As promised, the latest update in our ongoing saga regarding the move of 101.7 FM to the Canton area.
As it appears now, the move of the station now known as WJER-FM won't happen in full until shortly after the first of the year.
Last night, WJER itself signed off regular programming on the FM side, after its annual presentation of "A Christmas Carol" from 11 PM until midnight.
After that, 101.7 began airing a continuous loop of announcements from various staff members directing listeners to the station's new AM-only operation - and the station's live Internet feed at WJER.com.
OMW hears that this will continue for the next day or so.
After equipment is removed from Dover and the station's Strasburg main tower site, WJER has the option of continuing this loop from its auxiliary 101.7 transmitter site at the WJER studio complex on Boulevard in Dover until the new signal signs on from Canton. At this point, we don't know if the loop will continue in that fashion.
Back at 22nd and Whipple, OMW has pulled a few teeth to find out that the new site for the station to become WHOF(FM) will not broadcast the new Canton market signal for 101.7 until shortly after January 2nd.
It's a timing issue, we've heard...certain crews necessary to do things like hang antennas on top of towers will not be working through this holiday week.
Meanwhile, we hear from other folks who have been by the site that most of the other work is done...for the tower and site which will also become home for Cumulus rock WRQK/106.9.
WRQK, of course, is the original reason the tower was built...as its own tower just across the way on 22nd Street is a strong gust away from being one with the ground.
So, all of you playing the What Format Will 101.7 Adopt in Canton Home Game (plastic tower replica sold separately!), move your chess pieces around on the Imaginary Radio Format board for a week or two more.
One other note: someone who looks into such FCC-related things for us tells us that the call letter change from WJER-FM to WHOF(FM) will take place at midnight on the 28th. So, if WJER management continues to operate the "tune to AM 1450 loop" on the auxiliary transmitter, they'll have to ID with the new calls after that point.
We haven't been given a target date for the new station's launch, so we're just guessing here. But we'd imagine January 8th would be a good place to start looking...
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
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14 comments:
Thanks for that update..
The loop is effective but annoying.
Happy Holidays
Folks, you have it all wrong...
Lithuanian folk rock. The format of the future. It's doing what Jammin' Oldies did in the 90s and JACK did recently in small unknown countries.
The new call letters are prefect and give it away!
WHOF = Home Of Folk Rock
Bingo!
Has this room lost all the intelligent people with comments.
It does look like it.
Oddly enough the "loop" is more entertaining than what you normally would hear on 101.7.
I wonder how many offices in the valley are open today and that that loop playing on the overheards and didnt even notice.
Anonymous, you have it all wrong my fiend! While listening to Art Bell the other night I went back into time and reflected on the TM Productions demo"Tomorrow Radio" How about Punk Country!...I wanna whip your cow show me how...lah blah blah. ...and remember Garner Ted always pays his bills on time!
Is Clear Channel Clear Thinking??? If they launch "The Bull" another country format in Northeast Ohio they are making a big mistake!!! Consider country stations WQXK, WQMX, WQKT, WNCO, WGAR and WTUZ. I know we are all hillbillys in Northeast Ohio...but enough of the country format!!! How about a solid oldies station 60' and 70's format for us gray hairs!! Something to think about...country is a dying format and rightfully it should be dying...
Sorry, it will be a CHR. Kiss Canton.
One reason country seems to be a possibility in Canton:
Sales.
Yeah, the market is ringed by country stations of all sorts, from WQMX up north, to WQKT out west, to WTUZ down south, to the mighty WQXK to the east.
But...one thing makes this possible.
None of the above really sell Canton advertisers.
Sure, there is some overlap, particularly with WQXK and to some degree, WQMX.
But...K-105 basically retreated from selling Canton a while back. It solidified itself as a Youngstown station, and...
Remember that sale of WRQK to Clear Channel? (Which, by the way, we're told is STILL in the works, believe it or not...)
With Cumulus selling WRQK, they exit Canton, period. That means any nominal selling they do for K-105 in the market won't have a base.
Again, this will basically be a Canton station, and won't really be competitive that far north of Belden Village or Green. They can sell it to existing WKDD advertisers looking to reach a different audience.
(This is coming from your Primary Editorial Voice[tm], who wouldn't know sales techniques if he were force fed them. But it makes sense to us!)
We still aren't going to the betting window on "The Bull" yet. We've heard rumors of anything from AC to rhythmic CHR to oldies, though we don't give the latter much chance.
We'll find out...what appears to be somewhere north or south of January 8th.
All of this fuss over a station in...um, Canton.
Geez.
The loop is gone the station (101.7FM) is dark, and quiet now.
Release the bull!!!!
Enough with "Bull" talk. 101.7 is not going country. The hand was tipped six months ago when the domain name "kisscanton" or some variation was reserved. The rest has been a feeble attempt to divert and mislead as to the true identity of the "new" format. A real CHR will be hitting Canton in a week or so and we've known about it for months. Really. No Bull.
"A real CHR will be hitting Canton in a week or so and we've known about it for months. Really. No Bull."
I would surmise that (unless your last name is Kennedy, Lankford, or Mays, you're just spreading some more bull.
He voodoo
I had the disc about 6 jobs ago, I think I lost it in Frederick Maryland. I'll make a few calls to some friends who may have it see if I can get a copy. I'll post a note on this thread when I have more info. Peace out.
WJER FM is dark? I didn't know that.
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