Smooth 98.7

[badjef]

With all the modifications to the interference rules that seem to be making room for the HDs, it appears a power increase could be justified for 98.7 main.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Reception can be difficult in Temple Terrace and bad even in a car in Brandon. On another note, CBS has an Adult Urban in W.Palm Beach called B106.3. Could WSJT be moving this way? Just discoverd B106.3 and I like the music

Sounds as though we are approaching that time of the year. for tropo, that is.

When the snowbirds leave each year, they go so fast that they pull all the signals away in their wake.


Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[jmtillery]

I personally like smooth jazz, and I also liked very much traditional beautiful music. If you think about it, there are similarities between the two formats. Modern day smooth jazz - consisting of mostly all instrumentals - filled the void left behind by the former beautiful music format - also mostly all instrumentals - but updated to target and attract a younger demo for today. It's a shame to see smooth jazz as we know it die off. However, taking a smooth jazz station in the urban adult contemporary direction is a logical choice as there are also similarities between smooth jazz and urban a/c. That way a station keeps its core target demo while attracting new listeners with the newer added vocals. The format has done fairly well in other markets. Orlando's Star 94.5 is a good example of a successful urban a/c station.

 

[Parttimer]

Star is way more upbeat than what the jazz stations are evolving into... if it wasn't classified as an Urban format Star would be a "Hot AC", while this is softer and more background.

 

[anatharadiorefugee]

I personally like smooth jazz, and I also liked very much traditional beautiful music. If you think about it, there are similarities between the two formats. Modern day smooth jazz - consisting of mostly all instrumentals - filled the void left behind by the former beautiful music format - also mostly all instrumentals - but updated to target and attract a younger demo for today. It's a shame to see smooth jazz as we know it die off. However, taking a smooth jazz station in the urban adult contemporary direction is a logical choice as there are also similarities between smooth jazz and urban a/c. That way a station keeps its core target demo while attracting new listeners with the newer added vocals. The format has done fairly well in other markets. Orlando's Star 94.5 is a good example of a successful urban a/c station.

I agree. Star sounds great everytime I have an opportunity to give them a listen. Breaks my heart though that they don't invest in talent. My original thought was to post that if Smoth 98.7 would go UAC maybe an oldhead like myself could get another gig in the biz. But considering the nature of the biz syndicated mornings and afternoons with nights being syndicated or voicetracked, I have to guess that radio in general and urban radio specifically is dead. It is really sad. It was a fun ride and though I have been off the air for what seems like an eternity, I still miss crackin a mic.

 

[dwtpa97]

For those who like the "beautiful music" format, a nice station to listen to is WKTZ, which is a service of Jones college in Jacksonville. Their link is:

http://wktz.jones.edu/

 

[sbe1]

With all the modifications to the interference rules that seem to be making room for the HDs, it appears a power increase could be justified for 98.7 main.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

No room for upgrade. 98.7 first came into existence as a Class A FM licensed to Sarasota with the transmitter in Bradenton off Cortez Rd. It came about when WKTK 98.5 in Crystal River upgraded and moved the transmitter more towards Ocala. So, they moved the transmitter to Western Pinellas County off Ulmerton Rd. 92.5 shares the same tower. 98.7 was already upgraded when it moved from Bradenton. It is a lower class C station now. You cant up the power or move it further east or north.

 

[sbe1]

I need to correct an error in my previous post. 98.7 was and still is licensed to Holmes Beach, a community on Anna Maria Island in manatee county. It had studios in Sarasota and transmitter in Bradenton when it was WISP.

 

[Parttimer]

And I believe that both WISP and WKTK were owned by Entercom when the KTK move was made to allow 98.7's move north.

 

[billalm]

Correct on both posts above. 92.5 and 98.7 transmitting tower is actually located about on Park Blvd., about midway between 113th Street and the Park Blvd. bridge to Indian Rocks. ...Meaning half the signal goes out over the Gulf.

 

[badjef]

With all the modifications to the interference rules that seem to be making room for the HDs, it appears a power increase could be justified for 98.7 main.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

No room for upgrade. 98.7 first came into existence as a Class A FM licensed to Sarasota with the transmitter in Bradenton off Cortez Rd. It came about when WKTK 98.5 in Crystal River upgraded and moved the transmitter more towards Ocala. So, they moved the transmitter to Western Pinellas County off Ulmerton Rd. 92.5 shares the same tower. 98.7 was already upgraded when it moved from Bradenton. It is a lower class C station now. You cant up the power or move it further east or north.

98.7 began life in June 1991 as WAYP. I remember the calls because Wyman Plumbing is next door and I thought they might have had an financial interest in that station because of the call sign. The licencee was holding the license and operating it with the intent to sell it. They were mixing up cassettes and CD's of every music possible with the intent to have few listeners until the sale went through. The "studio", such as it was, was a storage room under the one bay antenna located on Cortez Rd. The same people that owned WAVV in Ft. Myers, bought the license and transmitter. One was operating under the name of Allpine and the other was Allpalm. They changed the calls to WISP as soft A/C satellite fed operating from the 9th floor of what is now the BofA building in downtown Sa-ra-so-ta!

98.5 was downgraded so that the 98.7 transmitter move to Pinellas could be accomplished by Entercom.

So, my question was, What is stopping a further upgrade, from the same location, except a possible complaint from WWRZ at 98.3?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Parttimer]

WMMO in Orlando on 98.9....They also shoe-horned in a station on 98.9 somewhere around Venice or Port Charlotte if I recall....

 

[badjef]

WMMO in Orlando on 98.9....They also shoe-horned in a station on 98.9 somewhere around Venice or Port Charlotte if I recall....

WMMO is too far away to make a difference. WBCG "Beach 98-9" is located across the street from Charlotte County Stadium - Spring training home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Of course, WBCG is a CC station and WMMO is a Cox station and since WSJT is CBS, there would be some attorneys that would like the argument.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[MsMusicRadio]

IF ONE IS DRIVING IN BRANDON , WMMO CAN COME IN BETTER THAN WSJT

 

[MN Maniac]

WKTK-FM 98.5 downgraded from Class C to Class C1 in order to accomodate the 98.7 upgrade. Both stations were then owned by Entercom, so no financial negotiations were necessary. Once 98.7 was upgraded and moved, Entercom sold it to CBS.

Ironically enough, the meaning of the WKTK calls is "Koast to Koast." Once the signal was crippled, this was no longer the case. The downgrade also allowed for the new allocation of WSBH-FM 98.5 in Satellite Beach.

 

[badjef]

WKTK-FM 98.5 downgraded from Class C to Class C1 in order to accomodate the 98.7 upgrade. Both stations were then owned by Entercom, so no financial negotiations were necessary. Once 98.7 was upgraded and moved, Entercom sold it to CBS.

Ironically enough, the meaning of the WKTK calls is "Koast to Koast." Once the signal was crippled, this was no longer the case. The downgrade also allowed for the new allocation of WSBH-FM 98.5 in Satellite Beach.

I knew the wife of one of the WKTK engineers (long after they had divorced) and she had told me of Entercom's intent. I used to pick 'KTK from Sa-ra-so-ta!, nicely, before all the stations went on the air on 98.1, 98.5, 98.7, 98.9, and 99.1.

98.3 used to have a "local" signal here when they were in Arcadia.

'KTK was alone around the 98.5Mhz 1st and 2nd adjacents, so the "Koast to Koast" meant something back then.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[RMarino]

I knew the wife of one of the WKTK engineers (long after they had divorced) and she had told me of Entercom's intent. I used to pick 'KTK from Sa-ra-so-ta!, nicely, before all the stations went on the air on 98.1, 98.5, 98.7, 98.9, and 99.1.

98.3 used to have a "local" signal here when they were in Arcadia.

'KTK was alone around the 98.5Mhz 1st and 2nd adjacents, so the "Koast to Koast" meant something back then.

KTK used to skip into Sarasota frequently, but it actually used to have a decent groundwave signal into Tampa before the downgrade. I remember WKTK even showing up at the bottom of the ratings in the Tampa book once in awhile.

As for 98.3 they did not have a "local" signal in the Sarasota area when they were an Arcadia station. I should know because I tried best I could to listen to it in the early '90s when it was classic rock WXKT. I never could get a very clear signal but I listened anyway. When it upgraded and moved the COL to Fort Meade, the signal became more solid in the Sarasota area.

 

[badjef]

I knew the wife of one of the WKTK engineers (long after they had divorced) and she had told me of Entercom's intent. I used to pick 'KTK from Sa-ra-so-ta!, nicely, before all the stations went on the air on 98.1, 98.5, 98.7, 98.9, and 99.1.

98.3 used to have a "local" signal here when they were in Arcadia.

'KTK was alone around the 98.5Mhz 1st and 2nd adjacents, so the "Koast to Koast" meant something back then.

KTK used to skip into Sarasota frequently, but it actually used to have a decent groundwave signal into Tampa before the downgrade. I remember WKTK even showing up at the bottom of the ratings in the Tampa book once in awhile.

I'm sure that was a "below the line" rating. The "line" being the difference between those stations in the ADI and those that happen to show up there.

As for 98.3 they did not have a "local" signal in the Sarasota area when they were an Arcadia station. I should know because I tried best I could to listen to it in the early '90s when it was classic rock WXKT. I never could get a very clear signal but I listened anyway. When it upgraded and moved the COL to Fort Meade, the signal became more solid in the Sarasota area.

As WOKD/WXKT, they certainly did throw a good signal into Sa-ra-so-ta! The antenna was just south of Route 72 about 2 miles west of the end at Route 70 east of “downtown” Arcadia.

Downtown Sa-ra-so-ta! was a problem area, but anywhere east of US 301 was fine.
Because of where the antenna was located, it was great for Venice, North Port, and Port Charlotte, also.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[gamefreak]

WKTK started of as a religous station. Then Gary Granger bought up the station in 1986. He then envisioned a station that can be heard from Crystal River (Gulf Coast) to St. Augustine, (Atlantic Coast) Granger then got permission to put a 100.000 Watt. 1,400 Foot Stick. Operating on a Full C-Grade License just 20 miles north of Crystal River. (In Rural Levy County)

Despite the downgrade KTK still has a fairly good signal. At lease if your away from the immediate Tampa Area. Can currentely hear 98.5 as far away as Jacksonville. However not quite the Coast to Coast as call letters would suggest.

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WKTK&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

 

[rfrus]

I was Director of Engineering for Comco, the Orlando based company that bought WRYO and moved it to Gainesville. Gary Grainger was the GM they hired and Nick Allen was the PD. For a long time Gary and I were WKTK. I built the station, including the 1,350 foot stick in Levy county and personally turned on the the transmitter for the very first time. Back then we had to do 51% of our programming from the old WRYO trailer in Homossa Springs. We did AM & PM drive from Gainesville and the rest of the time from Homossa. I still remember the first morning on the air. It was a great day for me. I was the one who came up with the "Koast To Koast" slogan, and back then it really was. You could hear it up into Georgia and down to Sarasota and even parts of Alabama. It was easy to hear at our corporate office in Orlando.

Ahhh the stories I could tell.

 

[gamefreak]

I was Director of Engineering for Comco, the Orlando based company that bought WRYO and moved it to Gainesville. Gary Grainger was the GM they hired and Nick Allen was the PD. For a long time Gary and I were WKTK. I built the station, including the 1,350 foot stick in Levy county and personally turned on the the transmitter for the very first time. Back then we had to do 51% of our programming from the old WRYO trailer in Homossa Springs. We did AM & PM drive from Gainesville and the rest of the time from Homossa. I still remember the first morning on the air. It was a great day for me. I was the one who came up with the "Koast To Koast" slogan, and back then it really was. You could hear it up into Georgia and down to Sarasota and even parts of Alabama. It was easy to hear at our corporate office in Orlando.

Ahhh the stories I could tell.

Well KTK is a great station. Listen to it all the time. I Love the music on there. Not To to mention a good signal to compiment it. You should be proud of the station you and Gary put together.