WCTA 810AM Alamo,TN Dark?

[AMFMKYTN]

Guess someone decided they better do something quick, probably after receiving a letter from the FCC.

[firepoint525]

Gonna say the same thing that I said on the Memphis board.  Alamo is sandwiched between Jackson and Dyersburg, two areas that seem to be served fairly well by radio, so I'm wondering how well they will be able to do.  I'm just wondering how much need (or demand) there is for an AM station, especially in a relatively small county like Crockett.

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

There was a time... back when maybe we had about 30% of the number of radio stations that we do today, that someone could take something like WCTA and create a peculiar little sound... more than likely Country Music and reach out beyond your own city and county and pick up listeners in neighboring counties and run a comfortable operation.  That was back when automobile dealers were colorful and Detroit limited them to one dealership.  If you could get warm and fuzzy with the dealer you could get a lot of his budget.  Today big chains own auto dealers just like big chains own radio stations.  You can't wander over to the next town and take the dealer out drinking and get warm and fuzzy.  You get budget only if the buy with a college degree in corporate HQ three states over has a math formula that makes your station look good.

Radio used to get significant dollars from furniture dealers who were promoters and were reaching out two or three counties in every direction.  Today the furniture store in corporately owned. 

In Tennessee you are going to still find some IGA and Piggly-Wiggley stores,  but the big ad bucks come from...  let's say it all together now:  chain groups like Walmart and Kroger.

I looked up the retail sales numbers on Alamo and Crockett County and my little rule-of-thumb formula said:  "Oh, this county has enough sales to support a frugal little station like WCTA."    But I suspect my little formula is no longer valid.  When you look up retail sales things like automobiles probably show up in the county where the car is licensed and titled because the transaction is reported via the sales tax mechanism.  Cars purchased in Memphis and Jackson and Dyersburg and who knows where else get reported as retail sales in Crockett County even though a local dealer did not make the sale or spend the advertising to earn the sale.

Is there a new car dealer in Crockett County, TN?  I didn't find one listed as a Chamber of Commerce member.

If WCTA is to survive,  it will probably have to be by using the same mentality and methodology used to operate an LPFM station, except you can run a real commercial.

[anotherguy]

There is no new car dealer in Crockett County, and the main grocery chain is Food Rite in Alamo and Bells, which would be about equal to IGA or Piggly Wiggly (which is what they were at one time). I'll admit that ad dollars will be hard to find unless someone wants to run ads to help support the station. I hate to say it, but the other option is dollar a holler preachers and infomercials, but I definitely hope they don't go that direction.

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I'll admit that ad dollars will be hard to find unless someone wants to run ads to help support the station.

There are a number of stations that fit that profile, including some small FMs.  It is not JUST and AM problem.  The sad thing is that anyone smart enough, clever enough, creative enough to nurse that cash out of the mom-and-pop businesses can probably provide so much more for the family by lacing themselves onto the back of some city-based corporation somewhere.

Some of the well run small town stations are run by the spouse of someone who has a job WITH HEALTH BENEFITS with the bank or a utility or maybe the best factory in town.  One could make the argument that women are better at pulling together these little stations under those circumstances than us ole' "hairy legged boys".

[AMFMKYTN]

I tuned in the other day as I was out and about in the area. Decent signal in the Greenfield, Atwood, Milan, Medina and Three-Way areas I was in, and into North Jackson around Oil Well Road when I quit listening. They were still running NOAA weather radio from Dyersburg with older production music as filler.

[anotherguy]

I caught WCTA this afternoon in East Memphis in my 2005 Dodge Caravan, which has a pretty good radio. It was staticy but you could understand it OK. They're still just doing the generic music and NOAA weather radio.

[AMFMKYTN]

I just checked their Facebook page for an update. Here's a copy and paste of what they posted this weekend:

Hello there, radio-active dudes and dudettes !! It is with great pleasure that I am now able to announce the return of the Tennessee Radio Network to WCTA airwaves. After suffering some damage to our satellite receiving equipment, then completing its repair, along with other contractual and logistical necessities, we will shortly be adding the following to our weekly schedule: Monday through Saturday TRN 3-minute NEWSCASTS, at the bottom of the hour, 6:30 A.M. through 6:30 P.M., except on Saturday, when the last newscast is at 11:30 A.M.......TRN 3-minute SPORTS REPORTS, Monday through Friday at 6:50 and 7:50 A.M., also at 3:20, 4:20 and 5:20 P.M., with a 6:50 A.M.-only sportscast on Saturday.......the 3-minute ACCENT AGRICULTURE will air at 6:40 A.M., Monday through Saturday.......the MIDDAY FARM REPORT is 3 minutes at 11:35 A.M., Monday through Saturday.......and INSIDE MOTORSPORTS is presented for 3 minutes at 3:47 P.M., Monday through Friday. As we re-add regular programming, listeners can expect some of the TRN feeds to be replayed numerous times throughout the day for the time being. Although we cannot be specific yet about additional offerings, there are many elements and types being considered, including a national radio news network, local and area news, birthday, anniversary, community, church and public service calendars and announcements, a live personal item selling or trading show, perhaps a live morning program along the lines of the talk/interview/entertainment categories, local/area sporting and special event broadcasts, various music formats, church services and religious programs, as well as many more possibilities for WCTA. It is truly encouraging to see all the businesses in our home county area and we will soon reveal our solid comittment to those who choose to assist us and their bottom line by partnering with WCTA as advertisers. We are truly a work in progress and want to ultimately be listener-driven, with more and more opportunities for your input available soon, including our now-open P.O. Box 81 and soon-to-be-added e-mail address, WCTA website, live internet streaming and more on the drawing board. For now, we leave you with one of the many WCTA mottos: "We are Crockett County, that's what we know and that's what we do, period."

[TALLRED]

Heard them while driving through about 2 weeks ago... I thought it was quite odd hearing 80's era newscast themed music and NOAA weather reports.  With that being said I'm glad to see them back on the air; way too many small stations bite the dust and fall into history forgotten and without rememberance.

-Travis

[anotherguy]

This sounds a lot like what they were doing before they went off, mostly news from TRN and some local announcements and church services. I hope they're able to get off the ground and do more, but I guess it's a start.