The Spy

[theparkman81]

This morning, there facebook page says that are no longer broacasting on 105.3, but online, does anybody know more details, and its there a new format on the station.

[timothy.a.owen]

OKC.Biz Article

Hope that helps a little!

[Spartan]

Wow that's unfortunate. Does nobody in OKC support them?

[MustangGT]

Guess not. Just another station that could not make it in the marketplace. They were not the first and won't be the last. Radio is a cut-throat business.

[Soonerman]

I think one of the main issues was lack of metro coverage. I understand the reasons behind it. but 930 watts from Kingfisher isn't gonna cut it in OKC. It was the same issues that hurt Jack FM.

[theparkman81]

I think one of the main issues was lack of metro coverage. I understand the reasons behind it. but 930 watts from Kingfisher isn't gonna cut it in OKC. It was the same issues that hurt Jack FM.

I agree soonerman, but i was hoping they were going to upgrade their power, but i guess it didn't happen, anyways as of now or the last time I checked there were playing spy music but there using the old stuff from 2002-2004, i wonder what format they are going to put on here next, probably salsa music.

[drum4no1]

Wow thats really sad to hear. I didnt care for alot of the music played but I have a lot of respect for Brian Howard and the independent spirit of the Spy

[Steve]

Guess not. Just another station that could not make it in the marketplace. They were not the first and won't be the last. Radio is a cut-throat business.

That's not what happened. Read George Lang's story on NewsOK

[SoonerQueen]

I have to say I never listened to this station. But I remember when WKY, who was doing well as a talk show station went Spanish.It was like one day you're listening and things are fine and then the next day you wake up to Spanish music and dialogue you can't understand. That change was a big mistake, not sure about this one.

[bluedogok]

Just another sign that the corporate owned radio behemoths have ruined terrestrial radio, especially in larger markets. The homogenization of America by broadcasting everything from the media centers, for the most part there is really no such thing as "local radio" anymore. The one here in Austin that was always considered more "local" than the rest was owned by the Indianapolis conglomerate Emmis Communications and they have recently tweaked the format by moving more towards what the spreadsheet producers in Indy have decreed much to the dismay of the real "local" people. The conglomeration of radio holdings has harmed the format and driven the licenses out of sight for the local owner who wants to really create a truly local radio station. The only places that seem to be able to pull it off are the small towns that the conglomerates in faraway places don't seem to know exist. Community radio at those locals seem to be doing better but the focus has to be serving the community rather than trying to extend the reach to a larger market, most of those trying to do that have struggled because the signal never has enough reach, that always seemed to be the problem with The Spy in its prior iteration, the Stillwater reach never seemed to be far enough or clear enough.

Good luck to the effort at the web radio format.

[gen70]

Just another sign that the corporate owned radio behemoths have ruined terrestrial radio, especially in larger markets. The homogenization of America by broadcasting everything from the media centers, for the most part there is really no such thing as "local radio" anymore. The one here in Austin that was always considered more "local" than the rest was owned by the Indianapolis conglomerate Emmis Communications and they have recently tweaked the format by moving more towards what the spreadsheet producers in Indy have decreed much to the dismay of the real "local" people. The conglomeration of radio holdings has harmed the format and driven the licenses out of sight for the local owner who wants to really create a truly local radio station. The only places that seem to be able to pull it off are the small towns that the conglomerates in faraway places don't seem to know exist. Community radio at those locals seem to be doing better but the focus has to be serving the community rather than trying to extend the reach to a larger market, most of those trying to do that have struggled because the signal never has enough reach, that always seemed to be the problem with The Spy in its prior iteration, the Stillwater reach never seemed to be far enough or clear enough.

Good luck to the effort at the web radio format.

Is KOKE "SUPER ROPER RADIO" still in Austin?

[Spartan]

90% of their listeners were listening from the website? Wow, that's never a good sign for much success over the radio waves. Weird. I never listened online but I always had it on in my car when I was in town.

[TheTravellers]

90% of their listeners were listening from the website? Wow, that's never a good sign for much success over the radio waves. Weird. I never listened online but I always had it on in my car when I was in town.

Yeah, everybody I know (not that many, admittedly) that listened to them did it in their car too, strange that the numbers aren't there (it's not like we have a huge mass transit system that everybody rides and listens to their iwhatevers all the time)... We can get it almost anywhere we drive in OKC/Edmond. Only radio station I listened to, very sad.

[FritterGirl]

Yeah, everybody I know (not that many, admittedly) that listened to them did it in their car too, strange that the numbers aren't there (it's not like we have a huge mass transit system that everybody rides and listens to their iwhatevers all the time)... We can get it almost anywhere we drive in OKC/Edmond. Only radio station I listened to, very sad.

Ditto for me! I listened to them only in my car, but switched back regularly between The Spy and one of our two NPR stations. Only radio worth listening to in this market. I used to have satellite, but when I got a new car a few years back, we soon discovered it was not satellite compatible. Stinks, since now I'm back to mostly CD's or my ipod.

[MustangGT]

That's not what happened. Read George Lang's story on NewsOK

Just did and so??? It did not appraise high enough, that sounds like it was not worth the trust thought it was worth. It is still a failure in the marketplace financial if not ideological but a failure none the less.

According to O'Brien, the purchase fell through when the station did not appraise for Last Bastion Trust's asking price.

"When it comes back at nowhere near that number, it just doesn't make sense," O'Brien said.

Read more: http://newsok.com/spy-vs.-spy-the-sp...#ixzz17LtYG2Fl

[MustangGT]

I used to have satellite, but when I got a new car a few years back, we soon discovered it was not satellite compatible. Stinks, since now I'm back to mostly CD's or my ipod.

There are many stand-alone satellite radio units you can have installed. Once you go satellite it is almost impossible to go back. I would hate going back to regular commercial infested broadcast radio.

[stratosphere]

this really sucks.

the Spy was the only station i listen to besides occasionally the sports animal. The rest of local radio is complete garbage.

i guess its back to cd's & ipod once this is gone. I dont want to hear Pink & Lady GaGarbage constantly.

I would do XM but their customer service is criminal and once you deal with them you are basically their junkie because you can't cancel their service and they will keep billing you and billing you....plus their "customer service" is 10,000 miles a way so good luck with that...

[RadioOKC]

I am suprised to see this happen but I kinda doubt the info given in the NewsOK article. Radio Stations have been selling for several times their value over the last 10 years or so. I sure what Citadel wants for the station is inflated, but I don't think the price was a secret and there was plenty of time to get a handle on the stations actual value before it got to this point. I think any attorney involved in this deal should be drug over the coals. Without having a contract to buy it, there should have been some sort of agreement that if there is no deal the station goes back to spanish or some other format. Ferris should have been able to have the Spy brand pulled off the air when he left the building. Sad thing is the web radio will run the money well dry quick. When you get a lot of listeners online you are charged royalties on a per composition-per listener basis. And the more money you make, thie higher the price per song.All internet radio including Pandora deal with this issue. Donations will help for a while but you won't break even. Hopefully, the fans will be loyal enough to go to a subscriber based model to help him keep a roof over his head. Most won't because the value or recorded music is minimal and people prefer youtube or p2p.

[TheTravellers]

Interesting - heard a commercial for the "2010 into 2011" Lips NYE Freakout on the OTA version of The Spy yesterday, so it's not just on a loop from the archives from way back (although if I hear that Death Cab for Cutie song one more time....). Wonder how the online version's doing? Hope he can make it....

[Steve]

I am suprised to see this happen but I kinda doubt the info given in the NewsOK article. Radio Stations have been selling for several times their value over the last 10 years or so..

If George Lang wrote the story (he did), you can bank on it being right. And technically, your comment is right: radio stations WERE selling for several times their value several years ago. But not recently. It's like saying real estate sale prices in Las Vegas, California and Florida have been skyrocketing "the last 10 years or so" ... which is true. But not after 2007.

[RadioOKC]

If George Lang wrote the story (he did), you can bank on it being right. And technically, your comment is right: radio stations WERE selling for several times their value several years ago. But not recently. It's like saying real estate sale prices in Las Vegas, California and Florida have been skyrocketing "the last 10 years or so" ... which is true. But not after 2007.

I know George wrote with the information that he was given. These properties that
we're spun off to Last Bastion to sell are WAY overpriced. Radio prices have not
changed much since 2007. The properties have gone down in value (TRUE) but it does
not mean the idiots at the helm of the companies that own them are going to sell them
for a fair market price especially since these spun off stations could be competing
against the companies that used to own them. Companies like Citadel are in financial
turmoil right now. They need every penny they can get their hands on.

It's crappy deal. The online thing will be a challenge. The current rate set by the CRB
is .0017 per composition per listener. And if you are making money that rate will and does go up.

Chris
http://www.radiookc.com

[Bunty]

Someone with good music to play ought to be bold enough to bring back a pirate FM radio station to Oklahoma City again. A 100 watt station can cover a good sized chunk of OKC with at least a mono signal.

One could reduce getting caught by being on the air only on Saturday and Sundays under the theory the FCC is short staffed and funded and doesn't want to work enforcement officers overtime on weekends. That and careful frequency selection so as not to interfere with the licensed local stations, and one might be able to pull if off for a good long time. It wouldn't be real cool, though, if programming mainly sounded like high school boys playing radio and talking trash about sex.

On the other hand, it can probably be said the huge variety of talk, news and music on the Internet has lessened the need for any pirate radio station activity.

[RadioOKC]

If caught expect misery. The FCC is understaffed but there are plenty of engineers that LOVE to hunt down pirates and report them. President Obama just signed off on the LPFM bill which will open more spots again with exactly that - 100 watt stations. Too bad there arent any daytime only AM stations in OKC that could be grabbed up. FM boosters are available that will allow you to run 20% of the AM daytime only power. In the right spot in OKC that could also be an option for the spy.

Chris
www.radiookc.com

[Bunty]

If caught expect misery. The FCC is understaffed but there are plenty of engineers that LOVE to hunt down pirates and report them. President Obama just signed off on the LPFM bill which will open more spots again with exactly that - 100 watt stations. Chris
www.radiookc.com

Cool. But I hope the nrw LPFM stations won't be claimed by mostly churches.

[RadioOKC]

Look for the comission to hammer down on them after the translator war of 2003. EDGEWATER BROADCASTING, INC and RADIO ASSIST MINISTRY, INC. both in Idaho got a ton of contruction permits and have sold many and have a ton in the market for sale. I think the comission is going to look at the churches long and hard before giving them the nod.

Chris
www.radiookc.com