Clear Channel Says WHEN: AM 620 Has Dropped Sports For Simulcast Of Power 106.9

[DToTheJ]

Source is Scott Fybush's Northeast Radio Watch's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/NERadioWatch

Fybush hints that it's one step closer to 570 WSYR simulcasting on 106.9 FM.

Also, when you go to the WHEN website at http://www.sportsradio620.com, you get redirected to a splash page on WSYR's website advising listeners to hear Fox Sports Radio online or on their iPhones via the "iHeartRadio" app.

All right... more music on the AM dial!

 

[DToTheJ]

Looks like there's a whole new website for 620:
http://www.power620.com/

There's a big banner instructing listeners to "change your preset now to AM 620 and visit us here at power620.com."

 

[ThePickleReport]

nm

 

[musicman3355]

Hmm, I wonder how Trey Songz and Usher sound on AM... :

Never thought CC would put music (that's not adult standards, oldies, country or gospel) on AM... I wanna see their CHR formats on AM! ;D

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

CC is not necessarily "putting a music station on AM" in this case to put a music station on AM.

They're doing it, of course, to forestall protests that would be caused - again - by a format change on 106.9. They'll be able to point to 620 AM to upset Power listeners, AM signal or no, and say they didn't kill the station. (Heck, they may move in an FM translator to simulcast it, assuming that opening is possible!)

Wasn't there quite a mess when CC temporarily killed "Power" and put country music on it for a few days?

 

[DToTheJ]

Yes:
B104 about to be challenged!

And five days later:
"CC puts Power back this morning!"

So we're now 1 1/3 years removed from that debacle. Could you imagine if CC decided to go with a simulcast of WSYR on 106.9 last summer?

 

[bucwhyl]

Wooooow..... I wonder how long will that 620 thing last? Urban listeners of Syracuse, you are leaving the penthouse and headed to the projects....

 

[Bob1370]

Stupid decision on so many grounds...where do we begin?

First, a well-programmed urban FM contemporary station can be a big winner in an upstate market, and build an audience 12-34 across ethic and urban/suburban lines--just look west to Rochester, where WDKX, with a relatively weak signal, is now #1 both 12+ and 12-34. WBLK is consistently a top-4 finisher in Buffalo. If they're going to shut down 106.9 and simulcast their older skewing AM news-talker, that's throwing away a potentially good revenue stream.

Second, CC really should put its main N/T programming stream on 620, its pattern picks up the northern and southern 'burbs at night better than 570 (which has significant signal problems to the south) and its day pattern is nondirectional--so it's really a better signal for the market even if the night power is nominally lower. So that signal's now doubly wasted.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I still wonder if the "end game" is an FM translator for this thing, centrally located in Syracuse. 250 watts fairly high up should do pretty well in a market that size, particularly with an urban AC format.

Other than that, this screams "we'd better put the thing SOMEWHERE so we won't get protests!"

 

[fybush]

CC had an FM translator on 98.3 that would have been perfect - but then they sold it along with its parent station, then-WWDG 105.1 (now WOLF-FM), which suggests this move is not part of a plan that's been in the works for a long time.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

And considering the competition, they're not gonna get 98.3 back, I presume.

Is there anything else that could be moved in for that purpose, should they decide to do so? IIRC, moving FM translators long distances is a lot harder these days, no?

Sounds like "Power 620" is here to stay. At least until they kill it off one day down the road...