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ANYONE LISTEN TO RED SOX OUT OF STATE ON W T I C NIGHT/SKYWAVE SIGNAL ANYMORE?

W

WTIC

Guest
Question for all:

If the SOX 'dissapeared' on 1080 would anyone outside of CT even miss that service?

Does anyone out there even listen to the RED SOX OUTSIDE of CT on the WTIC night signal service areas?
or is the 1080 nighttime service area from Canada to the southern states a relic nobody bothers with anymore>?

Like to know if programming on the WTIC night signal is relied on to any degree or even utilized at all nowadays [in 2006] besides AM hobbists in those areas thinking they are "DX'ing" it. Do any listeners ever catch a game or tune in for a score (SOX or UCONN etc) when on vacations, travel or to avoid satellite radio fees?

Interested to know any feedback on nighttime listening habits or other observations routine or occaisional
(or unusual interference problems on 1080-besides the ever annoying instate fading issues around the shoreline and adjacent channel splatter from 1090WBAL - thats all been going on since the '40s)

-W T I C
 
Re: ANYONE LISTEN TO RED SOX OUT OF STATE ON W T I C NIGHT/SKYWAVE SIGNAL ANYMOR

I listened to Whalers games all the time when I lived in New Hampshire on WTIC in the mid 90's. But I'm back in Hartford now, and I just never listen to baseball, ever.
 
Well, seeing as how your readership here is either radio hobbyists like me or radio pros (most of whom I suspect started out as radio hobbyists), you're not going to get a representative sampling in response to your question.

FWIW, I've been listening to baseball on AM skywave since the '60s, even though I'm a Red Sox fan who's lived in New England for all but three years of my life. I listen because I enjoy a good baseball game, no matter which teams are playing. I bought XM in early 2003 because I was attracted to its musical depth and variety, but given the exodus of MLB (and hockey, my other favorite radio sport) from 50,000-watters over the past few years, I'd probably have switched to XM the moment XM announced its exclusive deal with MLB.

I realize that my presence at the other end of the skywave meant nothing to the advertisers on WSB or WJR -- two blowtorches that no longer carry baseball -- but yes, I kind of miss the AM experience, fading, static and all.
 
...point very well taken about 'sampling' here on the board rather than 'general listening public', but any response/comment would be noted and appreciated .....and still [in some way] representative.

in other words, if THIS group, radio pros and hobbyists as you say, which one would tend to assume possibly higher than average for occaisional skywave listening, doesnt have listening habits anymore (or much) ....it is meaningful. (i note about 50 views and 4 posts as i write this)

thanks for the replies!
 
As a former Hartford area resident now residing in Floral Park, NY (Just outside Queens, NY), and a lifelong Red Sox fan, losing the Sox broadcasts on WTIC would completely kill off any chance of listening to their radio broadcasts at night. WTIC's signal isn't the easiest pick up on this patch of Long Island (Skywave/groundwave interference, as well as splatter from WBAL), but as an out-of-market Sox fan, it was the only alternative at night, if they weren't playing the Orioles (WBAL 1090), Blue Jays (CHML 900), Indians (WTAM 1100), or Yankees (WCBS). WGCH 1490 in Greenwich, the only other receivable Sox affiliate in this area, is a strong pick up during the day, but as a "graveyard" frequency, gets buried at night.

Losing WTIC would just create a whole new market for XM receivers among out-of-market Sox fans, something I'm sure Major League Baseball would certainly like to encourage.

BTW, has anyone noted that the addition of WTIC would now give "Steingrabber" 3 50,000-watt skywave affiliates carrying his games (WCBS, WHAM 1180 in Rochester, WTIC)? Just how much is enough?

It'll be interesting to see whether WCRN's 50,000 watt nighttime upgrade will pick up the slack on Sox games on skywave. Even at 10,000-watts, their signal overpowers WCCO late at night here in the NYC area.


Keepin' the faith in Steingrabber's back yard....

- Kyle Bookholz
[email protected],

Sox Fan in Enemy Territory!
 
I can't speak to the situation with WTIC/Red Sox because the signal here in Northern Illinios that most commonly emerges from the mess on 1080 is Dallas' KRLD. I also understand that this board doesn't represent a good sample of the general public, not to mention the fact that the "dynamics" of following major league baseball in the Midwest might be somewhat different than those of New England.

That said, I know that the Chicago Cubs have a pretty wide following on WGN's nighttime signal. This includes many vacationers who head for vacations in Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Is this still enough for any type of economic consideration? I don't know, but my guess would be doubtful. Many other options for dedicated fans to obtain the audio or video programming from their favorite team.
 
Even though I'm die-hard Yankees fan, I can't possibly see the Red Sox leaving WTIC-AM 1080. They've been there since 1957 or so. Besides, their affiliates have changed recently in Boston, greater Providence and greater Springfield. Worcester may also be on that list, too.
 
Kevin Lagasse said:
Even though I'm die-hard Yankees fan, I can't possibly see the Red Sox leaving WTIC-AM 1080. They've been there since 1957 or so. Besides, their affiliates have changed recently in Boston, greater Providence and greater Springfield. Worcester may also be on that list, too.
Click to expand...

It is. The Sox are leaving WTAG (580) for WCRN (830).
 
I would hate to see WTIC "The Pulse of New England" become another NY station. Here at the Jersey Shore I have listened to the Red Sox games since around 1963. The NY baseball teams are both on 50,000 watt blowtorches so I don't see the need for WTIC to pick them up, whereas who would do the games for Hartford and southern CT let alone the dozens Sox fans here in NJ.
 
Mickel said:
I would hate to see WTIC "The Pulse of New England" become another NY station. Here at the Jersey Shore I have listened to the Red Sox games since around 1963. The NY baseball teams are both on 50,000 watt blowtorches so I don't see the need for WTIC to pick them up, whereas who would do the games for Hartford and southern CT let alone the dozens Sox fans here in NJ.
Click to expand...

Well, if there are only dozens of fans in NJ, who cares?

But seriously, the Sox will need to find a better signal than WPOP -- which would be losing the Yankees -- if they want to keep central and southern Connecticut covered. The strongest Hartford signal here in Meriden at night, after 'TIC, is the Spanish station at 910 (Sorry, blanking out on the calls. I remember it as WRCQ and WNEZ.). That's not an option. Would a Hartford FM be interested? The Patriots are already on WCCC and WAQY, but that's only one day a week. Would a music-oriented FM be willing to sacrifice three hours a day for six months to baseball play-by-play? I doubt it. Maybe one of the struggling FMs in the market will be flipped to talk or sports talk before the 2007 season and become the Sox' new home.

Or maybe the Sox will stay right where they are. No confirmed switch yet, right?
 
Re: ANYONE LISTEN TO RED SOX OUT OF STATE ON W T I C NIGHT/SKYWAVE SIGNAL ANYMOR

The calls of 910 are easy to remember. Spanish = Latino. Calls are WLAT. Calls date back to when they were on 1230 as LATINO 1230. LATINO 1230 became MEGA 1230 after MEGA bought it, supposedly from Atty. Jeffery Dressler. (That explains why he was always on JAMZ 910 and doea the MEGA Education Program, rewarding Hartford Students for going to School).

Don't shoot me here, but how 'bout the SOX on Country 92.5 or DRC-FM? In the early 90s The Yankees were on a Country Station in Bridgehapton Long Island called 102.5 WLIE. (Now AC WBAZ). And I believe some places have baseball on Oldies Stations.
 
Re: ANYONE LISTEN TO RED SOX OUT OF STATE ON W T I C NIGHT/SKYWAVE SIGNAL ANYMOR

MarcB said:
The calls of 910 are easy to remember. Spanish = Latino. Calls are WLAT. Calls date back to when they were on 1230 as LATINO 1230. LATINO 1230 became MEGA 1230 after MEGA bought it, supposedly from Atty. Jeffery Dressler. (That explains why he was always on JAMZ 910 and doea the MEGA Education Program, rewarding Hartford Students for going to School).

Don't shoot me here, but how 'bout the SOX on Country 92.5 or DRC-FM? In the early 90s The Yankees were on a Country Station in Bridgehapton Long Island called 102.5 WLIE. (Now AC WBAZ). And I believe some places have baseball on Oldies Stations.
Click to expand...

DRC-FM wouldn't be a bad fit. They already have the minor league Rock Cats on the AM side. Only negative is that the move would drastically cut Mike Stevens' airtime, which I'd hate to see. His show is the best thing going Monday through Friday on the FM.

I think Country 92.5 would work, too. Baseball meshes well with the patriotic vibe of country music, although the advertising people at an uptempo, hit-driven country station like WWYZ might feel it would bring too old a demographic to the table. Most baseball listeners are 45+, and today's country music targets 25-44s pretty hard.
 
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