Anyone know whats going on at the Pittman stations in Lafayette

[Fieldtech1]

106.3 105.9 and 1520 AM have been dead air for several days. The transmitters are on, just no programming. They must be having serious technical issues. I know there were some bad storms in Lafayette a few days ago, perhaps this is related.

[Fieldtech1]

Found out they are moving the studios..... Seems like it could have been done in a way that didnt have their stations dead for several days

[C Murder]

http://www.theind.com/business/8636-pittman-broadcasting-off-air-for-studio-move

Wait, what? You have to take your stations offline to move your studio location? Really? I've heard of countless studio moves with little to no interruption in broadcast schedules. You couldn't have made a programming loop, burned it onto a CD, and fed the transmitter from a boombox? Instead, you just take your stations off the air with no explanation—not even a notice to listeners on the stations' websites—other than when the local weekly paper reaches out? "Oh, by the way..."

I wonder if the handful of advertisers/trade accounts were warned beforehand that they wouldn't be running any spots during this time, which brings up another issue—how long did the stations go without running any spots (i.e., billing)?

I'd remark about how completely unprofessional this whole situation is, but considering Pittman's poor track record already, it's unsurprising.

Oh, BTW, they seem to be back on the air as of today (albeit with sound issues.) Also, it was good to see 106.3 make its annual format change right on schedule. Should we start taking bets on what KYMK will be next year?

[C Murder]

I might add that there was also no notice on any of the stations' Facebook pages.

[activestatic]

This was not by choice.  I heard it was an eviction.  I also heard that they (Pittman) haven't paid any bills or jocks in over a month.  I also also heard that one particular client was asked to foot the electric bill and that is why you hear them on the air doing "call-ins" for 4 and 5 minutes at a time.  I also also also heard that since they couldn't actually pay their jocks with anything resembling American currency that they have allowed the jocks to cut spots promoting whatever club gigs, weddings and bar mitzvahs they may be DJing.  Crazy. 

[Fieldtech1]

The STL dishes are gone from the ambassador caffery studio. No sign of any STL tower/dishes at the new studio addy on Guilbeau. Could we be seeing 4 dark stations in Lafayette soon? As i said in a post a few months back, the Lafayette dial is over saturated, only so much add buy dollars to go around in a 100+ ranked market.

I dont see how the Delta stations are making it too. On the TV side they lost CW to KATC. On the radio side, their stations have no buzz in Lafayette, and many people i talk too in this area have heard of Snap 103.7 or Kool 107.1. They are decent stations in their respective formats but have little marketing behind them.

[C Murder]

No sign of any STL tower/dishes at the new studio addy on Guilbeau.

No STL at the new studio? Pittman must have gone the T1/Broadband route to feed the transmitters, which means there's one more service provider for Pittman to not pay. As much as I absolutely abhor the phrase and dry heave every time I hear it, this is as appropriate of a time as any to say it: just sayin'.

I dont see how the Delta stations are making it too. On the TV side they lost CW to KATC. On the radio side, their stations have no buzz in Lafayette, and many people i talk too in this area have heard of Snap 103.7 or Kool 107.1. They are decent stations in their respective formats but have little marketing behind them.

As long as Chatelain is alive and has money, the Delta stations won't have to "make it." They're basically expensive hobbies to him, programmed like his personal jukeboxes.

[kenhawk1160]

When we moved the studios of 104.7 from New Kensington, Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh in 1991, we signed the station off under 'tech adjustments' and ran a tape loop, with me breaking in every few minutes to do mic tests, explaining what we were doing.  But to leave the air entirely for a studio move, uh no.  Our engineer wouldn't have it.  It didn't have to be done then and it doesn't have to be done now.

[thatwasradio]

I have been involved with several studio moves in the past 30 years and had never been without audio during the move for more than a few minutes, there are literally hundreds of different combinations of ways to keep programming on the air, even if it originates from the transmitter site.

[BarryATL]

Even it it is just an iPod sitting at the transmitter site... something.