Howie Carr back on WCRN 5-7 pm

[raccoonradio]

Howie Carr just said on air
that WCRN is back on his network, doing 5-7 pm. Will come in handy when 'RKO's signal tanks
in Metro West at sunset. Assume Stolz show will be 2-5 pm
Starts today--not reflected on website yet.

 

[magpie]

What is up with WCRN anyway? They have Howie, Red Sox, and Blute, formerly of WRKO. Do they mean to be "WRKO West?" Now that they're 50,000 watts, why don't they come up with some more local or original programming? THEY'RE 50,000 WATTS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!! Yet they seem to be continuing to act like a 5,000 watter.

 

[raccoonradio]

Well, they have Blute and Stolz and I believe a woman from the Tel & Gazette now does a 1 hour
show afternoons, or soon will (and don't forget the immortal Drew Mortgage show!) And they help
out WRKO, weak to the west, by carrying Howie, and you can't go wrong with the Sox.

 

[DavidZ]

What is up with WCRN anyway? They have Howie, Red Sox, and Blute, formerly of WRKO. Do they mean to be "WRKO West?" Now that they're 50,000 watts, why don't they come up with some more local or original programming? THEY'RE 50,000 WATTS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!! Yet they seem to be continuing to act like a 5,000 watter.

Although they have added Howie back, they have more local programming in Central Massachusetts than their main competitor WTAG. Program director Hank Stolz, whose show has been trimmed to 3 hours to make room for Howie, is beefing up the newsroom with the recent hire of a full-time News Director (Alec Callendar) and adding more local shows. Dianne Williamson from the T&G will be starting a local show from 1 to 2 p.m. (perhaps next Monday?) and if you consider Howie a local host, albeit from a more regional perspective, they will be live and local for all but 2 hours every weekday between 6 a.m. & 7 p.m. Once the Red Sox resume, they will be live & local until late into the evening. Last year they had a local sports call-in show after every game.
IMHO, they are definitely taking advantage of their 50,000 watts and positioning themselves as a News/Talk leader.

 

[BRNout]

What is up with WCRN anyway? They have Howie, Red Sox, and Blute, formerly of WRKO. Do they mean to be "WRKO West?" Now that they're 50,000 watts, why don't they come up with some more local or original programming? THEY'RE 50,000 WATTS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!! Yet they seem to be continuing to act like a 5,000 watter.

That's a pretty decent lineup that includes a lot of familiar names. Seems to me that they are making a lot of the right moves. Remember, they may now have 50 kw (directionally ...which is a big difference) - but they are also a Worcester market signal. That is a much smaller market than Boston and they are wise to cherry-pick a lot of WRKO's most successful offerings. Doing so will build listenership in Metro West, which is where the bigger advertising bucks are.

Believe it or not, I could see Howie's show bringing in some listeners from as far afield as Nashua, NH. Their signal is better than WRKO's at night from roughly Nashua westward. All in all, they are doing a lot of the right things.

 

[Infidel]

Howie was not on WCRN today. It was Hank Stoltz instead.

Has this deal fallen through again?

 

[raccoonradio]

Who knows--site says Stolz is now 1-5 with Howie 5-7. tech problem? Or, indeed, maybe fell through...

 

[DavidZ]

Howie was not on WCRN today. It was Hank Stoltz instead.

Has this deal fallen through again?

When I tuned in just before and after the 6 p.m. News, Howie was indeed on WCRN. As raccoonradio pointed out in his post, there may have been a technical problem.

 

[Infidel]

You guys are correct -- I tuned in today before 5 and it was Stoltz, after 5 and it was Howie.

Plus I heard a "I'm Howie, back on from 5-7" spot.