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WHCN-FM 105.9 HD2 and WDRC-FM 102.9 HD2 Notes

KML0224

KML0224

Right now, I'm listening to what amounts to a classic hits format on WHCN-FM 105.9 HD2 of Hartford. It's strange that this station never identifies on the hour. It's kept super generic in its presentation. I've never heard a single commercial. You rarely hear an on-air jock (there is some "Up And At 'Em" show with Drew Thomas on now). The stereo sounds a bit metallic sometimes. Worse yet, some of the songs are clearly edited, in the chopped sense, like they did occasionally on American Top 40.

Compare this to WDRC-FM 102.9 HD2 of Hartford. That subchannel is akin to their Big D 103 Oldies format, playing a lot of the old stuff from the 50s to the very early 70s. They use what seems to be some of their old bumpers or drops (I don't know if they're recreations or not). While this station has no advertising either, they most definitely ID on the hour.
 
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I assume that the format airing on WHCN's HD2 is a canned iHeart production. It is as you say it is, generic and uninteresting, with an ultra-tight, no-surprises playlist. Compare it to the iHeart classic country format now airing on WWYZ HD2 Waterbury/Hartford. (Not "of Waterbury/Hartford." Sorry, the "of" you use just grates on me -- I think I know why you do it, because the city of license isn't where the transmitter is, but I'm resisting.) Plenty of variety, enthusiastic jocks, just an all-around well-done national format. Why can't iHeart put the same effort into classic hits?

As for WDRC-FM, I'm surprised that Connoisseur has left the HD2 pretty much undisturbed from the way Buckley left it, apart from eliminating liners from Floyd Wright and any others (I think Mike Stevens did some, too.) who were fired in the ownership change. It's definitely a DRC homegrown format, with plenty of deep Gene Pitney and Wildweeds cuts to satisfy the Connecticut music nerds.
 
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They must not monitor their stream too often on WDRC-FM 102.9 HD2! The station just played "Little Old Man" from Bill Cosby, 6:35 PM, Wednesday, December 30, 2015. Whoops! :eek:

(The song has elements of "Uptight" from Stevie Wonder, at least in parts.)
 
KML-224 said:
They must not monitor their stream too often on WDRC-FM 102.9 HD2! The station just played "Little Old Man" from Bill Cosby, 6:35 PM, Wednesday, December 30, 2015. Whoops! :eek:

(The song has elements of "Uptight" from Stevie Wonder, at least in parts.)
Click to expand...

On SiriusXM's '60s on 6, that song hasn't been played since October, which is when Cosby's comedy routines disappeared from its family comedy channel, Laugh USA. The Foxxhole, however, curated by Jamie Foxx, continues to play Cosby routines several times a day.
 
It's no longer the super generic classic hits stuff on WHCN-FM HD2 anymore. Now they're running current and regular recent hits, like a CHR/Top 40 station. I think it was sponsored by Loreal or whoever. Also, they finally have the T.O.H. legal ID back.
 
I just checked WHCN-FM 105.9. The HD is on for their main channel but don't hear any HD2 channel. Nothing lit up for that either.

As for WDRC-FM 102.9 HD1, the sounds changes pitch or whatever tonight when Klonk turns the mic on or off. I doubt you'll notice anything with the analog feed on a regular radio.
 
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