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WTIS AM-1110 St. Petersburg

frankberry

frankberry

Administrator
Staff member
I've heard that WTIS has shut down their operation.
Does anyone in the Tampa Bay area have any more information?
 
Frank, the station has been for sale for years as the Roseman's are getting out the radio business. I had sold their Ocala station, WOCA, in 2010, and WTIS was their only remaining station. My understanding is a developer had offered them a substantial amount of cash for the transmitter site. Not surprising, the land has a much higher FMV than the radio station.
 
Earlier this year, I remember reading they were trying to buy a translator down in Port Charlotte to move up here for the station, for about $125k. I guess that didn't end up happening.

Byron
 
frankberry said:
Thanks Mark!

I haven't seen that they have turned-in the station license at this point.
Click to expand...

Frank, there was talk that they were in negotiations to diplex the antenna with another AM in the area. Could be they will turn in the license as a last resort.
 
byron said:
Earlier this year, I remember reading they were trying to buy a translator down in Port Charlotte to move up here for the station, for about $125k. I guess that didn't end up happening.

Byron
Click to expand...

Byron, that is also the most up to date news I have as well. Could be they may still be searching for a translator if negotiations fell apart on the Port Charlotte deal.
 
jmtillery said:
Byron, that is also the most up to date news I have as well. Could be they may still be searching for a translator if negotiations fell apart on the Port Charlotte deal.
Click to expand...

From what I see in FCC filings, the translator deal went through and it was licensed in Tampa at the American Tower Gandy Bridge site. Since the AM filed for a silent STA while they try to find an negotiate a new site, I am sure the translator is silent as well. Last I heard they are having issues securing a site because they are trying to diplex with another station in the market, and cannot agree on the lease price.
 
The translator (101.1) was on the air about a month ago and it was most definitely broadcasting from the Gandy site. It disappeared a few weeks ago probably because of the reasons mentioned above. Also... there was some talk in another thread about not being able to secure a permanent spot for the translator's antenna. Anyway, sounds like everything is off the air now as I just checked AM 1110 and there was nothing there.
 
WTIS also has (or had) a CP to move to 1100KHz with some nighttime service (less than 200 watts directional). Not sure if they ever moved, but probably waiting until a new TL is secured.
 
Back in the 1960s, when their tower was in Seffner, WALT was receivable on the car radio in the vicinity of SR-200 & I-75 (near Ocala). That was the upper limit of their coverage area. However, in recent years, they do not reach that far north.
 
The American Tower on Gandy is overloaded, they allowed WTIS to "test and entry" for 30 days so we could license the translator. It was turned off before the AM was filed to go silent. The diplex details are almost complete so filings shouldn't be far behind.

The rest of the details I am not at liberty to disclose as yet.......but stay tuned.
 
If this is really the end of WTIS, it will also be the end of the frequency that the legendary WTVT-TV's great ancestor was in (1110AM), which was WALT-AM, who's owner, Walt Tison founded WTVT, in which WTVT, now Fox 13, would go on it's way to be the #1 TV station in all of Tampa Bay and it still is today, while WALT-AM, the AM station that started it all crumbles down and becomes WTIS, and then WTIS is gone.
 
OK. I was wondering what happened to that station. I was flipping around with the CCEP one day and did not hear it.
 
uhh ohh "fake news" lol

Buy my translator and I'll throw in an AM...............where is Billy Mays when I need him RIP
 
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