• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Clark Smidt

What's he up to now?

Owned (co-owned) WCAp Lowell for awhile. WNNH in New Hampshire.

Longtime Boston area radio guy.
 
I believe he is also a partial owner or has some financial interest in WTPL 107.7 in Hillsboro, NH. When WNNH was up for sale during the Nassau Broadacasting divestiture, rumor had it that he was interested in purchasing WNNH again. Never happened as it was sold to Binnie Media.

-Mike
 
ebol said:
What's he up to now?

Owned (co-owned) WCAp Lowell for awhile. WNNH in New Hampshire.

Longtime Boston area radio guy.

Speaking of WCAP, what happened to the massive format changes predicted more than once on this board once Mr. Smidt was "separated" from Mr. Poulten? It was supposed to go all-Cambodian according to at least one contributor. Don't look now, but nothing much has changed at WCAP since the dust settled.
 
I don't know about WTPL...Great Eastern is owned by Jeff Shapiro. Ironically,though, their Concord studios are in the old WNNH suite on South Street.

Clark was at one time linked to the former Nassau 102.3 in Concord. At least somewhere on the New England board it was mentioned that was. From a consultant stand point.

He's been a consultant for a number of years...btw.
 
Early Byrd said:
Speaking of WCAP, what happened to the massive format changes predicted more than once on this board once Mr. Smidt was "separated" from Mr. Poulten? It was supposed to go all-Cambodian according to at least one contributor. Don't look now, but nothing much has changed at WCAP since the dust settled.

Something has been wrong with their signal for at least a month, especially at night. The night signal used to come in fairly well in the Boston area, especially in the north metro such as where I live in Somerville. It has been practically inaudible at night, if not completely covered up by WOFX Troy NY, for at least a month now.
 
They must be running lower power at night, as WOFX covers them at times in parts of Tewksbury, only 4 to 6 miles as the crow flies from their TX site. Even as close as 2 to 3 miles east of the TX within the Lowell city limits WOFX can be faintly heard underneath if there's a pause in programming. I don't know what the issue is that may be causing this. I do know the main TX is the Harris MW-5 that was bought new for when they made the jump from a 1KW daytimer to 5KW fulltime DA-2 back in October 1980. The aux TX is the 1KW that was moved over from their former site in Dracut.

And yesterday (Wed). between 10:05 & 11:00AM they ran a couple of radio infomercials, caught the end of one with the disclaimer for the preceding was a paid program for some medical company, then a disclaimer for one shilling some kind of brain disease cure or such. They have 30 minute medical infomercials every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05PM. Only ethnic show on WCAP currently is "Hellenic Happenings.com", a Greek music program Sundays at 12:05PM, hosted by Nick Diamontopoulos (a/k/a Nick Diamond), who worked at WLLH in the 1970's.

Mark
 
Tewksbury ought to be right in WCAP's main lobe at night.

(But having said that: the Troy 980 signal is a barn-burner in the Merrimack Valley. Back in my WCAP days, half an eon ago, I'd come in on Saturday mornings before the station signed on at 5:30, and when I'd come up the back staircase and through the control room on the way to the newsroom, the air monitor would usually be up loud and blaring what was then WTRY, almost like it was a local.)
 
Scott Fybush said:
Tewksbury ought to be right in WCAP's main lobe at night.

I don't think WCAP has been running on their night pattern recently, which is supposed to send their main lobe toward Tewksbury (and Boston).

It sounds like they may be unable to go to night pattern for some reason, and running reduced power at night to keep the power down in their nighttime null directions.
 
I had the opportunity to travel to Boston yesterday afternoon. I parked at Wellington T station in Medford. I had WCAP on the entire way from Lowell. I believe they may be on reduced power day and night. The signal was not as strong as it should be in the Woburn and Stoneham area and the signal deteriorated to non-existent by the time I got to the Route 16 exit off I-93 in Medford. Getting back in the car afound 11:15 last night, no trace of WCAP, just WOFX fading in & out. Left 980 on heading North, didn't get a trace of WCAP under WOFX until Route 3 North between Route 128 & Route 62 Bedford, about 10 to 12 miles as the crow flies. They weren't really listenable without interference from WOFX until about another 5 miles or so North of that point, just past Exit 27 in Billerica. I'm wondering if they're on the 1KW backup transmitter?

Mark
 
I hbeard that tower #3 is no longer connected to the phasor (not sure why). That would mean that they aren't in compliance. Haven't seen an STA on the FCC website.
 
It sounds like WCAP has fixed whatever was wrong with their antenna system. It's after sunset, and it's coming in fairly well here in Somerville like it used to. A little background static and faint WOFX in the background, but listenable. It was practically inaudible here at night for over a month before.
 
1. The legal papers filed in the Poulten Schidt legal wars are rather interesting.

2. If you read the paperwork filed for the transfer of control, you cannot help but
realize that WCAP cannot sustain its current format. Just take the borrowed
money and figure what it would take to pay a note on that kind of coin, then
 
1. The legal papers filed in the Poulten Schidt legal wars are rather interesting.

2. If you read the paperwork filed for the transfer of control, you cannot help but
realize that WCAP cannot sustain its current format. Just take the borrowed
money and figure what it would take to pay a note on that kind of coin, then
tell me how you can make that kind of coin on local spot sales with no national dollars.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom