right. Personable, live and local content for twelve hours a day on weekdays, and all local talent 24/7... weather updates regularly, traffic with Kevin Richards, local news reporters, and frequent city-stop campaigns. Their effort shows in the ratings. WCSG makes listening to radio fun, and it’s one of the very few stations in the market that does so consistently.

[BayCityJohn2337]

So is Robert S Womack still the owner of WYGR?