2CHRs to 1 & What Else?

[Power91]

I'll start by saying, I'm not exactly advocating this, cause I love CHR...just posing an idea out there...

Both Kiss 95.7 and KC101 have heritage for many years as CHR stations, and used to be competitors. Now both are in the Clear Channel family. Even though KC101 is in the smaller market, it has the stronger signal, and, in my opinion, is just programmed better musically. It remains one of my favorite smaller market CHRs (also a fan of WPST in Trenton). Since the 101.3 signal can more than cover the Hartford area, any thoughts on the idea of Clear Channel blowing up 95.7 into a completely different format (again I'm not sure what format I'd pick)...and just remarketing KC101 for both Hartford and New Haven (they do that now in the legal ID)...as it is "Connecticut's #1 Hit Music Station." I never expect this to happen, but just giving people something to think about...what would you put on 95.7 (that would be good for Clear Channel) if this were to happen???

~RM

 

[TPO]

There is a large area of overlap where they are competing for listeners, but KC101's signal is just not strong enough in Northern Hartford county compared with the 95.7 signal. It is certainly much better than WPLR, which barely covers Hartford, but in-building reception of 95.7 is really not an issue in Hartford. Getting a good signal from KC101 in a building takes some work if it can be done at all.
I haven't checked in a while and I believe KC101 put up a new antenna a year or two ago, but WKSS used to do much better to the west of Hartford as well, even as far west as Litchfield and Torrington.



> I'll start by saying, I'm not exactly advocating this, cause
> I love CHR...just posing an idea out there...
>
> Both Kiss 95.7 and KC101 have heritage for many years as CHR
> stations, and used to be competitors. Now both are in the
> Clear Channel family. Even though KC101 is in the smaller
> market, it has the stronger signal, and, in my opinion, is
> just programmed better musically. It remains one of my
> favorite smaller market CHRs (also a fan of WPST in
> Trenton). Since the 101.3 signal can more than cover the
> Hartford area, any thoughts on the idea of Clear Channel
> blowing up 95.7 into a completely different format (again
> I'm not sure what format I'd pick)...and just remarketing
> KC101 for both Hartford and New Haven (they do that now in
> the legal ID)...as it is "Connecticut's #1 Hit Music
> Station." I never expect this to happen, but just giving
> people something to think about...what would you put on 95.7
> (that would be good for Clear Channel) if this were to
> happen???
>
> ~RM
>

 

[TXengineer]

> There is a large area of overlap where they are competing
> for listeners, but KC101's signal is just not strong enough
> in Northern Hartford county compared with the 95.7 signal.
> It is certainly much better than WPLR, which barely covers
> Hartford, but in-building reception of 95.7 is really not an
> issue in Hartford. Getting a good signal from KC101 in a
> building takes some work if it can be done at all.
> I haven't checked in a while and I believe KC101 put up
> a new antenna a year or two ago, but WKSS used to do much
> better to the west of Hartford as well, even as far west as
> Litchfield and Torrington.

It's funny, on several radios that I have listened to and the dozens of "reception tests" I have peformed, I've always found it to be the exact oppisite. WPLR has a much better coverage area that WKCI, however WPLR has a 1st adjacent class A with an excellent site (WLZX in Northampton, MA., who is clear up on Horse Mountain), so WPLR does suffer a lot of 1st adjacent interference that WKCI does not have. Also WPLR gets effected by so much other nearby stuff (like 99.1 WPLM in Plymouth which you can pick up in Torrington on a decent summer day). So that helps WKCI's signal just seem so much cleaner than WPLR's because of the excellent clear-channel they are on (no pun intended). Theoretically their coverage SHOULD be identical, but it's definatley not.

WKCI installed a new antenna in 2003, on a new tower, when they decided not to renew the lease on the WTNH site. A new four bay ERI antenna was installed for those who care.

WKSS installed a new antenna in 1997, which provided a much broader signal coverage replacing a 1983 vintage antenna. (Basically the new antenna's pattern was modified because of the inherent design of the antenna system).

 

[TPO]

WPLR Reception in Htfd

I can't speak to the question of KC101 coverage vs. WPLR in other areas, but I've been a WPLR listener since the early seventies and generally listen in the Hartford area. Until approximately five years ago, WPLR's signal in Hartford was good and one could listen all around Hartford county with minimal difficulty.

However, something changed. I've been told that WPLR put up a new antenna, someone else told me that either WPLR or 99.3 changed their pattern and I believe 99.3 relocated to their excellent site at some point during this period. The bottom line is that I find it very difficult to listen to WPLR because of interference. This is the case on every vehicle I have tried to listen in. There also appears to be less signal up here but I can't be 100% sure. Reception is better to the south of Hartford, but in the city proper and to the north of the city (slightly closer to Northampton) it is difficult to get a clear signal.
And yes, WPLM causes a problem when the skip is in, which it has been for most of this week.



> > There is a large area of overlap where they are competing
> > for listeners, but KC101's signal is just not strong
> enough
> > in Northern Hartford county compared with the 95.7 signal.
>
> > It is certainly much better than WPLR, which barely covers
>
> > Hartford, but in-building reception of 95.7 is really not
> an
> > issue in Hartford. Getting a good signal from KC101 in a
> > building takes some work if it can be done at all.
> > I haven't checked in a while and I believe KC101 put
> up
> > a new antenna a year or two ago, but WKSS used to do much
> > better to the west of Hartford as well, even as far west
> as
> > Litchfield and Torrington.
>
> It's funny, on several radios that I have listened to and
> the dozens of "reception tests" I have peformed, I've always
> found it to be the exact oppisite. WPLR has a much better
> coverage area that WKCI, however WPLR has a 1st adjacent
> class A with an excellent site (WLZX in Northampton, MA.,
> who is clear up on Horse Mountain), so WPLR does suffer a
> lot of 1st adjacent interference that WKCI does not have.
> Also WPLR gets effected by so much other nearby stuff (like
> 99.1 WPLM in Plymouth which you can pick up in Torrington on
> a decent summer day). So that helps WKCI's signal just seem
> so much cleaner than WPLR's because of the excellent
> clear-channel they are on (no pun intended). Theoretically
> their coverage SHOULD be identical, but it's definatley not.
>
>
> WKCI installed a new antenna in 2003, on a new tower, when
> they decided not to renew the lease on the WTNH site. A new
> four bay ERI antenna was installed for those who care.
>
> WKSS installed a new antenna in 1997, which provided a much
> broader signal coverage replacing a 1983 vintage antenna.
> (Basically the new antenna's pattern was modified because of
> the inherent design of the antenna system).
>

 

[TXengineer]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

> However, something changed. I've been told that WPLR put up
> a new antenna, someone else told me that either WPLR or 99.3
> changed their pattern and I believe 99.3 relocated to their
> excellent site at some point during this period.

WPLR went to IBOC sometime but that was within the last couple of months.

WPLR and WLZX are both non directional stations.

WPLR's antenna was new in 1996 when they put up the new WTNH TV tower.
Same style antenna system, same height.
However WLZX went from 4300 watts to 5800 watts and raised their antenna from 80 meters to 101 meters. So WLZX definatley increased their signal five years ago (maybe even six, IIRC that facility was constructed in 1999). So if you noticed the change starting then, that makes perfect sense.

 

[wxctintern]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

Ever since I moved from one part of Southington to another (Just around a couple corners) I've had trouble recieving both WPLR and WKCI. Most of they time they're unlistenable.

 

[KML0224]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

Is it the signal overload from nearby West Peak in Meriden? It usually makes WCCC-FM unlistenable for a stretch along I-84 coming back from Cheshire heading towards New Britain.

 

[Bill-in-CT]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

> Is it the signal overload from nearby West Peak in Meriden?

I had the same problem when I lived in Hamden and was able to see the Ch 8 from my driveway. Interference from WPLR and WKCI on other frequencies. I still have that problem when I hike at Sleeping Giant.

 

[wxctintern]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

You know it might be just that. I know I can get the Meriden Mountain stations on a lot of different frequencies not just the one's the licensed for. I'm using a Sony Boombox for most of my listening. The walkman isn't much better. The only radio I can get a good signal from WPLR/WKCI on besides any car radio is my GE SuperRadio 3, but I keep that under my bed and only listen to it if I want to listen to something on WICC AM or Car Talk on WNPR (WPKT). Where I live now in Southington is a little more in-town than where I used to live. I used to live closer to Plainville. Now I live down the street and around the corner from the old P&W Plant on Aircraft Road. Since I live more in-town that also probably explains why WXCT comes in over WINS. I used to be able to listen to WINS when I lived up near Plainville. <P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Jay Clark on 09/12/05 11:18 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[Newpoint]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

> > Is it the signal overload from nearby West Peak in
> Meriden?
>
> I had the same problem when I lived in Hamden and was able
> to see the Ch 8 from my driveway. Interference from WPLR
> and WKCI on other frequencies. I still have that problem
> when I hike at Sleeping Giant.
>

Interesting

 

[DJKraze]

Re: WPLR Reception in Htfd

> You know it might be just that. I know I can get the Meriden
> Mountain stations on a lot of different frequencies not just
> the one's the licensed for. I'm using a Sony Boombox for
> most of my listening. The walkman isn't much better. The
> only radio I can get a good signal from WPLR/WKCI on besides
> any car radio is my GE SuperRadio 3, but I keep that under
> my bed and only listen to it if I want to listen to
> something on WICC AM or Car Talk on WNPR (WPKT). Where I
> live now in Southington is a little more in-town than where
> I used to live. I used to live closer to Plainville. Now I
> live down the street and around the corner from the old P&W
> Plant on Aircraft Road. Since I live more in-town that also
> probably explains why WXCT comes in over WINS. I used to be
> able to listen to WINS when I lived up near Plainville.
>

Let me guess, 94.9. I get a mixed splatter of almost all of them on that frequency just about anywhere in Central CT, yes, even as far north as Hartford.