[IRCA] WVKO 1580 Columbus OH silenced

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

** U S A. WVKO AM 1580 COLUMBUS, OH NOW SILENT 
    
Hello Glenn, 1580 W V K O, Columbus, OH recently went off air as result of
financial and legal problems. Less than 2 weeks ago WVKO`s main and back-up
transmitters and hardware were removed from transmitter site at Saga Group
studios building (which is the home of WJZA and WJZK Smooth Jazz 103.5 & 104.3,
WSNY 94.7 & Oldies 107.9 WODB) in Upper Arlington suburb of Columbus.
 
As of 8 pm 7/1 I am watching from my seat in WJZA/WJZK master control room, the
WVKO 2 tower array being taken down (sad to see beautiful tower icons of
important station landmark go). 
 
I've heard that WVKO may return to air late this fall o6. Currently and as it
has been since late spring, 1580 is wide open here in central Ohio. 73 (DAVID
JENKINS/ KB8RVI, 0059 UT July 2, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Artie Bigley has been sending some press links, previously in reverse order:

http://www.thisweeknews.com/?edition=common&story=thisweeknews/060106/Northland/News/060106-News-164003.html


http://www.columbuspost.com/news/headlines176.html 

WVKO TOWERS --- STATION STILL HOPES TO MOVE OPERATIONS
Thursday, May 11, 2006 By RANDY NAVAROLI ThisWeek Staff Writer 

Moving its antennas from Upper Arlington to a Morse Road site may be more
dependent on radio station WVKO's financial situation than on whether it can
gain approval for a zoning variance. 

Financially troubled WVKO (1580 AM), which is owned by Bernard Radio LLC, could
seek permission from Columbus City Council as early as May 22 to move its
operation and four antennas from Upper Arlington to a 9-acre site at 2708 Morse
Road, just west of Chesford Road. 
Click here for the rest of the story:
http://www.thisweeknews.com/?editionfiltered=common&story=thisweeknews/051106/Northland/News/051106-News-152005.html

Click here for a recording of one of WVKO's locally produced talk show:
http://odeo.com/audio/1113492/view
(via Artie Bigley, May 11, DXLD)

http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/05/06/20060506-A1-03.html

Could the Clippers sue them for violation of their contract?? I'm sure WVKO and
they signed a contract... INTERESTING. MORE on them moving WVKO. This could
take years:
http://www.thisweeknews.com/?editionfiltered=common&story=thisweeknews/042006/Northland/News/042006-News-135732.html

Subject: RE: WVKO AM off the air
 
Artie Bigley, Good afternoon. We just received word this morning about WVKO
going off the air. We are trying to line up an alternate station to cover the
Clippers games, but that might not happen during the remainder of the 2006
season. Until then, Clippers games will be broadcast exclusively over the
internet on our web page, http://www.clippersbaseball.com 

Chris Anders, Columbus Clippers, 1155 West Mound Street, Columbus, Ohio
43223-2298, Phone: (614) 462-5250, Fax: (614) 462-3271 
http://www.clippersbaseball.com 5 May 2006

WVKO-AM 1580 abruptly signed off the air today at 10:00 AM and has gone dark
for the foreseeable future. The impending sign off was never mentioned by the
8:00 to 10:00 AM talk-show host, Charles Traylor so listeners were not able to
call and say goodbye to the station. Calls to management confirmed the station
going dark for the foreseeable future. Will they may it back on the air by this
fall?? This has just been posted on the web:        Artie

BANKRUPT WVKO-AM SIGNS OFF UNTIL THE FALL 
The Columbus Dispatch Friday, May 5, 2006 2:28 PM

WVKO (1580 AM) went off the air at 10:05 this morning. The radio station airs
Columbus Clippers games and is a home for talk-radio in Columbus' black
community. Brad Scher, a restructuring officer assigned to the station by the
bankruptcy court, told employees today. He said the station's transmission
tower lease expires at the end of May and that WVKO continued to lose money.

A new WVKO is to go on the air this fall after a new transmission tower is
built on Morse Road. It will provide a stronger signal, Scher said.

The Spanish-language WVKO-FM (103.1) is not affected. The station's ownership
group filed for bankruptcy last year. A new owner that submitted the winning
bid in bankruptcy court earlier this year is taking over (all via Artie Bigley,
Columbus OH, DXLD)


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