1480 & 850 Shutting Down

[Radio Chili]

A job well done, Bob!

And you closed 'er down with flair. Kudos.

See you in the Spring.

[Steve Dirksen]

Well Bob, it's been fun to be a part of your magnificent career. But don't call it quits just yet...
Robert "Bob" Sirott is 72,(born August 9, 1949). He is the morning host at WGN-AM in Chicago. He is also a former television news anchor, most recently working in that role at Chicago's WFLD.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Sirot ... 0Sirott%20(born,that%20role%20at%20Chicago's%20WFLD.

[Ben Zonia]

Well Bob, it's been fun to be a part of your magnificent career. But don't call it quits just yet...
Robert "Bob" Sirott is 72,(born August 9, 1949). He is the morning host at WGN-AM in Chicago. He is also a former television news anchor, most recently working in that role at Chicago's WFLD.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Sirot ... 0Sirott%20(born,that%20role%20at%20Chicago's%20WFLD.

Dick Biondi is 89. John Landecker is 74.

[Musicrewired]

Thanks for clarifying how the scenario went down. I had suspected that the value of the land being sold was the only real consideration, and the virtue of the public aspect of the station was also the fault of the "not-in-the-broadcasting-business-so-not-too-concerned-about-whether-the-listeners-liked-the-station-or-in-serving-a-market".

That would be why a lame explanation by the station even mentioned competitors playing similar music. If you don't care about your station any longer, you don't believe in it enough to say that your station is better than anyone else in the format. Non-radio ownership (investment groups as opposed to broadcasting companies) only really cares about profits, and public radio is beholden to the university and all financial considerations it has.

Nonetheless, RealOldies existed and we enjoyed it, realizing how rare a station it was. Here's a toast to you and your co-workers who knew what really should have happened, but did great work in spite of those who cared about other objectives. Those in radio know having a chance to say farewell doesn't always happen.

And still, no media outlet around GR ever mentioned RealOldies 1480's demise.

[Musicrewired]

Thanks. I'm still sore about the school tossing away the stations, but that disappointment isn't much different than any time I saw management or ownership take a good thing and ruin it by basing decisions on economics or personal bias rather than what the listener might really want.

One wonders how an institution of higher learning decides what level of highbrow they feel is deserving of their broadcast efforts, and who should be served by the "common" radio stations.

[STARKY]

Hi everybody.......good ol' wkbz am 850
I was there around 1972 for a few years before going back to wmus.
I did the morning show. 1972 was like going back in time. wkbz was a well run radio station.
playing nat king cole, Frank sinatra, tony bennett........i had very good numbers. lots of tiger games.....paul harvery.
IM SO TANKFUL TO BE A PART OF THE ERA. I believe it signed on in 1948.

THANKS...JIM COX

[STARKY]

Hi everybody.......good ol' wkbz am 850
I was there around 1972 for a few years before going back to wmus.
I did the morning show. 1972 was like going back in time. wkbz was a well run radio station.
playing nat king cole, Frank sinatra, tony bennett........i had very good numbers. lots of tiger games.....paul harvery.
IM SO TANKFUL TO BE A PART OF THE ERA. I believe it signed on in 1948.

[sdaddy]

An iconic station.

Living in Roosevelt Park, WKBZ was my must listen to station in the 70's and '80s.

Mohawks Hockey on WKBZ ! I miss the days.

[paul8539]

WHICH 1480 is shutting down? Owosso?

[dwp49423]

WHICH 1480 is shutting down? Owosso?

WGVU (1480 Grand Rapids) and WGVS (850 Muskegon) both ceased operations on January 7.

[ftballfan]

Owosso is on 1080. The other 1480 in Michigan is in Salem Township/Ypsilanti

[Ben Zonia]

Owosso is on 1080. The other 1480 in Michigan is in Salem Township/Ypsilanti

And don't forget WIOS 1480 Tawas City-East Tawas.

[edj]

I tried contacting the school into buying 1480 alone but couldn’t get an answer. I don’t think selling was even an option.