1590 WIJK is off the air!

WOW!!!! What a surprise. No one is buying AM radio these days. Even with the LPFM, advertisers want a powerful station not 250watts. Also the owner is unstable. How many formats has he had, let alone call letters. I did some research and this owner and he has had over 10 LLC’s with the 4 stations he owned. Starting with 1260 WAMS in Newark, DE, then 1600 Dover, DE, and now 1590 Ocean City, MD and 101.1 Snow Hill, MD. Each time he changes the company name he changes the call letters. Now that looks really shady, and if I was an advertiser, I wouldn’t buy from a person like that.

What is the deal with this 1590/105.1/104.3 combo? Been reading the posts that go back many years and it is a pretty interesting story. I grew up and raised my family in the Annapolis area and vacationed at Ocean City countless times. My wife's family actually still has property there, and my brother in law owns several pizza places, one in Ocean City. It seems like this little combo should make money with the translators if you did it right. I am getting the feel that the radio market is pretty tough there, but how can you not make a buck with such low overhead?

Please tell an old local the rest of the story. I am in the business in central Florida now, and came across the stations listed as silent in the FCC records. ????

Three weeks and no response from anyone. I spoke with the owner and he seems like a nice enough guy, even if he does change formats like the tide. I guess the long off season is what hurts this combo the most, with very few full time residents in the off season. A couple of well placed bill boards and a consistent format and it should do enough in six months a year to make it i would think. Any locals familiar with the market care to weigh in?

The owner said this combo would be back on in April - did that happen? It is in season now so if it is off now it may be gone for good. Seems like a neat little combo that could make a few bucks if run properly. Orioles games and local stuff with oldies music or country as a main course - ???

Latest update, I was in the area last week and 1590/105.1 were simulcasting "Bay Country 97.9" WBEY. I heard a few on-air mentions of 105.1 Ocean City. Didn't think to check 104.3.

The Bay Country simulcast is out, alternative "The Ryde" is in at 1590/105.1 WIJK as of the new year.

http://theryderadio.com/

"The Ryde" is now on the 104.3 translator in OC, I'm hearing NBC Sports Radio on 1590/105.1.

DXingRadio said:

"The Ryde" is now on the 104.3 translator in OC, I'm hearing NBC Sports Radio on 1590/105.1.

Click to expand...

So if The Ryde is on the 104.3 translator, what full power station is carrying it to allow the translator to air it as well? More changes cannot be helping this combo - does the same guy still own it who has changed the format so many times it is hard to count now?

ok walters said:

So if The Ryde is on the 104.3 translator, what full power station is carrying it to allow the translator to air it as well? More changes cannot be helping this combo - does the same guy still own it who has changed the format so many times it is hard to count now?

Click to expand...

Good question on the translator, I have no idea. My best guess is maybe a HD radio feed, I never caught the hourly station ID while I was there. Looking at The Ryde's Facebook page it might be a mute point, hasn't been updated since early December.

https://www.facebook.com/1043-The-Ryde-Radio-311510389001838/

DXingRadio said:

Good question on the translator, I have no idea. My best guess is maybe a HD radio feed, I never caught the hourly station ID while I was there. Looking at The Ryde's Facebook page it might be a mute point, hasn't been updated since early December.

https://www.facebook.com/1043-The-Ryde-Radio-311510389001838/

Click to expand...

Looks like the combo has been traded for something similar in Seaford. Any other info? Good time to get it with summer season fast approaching.

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/151539/adams-swaps-in-delmarva

Last I heard the station and its translator is now relaying classic rocker Big 98.5 (WGBG). That was a few weeks ago though, it could be something else now. Spin that programming wheel!

Beginning January the station is back to simulcasting Bay Country WBEY, seems without the translators.

If anyone care's about the 1590's former translators; 104.3 moved to Salisbury while 105.1 remains in Ocean City. Adams Radio Group launched an oldies format as "Kool 104.3" on the signals relaying WOCQ-HD2.

http://kool1043.com/

I guess to complete this thread, AM 1590 is certainly off the air now .... for good. License was turned in to the FCC over a month ago.

Thanks for chronicling this. It's nice to have a discrete historical log without having to wade through infantile rants.