From the NJ boards, on September 15th at 3PM, Hit 106 is no more. Hit will be swapping frequencies with Thunder 98.5, which brings Thunder to it's new home on 106.3 and 106.5! I do know Brooklyn & Staten Island without pirates can get this signal in very well! I know it's not direct from NYC, but at least you can pick up the signal in a couple of the boroughs and Central Jersey. Again, the swap takes place September 15th at 3PM!
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Attention Country Fans!!
- Thread starter d21ofnj
- Start date
The new 106.3/106.5 frequencies will give Thunder coverage in Monmouth County, in addition to its current base in Ocean County NJ.
Thunder is my favorite country station in the area. They are very quick to air new songs, and play some good ones that are not heard on many of the other stations.
But I doubt that even with this change, Thunder could be heard in much of New York City, or the immediate area.
It is good to hear that the country station is apparently doing well enough that the owners, Press Communications, want to expand its reach.
Another country station in the region is WDBY, broadcasting on 105.5 to the Danbury CT area. I wish that Cumulus would simulcast it on sister station WFAF in northern Westchester County, or at least WFAS HD2.
Radio Insight Article on Thunder Country's move to 106.3/106.5: http://radioinsight.com/
Thunder is my favorite country station in the area. They are very quick to air new songs, and play some good ones that are not heard on many of the other stations.
But I doubt that even with this change, Thunder could be heard in much of New York City, or the immediate area.
It is good to hear that the country station is apparently doing well enough that the owners, Press Communications, want to expand its reach.
Another country station in the region is WDBY, broadcasting on 105.5 to the Danbury CT area. I wish that Cumulus would simulcast it on sister station WFAF in northern Westchester County, or at least WFAS HD2.
Radio Insight Article on Thunder Country's move to 106.3/106.5: http://radioinsight.com/
I'm not a country fan, but I know there are a number of them living in the New Brunswick area, where 106.3 can be picked up reliably. I'm sure some of the South Jersey residents attending Rutgers will be happy. Although I still miss G Rock, it's good to know that 106.3 is at least filling a void instead of being a dime-a-dozen CHR station.
Of course, the re-incarnated B98.5 will most likely be Hit 106 under a different name - except without Matt Knight, who was the only redeeming thing about the station. Aside from being a great on-air personality, he was able to sneak in some songs that you wouldn't normally expect to hear on a CHR. Press is probably blaming him for the station's failure, when really it was just a case of too many fish in the pond.
Of course, the re-incarnated B98.5 will most likely be Hit 106 under a different name - except without Matt Knight, who was the only redeeming thing about the station. Aside from being a great on-air personality, he was able to sneak in some songs that you wouldn't normally expect to hear on a CHR. Press is probably blaming him for the station's failure, when really it was just a case of too many fish in the pond.
You can get 106.3 pretty clear until about the 145 on the GSP as long as there are no pirates on air.....After that you get a mix of WFAF but WHTG-FM continues to dominate in most areas in that area.....Ever since WFAF was forced to move their transmitter, their signal has taken a huge hit...Many can no longer hear WFAF clear south of White Plains which is only 12 miles south.
d21ofnj said:
Actually streetz doesn't have too much effect on 106.3. Where I live in West Orange I get a perfect stereo signal on 106.3 at my house. There is no bleed in from 106.5. Maybe in Newark it's worse but I never really checked.
I'm a huge country music fan and it has been many years since we had a country radio station around here. I'm looking forward to the 106.3 flip.
The new logo on their website replaces "Ocean County's Country" Thunder 98.5 with "Rockin' Country" Thunder 106 - I'm assuming this is to market it as more regional in varied counties rather than any change in musical direction? I don't really hear songs by non-contemporary country artists, some stations using the 'Rockin' Country' name such as in Fredericksburg, Va. have blended in some rock/classic rock.
They've been using the slogan "Rockin' Country before news of the frequency change. As they do not play southern or other types of rock, I take it to mean that their style is rather upbeat.
In the past year or so, things have improved somewhat for country music fans in the region. About a year ago, WLTW HD2 became New York Country, offering the rather good Country Road broadcast from Clear Channel, largely free of commercials. Then in January, WDBY in the Danbury flipped to country, making it possible to hear the music in parts of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. And now the extension of Thunder's signal into Monmouth county and beyond.
But these nibbles at the country audience may further reduce the apparently small chance that a station in NYC would make the switch to country.
In the past year or so, things have improved somewhat for country music fans in the region. About a year ago, WLTW HD2 became New York Country, offering the rather good Country Road broadcast from Clear Channel, largely free of commercials. Then in January, WDBY in the Danbury flipped to country, making it possible to hear the music in parts of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. And now the extension of Thunder's signal into Monmouth county and beyond.
But these nibbles at the country audience may further reduce the apparently small chance that a station in NYC would make the switch to country.
What will happen, is that the decision makers of those stations will be watching with one eye toward those areas in which they think the strongest impact is being made by the new country station.Barry said:
If history is any indication, it won't last long in the event an Empire station takes a signal into that direction.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Speaking of frequency swaps involving local country stations, does anyone know why WYNY and WQHT traded theirs, back in 1988? The 97.1 frequency occupied by 'YNY was apparently more desirable, and was given to WQHT, which was on 103.5. But given that both frequencies were broadcast with similar power from the Empire State Building, I do not understand why 103.5 is not considered to be as good. There may be some stations interfering with the edge of the 103.5 signal, but wouldn't that be true for 97.1 as well?
At the time, 97.1 was a superior signal.
97.1 was on the ESB, while 103.5 was on the World Trade Center. They had a directional antenna that protected 103.3 in Princeton, NJ and 103.7 in Newton, NJ. Once you got into the suburbs, the differences between 97,1 and 103.5 were apparent.
After the "big switch", the new 103.5 owners worked out deals with the two adjacent channel stations in NJ to go ND on the master FM antenna on the Trade Center...which they did. This brought 103.5 more or less in line with the other Class B stations.
Post 9/11, they moved over to Empire and are comparable to the other full B's.
97.1 was on the ESB, while 103.5 was on the World Trade Center. They had a directional antenna that protected 103.3 in Princeton, NJ and 103.7 in Newton, NJ. Once you got into the suburbs, the differences between 97,1 and 103.5 were apparent.
After the "big switch", the new 103.5 owners worked out deals with the two adjacent channel stations in NJ to go ND on the master FM antenna on the Trade Center...which they did. This brought 103.5 more or less in line with the other Class B stations.
Post 9/11, they moved over to Empire and are comparable to the other full B's.
hubcity said:
NBC was selling all of its radio stations as part of the RCA sale to GE. So both 660 and 97.1 were on the block. Emmis bought both stations, moved its sports format from 1050 to 660, and then traded the WQHT format then at 103.5 with country 97.1, and sold the country 103.5 signal.
d21ofnj said:
I live in Williamsburg on the 10th floor and can barely pull in Hits 106.3 on my Sony digital HD radio and not at all on my Tivoli.
On street level you cannot pull in Hits 106.3 at all since it's overpowered by the pirates. My assumption would be that in southern Brooklyn and SI you could pull it in quite well if the pirates don't interfear there as well.
If the country fans listen, and lodge complaints with the F.C.C., the pirates could at least be pushed out to another frequency. A number of stations, such as WFUV, have had messages on their websites encouraging their listeners to lodge complaints. It seems that F.C.C. activity against unlicensed stations has picked up in the past year or two.
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