Any Updates on WRR and KESN?

[Mediafrog+]

KKXT and KERA have about the same signal coverage. From a purely business standpoint, moving KERA to 101.1 and WRR to 90.1 probably makes better sense because KERA is the station that brings in the bulk of NTPB's revenue. 101.1 is a better signal than 90.1 and 91.7 are.

The Big A, however, is likely correct that the agreement with the city will likely not allow a move like that. We'll know more at some point as the terms of this deal will be public information.

KERA and KKXT are both Class C0 at the same height; however KERA is 29.7kw while KKXT is 19.3kw, so 90.1 is a somewhat better signal than 91.7, though it is not that much of a difference. Meanwhile WRR is a 98kw Class C, but a little over 200 feet lower for its antenna height. Overall 101.1 is the best signal.

I don’t see any frequency swaps happening in the 2020s. But I think that eventually The City of Dallas will quietly get tired of station ownership, even if it is being managed by an outside entity. Once we get into the 2030s I can see demographic preferences as well as technological advances in audio distribution forcing a change.

Another thought: As the Metroplex sprawls to the north, I suspect that the Classical music demographics may wind up living closer to the northern rimshots than to Cedar Hill. Perhaps the scuttled plan of 20 years ago to move WRR to 105.7 was just premature.

 

[TheBigA]

I think that eventually The City of Dallas will quietly get tired of station ownership, even if it is being managed by an outside entity.

That could be, and there might be a plan for that included in the management deal. For example, it might be a renewable deal with an option for ownership. It might even coincide with that 7 year term on the studio.

 

[salemjedi54]

KERA and KKXT are both Class C0 at the same height; however KERA is 29.7kw while KKXT is 19.3kw, so 90.1 is a somewhat better signal than 91.7, though it is not that much of a difference. Meanwhile WRR is a 98kw Class C, but a little over 200 feet lower for its antenna height. Overall 101.1 is the best signal.

I don’t see any frequency swaps happening in the 2020s. But I think that eventually The City of Dallas will quietly get tired of station ownership, even if it is being managed by an outside entity. Once we get into the 2030s I can see demographic preferences as well as technological advances in audio distribution forcing a change.

Another thought: As the Metroplex sprawls to the north, I suspect that the Classical music demographics may wind up living closer to the northern rimshots than to Cedar Hill. Perhaps the scuttled plan of 20 years ago to move WRR to 105.7 was just premature.

I was thinking that the Americana format of KKXT would be a better viable commercial format for NTPB and to swap the frequencies would make sense. Again it’s all about the language of the contract with the CIty.

 

[b-turner]

I think some posters are doing a bit of dreaming.

I suspect management by KERA was considered because KERA agreed to 'as is, where is'. Frequency swaps have fallen on deaf ears.

KERA's expertise from the public radio side of funding will bolster the limited commercial appeal of WRR and combined, generate the needed revenue. WRR represents just another spoke in the wheel of support KERA already has in place. Literally it is like the AM/FM combo back 50 years back when the FM was added. The AM went around to AM clients and talked an add on rate to reach an entirely new audience on FM. Not really much extra work involved but extra dollars to pick up because those relationships are already in place at KERA.

KERA/KKXT continues on as they are and WRR continues on as it is now. For the listener, no real changes, just more support dollars for WRR coming in the door. In fact, go changing frequencies and such and everybody loses.

 

[tested]

KKXT and KERA have about the same signal coverage. From a purely business standpoint, moving KERA to 101.1 and WRR to 90.1 probably makes better sense because KERA is the station that brings in the bulk of NTPB's revenue. 101.1 is a better signal than 90.1 and 91.7 are.

The Big A, however, is likely correct that the agreement with the city will likely not allow a move like that. We'll know more at some point as the terms of this deal will be public information.

I'd tap the breaks on the discussion of format moves on these three signals. I doubt it would benefit NTPB to move any of these stations around the dial. People are accustomed to KERA on 90.1, KKXT on 91.7 and WRR on 101.1. They all have similar signals. There's nothing to be gained by moving if all three are non-commercial licenses (as WRR will apparently become) It would make more sense to leave them where people have been accustomed to tuning to them for decades instead of having to expend a great deal of time and resources to promote new locations for these stations.