If You Were Clear Channel Hartford

[radiolives]

What FM station would you change and why? Just thought I would start up a somewhat of a different topic.

For my opinion I would do this:

92.5 KISS "Hit Music Now"

US 95.7 "New Country"

River 105.9 "Rock Favorites"

 

[uncle todd]

I have mentioned before that I think a triple a format would fill a hole currently in the Hartford market. In the days when WHCN was an AOR station, they had a great mix of music and played lots of deep tracks. I think it would be a great angle to bring back a great heritage rock station in the form of triple a. Maybe call it "Pure Rock 105.9". Triple a radio is one format that seems to be showing some growth in the industry. I think the key is to be as local and heavily involved in the community as possible. But that's just my take. Curious to see what others think.

 

[ansky212]

Why swap formats between 92.5 and 95.7? That kind of stuff just confuses listeners.

 

[alaskan5402]

What FM station would you change and why? Just thought I would start up a somewhat of a different topic.

For my opinion I would do this:

92.5 KISS "Hit Music Now"

US 95.7 "New Country"

River 105.9 "Rock Favorites"

Are you high? Why fix what's not broken?

 

[radiolives]

It would make KISS closer to Hot 93.7 for one. And just to give the market a somewhat change.

 

[newbritainradio]

I would put WPOP-AM 1410 on one of Hartford Clear Channel's FM HD3 signals (as of now they have no HD3). It would improve WPOP's rather tight nighttime pattern so listeners east and especially west of the Newington tower sight could better hear their programming. As a once long time Bristol resident, WPOP is virtually impossible to hear in most of that city. I'm sure New York Yankee fans would approve.

 

[alaskan5402]

It would make KISS closer to Hot 93.7 for one. And just to give the market a somewhat change.

Why change what's not broken? Why move a station to be "closer"? Nobody uses dial radios anymore. No wonder this board is dead.

 

[CTListener]

So why hasn't anyone ever tried AAA in Hartford or New Haven? Maybe CC and CBS have no interest in it, and it doesn't look like anyone's going to drag Buckley away from oldies/classic hits, but what about 106.9 or 104.1?

 

[radiolives]

It would make KISS closer to Hot 93.7 for one. And just to give the market a somewhat change.

Why change what's not broken? Why move a station to be "closer"? Nobody uses dial radios anymore. No wonder this board is dead.

Yeah the CT board is dead, lol

As for moving 1410 WPOP to HD 3 signal thats pretty much pointless as not many people have HD radios. And I don't think we will see sports on FM in Hartford but I guess that Rush talk is coming.

 

[MarcB]

And I don't think we will see sports on FM in Hartford but I guess that Rush talk is coming.

Yeah and we all see how well it's doing on AM 1200 in Bawstahn! :

Screw Rush Radio on the new 97.9 FM (when it moves to Hartford) which will cause a big mess for WTIC (AM) and WDRC (AM) and just simulcast WPOP on 97.9 FM.

 

[radiolives]

If sports on FM could be possible I would rather see it be done by CBS Radio but 93.7 96.5 and 100.5 are all doing well with their respectful music formats. After all they have the rights to UCONN and Red Sox. Plus Im sure they would grab the rights to Patroits from WCCC. But we should be surprised what WTIC 1080 has in store if Rush is really coming. As WTIC has the WW1 rights to NFL now. Could we see it become News - Sports - Talk 1080

 

[DToTheJ]

Clear Channel, like CBS, has a "good problem" in this market, in that all of their FM signals are doing fairly well, too well, in fact, to blow up for an FM talk station, if that is indeed what they have up their sleeve (and explaining why they are going after 97.9 FM).

WTIC's new "odd couple" afternoon drive talk show featuring John Rowland is an interesting hire, and makes me wonder if they're just throwing things at a wall to see if it sticks - and if it does, they could stick it in the Noon-3 PM slot, should Clear Channel retain Rush for their own talk station in the area...

Screw Rush Radio on the new 97.9 FM (when it moves to Hartford) which will cause a big mess for WTIC (AM) and WDRC (AM)...

Ummm, isn't that the point of being a competing radio station in the first place?

 

[MarcB]

Ummm, isn't that the point of being a competing radio station in the first place?

A new station is not needed. WTIC and WDRC are doing just fine. The only downside to WDRC are the numerous infomercials and Big Band Shows on the weekend. A 3rd talk station is not needed.

 

[radiolives]

Clear Channel wants a piece of everyones cake. River 105.9 came into town to take away listeners of Lite 100.5 WRCH did that work nope. Then flipped 104.1 to hip hop to compete with Hot 93.7 which didn't do any damage to Hot at all so they turned the Power off and went back to rock. Now their 3rd try might be going after WTIC 1080 if they can pull in 97.7 into the Hartford market. Thats if the people at Clear Channel really want talk on FM or a another music format.

 

[CTListener]

Clear Channel wants a piece of everyones cake. River 105.9 came into town to take away listeners of Lite 100.5 WRCH did that work nope.

I thought the original target of River was DRC-FM, not Lite. Anyway, the Rock AC they eventually morphed into has worked well for Clear Channel, so I wouldn't call it a failure.

 

[radiolives]

I never said River 105.9 is a failure. As that station isn't AC. To me it seems like a classic rock station but stays soft from a regular classic rock like 100.7 in Boston.

 

[DToTheJ]

(oops, duplicate post)

 

[DToTheJ]

... Now their 3rd try might be going after WTIC 1080 if they can pull in 97.7 into the Hartford market. Thats if the people at Clear Channel really want talk on FM or a another music format.

They should have thought of that before selling off 104.1 to Red Wolf...

 

[MarcB]

They should have thought of that before selling off 104.1 to Red Wolf...

See they had said they had to sell 104.1 to Red Wolf because that put them over the ownership caps. Why are they being allowed to move 97.9 to Hartford?

 

[necrat123]

They had to spin off 104.1 as part of the larger national privatization of the company. It had nothing to do with Hartford specifically.
I'm sure if they could've kept it, they would.

With that said, if 97.9 is brought into the Hartford Market, it would not be over the market cap for Clear Channel.
According to the FCC rules:

FCC 47 CFR 73.3555(a)(1) Local radio ownership rule. A person or single entity (or entities under common control) may have a cognizable interest in licenses for AM or FM radio broadcast stations in accordance with the following limits:

(a)(2) In a radio market with between 30 and 44 (inclusive) full- power, commercial and noncommercial radio stations, not more than 7 commercial radio stations in total and not more than 4 commercial stations in the same service (AM or FM);

The BIA report I last saw from 2008, says Hartford has 34 stations within the market. So thus, Clear Channel can own 4 FMs and be under the cap and in full complaince with the rule.