WRUR and WXXI

I've discussed dayshare agreements in the past. Those are interesting and rare; like endangered birds. Yet more rare is this arrangement... whatever you want to call it. We got a public station on one side providing content to fill in the unused airtime at WRUR. I suppose it's better that being sued by a christianist group and losing the hours to a satillite feed of right wing religious propaganda... I hate it when that happens. http://www.wrur.org/
This is a more voluntary deal. I think. In exchange airtime on Student-run WRUR, receives equipment support, technical training and doest have to lawyer up. 1370 WXXI-AM gets airtime on a strong Rochester FM signal. Isn't that what every AM wants? Executive Vice President of WXXI Susan Rogers said. WXXI approached the on-campus station about exchanging services for open spots. "WXXI had programming and wanted to be put in an FM outlet and we had the time," Director of Wilson Commons and Student Activities Anne-Marie Algier said. More here.

In a very real sense WRUR was off air so much that they ran the risk of losing their FCC license. The Fed's require NCE stations to be on air 12 hours a day. The kids at U. of Rochester had a little trouble with that work schedule. Like many college staitons the problem was worse in the summer, but any gap left them open to forced arbitation from any community group. and lets not kids ourselves. it's enver the lions Club that sues the college staiton. it's going to be Klove.

So for WRUR ther's that. They get to maintain automomy under the deal indefinitely. and WXXI who virtually loses their signal at night gets to flip over to a 3,000-watt FM signal and it's WXXI that pays for the hardware. The deal isnt' so bad. I guess that means they'll chip in when they are federally mandated to switch to HD? http://www.wxxi.org/

The schedule works like this. WXXI will broadcast on 88.5 in the morning from 5am -9am carrying "Morning Edition," and simulcasting with their AM stick. It's better than the old AP wire right? the students fear a hostile take over of course and as much as WXXI Public Broadcasting tried to allay that fear... they've made some comments that hint that they might want a little more later on.

"There are different ways to provide support, and that's just what we are trying to do... We're trying to work on new things, possibly having streamed radio for alumni, for instance, who don't have any access to the station. We want to strengthen the station within the limits of what we can do." Said the Executive Vice President of WXXI Susan Rogers. I'm not trying to stoke the fires of paranoia, if the deal works out both parties benefit. If it dosen't, U. of Rochester sells the stick for a cool mil. We'll have to wait and see.

The last AM dayshare

I read that 1450 WVON-AM in chicago LMA'd 1690 WRLL-AM. It went without notice in most rags but it was also the end of the only AM share-time in Chicago. WVON who's stick is actually in Cicero, IL has signed off at 1:00 PM every day so that WCEV can use the frequency until 10:00 pm. This arrangement has been going on for decades and will only end this September. http://www.wvon.com/

In this LMA deal WVON brings its Urban talk programming to Chicago 24/7. Clear Channel owns the stick but WVON has an option to buy the expanded-band signal outright after five years. its a pretty good deal really. WRLL-AM drops their flagging oldies format WCEV presumably takes over the 1450 stick and WVON goes full-time. http://www.realoldies1690.com/

But it leaves us with only one remaining AM share-time: KWLC/KDEC on 1240 in Decorah, Iowa. It's a particularly odd deal. The commercial station KDEC shares the channel with Luther College’s KWLC. The college kids get overnights the weekdnds. KDEC gets everything else. But KDEC runs an Adult Standards format http://www.kdecradio.com/home.htm
and KWLC runs an eclectic mix of even more eclectic block programs. http://kwlc.luther.edu/

KWLC was founded 1926 , and inaugerated with a spirited reading of the Gettysburg Address. It is said to be the oldest continually operating radio station in Iowa. They began their share time agreement in the great depression as a money saving manuver which was very common then. They rode out the hard times where many others were not savvy enough to survive. But then they did something that the others did not. They stuck with the share time deal. While other broadcasters moved frequency, changed city of license or bought out their partner trying to provide full service, KWLC sat there quietly doing it's own thing. ...And now, they are the last of their kind.

Day Share Agreements

Suppose there is no room left on the radio dial in your City.

This is a rare scenario possibly limited to top 20 markets. (Even Phily had a move in last year right?) But with the current signal auction arrangement only independant millionares and massive media conglomerates can afford alicense. So what is one to do?

Low Power licenses are available with some foot work and some cash. Exciting, intresting ... but of very limited market penetration. LP radio stations are limited to under 100 watts. While there are some very interesting radio staitons out there running under 100 watts, (must do post on 1 watt staitons) they still are servicing a very small community area. Needless to say there is often some fighting over the scraps that are left.

In very rare scenarios there is a fight for the last license in the non-commercial band.
And even more rare, this fight ends with a very harmonious attempt at sharing the license.
Thats right:
one city.
one freqency.
two stations.

Some examples of this very unusual accord

KOOP & KVRX 91.7 Austin, TX
The community of Austin has half the day, the students of U.T. Austin have the other. they fight it out the rest in the parking lot at the Longhorns football games.
http://www.koop.org/
http://www.kvrx.org/


WXUT & WXTS 88.3 Toledo, OH
I dont totally understand this one it appears to be a share between Toledo City High school and U. of Toledo. I dont know how they divide the pie exactly but it appears that WXUT goes into webcast-only mode from 8:00am to 8pm M-F. I suspect that means thats the WXTS schedule. http://www.wxut.utoledo.edu/


WYBF & WXVU 89.1 Radnor, PA
Cabrini Vs. Villanova
I can hear these kids in my backyard. They split the week with WYBF getting Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and friday. the twist is that WYBF runs at 700 watts and WXVU runs at 75. So if you live more than about 5 miles away it just sounds like they take every other day off and go to the beach. Why Villanova dosn't file to up their license I have no idea.
http://www.wybf.com/
http://wxvu.villanova.edu/


WFDU & WNYU 89.1 New York City, NY
WNYU runs 8 hours of programming a day M-F starting at 4:00pm. the rest is WFDU. For the record WNYU broadcasts 24/7 on closed cable 800 AM to the NYU dorms.
http://www.wfdu.fm/
http://www.wnyu.org/


KPSU & KBPS 1450 AM
KPSU leases time from Portland Public Schools 1450AM from 5pm-2am on the weekdays and noon-2am on the weekends. They broadcast 24/7 with LPFM on campus on 98.3fm and on their webstream at kpsu.org.
http://www.allclassical.org/
http://www.kpsu.org/
*Corrected 6/30/05