No, WOR/AM in New York isn’t taking off Savage and Beck to play Country Music – they’re adding a new non-radio internet stream called WORCountry.com, available on the web and on the iPhone (coming soon…)
WOR is owned by Buckley Broadcasting of Connecticut, which got the station when the US Justice Department forced Howard Hughes to divest his radio stations. They’re a very atypical station owner for the #1 major market.
This is groundbreaking in a significant way – it is a traditional radio owner trying to extend their brand by creating an internet only “station”. They say in the story that this shows a station doesn’t have to be limited by the station’s bandwidth. What they didn’t figure out yet is they also are not limited by the FCC license’s geography. If they can build a good “radio” station, it will quickly draw an audience from outside New York, which may or may not be what they intend. This sounds like it is a deal with BMI to promote their artists – “payola” restrictions don’t apply to the Internet – neither do rules against profanity, etc…
This development pushes us way down the road toward blurring the lines between “Radio” and “Internet Streaming”. Some non-profits have already realized that what they do on their web site isn’t subject to the “no advertising” rule for over-the-air radio. While you can’t say “Come by our store and buy our stuff” on a non-com “sponsorship” message, you can say “Come to the non-com.org web site and check out our sponsors”…
Technology is outstripping the legal system’s ability to keep up.
Funny you mention that. There was a local radio ownership guy (Jeff Androlunis) who tried that around here about three years ago. It was too much ahead of its time for the rural hicks he was seeking to draw, but it was still something interesting.
Speaking of Savage and country… can someone explain to me what Savage is doing on a country station in the thriving metropolis of St. Marys, PA?!
My guess is the answer is…. because the Station Owner wants it there :)
The station is 100% owned by one Dennis Heindl – one of these odd “throwback” stations actually owned by an individual who lives in the community of service :) The station has a very good pattern, probably due to the lack of competition – it reaches solidly to I86 in New York and I-80 in Pennsylvania. I hear a rumor that some truckers like Country Music.
Looks like an interesting person – among his interest is collecting old phonograph machines
http://www.phono-fun.com/
It would be interesting for someone to call up Savage and ask “Hey Mike, who is your favorite Country Music singer?” and hear the tirade back at the caller. Perhaps Savage listens to country music, but I kind of doubt it.
That’s right around where I live– that station is about 60-70 miles southwest but it comes in crystal clear north of I-86. They mounted their tower on the tallest mountain they could find which helps with their signal. This area’s full of stations that are locally owned and operated. Even the few that aren’t generally have delegated most decisions to the local management (e.g. Backyard Broadcasting’s WPIG). Some of those local owners are better than others. You have Jeff Androlunis, who owns 3 stations and a bunch of translators. He chases after younger listeners (and around here, there aren’t that many) with technologies that really are ahead of its time in the market. Then there’s Robert Pfunter– who runs his stations mostly on the cheap. Several stations in the area have gone to waste under Pfunter (dba Pembrook Pines) management. The Seneca nation made a big splash with their new oldies station, WGWE. Bradford’s WESB/WBRR combo is run by a guy who lives down the road from me. The Twin Tiers is certainly an interesting radio market, definitely not typical of most markets in that there’s still significant local presence.