WCNS Latrobe Flips To Talk After Translator Purchase Falls Through

Radio Insight ^ | 2/14/16 | Lance Venta

[raccoonradio]

LHTC Media is flipping Talk/Oldies 1480 WCNS Latrobe PA to Conservative Talk on Monday.

WCNS will continue airing the regionally syndicated Jim Quinn in mornings. Longtime Pittsburgh radio and television anchor Hank Baughman will host a local “Talk Westmoreland” from 10am to 12pm. The rest of the lineup will feature syndicated talkers Dennis Prager from 12-3pm, Michael Savage 3-6pm, Mark Levin 6-9pm, Hugh Hewitt 9pm-12am, Armed American Radio 12-1am, and Red Eye Radio 1-6am.

The flip of WCNS comes after LHTC’s purchase of two AM’s and a translator near Youngstown OH fell through due to a defective AM Revitalization Waiver application. LHTC filed to move 94.7 W234CH Girard OH to Latrobe to rebroadcast WCNS, however it was denied as WCNS is a Class B and not eligible to apply for a translator in the waiver period until July 29. The Youngstown Vindicator reports that the purchase of W234CH, Urban AC “Star 94.7” 1330 WGFT Campbell and Silent 1500 WASN Youngstown OH from Skip and Helen Bednarczyk for $325,000 will not proceed following the denial of the move.

[raccoonradio]

war room/Jim Quinn ping

[raccoonradio]

DAYTIME

[Dilbert San Diego]

What’s the AM revitalization program all about? A program to save AM radio?

[Yorlik803]

Still pissed that they took Quinn and rose off the air and then turned that station into Country Music. 1320 AM is good but get beyond Pittburgh metro and you cant hear it

[raccoonradio]

Yes, by putting stations on small FM rebroadcasters.

Example: WNBP 1450 Newburyport MA now simulcasts on 106.1 FM. AM losing popularity and “many don’t know it’s there”
so they figure if they can get on FM, even with a limited signal area...

[raccoonradio]

pbrtv.com:

>>A picture of a report in the Latrobe Bulletin that was posted to a friend’s Facebook page clued us in to the fact that as of Monday morning, WCNS (1480 Latrobe) will no longer play any music and operate as a full-time talk station. Remaining true to the community, it will feature local programming. Quinn in the Morning remains on from 6:00 – 10:00 a.m. and local news will be covered by Dow Carnahan, Hank Baughman, and Aaron Anderson. Baughman will host Talk Westmorelland each day from 10:00 – Noon. 6 syndicated programs will fill out the day including Savage Nation and Mark Levin.

http://www.1480wcns.com/

[Dilbert San Diego]

Many don’t know AM stations are there? Really?? Aren’t all radios AM/FM radios? Are there radios which only have FM nowadays? Am I behind the times??

[DoughtyOne]

[Dr. Sivana]

Many don’t know AM stations are there? Really?? Aren’t all radios AM/FM radios? Are there radios which only have FM nowadays? Am I behind the times??

There are plenty of FM only radios, especially when an add on to an MP3 player. AM requires a separate antenna and expense.

AM is given to interference and poor sound quality compared to a decent FM signal. The signal travels farther, but multiple translators address that.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Thanks for info. Haven’t bought a radio in years, didn’t know there were FM only radios.

[jeannineinsd]

My recently purchased cell phone (a Motorola MotoG) has an FM radio receiver.
So I can use the phone to listen to FM radio without using my data plan. To use the phone to listen an AM station, I would need to use my data plan to connect to the station’s web site and stream the signal.

[raccoonradio]

Well, as in “they don’t bother tuning in” to AM as they don’t find anything of interest there, though in some cities there are big news/talk stations on AM like KDKA Pitt. and WBZ Boston.
80 per cent of the audience prefers FM.

Some mp3 players (Sony, RCA, Sansa) have radios—with FM only.
The free NextRadio smartphone app is FM only. There are rare
portable HD radios that are FM only, though some
AM stations are rebroadcast on sub-signals of the FM.

[raccoonradio]

I had an LG from Virgin Mobile and used the NextRadio app.
Then I bought a Samsung Galaxy iii and found it didn’t offer
NextRadio (still using Virgin Mobile)

Indeed with NextRadio you can hear FM radio without using your
data plan.

[raccoonradio]

Indeed, good info.

When talk host Jay Severin (now on The Blaze Radio) lost his
job on Boston FM talk station WTKK 96.9, he moved to an AM
station WXKS 1200. When he announced that on a facebook group someone asked “1200, is that, like, on AM?”

[PA Engineer]

Thanks for the post. I have been doing Jim on podcast. Will check out the reception tomorrow.

[PghBaldy]

I wish it were a bit more powerful for a relative who only listens to over the air radio.

[sneakers]

Thanks for the ping raccoonradio.

Pinging some of the Quinn-in-the-morning ping-list locals.

[NonValueAdded]

Speaking of translators, what does that article mean in English?

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Thanks for the ping Sneaks! We’ll see what happens July 29 (maybe the rest of re broadcast deal will go thru). I’m in that red circle (but only “get” PaTPike broadcast at higher end of AM dial). it would be great to have Quinn on in car (instead of laptop only).