Out With the Old Radio Station WKLA, In With the New

[XLFD]

WKLA to Officially Move to Thompsonville, WLDN to Officially Move to Ludington

Back in August, Synergy Broadcasting, operators of numerous radio stations in the area, declared in a filing with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) the intention to move the WKLA-FM franchise from Ludington to Thompsonville, a small community marginally bigger than Custer, situated in the hinterlands between Manistee and Traverse City. 

To take up the vacuum created by moving the area's oldest radio station 70 miles north-northeast, they also declared WLDN, the news talk radio station recently set-up by Synergy officially operating out of Pentwater, would officially move to Ludington.  Here was that filing.

In May 2012, Synergy purchased the franchises of WKLA-AM and FM, along with WKZC-FM and WMLQ-FM (Coast FM). Synergy also operated WWKR-FM (K-Rock) and WLDN-FM, which was a start-up franchise at that point.  WKLA-FM was started in the early 1970s and is the area’s oldest FM radio station.

Synergy owner, Todd Mohr, said at the time that WKLA was technically not going to move, but that this would be a 'technical facility realignment', a switcheroo effectively keeping one Synergy station in the Ludington area.

“WKLA isn’t actually being moved, it will simply be moved to a different frequency on the dial,” Mohr said. “This is part of a technical facility realignment and will not occur for a year or two. WKLA will remain right here in Ludington, reported the Mason County Press. 

Well, the moves have recently been officially recognized by the FCC on December 12, and although WKLA-FM will still have their brick and mortar business behind our Ludington's McDonald's at the Synergy headquarters, they will broadcast out of a tower in Buckley, Michigan, even farther north than Thompsonville, as seen in this FCC document recently updated (and misnamed as Buckeye, Michigan).  Administratively, they may have not moved but their tower sure has, as has their listening area. 

WLDN, on that very same day, officially got licensed in Ludington, moving from Pentwater (WLDN stats).  This is more appropriate, since their tower is at the corner of Inman and Bradshaw Roads in Pere Marquette Township, and a logical move since their call letters now match the City they are in. 

WMOM, now becomes the oldest FM station in the Ludington area, the only one independent of the Synergy Group, and whose offices are located in the city limits, but ironically have their tower in the Pentwater area, inside Mason County.

How do you feel about the loss of WKLA-FM to our area, and do you think WLDN-FM is a good replacement for it?

[AQUAMAN]

Welcome aboard Fred, great post to start off your membership. Smart for who? Certainly not the LOCALS. Having said that, I suppose the outlanders buying up these stations are only interested in finance, and copying what the masses just want, the same-o crap fed to them daily like a robotic machine that spits out the same-o dribble, so we are all programmed together like zombies. Long lost are the days of Ludington Talks, the Planks, Wilson, DeLeon, and other familiar names. Those were people that were long-lived in Mason County, cared about locals preferences, employed locals, put the pulse of the people ahead of the dollar machines of today. I suppose that local flavor bypasses most here nowadays, being a melting pot of big city types that have no idea of what I refer to now. I guess most would rather pay for their music and news while driving. I'm still old fashioned, I don't like to pay. And you can always change the dial to receive something you do like. Surprised Fred is doing what I and many here have asked of newbies, he's looking into our recent archives, and getting a good feel for the Torch in advance of jumping down on many here. Bravo to Fred.

[Willy]

I to appreciate Fred's interest in the archives. I also miss the old radio station and it's programming but it's a business and making a profit is what keeps it in business. There's to much competition for local programming even from station's in Wisconsin which I listen to most of the day. Also the variety of music is such that most people will be unhappy with the music any station will decide to play. Unless a local station can pay the bills I'm afraid a small market like Ludington just isn't going to appeal to new stations.

[XLFD]

Our archives only keep on getting more extensive, and are surprisingly high up in many searches of not only local items of interest, but also beyond.  I love getting on a new or somebody else's computer, typing in "L-U" on Google, and seeing the auto-finish feature list have "Ludington Torch" on the list of choices.  Not "Lucky Charms", "Luftwaffe", "luggage", "lumberjack song" or "Luke Jensen", but this site.

Doing searches on local topics invariably turn up a variety of Torch links.  Fred and others may have their first contact with the Ludington Torch by looking for information on such topics.  I always appreciate people like Fred taking the time out of their busy life to join the site and lend heartfelt comments whenever they can.  That appreciation is multiplied considerably when they stay attuned to the Torch and lend their own material and viewpoint for years, like Willy and Aquaman have. 

[Willy]

You've got me stumped on this one X. I typed in what you posted and didn't get anything that even remotely has information on Ludington.

[XLFD]

It doesn't always happen, such is the crazy nature of Google search engines, but I have went to the library many times to get on this website, and often see "Ludington Torch" come up after typing just the first couple of letters.  Sometimes it will take three or four letters, sometimes it takes "Ludington T" to get on that list that pops up underneath your search for auto-finishing.  Your home computer, and other search engines may vary.  But test it out and get back to me.

[XLFD]

EyE said:  "Based upon some of the comments this site receives and the probability that some folks may wish to remain totally anonymous, and also the likelihood that some may be indigent and not own a home computer nor have home internet access, it is not surprising that local libraries might see more 'forum' traffic than anticipated." 

Rather presumptive about my demographics, aren't we?  I hope you are right about the Google search, EyE, because I would like to reach that hard to get internet audience.  However, from the people that regularly post here and those that contact me, they seem to be more on the middle class to wealthy side and more appreciative of the Libertarian/Conservative bias that we seem to have, just like the talk radio Willy speaks of. 

It still wouldn't explain why I get the Ludington Torch so quickly from a Google search over in Manitowoc and other places I have vacationed a bit of distance away from Ludville.  But then again, I have to type "Eye on Lud" to finally get your full name, which also corresponds to a now-defunct website cut down in its youth. 

[XLFD]

EyE,

If you do a search on your Christian name (EyE on Ludington), parenthesized, you find that your presence is well-documented here, but that original site you started in 2012 is gone completely, only a BlogSpot test site called "EyE on Ludington" is found that seems to have any trace of what once was.  Didn't you promise us a formidable regional competitor to the Ludington Torch was going to emerge at some point?

[Willy]

Eye

I sincerely hope that radio doesn't fall by the wayside because as of now it is the main messenger for the people to hear and learn about Conservative news and viewpoints. Talk radio has been keeping the Conservative ideals flowing and I hope that doesn't change although Obama and the Liberals want to silence Conservative voices especially those on the airwaves. As far as the young people I hope they are able to wake up some day and realize what is going on regarding the erosion of their freedom.

[Willy]

Eye

I have to disagree with your statement that the liberals and Conservatives work for the same team. I would agree that Democrats and Republicans work for the same team. Being a Republican does not make a person a conservative but being a Democrat does imply a liberal mentality. The Progressive thinking and Conservative thinking each have two very distinct ways of dealing with social issues and politics.

[XLFD]

EyE,

Willy is correct.  Liberalism and conservatism are political philosophies that clash on almost everything, much like the political philosophies of Statism and Libertarianism.  It would be hard to dispute that Democrats and Republicans often are on the same team, because they are political parties, and are not guaranteed to be liberal and conservative, respectively.

When their goals are common, the moderate Republican can adopt a liberal policy, and the moderate Democrat can adopt a conservative policy.  Their goals become more in common when they stay in the same position for over a decade, because then it is generally only about holding power by re-election and deal-making.  Personal experience or political lobbying may influence a partisan to vote against tenets of his typical philosophy. 

[AQUAMAN]

Well said both Willy and X. Having limited TV and radio stations was the norm in the old days. And they were both free to all citizens with a radio/tv and antenna. I still favor that concept and ability to have communications. The new way, with many more options, is to pay for XFM serious radio, and of course dish/cable. That's even better, if you want to and can afford it. What I don't like is the concept of being forced to pay to get any communication device to receive a signal. Not everyone can or wants to pay $100/month for receiving their news and tv station. EyE simply states that people that can't afford the luxury of these expensive notions are living in the past. That's a false prophet of information way of thinking imho. If people can't afford that luxury, or simply don't want another $100/month bill to pay, don't they deserve the old alternative? EyE's way of thinking says NO, we have to pay to watch/listen. I guess when a person is down on their luck, they should either have the government sponsor their communications choices, or just go without them. That idea sounds real modern, but it's pure socialism in the making. If free choices become extinct, then this will be the only alternative for most of the poor. And that leads us back to the same false notion that Obamacare has of recent taken us, the workers paying for the non-workers to be equal. I'm pretty sure that the "EyE on Ludington" forum wasn't free on the net, thus, EyE's lack of funding and donations made it bankrupt, not to mention the bankrupt threads that nobody liked either.

[XLFD]

Except for me, this website is free, as regards money.  If you don't have internet service, you can take your computer into an area that has free Wi-Fi.  If you don't have a computer, you can access us on your smart phone.  If you don't have that, you can go to your local library. 

I also disagree with your concept of free and free markets, EyE.   I can tune into the radio or access local stations on the TV without having to pay anything extra; in fact if those broadcasters know I'm listening it can actually bring the cost to them down as more advertisers see they are reaching a larger audience and put in more money to that station.  Presuming the advertisers and station are using their money to their best interests, this will have a positive effect all around as regards pricing.  I'm simplifying the process, but it show capitalism prospers even with freebies.

I have made the voluntary decision to not put in ads or other marketing gimmicks so that the peruser doesn't have to deal with them, nor local ads, because of the repercussions some of our posts might have that may negatively affect the advertising parties, and I want to have as free of a discussion as possible without having to worry about anyone offending or fawning to our advertisers.  We continue to hope that the upgrade in the Ning platform will get rid of the Spambots that swarm us every night, because they are annoying and unwanted guests that pose our biggest problem.

No media outlet is above being called biased, but we aren't a 'straight news' media outlet, we are a social networking site whose bias comes from the general political bend of those that post the most frequently on here.  This makes us more of a 'commentary' outlet that dabbles in investigative reporting, like a "Sixty Minute O'Reilly Factor", with a lead commentator who strives to allow free discussion.