The unfortunate thing is that most people within the industry share the same thoughts as several of you on this thread...the idea that AM is dead is everywhere. That thought process, in my opinion, is what is ACTUALLY making AM radio irrelevant...as the big companies basically stopped caring about their AM signals. Air staffs, promotions, marketing, and contests all moved to the big FMs. The talk formats took over the band, sending the remaining music listeners over to FM. With all of the marketing going to the FMs, the AM side of the dial was no longer top of mind. Eventually, people started to forget about AM entirely, and with no programming targeting younger audiences, AM radio would become an unknown to people that are now in their 30s or younger.
Sir, you ignore the reason we cite most often as the cause of AM's downward slide.
AM signals have been subjected to increasing and varied sources of electrical interference over the past few decades. The big sticks, like KFI and KNX here in L.A., fight it off with their 50kw signals ... but a "lonely little 1kw daytime AM", as you put it, has no counterattack. The audiences went to FM precisely for the reason Major Armstrong invented it (and the refrain from the Steely Dan song) ... no static at all.
The talk formats took over AM because the listeners would no longer put up with the static from music programming on AM. You have overthought this part of your argument and presented it as if there was no reason other than corporate strategies for the migration to FM. The listeners decided this and the station owners had to follow their lead.
We CAN fix this, people. And it's not that difficult...think about it, how did Netflix go from nothing to dominant in home viewing? Original content. Entertaining content that you can't get anywhere else. With the right content, you actually can get people to push that dusty AM button on their car radio. And you can keep listeners around, even despite the quality difference between AM and FM.
Admittedly, I do not know how much interference WKCE has to its signal. I do know that it puts a barely usable signal over Knoxville because it is outside that city's limits. That makes me think there is more static than music to people who would try to listen.
There is only so long a listener will put up with a static-filled signal, regardless of content. Aside from a few diehards, the vast majority will try it out ... maybe listen a few times ... then wander off to find something that doesn't give them a headache every time they tune in.
Rather than try to answer the statements that followed about programming, the station's history of format changes, etc., I will only say that even though "retro is cool" (you don't have to convince me ... look at what I program as my showcase format as a consultant) you're going to have a difficult time getting enough listeners, regardless of demographic spread, to generate a lot of sales. And you're still going to be top-heavy on 55+, so don't expect the agencies to buy into your arguments. You don't have to agree with me, but I've been down this road before.
I'd like to know why your all-news format failed. Obviously you didn't generate enough revenue to cover the higher costs of doing an all-local version of that format in a market of your size ... but why did those businesses you approached turn you down?
Will WKCE be successful? Who knows. But I can tell you one thing...we will give it everything we have. It will be worth it, just for that chance that WKCE can be the little AM that overcame the odds and didn't get turned back in to the commission like so many others.
I have no doubt you'll give it all you have. I simply doubt that's going to be enough to overcome the handicaps you're starting with.