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Frederick's AM-820 now "The Gamut"

Frederick has been charmed in all sorts of ways. No local TV stations to compete with for ad dollars. Only a handful of radio stations--since DC & Baltimore gobbled up so many channels, back in the day.

Just beyond the 60 dBu contour of all the DC FM sticks (though most are listenable)--and too small for the DC stations to attempt direct selling. Why drive 40 miles to sell a $50 spot if you can drive 4 blocks and sell a $500 spot?

But the proximity allowed us to keep driving rates up in Frederick, knowing that advertisers had no real choice. It was us or DC.

And most importantly, a constant steady influx of new residents since around 1970. Growth spawns retail, which spawns advertising revenue. And the growth for these past 43 years has been generally upscale: there's lots of money floating around Frederick.

Just off the top of my head, I'd venture that part of Riverside-San Bernadino's problem may stem from having dozens of smaller stations strewn along the valley and just a handful of big sticks representing a market the size of--what?--Atlanta? Similar situation in San Jose--where so many allocations got snagged by broadcasters up the Bay, years before SJ turned into America's 10th Largest City. And both of these metros are a real socioeconomic mix... and Riverside-SB really lacks a "center"--a Central City. Way too easy to dismiss Morristown as "already covered by NYC buys"--whether true or not...

My understanding is that the old Gibbons combo got up to around $5 million before the Recession, then got smacked like everyone else (though landing at $3.675 million in billing and a couple million in BCF isn't much of a smacking. We should all be so lucky). Clear Channel... Aloha Trust... Exxon-Mobil... the ownership of this one is probably irrelevant.
 
klutch00, I agree with you at all accounts, of the Eclectic Radio In Frederick,Maryland, I miss WPPT FM 92.1 Classic Country from southern
Pennsylvania & I think there should be a station like that in Frederick,MD!!!, but they still have Classic Country In Williamsport,MD -Hagerstown,MD area on WICL-FM 95.9-"95.9 The Big DAWG" !!! This was a nice move of Eclectic radio in Frederick, MD & I hope they can get Live Streaming & a playlist!!!! I like the eclectic music!!
 
HZ said:
klutch00, I agree with you at all accounts, of the Eclectic Radio In Frederick, Maryland, I miss WPPT FM 92.1 Classic Country from southern Pennsylvania & I think there should be a station like that in Frederick,MD!!!, but they still have Classic Country In Williamsport, MD -Hagerstown, MD area on WICL-FM 95.9-"95.9 The Big DAWG" !!! This was a nice move of Eclectic radio in Frederick, MD & I hope they can get Live Streaming & a playlist!!!! I like the eclectic music!!
Click to expand...

I just became aware of WICL a short while back.

http://959.grapesoda.com/

From what I understand, that signal doesn't penetrate very well into the Frederick area all that well. They seem more focused on music from the 1980s and '90s, with a little '70s thrown in. I realize if you want to get an audience in 'the desired demos', you must program accordingly. With that said, I still think an audience exists for some of the older tunes and and feel 820 could fill that void. IMNSHO a better home for the eclectic format would've been 1050.
 
Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Channel" or some form of traditional oldies would sound great on 820...50's,60's and 70's. Nobody is doing it..the signal during the day is great and it would really fill a void. Yes, I know demos, but what is currently airing seems to make no sense,

I've listened to 820. The music is indeed eclectic, but it sounds unfocused and nothing I would keep on for more then a few minutes. It's AM..by default you will get older listeners. Why not cater to them?

Keep the Gamut on the HD channel and maybe a translator, if there are any in the DC,Baltimore area that need a change,
 
klutch00, I Loved The Old Country Legends 92.1 WPPT-FM & 95.9 The Big DAWG, & 95.9 The Big DAWG which plays 80's & 90's Country with a hinting of 50's,60's & 70's is from Williamsport,MD-Hagerstown,MD-Martinsburg,WV, we only get an echo of the station, when it fades out in Frederick,MD, WICL-FM, used to be a Oldies & Classic Hits Format, a few years ago, but Now, they are bring back their Country Roots like they had a country format in 1972 on WYII!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WICL
Here is the Coverage map for WICL-FM: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WICL&service=FM&status=L&hours=U
 
I forgot about 1410 running Shannon's oldies channel. It is also on 800 out of Chambersburg. Anybody ever listen to Zoomer radio 740 Toronto? Very well done standards-oldies hybrid all live. Maybe 820 could do something like this. I know WJEJ in Hagerstown does a beautiful music-standards hybrid,but I think 820 could be a great place for a nicely done standards format. WECK in Buffalo started a standards format today..live morning show..satellite the rest of the day.

That 820 signal really gets out there during the day. As i mentioned, you are not going to get young people to listen to music on AM. While The Gamut is a noble experiment, I think a well executed standards format featuring Sinatra,Bennett,Como along with Rod Stewart,Michael Buble and others could be a very nice option for 820.
 
benale said:
I forgot about 1410 running Shannon's oldies channel. It is also on 800 out of Chambersburg. Anybody ever listen to Zoomer radio 740 Toronto? Very well done standards-oldies hybrid all live. Maybe 820 could do something like this.
Click to expand...
CFZM has a decent thing, albeit a different thing going. I'll tune them in occasionally at night; signal permitting. I don't know if that's a model that other stations should take up, though.

benale said:
I know WJEJ in Hagerstown does a beautiful music-standards hybrid, but I think 820 could be a great place for a nicely done standards format. WECK in Buffalo started a standards format today..live morning show..satellite the rest of the day.
Click to expand...

I've heard WJEJ sometimes when I'm in that or the Frederick area (that signal reaches Frederick during the day, albeit not all that well). When Arbitron ranked them in the past, they were usually respectable being in anywhere from 5th to 10th place. They have a Facebook Group page with over 300 members. https://www.facebook.com/groups/281567149384/?fref=tsConsidering they are a locally-owned, stand-alone AM station, I think it speaks volumes. I admire the way that the Staubs have hung in there for so long! I remember once being up there on a Friday or Saturday evening and hearing mellow traditional jazz-like music. I think it would behoove other standards stations to have a program during the evenings (preferably locally produced) to feature such music along with similar piano, guitar and similar style 'lounge' music. Include artists such as Diana Krall, Anita Baker, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan as well as 'crooners' from past and present.

Now that WECK has switched, I hope they'll consider such advice. Unfortunately from what I've heard, that's not the case. One thing I've been hearing standards stations do is play uptempo music inappropriate for the format. Sorry, but leave disco and even some of the uptempo pop to the oldies/classic hits or the A/Cs. When I tune in standards, I don't want to hear that 'stuff'.

benale said:
That 820 signal really gets out there during the day. As i mentioned, you are not going to get young people to listen to music on AM. While The Gamut is a noble experiment, I think a well executed standards format featuring Sinatra,Bennett,Como along with Rod Stewart,Michael Buble and others could be a very nice option for 820.
Click to expand...

Yes, 820 has a decent daytime signal and shouldn't be put out to pasture. If standards is going to be an option, your suggestions are OK, but I'd be careful about emphasis on some of the old-time crooners such as Perry Como or Pat Boone. Again, don't forget the ladies! Being that 820 is corporate owned, I don't know how much flexibility the powers-that-be have in promotion. If things came to fruition, I'd suggest that the station sponsor (for profit) events such as dances or concerts or other events which could draw a crowd.

As far as your comment about The Gamut, let me say that there are a few AM stations with atypical formats catering to audiences not typically associated with the AM band. These include:

KVOD 1340 Denver CO http://www.openaircpr.org/
KKSN 910 Vancouver WA (Portland OR) http://www.947.fm/ (Click on 94/7 too button to listen live) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/947too?fref=ts
KUOM 770 (Radio K) Minneapolis MN http://www.radiok.org/
 
I listen to the station during my short commute, it has kind of transformed into a eclectic oldies station. I haven't heard anything past the late 1980's in quite some time. The station does still mix up genres (jazz, Spanish, parodies, etc) but blended into a deep oldies mix. If you haven't listened for some awhile check it out again.
 
Trav said:
I listen to the station during my short commute, it has kind of transformed into a eclectic oldies station. I haven't heard anything past the late 1980's in quite some time. The station does still mix up genres (jazz, Spanish, parodies, etc) but blended into a deep oldies mix. If you haven't listened for some awhile check it out again.
Click to expand...

That's great to hear. I've been running a similar trainwreck for years.
 
Hubbard fired up the WWFD translator at 94.3 a few days ago, 150 watts pretty much due east from Gambrill. Pretty good signal during my recent Frederick drives, no stereo though.
 
WWFD has applied to go all-digital on an experimental basis, requesting to keep the translator as a analog relay. Look forward to see how all digital does on AM compared to the disastrous hybrid operations.

Over a decade ago IBOC experimented from 820's site, first using AM 640 (before WMAL complained) then AM 1670. I remember music loops and tones during the tests.
 
I've noticed WWFD has been off the air during middays for several days over the past months. I drove by their antenna site one of those days and saw vehicles and personnel. Perhaps they've been outfitting the physical plant for the digital tests. Has WWFD ever broadcast IBOC digital before on 820?
 
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