WKLT-fm, Kalkaska and WKLZ-fm, Petoskey

[Deleted User 12047]

Midwestern will make the final decision on Terri Ray but word is they are bringing back Omelette.

Now I know you're bullshitting....

I would love to be a fly on the wall of that conversation with Steve on how the morning show will go.

I know nothing official, but -

Some stations going to various buyers, no word on who gets the studio
Office, traffic, sales and support staff all either gone or will be gone.
Terri Ray staying with WKLT (if Midwestern can out up with Ron Pritchard this long, Terri will be easy peasy)
WKLT formatically staying put AND
Omlette back in mornings as soon as the LMA starts.

No paperwork filed with FCC as of today.

And, as they used to say on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show ..

[Ben Zonia]

Some of these stories about who acquires what don't make any sense. CMU with another double overlapping signal? Another competing religion format? Stations going dark without a plan to sell them? It is true that there got to be too many stations in the area. And Traverse City is one of those, despite some actors here who have an artificially inflated view of that part of the market. The FCC should have seen this long ago and put the kibosh on First Local Service, and put the stations where they are needed with appropriate sized facilities and directional antennas, without strict adherence to distance separations, like what has been done in Canada.

[TC Talks]

CMU doesn't have a real signal in TC. They have been trying for years to get something more than a translator.

I can't speak about the FCC except that radio is not very important.

[NMCSpeaks]

I am able to report that Ross Biederman “screwed” Mike Chires out of a prior Agreement to purchase WKLT from Langer Gokey at the eleventh hour, in order to”block” Black Diamond’s growing business and strong desire of a more dominant radio marketing position in Traverse City that WKLT would have added to his succeeding business model.
I clearly understand that Midwestern did this for anti-competitive reasons and not much else.
We shall see what all comes from this long term.
Black Diamond Broadcasting WAS trying to purchase WKLT and WKLZ at the outset of all this.

[Ben Zonia]

I don't know this to be true except for hearsay. It is consistent with things I've heard in the past, not just by that company, but nearly everything I had involvement with in the past in various parts of the state. Nearly everything was blocked by shadowy competitors. Things that came out of nowhere and the real people blocking it were behind the scenes. There are a lot of dirty competitors all over. The friendly competition that used to exist in the early days of radio is gone.

[TC Talks]

Are you suggesting that Langer backed out of a deal? You can't blame a broadcaster for outbidding a competitor, but if the seller had a deal in place and did not honor it, that's not terrific.

Sometimes that's just business although Black Diamond would have been a Powerhouse with KLT. It certainly is a plausible explanation why Midwestern has anything to do with a male-dominated rock station

[Deleted User 12047]

or NBI breached their agreement with Chires

Anyone familiar at all with the North Dakota Pepsi King knows that this is just not plausible.

[Ben Zonia]

For a long time, several decades, I've also noticed that radio is full of rumormongers.

Here's some suggestions.

1. Don't talk to broadcaster competitors, even those whom you consider friends, about anything sensitive. The friend of your friend may be your enemy.

2. Don't talk in public places about sensitive issues. As they say in the Mafia, "you hear things". Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.

3. Don't leave mail and faxes laying around where some DJ or Board Op might see them. Remember that they often socialize and talk with competitors they have worked for and workers they have worked with. Better yet, have all your sensitive mail, email, and faxes sent to your residence.
'
4. Don't tell other people, especially competitors, your good ideas. They'll steal them or block them. It's like students in high school talking about guys and girls they like, and "like like". Next time you turn around, your "friend" is dating them, based on your endorsements.

5. Above all, don't believe everything you hear. Don't talk about it, just do it.

6. To summarize. "Code Of Silence". "Cone Of Silence".

[ftballfan]

FCC ownership rules have screwed this market over. There should be a rule for FM stations that allow simulcasts to count as one against the market caps, if their 70dBu contours don't overlap.

Midwestern keeping 98.9 only would make more sense than keeping 97.5 only (98.9 covers much more of the market than 97.5)

The next few months could be very interesting in this part of the state, radio-wise.
Some early predictions:
- At least one license will be turned in for cancellation to the FCC
- Another commercial player will enter the market
- IPR News ends up on 101.9
- At least one commercial station changes frequencies

[Ben Zonia]

WKLZ doesn't cover the Southern Market Counties that well compared to others, including WKLT. In the old days, there were only a handful of stations with large service areas. And they really got out if you had a good radio and/or antenna. And WJML, "The Music Station", had a compelling locally based format.

[Deleted User 12047]

Sorry, MW I beg to differ -

Two thirds (roughly) of KLT's DIARY MENTIONS comes from the 97.5 signal, and nearly all Grand Traverse region DIARY MENTIONS comes from 97.5.

There is no way in a diary market to tell which part of actual listening comes from simulcast signals, especially when there is no on air difference in station imaging - Do they ever say “WBCM” or “WKLZ” except for the legal ID?

The secondary signal/call letters do not get the credit they deserve due to the ratings methodology.