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A River May Run Through Needham (96.5)

raccoonradio

raccoonradio

Today's Fybush column lists some CPs for translators and among them one for 96.5 in Needham, relaying WXRV 92.5 Andover.
The...Charles...River. WXRV also I believe simulcasts on WFNX 99.9 Athol (even though radio-locator seems to think that one has "101.7 The Harbor"...?!?
Also a 102.1 in Quincy, CP, to // 90.1 Wellfleet religious
 
Raccoon, remember that radio-locator keeps format information associated with call letters, so the last time it updated info for WFNX was when 101.7 The Harbor came on the air and the call letters hadn't officially changed to WHBA yet. I keep submitting updates for a lot of stations, but they rarely get updated.
 
Yup, knew that and was almost going to mention; maybe the talk station that got the WTKK calls in N.C
may have same situation on that site. Have also submitted changes.
 
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Does anyone know if the proposed translator would broadcast from atop the "small" tower located next to the Candelabra, or will it transmit from atop one of the four tall TV/FM towers at the Needham antenna farm??

If it's going to transmit from atop one of the big TV towers, I would think that a 100-to-200 watt ERP from 1349 feet above sea level would provide a decent signal inside of Route 128 and as far west as Framingham or Ashland.

And WXRV-92.5 needs to improve their over-the-air signal in Boston itself (and it's immediate Southern suburbs) if they ever want to "compete" within Boston itself.

Although I thought WXRV would try to purchase WPLM-99.1 in Plymouth (whose signal is good in Boston and points south), establishing this translator would help, even if WXRV eventually does buy the 99.1 signal (however, I can also see WGBH having interest in 99.1 to rebroadcast WCRB-99.5).

Were WXRV to get this translator and the 99.1 signal (or even just 99.1), they could promote themselves as "The River: From the Mountains of New Hampshire to Cape Cod, and everywhere in between!".

They'd become a nice little regional network, which could attract more national advertisers given the combined reach of 92.5 (Haverhill), 105.7 (Laconia/Lakes Region/White Mountains), 99.9 (North Central Massachusetts), 99.1 (Plymouth) and 96.5 (Needham), which would cover much of the New England region.
 
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The translator is 10 watts at 152 meters, or 456 feet above ground level. It's 474 feet above average terrain. The 2 bay Shively will be mounted less than halfway up the UHF candelabra on Cabot Street in Needham.

It'll cover the suburbs, but I wouldn't be too optimistic about the signal downtown. Between pirates, the buildings, and the massive amount of RF that comes off the Pru, it'll be pretty easy for 10 watts from Needham to get lost.
 
A side-mounted antenna on that tower will have an extremely distorted radiation pattern: not a circle, but something like a maple leaf. Whichever direction the "stem" points will see very little radiation. It's a pity they can't use the master antenna on the 1165 Chestnut Street tower.
 
The ERP into an antenna that high for a translator would be so small that it'd REALLY get lost. Side mounting the bays aimed at Boston puts more signal strength where you want it. I think it's a better situation.
 
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