R
rapking
Guest
Touch listeners will help pay the fine http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/12/black_station_tuning_out_static/
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Thank you for this @Rapking!!!
A
AckDX
Guest
I congratulate the FCC for doing their job.
Yeah, newspapers often get the technical details wrong when it comes to broadcasting; I attribute it to the difficulty inherent to explaning very technical things to very non-technical people; the Globe always has to get the gist across to all but the densest readers, something that often precludes getting all the details 100% right when you've got limited column space.
Heh, something to keep in mind when the Globe is reporting other stories with a lot of technical stuff in them, eh?
Anyways, there was a change of sorts in 2000; the FCC was prepared to drop third-adjacent protections, specifically in regard to LPFM, and Congress, under pressure from NAB and NPR, passed a law that overrode the FCC's discretion and forced them to adhere to the third-adjacent protection spacing. It was for LPFM's, but I've seen the spirit of this law applied to "full power" Part 73 stations as well.
The article also had the non-nonsensical (to me, at least) statement of:
The station's plight is shared by dozens of broadcasters in Boston that operate at or below 100 megahertz, so-called low-power radio stations that have been outmuscled by more powerful broadcasters and have had little chance to get FCC licenses since Congress widened the buffer zones between frequencies in 2000.
First of all, megahertz isn't capitalized properly. But the phrase is just weird because operating below 100 MHz has nothing to do with low power. In fact, the actual "LPFM" Class of FM service is restricted to 92-108 MHz. Granted, many stations "below 92MHz" (as in, non-commercial/educational) also happen to be relatively low in effective radiated power (ERP) but by no means are all, nor are they required to be: just look at WGBH! Highest ERP in Boston; a grandfathered 98000 watts (!!!)
It's also extremely misleading to imply that TouchFM cannot get a legal FM license because of the act of Congress in 2000. Even with 3rd adjacent protections waived, there was no room anywhere inside Rt.128 to fit an LP100 license. Hell, I don't think you could do it even inside I-495. I do remember that there was a very small area in Dedham where, if the FCC ever opened a window for it, you could fit an LP10 (10 watt) station. But that was it for inside Rt.128...and the FCC never opened that window and, likely, never will. The bottom line is that the only way a legal broadcaster can transmit over Dorchester is by leasing time on an existing license...either on the main channel, on an HD Radio multicast channel, or on a subcarrier/SCA/FMeXtra channel...by outright purchasing an existing license. Them's the options. Neither are cheap but by no means are either impossible. Okay, sure, maybe buying a station would break the bank, but I know of small operations that lease subcarriers and do an excellent job serving their community that way.
>>newspapers often get the technical details wrong when it comes to broadcasting
A frequent blooper in the Globe, years ago:
The Red Sox game will be on "WEEI-FM (850) (sic)" (back when WEEI was the flagship and before
WEEI-FM in Westerly came on board)
And in the Herald they used to say the games would be on WRPO-AM 630 (sic) which evidently
is in the city of Rpovidence, RI
A frequent blooper in the Globe, years ago:
The Red Sox game will be on "WEEI-FM (850) (sic)" (back when WEEI was the flagship and before
WEEI-FM in Westerly came on board)
And in the Herald they used to say the games would be on WRPO-AM 630 (sic) which evidently
is in the city of Rpovidence, RI
N
NSPUNX
Guest
You know... If they stuck to the internet instead of breaking the law I would probably listen... It sounds like they are "talking" about doing the right thing, it is too bad they are not "doing" the right thing themselves.
Was "Robin Hood" a criminal? Yes. Even though his intentions (according to folk lore) were good he was still a thief.
Was "Robin Hood" a criminal? Yes. Even though his intentions (according to folk lore) were good he was still a thief.
R
rapking
Guest
I love Touch-FM ! Touch-FM need to be put on a strong legal signal ( Boston need a urban A/C )
What Boston needS is law-abiding citizens
to set a good example...
to set a good example...
R
rapking
Guest
Give the people what they want ! Urban A/C is in Great Demand in Boston !
S
spilot113
Guest
rapking said:
What facts do you have to back this up? Research? Strategics? Focus groups?
Are people marching in the streets "Demand"-ing it?
What about the people that want Spanish music on a good FM signal in Boston? Give them what they want too?
What about a 50's/60's station? Give them that too?
What about Opera lovers? Give them that too?
Why we could start 10-20 pirates right now using your logic.
Come to think of it...every person should have their own radio station to program to their own enjoyment!
Then it will all be fixed, right?
Again, you are pitching formats solely for your own personal preference.
That means your ideas rate zero in the eyes of broadcasting companies....
Lastly, why are there no blacks investing in broadcasting stations here in Boston? I know there must be a few rich blacks who have money...why aren't they putting up the dough?
spilot113 said:
Dude calm down. I understand your stand on pirate stations, I actually agree with them.
But to say that an established format like urban ac can't be successful is crazy. You really
think that it can't do better than some of those gazillion rock stations Boston has doing sub 3.0
numbers?
S
spilot113
Guest
nightcrawler35 said:
Maybe they can be successful, maybe they can't....
But simply basing it on your own tastes ("i.e....Rapking"), and stating it over and over again ad nauseum without any understanding the business of broadcasting, is foolish....
spilot113 said:
Not to mention whether or not advertisers would even support it. We know ad agencies love rock formats...but we also know there is an inherent bias against some formats....Country being one of them.
ScottBurns2 said:
WKLB seems to be doing pretty well.
U
uncleDJ
Guest
Well, now, this is why I'll not work in Boston again.
A simple statement about a station, pirate though it is, getting listeners and backing from them, and the usual suspects are jumping down throats. Just another sign of the near-monopoly that exists in ownership and format frenzy in probably the most lackluster market on the planet.
Yeah, I'm law abiding, one should not have to resort to air piracy...but the simple TRUTH is that there is a lock on this industry which has the strong and powerful owning just about everything. Thank you FCC for this massive screw-up. We need to return the industry to where multi-ownership is drastically cut. Yeah again, some stations may go dark...others may just have new life breathed into them by 'savvy rich Blacks' (stretching the reference a bit from earlier and I do not say this in contempt; I know some of them up there from the church world and Thank God for them) who managed to raise stations like WILD from obscurity to where they were a dominant sound heard on several Boston outlets back in the Disco days. Yeah, DISCO...it MADE MONEY for folks then, remember KISS-108 and 'BOS when they were really something???
People do need to invest in this business, if only to break up the big guys. They are hopelessly out of touch and prove over and over that ADVERTISERS RULE OVER LISTENERS. So should ALL BOSTON STATIONS BE ROCKERS? Why not if it makes you tons of money??? Please, speak up and answer the 'WHY' to this question!
Without listeners, no ratings, few ads, dying station. Simple equation. (Yes, we know: without ads, no revenue, no signal, no listeners). When can we get the yin/yang thing going here to get all sides to agree that opening up formats is a GOOD THING?
Personality that is local is RELATIVE? Complaints heard on boards like these are just a fraction of the frustration listeners share (or don't share) and that DOES EFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE? And that maybe...just maybe...someone out there can really be honest to say their highly paid gurus got their info without a THOROUGH VETTING OF THE LOCAL AUDIENCE?
That, folks, would make the pirates set sail and set new goals for ad revenue missing from the marketplace for years. Done sales before, so I know there are advertisers that won't do radio because they've figured out it's a shrinking universe right now.
A simple statement about a station, pirate though it is, getting listeners and backing from them, and the usual suspects are jumping down throats. Just another sign of the near-monopoly that exists in ownership and format frenzy in probably the most lackluster market on the planet.
Yeah, I'm law abiding, one should not have to resort to air piracy...but the simple TRUTH is that there is a lock on this industry which has the strong and powerful owning just about everything. Thank you FCC for this massive screw-up. We need to return the industry to where multi-ownership is drastically cut. Yeah again, some stations may go dark...others may just have new life breathed into them by 'savvy rich Blacks' (stretching the reference a bit from earlier and I do not say this in contempt; I know some of them up there from the church world and Thank God for them) who managed to raise stations like WILD from obscurity to where they were a dominant sound heard on several Boston outlets back in the Disco days. Yeah, DISCO...it MADE MONEY for folks then, remember KISS-108 and 'BOS when they were really something???
People do need to invest in this business, if only to break up the big guys. They are hopelessly out of touch and prove over and over that ADVERTISERS RULE OVER LISTENERS. So should ALL BOSTON STATIONS BE ROCKERS? Why not if it makes you tons of money??? Please, speak up and answer the 'WHY' to this question!
Without listeners, no ratings, few ads, dying station. Simple equation. (Yes, we know: without ads, no revenue, no signal, no listeners). When can we get the yin/yang thing going here to get all sides to agree that opening up formats is a GOOD THING?
Personality that is local is RELATIVE? Complaints heard on boards like these are just a fraction of the frustration listeners share (or don't share) and that DOES EFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE? And that maybe...just maybe...someone out there can really be honest to say their highly paid gurus got their info without a THOROUGH VETTING OF THE LOCAL AUDIENCE?
That, folks, would make the pirates set sail and set new goals for ad revenue missing from the marketplace for years. Done sales before, so I know there are advertisers that won't do radio because they've figured out it's a shrinking universe right now.
>>WKLB seems to be doing pretty well.
It does, though it helps they are the only station in town playing the format. At one
time country in Boston was considered out of the question--we weren't the type to
embrace that type of music, which they felt was best left to college radio specialty
shows like Hillbilly at Harvard. WBOS tried it, then dumped it; then when it was felt
country might work, we actually got two stations in town--WCLB 105.7 started in
1993, four years after WBOS dumped country (there was speculation 96.9 would
go country but 105.7 beat them to it). A few months after the "Country CLuB
started, 96.9 jumped in and said We're Boston's Country Station.
As bostonradio.org put it, "What followed was almost three years of bitter competition, as the two rivals fought for a niche audience large enough to support one, but not necessarily two, major FM stations." Then
Greater got WKLB (call letter change to avoid confusion with WCRB) and eventually 105.7 went to
oldies/AC as WROR; and a couple dial moves later you have WKLB at 102.5, the only country station in town.
And yes, doing quite well with it.
Whether Boston could support smooth jazz, prog. talk, or a true (FM) CHurban/ urban AC, etc.,
who knows. Country is doing OK here now with just that one station. In fact, perhaps due to some
publicity by WKLB or just an indication of country's popularity here (...with one station), the 2006
concert by Kenny Chesney at Gillette Stadium brought in $4 million: "the highest grossing one-day country show in history". Yes, in Foxboro!
Certainly Boston won't be like Nashville or Dallas in terms of having a whole ton of country stations
(I remember flying to Nash. a couple years back--the deal was it would be cheaper to fly Southwest,
ding!, there and then drive to Memphis--and see both cities--and once I got into my rental car I
scanned the dial--country, country, country, country--well of course!) but we do OK with that one.
It does, though it helps they are the only station in town playing the format. At one
time country in Boston was considered out of the question--we weren't the type to
embrace that type of music, which they felt was best left to college radio specialty
shows like Hillbilly at Harvard. WBOS tried it, then dumped it; then when it was felt
country might work, we actually got two stations in town--WCLB 105.7 started in
1993, four years after WBOS dumped country (there was speculation 96.9 would
go country but 105.7 beat them to it). A few months after the "Country CLuB
started, 96.9 jumped in and said We're Boston's Country Station.
As bostonradio.org put it, "What followed was almost three years of bitter competition, as the two rivals fought for a niche audience large enough to support one, but not necessarily two, major FM stations." Then
Greater got WKLB (call letter change to avoid confusion with WCRB) and eventually 105.7 went to
oldies/AC as WROR; and a couple dial moves later you have WKLB at 102.5, the only country station in town.
And yes, doing quite well with it.
Whether Boston could support smooth jazz, prog. talk, or a true (FM) CHurban/ urban AC, etc.,
who knows. Country is doing OK here now with just that one station. In fact, perhaps due to some
publicity by WKLB or just an indication of country's popularity here (...with one station), the 2006
concert by Kenny Chesney at Gillette Stadium brought in $4 million: "the highest grossing one-day country show in history". Yes, in Foxboro!
Certainly Boston won't be like Nashville or Dallas in terms of having a whole ton of country stations
(I remember flying to Nash. a couple years back--the deal was it would be cheaper to fly Southwest,
ding!, there and then drive to Memphis--and see both cities--and once I got into my rental car I
scanned the dial--country, country, country, country--well of course!) but we do OK with that one.
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