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WELS-AM/FM sold

  • Thread starter JOHNNY on the RADIO
  • Start date
J

JOHNNY on the RADIO

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Willis Broadcasting is selling WELS-AM/FM in Kinston to Eastern Airwaves LLC (affiliated with Curtis Media) for $225,000.
 
Wow that's a steal for both stations at that price..That was the "jewel" of Willis crown and I use that term very lightly.The studio on Queen St used to be very nice. I haven't been in there in years so I don't know what shape it is in today but the station has gotten decent numbers for a good while. It will be interesting to see if the plans are to stay Gospel..Could 730 figure into the plans.... 1150???? Eastern Airwaves?? I don't know much about them??
 
Look for a city-of-license change for the FM. Maybe Vanceboro, NC - with a rimshot signal into Greenville and New Bern.
The big prize? Moving eastward to boost power on quasi-associated WKIX in Raleigh.

As for TwinTen, Curtis will sell that soon.
 
I have a feeling that's what Don Curtis will do, it would be good move, but the problem with relocating 102.9 further east of slightly north is a 50,000 watt station in Norfolk, Virginia WOWI, so if Curtis Media wanted to, turn the license in of 102.9 in Kinston, boost the power of 102.9 in Raleigh to about 50,000 Watts, switch "The Pulse" here, or move WPTF to FM.
 
I'm told that the WELS building is all but trashed inside. If that is true, it's disturbing to me. The former owner of WELS Mr.Bill Page, built that building to showcase downtown Kinston. I had the pleasure to join them a few months after they went on the air and made the move to Queen St. Working for Jack Hankins (a true radio guy) and the Page family was a highlight I will always cherish. Mrs. Page took pains to decorate the inside and took pride in how it looked. I know those folks are turning over in their graves if they knew all that has been done to the "Page Building!" :'(
 
tothedj? Curtis Can't boost 102.9 out of Raleigh because of Life 103.1 out of Sharpsburg!
 
I understand that both stations will move out of Kinston leaving another vacant building on Queen St. The stations will broadcast out of the Goldsboro building. Not sure what formats they will do but I assume one of them will be kept some sort of urban programming; for the Lenoir County market which has a large African American population. Maybe do the old Q-97 format and revive that era of great broadcasting. I know Allen V. and I would love some kind of classic country format, but I just don't see that. Any thoughts?????
 
Honestly, I can't blame them for moving. It's scary to think what that building probably looks like inside after so many years of Willis ownership.
 
I think they had pictures on the 'net about 7-8 years ago of that station. It looked abandoned...trashed was an understatement! One of the stations was literally hard-wired to a 20 year old Kenwood receiver as a "simulcast" IIRC. There was similarly aged consumer tape decks, a CD changer, and a cheap $10 Tandy microphone (remember that "brand name"?) to complete the studio. All hooked up to a very cheap looking DJ mixer...

Radio-X
 
A 94Z Fan said:
tothedj? Curtis Can't boost 102.9 out of Raleigh because of Life 103.1 out of Sharpsburg!
Click to expand...
Not to mention Sanford.

That's actually a pretty good station. I listened on the way to the beach.
 
102.9 is now "102.9 WELS, Kinston's Classic Hits"

It is essentially WNCT without the disco.

I don't see the logic in going up against WNCT, but then again Don Curtis has not been known for wise choices lately.
 
Music on 102.9 is not bad but sound quality is not up to par and without jocks it is painfully boring...Why image with just Kinston when you reach much more than Kinston?? and its gonna be tough sledding with a subpar signal in Greenville and not reaching New Bern or Jacksonville I wish them luck..The WELS calls are legendary though..Some great radio people spoke those call letters through the years...
 
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