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Grace Blazer leaves WPHT

K

Kyle D

AllAccess is reporting that WPHT PD Grace Blazer resigned her position today.

Normal stuff..."it was my decision", "taking some time off before my next job".

I don't think it will change much at the station, seeing that it's just a 50-thousand-watt satellite repeater for most of the day.

I wonder what she would have done with the place if she were able to run it as she saw fit...
 
I wonder what she would have done with the place if she were able to run it as she saw fit...
Click to expand...

Maybe she would have fixed the ground system so that the station can be heard outiside of a 25 mile radius, day or night, like a normal clear channel 50,000 watt full service AM Radio Station.

But what's the point? Just about anything that can be heard on AM Radio at night can be pulled in from at least 5 other radio stations from different markets at the same time anyway. Still, what a waste of a night time 50,000 watter, especially if they are pumping that massive signal into an eroded ground system.

Drive north of Quakertown on any given night. The signal is non-existent.
 
Maybe she would have fixed the ground system so that the station can be heard outiside of a 25 mile radius, day or night, like a normal clear channel 50,000 watt full service AM Radio Station.
Click to expand...

I don't think Grace was the Chief Engineer.

I was referring to what she may have done with the programming on the station if she had the autority to do what she wanted. I don't know for a fact that she didn't, but I'm assuming she did not have 100% of the programming decisions falling on her lap.
 
Kyle D said:
AllAccess is reporting that WPHT PD Grace Blazer resigned her position today.

Normal stuff..."it was my decision", "taking some time off before my next job".

I don't think it will change much at the station, seeing that it's just a 50-thousand-watt satellite repeater for most of the day.

I wonder what she would have done with the place if she were able to run it as she saw fit...
Click to expand...


Don't forget "spend more time with my family."

How do we know she wasn't running the place as she saw fit? Look at the people she's hired (Smerconish, LaFrankie). Look at those she's fired (Rollye James, Jeff Katz). She's been there - what? - 10 years. She had to take a station that had been killed off several years earlier and bring it back from the dead, against an established competitor. She tried a local-live schedule up against WWDB and it bombed. The station only survived by taking away the top syndicated personalities from 'DB.

If she hadn't been running it "as she saw fit," why did she hang around so long?

WPHT is a 3rd rate station compared to WGN, WLW, KGO ...
Those stations are the exception.
But it's on a par with others like WABC and WJR which also spend most of the day plugged into a satellite.
These stations, and a lot more, are the rule.
 
If she hadn't been running it "as she saw fit," why did she hang around so long?
Click to expand...

I was alluding to the fact that she probably wasn't calling the shots at all...corporate was making the decisions and letting her know what she needed to do.

That would probably be part of the reason she was able to stay there for 11 years. She did what she was told to do and didn't ruffle any feathers.
 
Those RRRRs said:
I wonder what she would have done with the place if she were able to run it as she saw fit...
Click to expand...

Maybe she would have fixed the ground system so that the station can be heard outiside of a 25 mile radius, day or night, like a normal clear channel 50,000 watt full service AM Radio Station.

But what's the point? Just about anything that can be heard on AM Radio at night can be pulled in from at least 5 other radio stations from different markets at the same time anyway. Still, what a waste of a night time 50,000 watter, especially if they are pumping that massive signal into an eroded ground system.

Drive north of Quakertown on any given night. The signal is non-existent.
Click to expand...

How true it is! WPHT's "50,000 watt" signal sucks! My Eton E5 has a signal strength meter and the signal registers a 4 at night in Malvern. That's compared with KYW registering a 9 and WIP and WNTP registering 5 and 4 respectively. During the day, electrical interference makes it unlistenable in patches beyond a 25 mile radius of Philadelphia. Sometimes, I actually switch over to WEEU for Rush or Hannity because the signal is more consistent.

When compared with other 50 kw AM signals around the country, 1210 is a joke - and I can get most of the programming elsewhere. Anyhow, the only local show they offer that's worth listening to is Smerconish.
 
Smerconish to too much into himself. The simulcast of his radio program on MSNBC recently was a failure in viewership also.
 
Regarding WPHT's signal...

I have no knowledge of the station's technical operation whatsoever, so my comments are a generalization. But, whether or not their ground system is in bad condition, it has to be remembered that as the frequency of an AM station increases the less coverage you get for the same power. For example, the old adage that 500 watts at 540 is equal to 5000 watts at 1600, is pretty darn close to the truth. A secondary part of that understanding is that once you get above 1200, that drop off rate becomes very significant.

So, the bottom line is that even if their system is at its best, 50,000 watts at 1210, is never going to give you the coverage of many of the lower frequency clear channels - like 650, 660, 770, 880, and so on. This is also why 610 WIP or 560 WFIL (daytime) have coverage that equals or exceeds WPHT's in some directions (directional antennas not withstanding).

1210 is the highest frequency in the US that supports a non-directional 50kw clear channel station. There was a reason for that when the commission setup the local/regional/clear channel scheme back in the early 40s. Anything above that frequency just would not have provided the results in the "Class 1A" coverage that they were looking for under the scheme.
 
I hope the station makes some changes now, but I doubt it.

I am not asking for a liberal change, but there are many times when it's the same thing day after day. From Beck to Rush to Hannity then LaFrankie and Dom, it's nothing but liberal bashing all the time.

It gets to be very old after awhile.
 
rtetro said:
Regarding WPHT's signal...

I have no knowledge of the station's technical operation whatsoever, so my comments are a generalization. But, whether or not their ground system is in bad condition, it has to be remembered that as the frequency of an AM station increases the less coverage you get for the same power. For example, the old adage that 500 watts at 540 is equal to 5000 watts at 1600, is pretty darn close to the truth. A secondary part of that understanding is that once you get above 1200, that drop off rate becomes very significant.

So, the bottom line is that even if their system is at its best, 50,000 watts at 1210, is never going to give you the coverage of many of the lower frequency clear channels - like 650, 660, 770, 880, and so on. This is also why 610 WIP or 560 WFIL (daytime) have coverage that equals or exceeds WPHT's in some directions (directional antennas not withstanding).

1210 is the highest frequency in the US that supports a non-directional 50kw clear channel station. There was a reason for that when the commission setup the local/regional/clear channel scheme back in the early 40s. Anything above that frequency just would not have provided the results in the "Class 1A" coverage that they were looking for under the scheme.
Click to expand...

But, the difference between WPHT's signal and 1060 KYW or 1080 WTIC around southern New England (an area with horrible ground conductivity) is remarkable. Too remarkable to allow the "excuse" of dial position to be used in defense of the poor performance of WPHT. Besides, there just isn't THAT much difference between the frequencies of KYW and WPHT to explain away the big difference in signals.

On the high frequency groundwave issue, the non directional daytime signals of 1520 KOMA (OK City) and 1530 KFBK (Sacramento) are still far better than what I'm seeing with 1210 around here. Not to mention KSL's incredible 50 kw signal at 1160. I realize that these stations are in areas with much better ground conductivity, but that doesn't account for the entire difference.

I have yet to spend any time in a place around metro Philly where WPHT is the strongest signal on the am dial. Someone needs to do some work at their tx site, that's for sure.
 
trolleyk said:
Smerconish to too much into himself. The simulcast of his radio program on MSNBC recently was a failure in viewership also.
Click to expand...

Can you back that up? I only listen to PHT in the morning when Smerconish is on, and when Michael was on MSNBC, I DVR'ed it and watched it at night. It was the best thing.
As for Michael, I think he's an independent thinker. He doesn't tow the party line and he gives the opposing side airtime, without being disrespectful to them. He's the best thing that has happened to Philly radio in a long time.
 
Kyle D said:
AllAccess is reporting that WPHT PD Grace Blazer resigned her position today.

I don't think it will change much at the station, seeing that it's just a 50-thousand-watt satellite repeater for most of the day.

I wonder what she would have done with the place if she were able to run it as she saw fit...
Click to expand...

Fast forward one year...

Blazer is doing quite well with WTKK in Boston, with an all-local (after Imus) and live lineup every day...

... while the Phillies seem to be WPHT's saving grace - so to speak...
 
According to the latest Boston trend, both 'TKK and 'RKO are tied for sixth place.

In September of '07, 'RKO was in fifth place with a 5.0, with 'TKK in the teens with a 3.2. Since then, 'TKK has amassed twice as much ratings as 'RKO has lost (they're currently tied at 4.4). So if anything, 'TKK would be the hotter of the two talkers in Boston.

Nice argument, you lose.
 
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