I can hear WZLX HD2 almost to the Cape (Plymouth) and west to Worcester. Further then I hear WRKO with the noise floor today. WXKS HD-2 just as far of course I can hear WBZ-AM further but. Many of these improved HD signals are blasting out today now that most are on their main antennas and running the newer legal limits. Most of the new cars today come with them. I know there are exceptions but more new cars have them than don't.
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Howie's column on Entercom/Audacy
- Thread starter Wimmmex
- Start date
I can hear WZLX HD2 almost to the Cape (Plymouth) and west to Worcester. Further then I hear WRKO with the noise floor today. WXKS HD-2 just as far of course I can hear WBZ-AM further but. Many of these improved HD signals are blasting out today now that most are on their main antennas and running the newer legal limits. Most of the new cars today come with them. I know there are exceptions but more new cars have them than don't.
my 16 Rav4 (now gone) and my 22 Highlander have HD radio, and when I go back north for the summer and reset the presets, WRKO and WBZ AM are not in the tuner, but ZLX HD2 and WXKS HD2 are
the audio quality between HD and AM can be measured in light years. You think you know what the hosts sound like until you hear them in HD.
the audio quality between HD and AM can be measured in light years. You think you know what the hosts sound like until you hear them in HD.
That is true; however, it is not an apples to apples substitution for a full powered analog FM signal. With that, I'm on record for not wanting either on FM. Just that, when people request for such, I disagree with the stock answer that they are on HD2. That's like my kid asking for bike, and me responding with "you have a tricycle." I lt may be apples to apples in the future, but it isn't now.
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Please note that my original post was meant with a sarcastic tone. Streaming either station, I can listen in Los Angeles due to the delivery method. It will be available at a further distance, because it doesn't rely on an FM signal to broadcast the station.
Being in more cars is a good start, but that doesn't equate to number of cars on the road; nor does it equate to total listeners. It increases options for people to purchase, but it doesn't exactly equate.
Who said it was supposed to be?
Good lord! Why reply when you have nothing new to add? My original statement was clear. You can't expect people to accept that HD2 is an equivalent to their request for a full FM signal. It's well documented here that you have an interest in the success of HD Radio, be it as an avid outside enthusiast, or as someone with some inside investment (I don't know which), but these short replies can be observed as baiting a poster into an argument. On the other site where I'm active, I deal with this to much greater extreme, as the forum where I'm active is one for politics. Regardless, I present my position and invite you to come and actively debate. But if you have no true value to add, and just want to do this, I suggest you walk away. This will be the last shtick I reply to, but will be waiting to have a true discussion if you're interested.
And quite verbose. ;-)
You keep arguing a point (multiple times now) that no one is suggesting….so I keep asking who is suggesting or “expecting people to accept” such.
Nope. No interest at all, except seeing it as just another ancillary technology people/stations can use…or not use.
WBZ sounds great on my wife's Beetle's HD-capable receiver. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the audio quality is superior to iHeart's stream of WBZ.
WRKO is a tough one for the following reason: Kuhner, The Financial Exchange, Grace, Howie all originate from remote locations, and all use miserable, low bit rate AoIP links, so, whether I listen to 'RKO on AM or on HD-2 or from a stream, the difference in audio quality is not all that discernible, at least to me.
When Rush Limbaugh was on AM 1420, their HD was astounding, especially since I didn't realize the radio also could receive HD on the AM band, so therefore, I wasn't expecting the amazing brightness and presence when the radio abruptly switched from conventional AM to HD as I was driving on I-495. And what a huge disappointment when it reverted to AM, since I was in the Haverhill-Methuen stretch of 495.
As I recall:
- HD-1 was supposed to be of "CD quality", i.e., better than analog FM.
- HD-2 was supposed to be equivalent to analog FM in audio quality.
- HD-3 was primarily for lower fidelity service, and was probably intended for spoken word more so than music.
- HD on AM is surprisingly good, comparable to analog FM in audio quality.
And that pretty much describes how I found the various HD subchannels in the Boston area to be.
WRKO is a tough one for the following reason: Kuhner, The Financial Exchange, Grace, Howie all originate from remote locations, and all use miserable, low bit rate AoIP links, so, whether I listen to 'RKO on AM or on HD-2 or from a stream, the difference in audio quality is not all that discernible, at least to me.
When Rush Limbaugh was on AM 1420, their HD was astounding, especially since I didn't realize the radio also could receive HD on the AM band, so therefore, I wasn't expecting the amazing brightness and presence when the radio abruptly switched from conventional AM to HD as I was driving on I-495. And what a huge disappointment when it reverted to AM, since I was in the Haverhill-Methuen stretch of 495.
As I recall:
- HD-1 was supposed to be of "CD quality", i.e., better than analog FM.
- HD-2 was supposed to be equivalent to analog FM in audio quality.
- HD-3 was primarily for lower fidelity service, and was probably intended for spoken word more so than music.
- HD on AM is surprisingly good, comparable to analog FM in audio quality.
And that pretty much describes how I found the various HD subchannels in the Boston area to be.
Tired Of It All
Banned
Did anyone listen to Howie on Monday? I'm wondering if any of the comments on this thread made it to his "hate mail Monday" segment where his female clone scours the internet looking for comments about him and her and Taylor.
Howie has been known to reference posts from this website
Tired Of It All
Banned
Yes, I know, that's why I'm asking if anyone heard the show Monday and if his clone mentioned any of the comments on this thread!
And the funny/sad part is that, after badmouthing Entercom continually and trying his best to sabotage the station, he wound up buying time on WRKO anyway (as he has since) after being on WMEX for several months to an audience of no one. His grand plans for national syndication fizzled up and passed into the ether. He had to crawl back to the place he publicly hated and pilloried as no other options existed. 97.1 FM Talk died off during the duration of his WRKO contract but there was no guarantee it would have lasted any longer with him in the lineup as he so clearly coveted.
But of course he cleverly omitted all those inconvenient details from his column here… just how he was St. Howie the Unjustly Punished and Entercom was this evil, evil force that placed him in years of purgatory for no reason. Who really won in that childish spat?
Part of me wants Audacy to rectify their stock price and debt issues just so that this column winds up aging like milk.
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I don't think he is buying time, and yes he was buying time on other stations including WCAP until WRKO realized they need Howie to Survive.
I would bet money WRKO is paying him, probably some cash and some inventory outside of the hours he controls which is from 12 noon to 700 PM. Plus he gets to run the spots he sells, the Cheap Bastard deals he gets as barter from some sponsors, etc. He does allow the affiliates including WRKO time on the clock to insert their own local spots.
And the reason I say that he is not paying them, is that unlike Barry Armstrong's 10 to noon slot that has a specific disclaimer that is it a paid presentation, neither Grace nor Howie has that disclaimer fed from WRKO before they go to the HCRN at 7 past the hour.
HD2 doesn’t have to be exactly equal to an analog FM signal to be similar to listening to an analog FM signal.
HD2 signals sound almost as good as the HD1 signal, at least as good as an analog FM signal, and in stereo, they sound a lot better than the parent station AM signal.
HD2 signals may not have the fringe coverage of the analog FM signal, but the HD2 signals of the powerful Class B FM stations cover the main metro Boston area within Route 128/95, and a lot farther in some cases. I’ve heard Boston HD’s out to Route 495 and beyond in some areas.
HD3 signals tend to be a little more bandwidth degraded.
It was 96.9 FM talk not 97.1
Howie looked forward to having iHeart as Boston station owner.
Audacy tweeted it was the second anniversary of that identity. So far only reply to it was "I have 40 cents-- can I buy half the company?"
Howie looked forward to having iHeart as Boston station owner.
Audacy tweeted it was the second anniversary of that identity. So far only reply to it was "I have 40 cents-- can I buy half the company?"
as of when I type this a share of AUD is 14 cents
The price of a First Class U.S. Postage stamp is 63 cents.
I'm trying to figure out what the last thing I bought was that was 14 cents , give or take a nickle.
All I can think of is some very small washer or nut at the hardware store, and even then it is cheaper to run a drill thru a penny than it is to buy a generic flat washer.
I would have had to trade 100 shares of AUD stock for the cigar I just smoked.
As much as I enjoy watching the Fields clan circle the proverbial drain, I do feel sorry for the employees who are getting screwed daily. A lot of good radio people have been the victim of the downward spiral of the company.
Can anyone explain how AUD can afford to send announcers to Red Sox away games?
Will they be sitting in a studio doing the PBP from watching the game on NESN or Fox?
The price of a First Class U.S. Postage stamp is 63 cents.
I'm trying to figure out what the last thing I bought was that was 14 cents , give or take a nickle.
All I can think of is some very small washer or nut at the hardware store, and even then it is cheaper to run a drill thru a penny than it is to buy a generic flat washer.
I would have had to trade 100 shares of AUD stock for the cigar I just smoked.
As much as I enjoy watching the Fields clan circle the proverbial drain, I do feel sorry for the employees who are getting screwed daily. A lot of good radio people have been the victim of the downward spiral of the company.
Can anyone explain how AUD can afford to send announcers to Red Sox away games?
Will they be sitting in a studio doing the PBP from watching the game on NESN or Fox?
The stock price has nothing to do with the ability to do business. The stock price is comparable to the amount of money you'd bet on the Red Sox winning the world series. The finances of the company are a completely different story.
So this is a company that took in over $1 billion last year. The Boston cluster makes a lot of money. They can afford to send announcers to Red Sox away games. On the other hand, KLAA, which is owned by the LA Angels, can't.
net income down 40+%
Operating income down almost 70%
their year to year profit margin is negative double digits.
They have debt they are not going to be able to pay when it comes due
If times are so good why have they been laying off people all over the country and selling assets?
Anyone want to buy the Radio.com domain name?
The Sox are costing them a rumored 21 million a year, and the Sox are a dog of a team this year, the season opener had a paid attendance of 22000 or so, leaving 13000 plus seats empty..... this was a game people used to kill to get tickets for.
Oh ya they lost to Baltimore .
This is not the first time AUD got on the ship end of the stick on a Red Sox contract when the team was horrid, and the last time they were laying people off in Boston left and right to come up with the money to pay for the rights because the advertising wasn't covering the cost.
I hope the road crew has company credit cards because I would not want to be waiting for that expense reimbursement for hotels and such to be issued... first one to the bank gets their check honored!
Operating income down almost 70%
their year to year profit margin is negative double digits.
They have debt they are not going to be able to pay when it comes due
If times are so good why have they been laying off people all over the country and selling assets?
Anyone want to buy the Radio.com domain name?
The Sox are costing them a rumored 21 million a year, and the Sox are a dog of a team this year, the season opener had a paid attendance of 22000 or so, leaving 13000 plus seats empty..... this was a game people used to kill to get tickets for.
Oh ya they lost to Baltimore .
This is not the first time AUD got on the ship end of the stick on a Red Sox contract when the team was horrid, and the last time they were laying people off in Boston left and right to come up with the money to pay for the rights because the advertising wasn't covering the cost.
I hope the road crew has company credit cards because I would not want to be waiting for that expense reimbursement for hotels and such to be issued... first one to the bank gets their check honored!
Who (besides the current president) is saying times are so good? We have a very unstable economy. Every business is laying off people, including Amazon, Google, and Twitter. Several radio companies have low stock prices, including Beasley and Salem. SiriusXM just laid off 10% of their staff, and their stock price dropped by 50%. Times are NOT good. Especially in commercial media. But even NPR just laid off 10% of their staff, and dropped four podcasts.
Mentioned Sox-Audacy contract on Twitter (was to have ended this year but got extended) and @bostonradio replied:
"Correct, this is the final year of current deal. 5-year extension kicks in next year. It’s around $12 mill a year. EEI lost $5 mill on it last season from sources with direct knowledge of the situation."
"Correct, this is the final year of current deal. 5-year extension kicks in next year. It’s around $12 mill a year. EEI lost $5 mill on it last season from sources with direct knowledge of the situation."
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