2013 Predictons

[MarcB]

I have only one prediction for 2013.

WTIC AM 1080 will add an FM simulcast on either 93.7 or 96.5.

 

[reelyreal]

Oh, Hi. Not happening. Do you have any idea what the CBS Radio properties bill? Besides that, the ratings on TIC-FM and ZMX are incredible. The TIC-AM billing is also still incredible.

 

[reelyreal]

While we're making predictions though, I'll predict that at least one AM in the state goes silent, permanently, in 2013.

 

[WPHA]

If any CT AM's do end up going silent, it will most likely be a 1kw or less, daytime-only and/or with puny night power, with little or no signal over a densely populated area.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

Hey! <--- clickable link

 

[CTListener]

If any CT AM's do end up going silent, it will most likely be a 1kw or less, daytime-only and/or with puny night power, with little or no signal over a densely populated area.

1290, perhaps, or maybe 1170? This forum would be a lot quieter if 990 were to go dark! ;D

 

[progressivetalk]

If any CT AM's do end up going silent, it will most likely be a 1kw or less, daytime-only and/or with puny night power, with little or no signal over a densely populated area.

1290, perhaps, or maybe 1170? This forum would be a lot quieter if 990 were to go dark! ;D

As for 1170 going dark, depends when (and if) Family Radio doesn't have enough suckers,....er contributors to keep it on the air. As for 1290, I suppose if Merlin keeps thinking that streaming classical music via the web on an over-the-air station is still a novel idea, they'll continue on 2013. I would think that if Merlin could get permission to upgrade the signal, and change formats the station might be salvageable.

 

[CTListener]

If any CT AM's do end up going silent, it will most likely be a 1kw or less, daytime-only and/or with puny night power, with little or no signal over a densely populated area.

1290, perhaps, or maybe 1170? This forum would be a lot quieter if 990 were to go dark! ;D

As for 1170 going dark, depends when (and if) Family Radio doesn't have enough suckers,....er contributors to keep it on the air. As for 1290, I suppose if Merlin keeps thinking that streaming classical music via the web on an over-the-air station is still a novel idea, they'll continue on 2013. I would think that if Merlin could get permission to upgrade the signal, and change formats the station might be salvageable.

I can't figure out who 1290's audience might be. During the day, WFCR 88.5 is available in much better audio quality, and 1290 can't take advantage of 88.5's switch to jazz at night because its nighttime signal is practically inaudible more than a couple of miles from the transmitter site.

 

[rcs]

In order to increase 1290's daytime coverage additional towers would be needed for a directional pattern. Marlin has the land but I can't imagine any scenario where it would be cost-effective to put the hundreds of thousands of dollars required for such an upgrade. WCCC (AM) had a construction permit to increase to 5,000 watts day back in the early 80s. It would have required a move to the Portland, CT area and the erection of three towers. It apparently wasn't considered cost effective back then either as they let the CP expire w/out building it.

Curious what formts would be considered viable but the group here if 1290 covered l larger area?

From what I understand 1170 in Vernon brings in enough in contributions to cover operating costs which I would imagine are pretty low.

 

[reelyreal]

If one were to go dark, I'd suspect it'd be a stand-alone, or a station with an impaired signal and an expensive array. WPRX? One of the Buckley stations, like WMMW?

 

[progressivetalk]

In order to increase 1290's daytime coverage additional towers would be needed for a directional pattern. Marlin has the land but I can't imagine any scenario where it would be cost-effective to put the hundreds of thousands of dollars required for such an upgrade. WCCC (AM) had a construction permit to increase to 5,000 watts day back in the early 80s. It would have required a move to the Portland, CT area and the erection of three towers. It apparently wasn't considered cost effective back then either as they let the CP expire w/out building it.

Curious what formts would be considered viable but the group here if 1290 covered l larger area?

From what I understand 1170 in Vernon brings in enough in contributions to cover operating costs which I would imagine are pretty low.

I read an article awhile back on The History of CT radio site, WCCC AM getting a CP to expand to 5,000 watts from a tower site in Glastonbury. I also read that Family Radio went to the FCC to get a CP to increase its power from 1,000 watts daytime to 2,500 watts (which I would presume would have been for full-time service back in 1992), but it obviously never came to pass. I guess the low overhead still allows WCCC AM to exist as it is.

 

[progressivetalk]

If any CT AM's do end up going silent, it will most likely be a 1kw or less, daytime-only and/or with puny night power, with little or no signal over a densely populated area.

1290, perhaps, or maybe 1170? This forum would be a lot quieter if 990 were to go dark! ;D

As for 1170 going dark, depends when (and if) Family Radio doesn't have enough suckers,....er contributors to keep it on the air. As for 1290, I suppose if Merlin keeps thinking that streaming classical music via the web on an over-the-air station is still a novel idea, they'll continue on 2013. I would think that if Merlin could get permission to upgrade the signal, and change formats the station might be salvageable.

I can't figure out who 1290's audience might be. During the day, WFCR 88.5 is available in much better audio quality, and 1290 can't take advantage of 88.5's switch to jazz at night because its nighttime signal is practically inaudible more than a couple of miles from the transmitter site.

Thus my beef with WCCC AM. Since I can't watch any NHL games due to the lockout, (Thanks for nothing, guys), the only other hockey around is the CT Whale and since Merlin moved the non-Saturday night games to WCCC AM, I can't hear them either, which really sucks!!!

 

[RonTheEngineer]

990 is likely to go dark, as they have been on and off the air all month.

 

[N1WVQ]

Marc buys 990!

 

[MarcB]

990 is likely to go dark, as they have been on and off the air all month.

You are right Ron. And yet my contact at DMG in West Springfield assures me they are perfectly happy with WXCT the way it is - simulcasting WSPR 1270 Monday-Friday and running Radio Cantico Neuvo on Saturdays and Sundays (Sundays outside of The Italian Show, Polka Show, and Lutheran Church Service). Ironically right after I got my last letter from my contact at DMG saying they're happy with the way WXCT is, they had a major technical meltdown. Everything was skipping - music, commercials, etc. (I can also pick up WSPR where I am can the problem was not on WSPR's end. It was with whatever they use at WXCT to pick up WSPR's signal.

 

[MarcB]

Marc buys 990!

Even I don't want it anymore. Personally I wouldn't care if those two towers on Old Turnpike Road were to fall down.

If I ever won the lotto the stations I'd go for now are the 3 stations currently owned by Gois Broadcasting - 910, 1230, and 1480.

 

[progressivetalk]

Marc buys 990!

Even I don't want it anymore. Personally I wouldn't care if those two towers on Old Turnpike Road were to fall down.

If I ever won the lotto the stations I'd go for now are the 3 stations currently owned by Gois Broadcasting - 910, 1230, and 1480.

And do what with them???

 

[KML0224]

I think HD Radio will bite the dust, sad to say.

 

[CTListener]

I think HD Radio will bite the dust, sad to say.

For all of Big Corporate Radio's support of HD in the past, it certainly seems on its last legs in this market. WWYZ has been off more than it's been on for the past two years, WHCN is off again, and today WDRC-FM has no HD signal. HD really could have been something, but its inability to get into cars as OEM equipment, along with poor distribution of radios at retail, doomed it from the start. The pricing of the early receivers was way too high, especially considering their poor overall quality. I blame iBiquity's greed and incompetence for this whole sad situation.

 

[WPHA]

I think HD Radio will bite the dust, sad to say.

For all of Big Corporate Radio's support of HD in the past, it certainly seems on its last legs in this market. WWYZ has been off more than it's been on for the past two years, WHCN is off again, and today WDRC-FM has no HD signal. HD really could have been something, but its inability to get into cars as OEM equipment, along with poor distribution of radios at retail, doomed it from the start. The pricing of the early receivers was way too high, especially considering their poor overall quality. I blame iBiquity's greed and incompetence for this whole sad situation.

Not the LEAST of their insanity being the $40 WHOLESALE cost of the decoder modules! THAT is why the receiver prices were so insane! In most cases, radios only cost a few DOLLARS to manufacture, because they make them by the hundreds of thousands. So, assuming it's $9 to make, it probably retails for about $39. Now, add $40 and it's $49 to make... so it's most likely going to retail for upwards of $119! :-\

That's been changing, lately... perhaps because of the massive yawn from the Public, and the way those overpriced "HD" radios were just collecting DUST on store shelves!

Recently, the FCC allowed the stations to increase the power of their digital sidebands. I wonder how badly this is starting to affect 1'st adjacent stations with fringe-area listeners? (We already know what a NIGHTMARE the thing is on the AM dial!!)

Now, you also have to consider the fact that iBiquity is charging stations absurd "licensing fees" just to run the stupid things... and you start to see a serious RED number on the bottom line! There's NOTHING for stations to GAIN from this! For one thing, so few radios are out there... it's difficult to fund something nobody listens to. I won't even get into the programming on those HD channels... that's another topic, entirely.

Now, whatever happened to the FMeXtra system? THAT had some PROMISE! Not only was there no ongoing fee, it worked exactly like SCA... no separate transmitter/combiner needed! Also, there was only *ONE* radio ever made to receive it, and that radio was $200! Sigh.