WCNZ 1660 & WMYR 1410 "The Avenue"

[ai4i]

770 is ESPN Radio.

PS!

[fennessy]

EXCERPTS FROM MY LAST VISIT INTO THE FT. MYERS MARKET

Fillintheblank advertised an "employment open house" at their cluster on Thursday. I got up and drove across state to attend it. Also showing up at the time was a young guy who didn't even get dressed up pushing a baby carriage, and, a kid my son's age who had a friend of his drive him.
 
Let's move past the absence of any streamers balloons coffee or donuts, or even a sign that said " Open House". You walk in, sign a sign-in sheet at the front desk and wait your turn. Out of the door comes a fellow that looks like he was hired from behind the counter at Mc Donald's, who takes you back to the conference room to ask you five questions off of a templated card. I remember these questions:
 
1) Besides your experience why should we hire you.
2) Are you good at handling rejection.
3) Do you know anything about our stations or company.
4) How did you hear about our open house.
 
I wasn't offended by any of that....but I was offended that this nationally known company places an ad in an Internet trade, and the market manager DOS and LSM don't even show up to greet and meet the people who came...most of whom I'm sure are unemployed people from other fields. To them, this is what Radio is.
 
The young fellow according to his business card, is the young man who sells the banner advertising on their web sites.
 
Next a meeting with WMYR.
 
WMYR is doing a simulcast of a format they created and are attempting to syndicate: Timeless Cool. The format which is a mix of standards and contemporary blues, needs a lot of tweaking. They have a "fill" position in the hour which I guess covers an unsold spot cluster. Two songs that were played in this slot were " Nothing from Nothing" by Billy Preston and Thank You (fallettenme be mice elf agin) by Sly. These aren't bad records by themselves or in another context, but totally blow away any listener who likes Timeless Cool.
 
The guy who runs the company in Chicago, set up a meeting with me and his on-site manager in Ft. Myers. The manager also owns and operates a tee-shirt screening business, and operates out of an office in an industrial park in Ft. Myers. The stations operate out of Naples. They have a station in Marco, which he tells me they are flipping to Timeless Cool in December.
 
I show up and the manager, who is about XX years old and looks like AJ Benza from VH1, was recording a Sunday morning show with a client. As I waited in the lobby of this tee shirt-studio place, two company employees showed up, and began conducting a conversation about their former co-workers from Fillintheblank.
 
WMYR is the catch-all from which fired and disgruntled ex-Fillintheblank sales people land. Bobby it was so depressing, a bunch of young punks talking like big shots. This one's an a$$*OLE, that one had every account given to him, she probably fuc%&#@ this one to get this account.
 
When I finally met the manager, I asked him what sort of average unit rate he was getting. he said, " we're trying to get to fifteen, but they're getting NINE.
 
The company is more focused on selling Timeless Cool than operating the stations profitably...they think this is the route to their success and cash flows. I'm telling you this because you're genuinely interested in what happens in Ft. Myers, and this is what I learned.
Their objective now is to place a client in every market. All the stations are AM, and the programming is available on a cash only basis, no barter. The format needs a lot of tweaking, and they have no success stories with the format. In Florida, when this manager washes out, they'll hire another failed or fired salesperson from Fillintheblank, where the last 3 managers have come from.
 

[ai4i]

We thought TC was based there
Don't some of their announcers live up there?

[HadYourPhil]

TC originates in Green Bay. And it needs a LOT of tweaking. There are also audio quality issues aside from being on AM. Not to mention revolving door management issues, etc., etc.

I would not describe the music as "a mix of standards and contemporary blues" at all.

Their best air talent is Mel Torme's son, Steve March-Torme. He does afternoons.

Bet I know who "Fillintheblank" is...

The format is on WMYR 1410, WCNZ 1660 and WVOI 1480. The last two are co-located on Marco Island. WVOI was TOC until early February. The Marco stations operate out of studios a few miles out of Naples on 41 east. WMYR is basically unmanned and is on Hanson St. in Ft. Myers.

[ai4i]

According to the maps, 1660 seems to cover all of the land area better than 1480, day and night

[jmtillery]

According to the maps, 1660 seems to cover all of the land area better than 1480, day and night

That is because 1660 is 10kw ND-D and 1kw-ND-N while 1480 is 1kw-U; DA-2

[HadYourPhil]

Ao why do they simulcast? To save a few bucks, although it doesn't make any sense.

A previous owner of 1480 was clever enough to apply for an expanded-band license back in 1989. That's how 1660 came to be.

[jmtillery]

Ao why do they simulcast? To save a few bucks, although it doesn't make any sense.

A previous owner of 1480 was clever enough to apply for an expanded-band license back in 1989. That's how 1660 came to be.

Originally 1480 was a day-timer on 1510 with 1kw. The station was co-owned with 93.5, both owned by Art Arkalian. Art wanted the AM to operate 24-hours, so he applied to move to 1480 with 1kw-U, DA-2. However, the 1480 application was filed in conflict with an application for new service for West Naples on 1460 with 500 watts day. John Rutledge was the applicant for 1460. Art paid John to withdraw the 1460 application, paving the way for the 1480 application to be approved.

[swfl]

Ao why do they simulcast? To save a few bucks, although it doesn't make any sense.

A previous owner of 1480 was clever enough to apply for an expanded-band license back in 1989. That's how 1660 came to be.

Originally 1480 was a day-timer on 1510 with 1kw. The station was co-owned with 93.5, both owned by Art Arkalian. Art wanted the AM to operate 24-hours, so he applied to move to 1480 with 1kw-U, DA-2. However, the 1480 application was filed in conflict with an application for new service for West Naples on 1460 with 500 watts day. John Rutledge was the applicant for 1460. Art paid John to withdraw the 1460 application, paving the way for the 1480 application to be approved.

I remember that well. 1510 and 93.5 were WRGI AM & FM. They originally simulcasted a Top40 format. Later on 1510 became WMIB and switched to a Big Band/MOL type of format while the FM remained WRGI playing Top40 which they did very successfully for many years after. They did do Country for a short time in the mid 80's but went back to the MOL format.

I believe that the switch to 1480 occurred sometime in the late 80's. While 1480 allowed them to operate 24hrs the signal was VERY directional to the south which made it unlistenable to a good share of the northern reaches of the Naples area. The reason was to protect a 1480 located in Arcadia to the north. I never could figure why the FCC allowed those two stations to be located so close to each other. In the end the move to 1480 pretty much failed in my opinion due to the signal issues. It was easier to hear WMIB down in the Keys than it was in Downtown Naples.

Your mention of 1460 for West Naples is interesting. Just where is West Naples? Anything west of Naples tends to be a bit on the wet side..LOL. Of course 1460 did finally make it on the air a few years ago as WNPL.

[swfl]

"I remember that well. 1510 and 93.5 were WRGI AM & FM. They originally simulcasted a Top40 format. Later on 1510 became WMIB and switched to a Big Band/MOL type of format while the FM remained WRGI playing Top40 which they did very successfully for many years after. They did do Country for a short time in the mid 80's but went back to the MOL format."

I need to clarify my statement. WMIB AM is the station that played a country format for a short time in the mid 80's not WRGI.  WRGI was Top40 for many years until it went to a classic hits format in it's later years before being bought out by WNOG so they could carry their news/talk format on FM.