BRW: CC says WKOX is now 50KW Full time

[raccoonradio]

http://www.bostonradiowatch.com says that Clear Channel has announced that WKOX is now
officially 50,000 watts full time. It quotes CC's Tom McConnell as saying ""The increase to 50,000 watts on WKOX has upgraded the signal to one of the strongest AM signals in Boston, which allows us to deliver Rumba 1200AM to those listeners seeking the best in salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, and Latin pop."

Probably will keep that format.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

http://www.bostonradiowatch.com says that Clear Channel has announced that WKOX is now
officially 50,000 watts full time. It quotes CC's Tom McConnell as saying ""The increase to 50,000 watts on WKOX has upgraded the signal to one of the strongest AM signals in Boston, which allows us to deliver Rumba 1200AM to those listeners seeking the best in salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, and Latin pop."

Probably will keep that format.

I posted to bostonradiowatch.com's comment line that all this work to get WKOX up to 50,000 watts nominal transmitter output power will not result in a signal that does a great job covering Metro Boston. Where I live, 30 miles north of Boston, WKOX is not a match for WWZN-AM 1510 during the daytime outside of WWZN's critcal-hours period. In fact, WKOX gives a reading only slightly better than its neighbor on the dial, WWDJ-AM 1150. From the info at the FCC, the maximum output is at 70 degrees azimuth, a bit north of due east, both day and night. I'm sure this will result in very good coverage of the immediate Boston area, but like WWZN, WKOX may come in better in Norway than in Natick.

 

[aerie]

I'm in the same general area 30 miles north, and it is better daytimes (much less static) but still not listenable at night. I do now know there is a station broadcasting music on 1200 at night, but it's nearly buried by other stations. I guess they can give WNNW a run for the money in the immediate metro area though. But what makes Clear Channel think Hispanic listeners will suffer listening to music on the AM band any more than non-Hispanics? With all the choices of sources of music these days, I think playing music on AM and expecting a high rating is pretty poor logic.

 

[raccoonradio]

Signal is noticeably better, day and night, on 128 around Peabody, Lynnfield, Reading, etc. And with a stick in Newton it's gotta be reaching Boston proper a bit better

 

[JustinT]

Probably will keep that format.

But what about 1430 WXKS? The new 1200 signal overlaps entirely with 1430, if I recall correctly, and Rumba has not promoted the existence of the 1430 signal in quite some time. Perhaps the station can be used to clear some of Premiere's talk programs in Boston?

 

[aerie]

They were not mentioning WXKS for a long time (except for the legal ID), referring to Rumba just as "mil doscientos" (1200) and never mentioning 1430 otherwise. I was assuming they planned on splitting off the two stations soon to different programming. But coincidental with the power upgrade on 1200 they seem to be mentioning 1430 again. My theory for why they suddenly start mentioning 1430 again is that they plan to keep Rumba on 1430 and do something else with 1200.

 

[DanStrassberg]

http://www.bostonradiowatch.com says that Clear Channel has announced that WKOX is now
officially 50,000 watts full time.

As I reported here at the time, WKOX, WRCA, and WUNR have been running their full CP power day and night since 3:00PM Monday March 16. Do you have any idea why it took Mark five weeks and a day to notice? In another month, give or take, the FCC should grant licenses to cover. I believe that you should be able to tell that has happened when you hear IBOC sidebands at least on WKOX and WRCA. I've been told that the transmitter-site IBOC equipment has also been installed for WUNR, but WUNR's studio equipment may or may not be able to handle stereo. So I have no idea about WUNR's plans for IBOC.

As I predicted, WKOX's coverage, though much improved--especially at night--is no match for WRKO or WEEI. Of the three stations now transmitting from 750 Sawmill Brook Parkway, WRCA has provided the greatest upside surprise. I had expected that, despite the power increase, the move would really cause the signal to degrade where I live because the new site is seven miles further from me than the old site was and the shorter towers reduce the antenna efficiency, eating up a significant part of the power increase. Well, WRCA's signal ISN'T as strong here as it used to be but it is a lot stronger than I had expected and nighttime interference from WWRV is usually just barely noticeable. WKOX does not seem as much stronger than WRCA as I had expected it to be. Because of the the modifications to its pattern, WUNR is noticeably weaker than it used to be.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Where I live, 30 miles north of Boston, WKOX is not a match for WWZN-AM 1510 during the daytime outside of WWZN's critcal-hours period.

Of WWZN's three patterns (D, N, CH), the CH pattern sends the strongest signal to the north. In Methuen, your best reception of WWZN should occur during CH! The difference between D and CH is not huge, however.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

But what about 1430 WXKS? The new 1200 signal overlaps entirely with 1430, if I recall correctly, and Rumba has not promoted the existence of the 1430 signal in quite some time.

Until 1200 turns on the IBOC, those with HD radios have to tune to 1430 to hear it in that mode...