WRSV 92 has fired all its airstaff

[EncSpy]

thats the word as of this afternoon that WRSV 92.1 rocky mount has let everybody go

[Double J]

Where'd you hear that? I haven't heard anything, but then again I don't listen to them. I feel for the staff if that is true, but we (Power 95.5) beat them in the last ratings book so it doesn't surprise me.

[tothedj]

I checked their web site and noticed "HAL" was on the air, which i assume confirms
the firings have taken place, if that is the case, it would be the end of a era, WRSV
has had live jocks on the air since they signed on back in the mid 1970's when
the late Charles O. Johnson took what was WEED-FM at 92.1 and overnight
became "The Soul Of Rocky Mount" with people like Roger Wiggins, Uncle Sam
(who later went to WCPS in Tarboro) and many others, which brings into question
what will happen to them?, will Northstar Broadcasting take them back to their
roots with "Urban AC" and go with "The Touch" format from ABC Radio Networks?,
or will they sell WRSV and WEED?, which someone could take and rejuvinate them
into two stations that have a storied history in the Rocky Mount Community.

[firecop947]

If this is true, that would be very sad! WRSV was one of the original soul stations broadcasting on FM in Eastern NC. The other was WQDW 97.7 "Q-97" in Kinston.  The end of an era in radio.

Kris

[EncSpy]

Where'd you hear that? I haven't heard anything, but then again I don't listen to them. I feel for the staff if that is true, but we (Power 95.5) beat them in the last ratings book so it doesn't surprise me.

I heard last night from a very credible source..I had been hearing that their sales has been down, mainly because of power and the new 107.3, but right now..its too early to tell anything, it is truly a sad day if that station goes away.

[Radio_Listener]

Losing WRSV and WEED would be a tremendous LOSS to the Edgecombe/Nash Community to say the least. To see the deminse of a station with so much history is nothing more than a reflection and obvious sign that our economy is in trouble, in addition to the radio industry. Perhaps, a more definite cause to the demise the station is the oversaturation of Urban radio within the area. In the past, Soul 92 catered to many audiences, Gospel, Oldies, Hip-Hop, R&B, and even community affairs (I forget the name of the community affairs program that air monday nights). 92 was truely a community station. With the addition of Power and 107.3, the listeners who would have turned to 92 for its niche programming found the aforementioned stations (although I personally believe WPWZ's programming inferior to 92) more predictable and focused.  I am confident that Chuck can find a way to overcome this minor setback; the station has too much legacy to go out without a fight.

Does anyone happen to have any airchecks of 92.1? I began listening to the station in the mid 90's but never really had the chance to record its programming. Anyone have anymore history on the frequency and format? Please share.

Thanks

[tothedj]

All of your points are correct, WEED has been on the air since 1933, except for a
brief period in the early 90's when they went silent(for what reason, someone
may post here) as for WRSV, it signed on the air in late 1974, which i remember
caught me by surprise on a Sunday afternoon when i turned on my radio, thinking
i would hear WEED-FM, but when they mentioned who they were, i knew a new
Rocky Mount station was born and they filled a niche here at that time, but with
competition now from WPWZ and WBOB, the future of what was "Soul 92" is up
in the air, especially as they get close to turning 35 next year.

[Double J]

All of your points are correct, WEED has been on the air since 1933, except for a
brief period in the early 90's when they went silent(for what reason, someone
may post here)

If I'm not mistaken it was a ploy tp get rid of the staff. I remember (and still have somewhere) the newspaper article with them "signing off" WEED. I htink it was sometime after 1992 since I was sorking there as of July of that year and I seem to think it was the next year that they went dark for a brief period. Naturally after hurricane Floyd came through both stations went dark as the studios were completely flooded. I hated to see that old building go. I worked for WEED from 1986 until 1992 off and on over that period of time and remember when Billy Wynn sold the station to the late Charles Johnson. Both were very nice to work for and I enjoyed my time there. WEED turns 75 this December. As to RSV, when Paul Andre was there I think they were at their peak and now Mr. Andre is with us at Power. He is a nice guy to work with and for. He has said that I run a tight board for his remotes. He also does our play-by-play on the High School Football Game of the week on Jammin' 99 and si a sports afficiado<sp>.

It would be a loss to Rocky Mount to loose both of these heritage stations. But I do have to agree that the urban landscape here is quite oversaturated as you have stations from both Raleigh and Greenville in this area too to take some of the urban listeners. Also radio in general is suffering in this downturn economy in addition to the already unstable broadcast landscape from other sources and it's own lack of focus on the things that made it worthwhile for people to turn to.

[allenv]

Well said John...You take years of stale, same old stuff programming and lack of willingness to be different,add the fact radio got cocky and began to feel untouchable and thought it could get by just by getting by, and now throw in our economic situation and walla sis boom ba stations are in TROUBLE..For years radio had control of its own destiny and did nothing and now it doesn't have that control anymore and now its singing the blues..I can only hope and pray that the industry that I love and have given my blood,sweat, & tears(not in that order) can recover..

Allen

[quadraphonic]

Just an outside, kind-of-related question:

Does Foxy99 have much impact around Rocky Mount?
I remember reading in a book by/about Tom Joyner (the owner from NC) (got the book at Edward McKay a couple years ago) that the station in Kinston and it seems like he mentioned the station in Rocky Mount too as the only urban competition in eastern NC when he started up WZFX.