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WBBL gone

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
CJ
Posts: 33
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:09 pm
Location: West Michigan

Re: WBBL gone

Post by CJ » Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:39 pm

Time will tell, but would moving Hot FM make a lot of sense? Would giving it a different dial position make a difference? It seems like in the past, Cumulus would put its competing stations close to iHeart’s similar format with Thunder/Nash just up the dial from B93 and Hot FM just up from WSNX and iHeart is still superior on both of those situations. With CHR struggling as a format as a whole, would something actually change for Hot FM? I’m in the Kzoo area, so I would welcome another CHR signal to flip to when KFR is being boring, but from a strategic standpoint it might not be the best move. It would be too bad to see it used as a LAV simulcast because the market would lose another station choice. If only it would be something exciting like back in the exciting radio days, but those times are gone.



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48125er
Posts: 304
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 5:50 pm

Re: WBBL gone

Post by 48125er » Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:59 pm

I heard a couple early 90s/late 80s songs on there, like what the 92.5 the outlaw used to play, I like it so far.



Schyster
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2009 10:35 pm

Re: WBBL gone

Post by Schyster » Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:57 am

Four days in, and here is what we have:

The new Ticket has a top of the hour ID that IDs 1340 as WJRW Newaygo/Grand Rapids. I thought at first maybe it was a foreshadowing of a change to WLAW, but it definitely states 1340 before WJRW. Incorrect top of the hour ID......

The website for the former WJRW is still active and alive. No indication that anything has changed if you go there.

The new Ticket website, which basically took over WBBLs website, has a ton of WBBL references yet. And no references that I can see as to where to tune in to listen to it.

Trying to find the new 107.3 website requires searching for 94.5's existing webpage. On that site, no reference to the new frequency. The listen live link still shows Nash 94.5. The Facebook page for the station is the old WBBL page. Basically a couple a new logos along with all the old WBBL posts still active.

It's scary how clueless the people that run these stations are.



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Ed Joseph
Posts: 379
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by Ed Joseph » Tue Jan 08, 2019 3:16 pm

Schyster wrote:
Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:57 am
It's scary how clueless the people that run these stations are.
And then, they wonder why they lose listeners in droves.


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MWmetalhead
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:52 pm

I agree with Schyster that the web presence is a clusterf*ck right now.

My guess is there is a lot of work going behind the scenes, and everything will look much more orderly once all stations have their final formats.



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Ed Joseph
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by Ed Joseph » Tue Jan 08, 2019 6:07 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:52 pm
I agree with Schyster that the web presence is a clusterf*ck right now.

My guess is there is a lot of work going behind the scenes, and everything will look much more orderly once all stations have their final formats.
Or not... Look what is still on WWCK-AM's site... http://www.supertalk1570.com/the-michael-j-thorp-show/. LOL. Some radio groups don't seem to care about much of anything anymore.


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TRPacker
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by TRPacker » Wed Jan 09, 2019 5:59 pm

So...how does 106.1 figure into this? On Monday Grande said that frequency would be carrying the network soon. Is he talking the Lansing Q106 or a new local station?



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MWmetalhead
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:26 pm

No, he's talking about a new local station, whose signal range will be very limited.

I saw one or two (fake) news articles referencing "WJXQ" as the new station. That information is completely wrong.

Q106 is a successful hard rock station. There's not a snowball's chance in hell of them dropping that format anytime soon.

The new station is what's known as an FM translator. That's geek speak for a very low powered FM signal whose sole purpose is to rebroadcast an AM station around the clock. In this case, 106.1 FM will be rebroadcasting AM 1340.

Several such stations already exist in the Grand Rapids area. 94.9 FM rebroadcasts AM 1530. 95.3 FM & 102.5 FM each rebroadcast AM 1680. 98.3 FM rebroadcasts AM 1140. 92.9 FM rebroadcasts AM 1570.

The new 106.1 FM - whose call sign will be W291DJ - will broadcast with just 75 watts of power.

As a point of comparison, 107.3 WBBL broadcasts with 50,000 watts of power.

Here is a projected signal plot of the new W291DJ:
https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=200865

(Reception will certainly possible well outside of the red circle, especially to the southwest.)

W291DJ has not yet signed on the air, and as far as I know, no formal sign-on date has been announced. For now, you'll have to listen to El Gordo on AM 1340 or online.



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48125er
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by 48125er » Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:32 am

Probably only covers MAYBE 10% of BBL's previous audience, I wouldn't count on it reaching anywhere east of Gerald R Ford airport or south of Cutlerville given 105.7 and 106.5



CK-722
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Re: WBBL gone

Post by CK-722 » Thu Jan 10, 2019 1:07 am

Lately, in a moving car, I've noticed that WDTK 1400 has a much more listenable signal in the Daytime than the translator on 101.5. People are acting like the AM doesn't exist. Night is a different story on Class IV/Cs like WJRW/WBBL/WTWN/WLAV.

ABOUT W291DJ

The GREEN contour on this map is the same as the RED contour on MW's link. It is 60 dBu.

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid= ... 773747&i=2

The ORANGE contour is 54 dBu.

Since the REAL WJXQ is quite close and quite POWERFUL, from near SPRINGPORT, NW OF JACKSON, much interference will be received from it, particularly to the EAST AND SOUTHEAST. Full power stations don't have to protect translators.

In particular, don't expect much usable signal within the 40 dBu and 50 dBu contours, unless you get a huqe DIRECTIONAL RECEIVING ANTENNA. Or you spend a lot of time adjusting a telescoping whip or a 300 OHM or 75 OHM wire dipole antenna.


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Trophyhead
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:36 am

Re: WBBL gone

Post by Trophyhead » Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:40 am

So, now that Matt Shepard is the FSD Tigers PBP man, what happens to this Michigan Media Network morning show, "Shep, Shower and Shave?"

Does he even complete the Michigan basketball schedule? (I know there are obvious gaps in the Tigers' preseason coverage that can be accommodated, but the MLB regular season begins the same day the NCAA Regional Semis get started.)

The Free Press article saying an FSD announcement on Shepard is imminent offers no inference on how the rest of "his business" plays out. I would have to think the FSD Tigers job pays enough freight that Matt wouldn't bother with the rest of it, even though the Wolverines may be on the road to glory.



OneBigFan
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:23 pm

Re: WBBL gone

Post by OneBigFan » Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:16 am

Shep Shower and Shave went on the air in the GR market in early January (around January 7) and Shep will be gone no later than March for Spring pre-season. Matt Shepard may still be the voice of U of M basketball. Mario Impemba was able to be the voice of Oakland basketball and do Tiget broadcasts for years.

Does this mean Eric Zane gets another shot at a morning show?



Realist
Posts: 979
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:36 pm
Location: Northern Michigan

Re: WBBL gone

Post by Realist » Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:37 am

Was reading a profile of Shep after the announcement was leaked last night. He’s apparently a workaholic who sleeps very little. Said that he was doing the Tigers telecasts last fall, would go home when they were done but work until 1am prepping for the next days telecast. He’d be back up at 4am for his 6am radio show.

Personally, I think he sounded slightly better than reading a grocery list when doing Tigers play by play...



Trophyhead
Posts: 391
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 6:36 am

Re: WBBL gone

Post by Trophyhead » Tue Jan 15, 2019 2:06 pm

The logistics of the situation is the stumbling block I am referring to.

Getting off a plane before a road series starts, or going town to town during one producing an arrival at the airport in the wee hours of the morning, with that 6 a.m. start of show obligation is what seems daunting.

You would need to have appropriate connectivity handy wherever you wound up, and with your dream job now in hand, it just seems like an unnecessary bother.

Matt Shepard, regardless of what anyone thinks of his PBP ability has earned his chance by successfully completing a 20-year Sumo Wrestler squat in the Detroit sports market. It will be interesting to see whether he chooses to be so diverse with his presentations, as his Tigers tenure moves along.



borderboy653659200
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Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:36 am

Re: WBBL gone

Post by borderboy653659200 » Fri Jan 18, 2019 11:46 am

The print and electronic media are going down the old W.C.



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