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Post by David on Oct 3, 2015 16:42:53 GMT -6
Some strange goings-on this weekend on the AM band. First, KUTR 820 AM is off the air completely. There's no recent applications, i.e. silent authority, for KUTR on the FCC web site, so the station could just be having some technical issues. Second, KWDZ 910 is back on the air with an open carrier and no audio. Could be that IHeart is getting ready to debut whatever format they've decided to put on 910, or perhaps they've just turned on the transmitter to preserve the station's license. Stay tuned!
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Oct 3, 2015 17:10:43 GMT -6
KUTR is on the air now, so it must have been a temporary thing. Maybe the lightning storms in the area knocked it off the air temporarily.
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Oct 3, 2015 21:54:50 GMT -6
KWDZ is still running a dead carrier (I think, hard to tell with skywave at night). They aren't trying to keep the station license alive. To do that they'd need to be running programming designed to be received by the public. Dead carrier or test tones or anything like that wouldn't qualify. Also the station went silent in July, so they still have months before they even need to do anything. It's been long enough. If they have a plan they should be ready to unveil it by now.
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Post by David on Oct 4, 2015 11:09:41 GMT -6
KUTR is on the air now, so it must have been a temporary thing. Maybe the lightning storms in the area knocked it off the air temporarily. Yes, my timing was way off on that posting. About 5 minutes after my original post, KUTR was back on the air. But since KUTR is one of those stations (like KSL) that's hardly ever off the air, it was very conspicuous in its absence. KWDZ is still on with a dead carrier, so maybe they're waiting until Monday to roll out the new format. Of course they're supposed to be broadcasting a legal ID at the top of the hour, but I doubt if anyone cares since KXOL 1660 has been transmitting with an expired license for over a month. Since creativity in AM radio programming seems to be all but dead these days, I'm guessing that the new format for KWDZ is going to be sports, news/talk, or a Spanish language format. Anyone else want to hazard a guess?
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Oct 11, 2015 11:41:45 GMT -6
I've been giving some thought to what's going on at 910 and I'm going to guess that iHeart never really wanted it. Remember that it came as a package deal with WRDZ-FM (now WUBG). iHeart took over WRDZ-FM immediately but didn't with KWDZ 910, and still hasn't done anything with it. I'm thinking that this was a Buy One Get One Free kind of deal and all they really cared about was Indianapolis. Now they just need to figure out what to do with it. They have lots of online streams on iHeart Radio, so they could just throw that on there and see what happens. Why not?
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Post by David on Oct 11, 2015 15:47:55 GMT -6
I'd rather have KWDZ airing Christmas music 24/7/365 instead of a dead carrier. Of course, I'm sure you wouldn't care much for that format, CA. I still can't figure out what the purpose is in broadcasting dead air on 910, especially since they have several months until their remain silent authority expires. It just seems like a waste of electricity. iHeart has a great simulcast with WSDV 1450/Sarasota and WDDV 1320/Venice that I often listen to on line. Their slogan is "easy listening favorites," but it's not a true easy listening station a la 101 Strings, Mantovani, etc. The format is more of a lite A/C or adult standards, but iHeart throws in some pop hits from the 1970's and 1980's along with the older stuff. The only thing I don't like about the format is hearing many of the same songs in the early morning hours on a daily basis. I think iHeart could put the same format on 910 and attract some of the audience that went elsewhere after KDYL was leased/sold to CRI. If they're going to keep the transmitter switched on, what's the point in broadcasting dead air?
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Oct 12, 2015 8:01:15 GMT -6
I think I'd take pretty much any stunt format (including year-round Christmas music) over being off the air or a dead carrier. I know at least one person who wants to hear Christmas music right now. So iHeart, you'd probably get at least 1 listener. I'm wondering if maybe somebody was testing something or just accidentally hit the plates on button. You're right that it doesn't make a lot of sense to run a dead carrier. In a company that big I doubt the increase in electricity bill would be noticed, but it still doesn't make sense.
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Post by David on Oct 12, 2015 9:13:16 GMT -6
You're probably right about the increase in the power bill. Any company that can afford to pay Uncle Charlie a $1 million fine for broadcasting false EAS tones must have very deep pockets. The Christmas blitz seems to start earlier every year. I was shopping at Wal-Mart and Smith's this weekend and noticed they have already started putting out Christmas decorations. I'd rather see retailers wait until after Halloween to start their crass commercialism, but then I'm old enough to remember when stores didn't put out their Xmas supplies until after Thanksgiving.
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Post by egnlsn on Oct 12, 2015 13:24:28 GMT -6
I'd definitely go for the format that KDYL had a few years ago. Not the Oldies format they had immediately prior to them selling/leasing to CRI (can't really compete with KODJ), but before that. Danny's since launched it online at RetroMediaAllstars.com, but I'd love to see it on-air.
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Post by David on Oct 26, 2015 16:54:56 GMT -6
The dead carrier that's been on 910 AM for three weeks is finally gone. Maybe someone at iHeart actually noticed the increase in the electric bill for their Utah stations when this month's bill arrived.
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Post by christopherjohn on Oct 27, 2015 21:34:20 GMT -6
I heard that the power to the transmitters have been shut off.. So how could a carrier be possible? I also heard 910 is toast.. A thing of the past... It is kinda sad.. All these AM stations going dark...
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Post by David on Oct 27, 2015 23:16:37 GMT -6
I have no idea . . . maybe somebody was testing something or just accidentally hit the plates on button as CA suggested. All I know is that there was an open carrier (S9+ signal with no audio) on 910 AM for three weeks before it finally disappeared.
It seems strange that iHeart would buy a station just to take it silent, but then again when a company has enough $$$ to pay a $1 million FCC fine for broadcasting false EAS tones, I guess money really isn't an issue. There's nothing on the FCC web site yet indicating that KWDZ has filed a extension for remain silent authority, so I find it odd that you heard the station is going dark. Maybe iHeart just hasn't filed the paperwork with the FCC yet to surrender the license.
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Oct 28, 2015 3:15:05 GMT -6
I would find it very hard to believe that they would just take the station dark. There has to be someone who would be willing to take it off their hands, even for a low price. Heck, I'd almost buy it. I do get the feeling that they don't know what to do with it. Remember that it was a package deal with an Indianapolis FM that iHeart took over back in July. The FM was clearly the prize they wanted. Now they're apparently stuck with this station too. The weird part is that they have access to any number of formats that they could stick on there with an automation system for little cost. It wouldn't make much of a dent in the ratings, but anything's better than dead air or static. They could be trying to sell it, but again why not put something on there with bonus spots that advertisers get when they buy other iHeart stations? Having a silent station that from everything I understand they could start programming at any time just makes no sense to me. Heck, even all brokered programming would pull in a few bucks.
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dspete
Silver Level Member
Listening to 102.5 KBBL with Troy McClure
Posts: 296
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Post by dspete on Oct 28, 2015 15:50:59 GMT -6
Well if I'm correct 910's 4 towers are located off the mountain view corridor in Riverton and there was a land for sale sign just put up a few weeks ago right in front of the towers and that property has been approved for homes by Riverton city so yea maybe it might be dead unless they move towers?
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Post by christopherjohn on Oct 28, 2015 20:16:53 GMT -6
Land is worth more than the station is by far I imagine... AM stations can barely pay the power bill in most cases...
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