As one empathetic competitor put it, [WCCO is] programming for the audience available to them.. As late as 1969, WCCO-FM was broadcasting at 2,700 watts atop the 450-foot Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis, and only for the minimum number of hours required to keep its FCC license. The auction could well reverse much of this progress if some or all of the stations in a particular market stopped broadcasting over the air. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. There will be some slight improvement in air quality throughout Friday and Friday night," the MPCA said in a release. Its not a coincidence that after 6:30 p.m., when KFAN ends local programming, WCCO pivots to sports. A major risk needs to be taken to capture new audience, says Sunday host Roshini Rajkumar, within our tradition of voices of authenticity. She said if there is a long-term vision for the station, she is unaware of it. WCCO was the top-rated station in the Twin Cities for decades until shifting demographics and a decline in listening to AM radio caused a drop in the Arbitron and Nielsen ratings. I recently noticed that she doesnt seem to work for the station anymore, but there is next to no information regarding her departure. But the CBS network signal has been coming through KCCO off a tower near Westport in Pope County. Its not work for me., One such friendship is with Owatonna-based Federated Insurance and its chairman, Jeff Fetters. They would need only to rescan for stations that have new channel locations. Fees asked for by the station may have been too high to renew a contract. WCCO had been the radio flagship of the Minnesota Vikings football team from 1961 to 1969, 1976 to 1984, 1988 to 1990, and 1996 to 2000. Programmers in town told TCBthat by simulcasting Twins baseball, Entercom has effectively killed The Wolfs ability to hold an all-day audience. The move apparently took many of CCOs occasional listeners off AM permanently. Today, the station is boxed in. So why not simulcast WCCO all day on FM, as Entercom has done with WBBM-AM in Chicago? And Lees prowess is known throughout town. Welcome to the official YouTube channel for WCCO News and CBS News Minnesota, your destination for everything local -- including breaking news and the best o. Reach Agweek reporter Jeff Beach at jbeach@agweek.com or call 701-451-5651. With its diverse range of shows and topics covered, it has something to offer for everyone. Jim Borgrud, president of Selective TV, said that is a reference to the potential deal with Selective TV. This is not a transition where you wing it, says Tom Langmyer, CEO of Great Lakes Media. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The FCC notes that broadcasters can choose not to participate but that they may have their channels reassigned after the auction is completed. A local watershed was KFANs move to FM in 2011. ", "Audacy Announces Updated Programming Lineup for 830 WCCO in Minneapolis", "WCCO-AM 830 kHz - Minneapolis, Minnesota", "CBS Sets Radio Division Merger With Entercom", "CBS and Entercom Are Merging Their Radio Stations", "Entercom Receives FCC Approval for Merger with CBS Radio", "Minneapolis Breaking News, Today's News | WCCO Radio", Offenders of The Faith - The AM STEREO Page, https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=16, The First Forty - The Story of WCCO Radio 1924-1964, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WCCO_(AM)&oldid=1149713038, This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 00:17. The advertising load in morning drive is particularly heavy. This means that with the conversion to digital, a station like WCCO in the Twin Cities can retain its Channel 4 brand identity, while also offering additional over-the-air content on a Channel 4.2 . KMNB, a radio station (102.9 FM) licensed to serve Minneapolis, Minnesota, which used the call sign WCCO-FM from May 1969 to November 1983. But competition has hollowed out that position. Public radio started acting like real radio, promoting, employing formatics [programming techniques to hold listeners attention], says Bloom. The station soon had financial trouble and closed in 1924. The station [is] sold on results for clients. Its a self-serving justification, of course, but it is also not without an element of truth. Lane spent the bulk of his radio career at KSTP/Hubbard Broadcasting in a variety of on- and off-air roles. And because Lee reads so many of those ads, and nurtures so many of the advertiser relationships, his departure breeds uncertainty. Dave does more endorsements than anybody that Ive worked with, says retired WCCO market manager Mick Anselmo. Scandinavian Gift Shop to host Wake Up Alexandria on May 5, New robot server 'hired' at Grand Arbor's Pioneer Grill in Alexandria, State FFA band and chorus are the hidden gem of Minnesota State FFA convention, MN 100 Club donates $50,000 to family of Pope County fallen officer, Overpass in Glenwood to memorialize Deputy Josh Owen. Another way of measuring a radio stations impact is cume the number of individuals listening per week an important stat for many advertisers trying to reach the greatest number of ears. It is common for some problems to be reported throughout the day. Will you help us keep it this way by supporting our nonprofit newsroom with a tax-deductible donation today? There are only two AM stations left in the region that even attract a substantial audience:CCO and iHearts conservative talker, KTLK. Still, the local industry was shocked when Northern Lights sold both frequencies to a nonprofit religious broadcaster for just $2.45 million. WCCO features a talk radio format, with frequent newscasts and sports programming. However, the auction could have a profound impact on consumers, notably those who use indoor or rooftop antennas to pull in free over-the-air signals. World and national news is supplied by CBS News Radio. "Smoke from Canadian wildfires lingers over most of Minnesota. His social network is expansive. First, digital streaming and smart speakers may quickly render the AM band struggle moot. Weekend hosts Rajkumar and Sheletta Brundidge are also women of color who offer vastly different takes on that experience. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (Most news/talk stations attract a disproportionately male audience.) Entercom doesnt understand the legacy, says Quick, but if Shannon [Knoepke] can sell the heck out of it, it doesnt matter. As noted here previously, the Rochester area makes up about half of the households in the Rochester-Austin-Mason City market. Retiring morning host Dave Lee will not be around to broadcast over it, but I think you do need an FM signal, he says. After years of programming to the least diverse aspects of Minnesotas population, WCCO has made strides in recent years to diversify its air talent. Minnesotas agricultural sector long relied on CCO for commodity and crop prices. At night, the station's signal typically reaches across 28 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. While CBS shareholders retain a 72% ownership stake in the combined company, Entercom was the surviving entity, with WCCO Radio no longer being co-owned with WCCO-TV. iHeart went bankrupt in 2018, the same year Cumulus emerged from Chapter 11. The air quality alert is extended until at least 3 p.m. Tuesday. From 1947 to 1996, WCCO and WCCO-TV won 12 George Foster Peabody Awards, more than any other Twin Cities broadcast outlet. 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When Knoepke says she has no concerns about revenues rebounding, it must be taken with a grain of salt for a single reason: Dave Lee is retiring. WCCO has a tattered rep replacing marquee talent. Today Friday, April 30 Dave Lee will wake up at his southeast suburban home, walk to his basement studio, and begin his three-hour air shift at WCCO Radio. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert for nearly all of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities. Downdetector only reports an incident when the number of problem reports is significantly higher than the typical volume for that time of day. December 18, 2020 1:18 pm. "I don't know why (CBS) would want lose that market share up here," said Lonnie Wing, a Selective TV board member. The home of. I have to be really hot when I go out for winter storms.". Lee is a native of Hatton, North Dakota, the son of a rural mailman. News Talk 830 WCCO is Minnesota's source for breaking news, compelling talk, the very latest traffic and weather plus Twins and Timberwolves. The consensus in the industry is she needs an equally capable programming executive to manage the burden of talent development and strategy. [15] The move by the large market dominating WCCO to adopt AM stereo received attention from local and national news outlets. WCCO constructed a new 654-foot tower in Coon Rapids in 1939. You can tell he really cares., Federateds approach is refreshingly old-school in todays era of metrics and precise ROI. [3] The transmitter is located off Coon Rapids Boulevard at Lily Street NW in Coon Rapids. To republish, copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to MinnPost. The era of double digits ended around 2000. He became a regional celeb at KFGO, where his stock in trade was comedy bits trading on the dialects and folkways of North Dakotans, not dissimilar to the schtick of Charlie Boone and Roger Erickson. The station is dedicated to providing accurate and unbiased news coverage, as well as expert analysis and commentary. Id look at them as a model for how to modernize a format., KFANs dominance over CCO in sports is equally stark. The petition from Allen Media's KIMT/3 (Mason City, IA) was first reported here last year. The dual auction will marry the economics of wireless providers demand for spectrum with the economics of television broadcasters, says the FCC website. The sale was conducted using a Reverse Morris Trust to shield the deal from taxes. In the current environment, such a move seems untenable. Congress passed a law a couple of years ago that essentially forces many TV stations across the country to give up their broadcast frequencies, so that wireless companies can use them to meet the. This is a turning point, says former program director Jon Quick. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Will it return? Pilots flying over the Upper Midwest reported watching the lights go out all over the region each night when Adams finished his 10 pm newscast. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The significantly-viewed list was originally developed in 1972, showing which stations had significant broadcast viewership in each location. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. / CBS Minnesota. As Lee moves from drive time to a photo on the stations wall of fame, WCCO faces the same question it has faced throughout the last quarter-century: What is the cure for its chronic audience atrophy, and is it worse than the disease? For many years, WCCO was famous for its "klaxon" alert tone for tornado warnings. Reporter Jason Derusha bid goodbye to WCCO This Morning on June 23 after 19 years of his service on the TV network. Minneapolis mayor and city staff oppose rent control. The statements and views expressed in this posting are my own and do not reflect those of Gray Television. The WCCO-TV signal is back to full power again after being out for several hours on Sunday for people who watch over-the-air or through satellite companies that receive the signal from the transmitter. Finally, WCCO remains a cash machine with a community of satisfied advertising partners. In January, WCCO attracted slightly more female than male listeners, per Nielsen data. Because the data is proprietary and WCCO refuses to comment, there is no way to settle the question. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. As long as people think of WCCO as their grandparents station, Bloom says, then it is., The question is whether CCO leadership is trying to have it both ways. So, why can the government do this? In 2021, Entercom country station 102.9 FM The Wolfs programming day will be broken up by up to 190 Twins simulcasts. The Twins would move to KSTP beginning in the 2007 season, and would then move to then-team owned KTWN-FM prior to the start of the 2013 season. Something in the next five years is going to change. Hubbard isnt going anywhere, and could be a buyer, but Anselmo says Entercom or Cumulus may choose to exit the market, to then grow in another. What message if anything do you get when you tune to it? Washburn Crosby Company, forerunner of General Mills, took over the station and switched the call sign to WCCO for the company's initials. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This site has some photos and recordings. Big changes could be coming for traditional broadcast television stations both commercial and noncommercial. Normally that process would be driven by a programming executive, but right now WCCO is without a brand manager, as Entercom labels the role. "We have a strong team because you put us there," co-host Heather Brown said Tuesday morning on the air. WCCO is the flagship radio station for the Minnesota Twins baseball team and the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team. Some notable sports broadcasters have included Baseball Hall of Fame member Herb Carneal, the longtime voice of the Minnesota Twins, Halsey Hall, Ray Scott and Ray Christensen, longtime voice of University of Minnesota's Gopher football and Gopher men's basketball. In the January 2021 ratings, that number had sunk to 181,000, a drop of 83 percent. During the day, it provides at least B-grade coverage to most of Minnesota's densely populated area (as far north as Duluth and as far south as Rochester), plus portions of northern Iowa and western Wisconsin. WCCO delivers the decision-makers the company is trying to reach. People tune into talent. CBS closed down the KCCO studio in Alexandria in 2004. St. Paul wants more missing middle housing. Question About Spectrum Voice (Landline) Caller ID Information? They started loading that show with 2224 minutes of [ads], says Quick. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. If it can stave off additional audience erosion, it can tread water for a long time before sinking below the horizon. World Conference for Cancer Organisations. Knoepke was rather unforthcoming inTCBsinterviews, conducted by phone and email, with David Heim, Entercoms corporate communications vice president, monitoring; she declined to talk about ratings, audience data, revenue, nor, unsurprisingly, candidates to replace Lee. Everyone is advised to take precautions when air quality is unhealthy, including taking it easy and listening to your body. One reason youre unlikely to see a major programming shift from WCCO is that the only space not occupied by a more robust competitor is the one it holds. The . But does the Good Neighbor have the stamina to make it in its next century? Selective TV is a non-profit over-the-air television programming system supported by viewer contributions. The affected area is all of Minnesota, including the tribal nations of Grand Portage, Fond du Lac, Upper Sioux, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Mille Lacs, and Prairie Island. We see that you have javascript disabled. Morning drive will continue to be our strongest daypart, she says. Weve known about this for a year and a half, says Knoepke. The Free Dictionary. [4] It is also heard on a digital subchannel on co-owned FM 102.9 KMNB-HD2. But WCCO is in many ways a shell of its one-time self, attracting a fraction of the audience that it commanded in its heyday and no longer a ratings leader among the regions news and information stations. Perhaps the greatest of them all was Cedric Adams, who first was heard on WCCO in 1931, and broadcast on the station until his death in 1961. Legendary station personality Howard Viken said that he once picked up the station while he was in the military during World War II, stationed at Guadalcanal in 1943. The threat to WCCO long-term may not be the age or size of its audience, but an owner who sees it as a pawn or rook on an industry chess board. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I went on the road to listen to radio, like a baseball scout. Quick found Lee in Fargo and former midday host John Williams, now at WGN, in Peoria, Illinois. The FCC has granted a petition for special relief from the Rochester market's CBS affiliate and issued an order that will result in WCCO-TV's CBS programming being dropped from cable in the Med City. But when the camera pans in . News Talk 830 WCCO is Minnesota's source for news, traffic and weather plus Twins and Timberwolves. In the February 2021 Nielsen ratings, released as this issue ofTCBwent to press, Minnesota Public Radios all-news KNOW-FM was the #2-rated local station, while iHeart Medias mostly sports KFAN was #3, and CCO was tied for ninth (with sister station Jack FM; Hubbards KS95 was #1). TV watchers that use an antenna in Douglas County get most of their channels from the Selective TV tower. The Federal Communications Commission is inviting 2,197 of them nationwide including 20 in the Twin Cities and another 16 elsewhere in Minnesota to give up their broadcast bandwidth in exchange for money a lot of money. Beyond being talented and exceptionally well-liked, Lees show is a cash register for CCO. Paul) Radio Stations, Some Recorded Off The Air by Rick . Much of Minnesota remains under drought conditions. Due to the station's power, as well as Minnesota's mostly flat landscape (with near-perfect ground conductivity), WCCO boasts one of the largest coverage areas in the country. Scan this QR code to download the app now. (Entercom says the age is 53, perhaps relying on a lesser used metric known as median cume, which was under 54 for one month in 2020.) Douglas has served the Twin . . Though Knoepke is well-liked and described as a leader by most of the staffTCBinterviewed, it is unclear how much decision-making authority Entercom cedes to local management. Rumors abound that WCCO-TV morning anchor Jason Derusha is high on the stations list of possible successors, and the former CBS corporate siblings might even look to simulcast some of his 4:30 a.m.7 a.m. TV newscast. Reduce or eliminate splitters or connectors that are not needed. I am having the same issue. Digital streaming is a recent emphasis. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has extended and upgraded the air quality alert in much of the state due to "unprecedented" conditions caused by wildfire smoke. One reason for CCOs strength, says a competing radio programmer in town who did not want to be quoted publicly on a competitor, is that everything is for sale, and there is so much to sell. WCCO has more commercial inventory than any station in town. Opinions are myriad. Every format element is a small piggy bank. WCCO started broadcasting University of St. Thomas football beginning in the 20112012 season. Its driven by a generation of budget cuts across the industry., Theres one other problem, and its a big one. Its closest competitor, KSTP Radio (1500 AM), had just under an eight share. Once the auction concludes, consumers who receive digital content over the air through a converter box will likely have to re-scan their channels, but their favorite programming should continue on their usual channel numbers. KFAN was still struggling on the AM band. Finally in 1973, WCCO-FM station moved its antenna to 1,250 feet near the top of the Shoreview, Minnesota, Twin Cities antenna farm, with a power of 100,000 watts. Windy Cold Crushes Optimizers. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Hanson declined an interview, but Bloom does not accept the thesis, saying he had numerous detailed conversations with Knoepke before his hire: [She] did not hire me because [she] was satisfied with 180 cume (see sidebar, below) and 4.5 share., Bloom believes he was hired to evolve to a sharper-edged news/current events format, but Knoepke got cold feet. But the name of the game is revenue, and WCCO remains a formidable force. Now all that information is available on a smartphone;CCO dropped farm reports two generations ago. And despite CCOs audience shrinkage, BIAs estimates of historical revenues at the station show a much smaller decline. Broadcasters have never had to do this. On September 15, 2011, WCCO was awarded the NAB Marconi Radio Award for Large Market Station of the Year. According to data provided to stations by Nielsen, in 2020, 82.2 percent of the available radio audience did not tune to AM (see AM Blues sidebar, page 36). Theres not a future in bland. More will be added, so check back. He added that his only regret is that he did not have a chance to say goodbye on the air. Same issue. An inability to maintain programming leadership with a consistent vision is another factor. The MPCA says fine particle levels will begin to improve Tuesday as southerly winds begin pushing the smoke out of the state. It remains a CBS affiliate. People like Dave Lee are born, not made., Max attributes Lees effectiveness to constant preparation. FM was a niche technology; in the 1960s, most cars lacked FM radios. The following year, WCCO experienced an enormous ratings drop. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. One can debate the merits ofCCOs programming and its role in a 50-year ratings slide, but the real driving force was competitive pressure. Knoepke is clearly talking about revenues, because CCO does not win in any key daypart. [Entercom] have not invested positively in any of their Chicago properties, he says. The station's owner, Audacy Inc for WCCO sold to a new company so Spectrum has to get a new agreement from the new station owners. Officials advise that people in sensitive groups limit time outside and avoid strenuous exercise or activity. The weed watchdog: What Minnesota can expect if it legalizes recreational marijuana this year. ), One current WCCO employee who requested anonymity says that given its modest ratings and weak demographics, Entercom was shocked at WCCOs top-line [revenue] when they bought it.. Theyre looking for someone to change it without changing anything, Bloom says. Douglas' role is strictly as a meteorologist. Cable systems are allowed to carry out-of-market stations if they are on the list for their county or city. Gallery: WCCO's Mark Rosen said he planned to wrap up his 50-year broadcasting career in April following coverage . [12][13], In 2018, WCCO returned to the moniker "News/Talk 830 WCCO" with its logo reflecting the change.[14]. The final factor limiting WCCOs reach is that, like most radio stations in America, it is owned by an overleveraged media company that reported miserable 2020 results. It resonated for enough of us, but if you didnt grow up on a farm or in a deeply Lutheran suburb, it could also be a barrier. It was surreal, it was the place. Those are the words of Jon Quick, WCCOs marketing director, then program director, from 1980 to 1992. The auctions were authorized by Congress in 2012 to make better use of the nations broadcast spectrum. He graduated from the University of North Dakota, then hopped to jobs in Grand Forks and Fargo. In 2019 WCCO-TV had no measurable viewing, and in 2020 it reached a 0.02 percent share of total viewing hours and 1.81 percent net weekly circulation including one standard error. Is the station gone completely, or another channel in its place?

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