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In this day of consolidation in radio, this might be a good idea

N

nd2023

Banned
CBS can trade 98.1 for 101.1. B101 would get a better signal on 98.1 in central NJ and Lancaster county.

Then, CBS could merge CBS-FM with WOGL and broadcast the same exact programming on both 101.1s. That would add a potential audience of millions in central NJ that live in the battle ground of WCBS and WBEB that can't listen to either station in the car. If both 101.1s simulcasted, the interference would not be noticeable. Then treat 101.1 as a superstation covering both market 1 and market 6 when selling ads.
 
Nick said:
CBS can trade 98.1 for 101.1. B101 would get a better signal on 98.1 in central NJ and Lancaster county.

Then, CBS could merge CBS-FM with WOGL and broadcast the same exact programming on both 101.1s. That would add a potential audience of millions in central NJ that live in the battle ground of WCBS and WBEB that can't listen to either station in the car. If both 101.1s simulcasted, the interference would not be noticeable. Then treat 101.1 as a superstation covering both market 1 and market 6 when selling ads.
Click to expand...

This type of thing is being done in the Los Angeles market between KDLD 103.1 Santa Monica and KDLE 103.1 Newport Beach. The two signals are synchronized so radios between the two stick would receive an identical signal and sum them, in theory. In practice Long Beach has never gotten any better than a fuzzy signal. I interned for Mars-FM in 1991 and drove between Newport Beach and Santa Monica and can say theory is far from practice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDLD
 
Or not a good idea given all the brand equity put into B101. Their signal has been not the least bit of a problem for them, so the effort of a switch to something so well established isn't worth it.
 
imhomerjay said:
Or not a good idea given all the brand equity put into B101. Their signal has been not the least bit of a problem for them, so the effort of a switch to something so well established isn't worth it.
Click to expand...
So B101 becomes B98. The listeners will follow. It's similar to the 94.5/97.5 frequency swap. Both stations will gain with the proposed frequency swap.
 
imhomerjay said:
Or not a good idea given all the brand equity put into B101. Their signal has been not the least bit of a problem for them, so the effort of a switch to something so well established isn't worth it.
Click to expand...

Given the ownership issues, I agree. Not to mention that station ownership just isn't interested in those 'in between' areas where the 101.1's fight it out because they don't do anything for the bottom line.

For those of us who are radio geeks, this is a cool idea on the surface. However, that "coolness" would fall apart at the first spot break. To make money, you need to sell local ads to each market. These would differ between NY and Philly. Not to mention that you're proposing the dismantling of 2 successful local stations that serve top 10 markets in order to come up with one station that would sound somewhat syndicated. What do you do about news and traffic segments? During those periods, you're back to square one.

And, anyone who knows the NY and Philly areas will assure you that the culture and interests of each area is unique. New Yorkers don't want to hear about Philly and vice versa.

Again, fun idea from the techie side - but not realistic; financially or otherwise.
 
Nick said:
imhomerjay said:
Or not a good idea given all the brand equity put into B101. Their signal has been not the least bit of a problem for them, so the effort of a switch to something so well established isn't worth it.
Click to expand...
So B101 becomes B98. The listeners will follow. It's similar to the 94.5/97.5 frequency swap. Both stations will gain with the proposed frequency swap.
Click to expand...

That swap was done for a very different reason. A blanket assertion that the listeners will all follow and that both will gain is naive, and, again, not something either already successful station has any reason to even remotely consider.
 
There is an area in mid-Jesey where you can't get CBS-FM but you can get 98.1. So the current set-up works well.

Where branding of call letters with frequency has been done extensively, you lose a lot with a flip. "Ah, you mean Channel 3 is no longer NBC?" After many years, people still have trouble remembering that move.

Only radio & tv geeks think moves like this are good.

It was tried in Delaware when some genius thought "WAMS is Back" was a great idea. But after over 40 years of "1380WAMS" saying WAMS was back, but on 1260, didn't have a chance of success. People identifed the call letters and the frequency. Same call but different dial location was doomed to failure.
 
No one thinks WPST is on 97.5 anymore. In fact, that wasn't even a problem a month after the Trenton frequency swap.

For that area in central NJ that can't get CBS-FM but does get WOGL, that area would be able to get both the 101.1 superstation and B98.1. And it is theoretically possible to have uninterrupted HD coverage from Philly to NYC on 101.1.

This same frequency swap could be done with Clear Channel and Radio One swapping 100.3 and 102.1. 102.1 The Beat would literally be on a stronger signal and ZQ 100 would have uninterrupted coverage from Maryland to Connecticut.

By removing the inefficiency caused by the interference zone in central NJ, both parties would benefit.
 
Um, no. For providing some imagined benefit to a comparatively tiny portion of the audience, you dislodge two long entrenched, very successful enterprises? That's pretty much "How to damagae a business 101."
 
Why would a station that 95% of time has the highest ratings for the past billion years want to switch frequencies?

Jerry Lee isnt thinking about extending,he's worried about taking all his money to the bank
 
ajc_trw said:
Nick said:
CBS can trade 98.1 for 101.1. B101 would get a better signal on 98.1 in central NJ and Lancaster county.

Then, CBS could merge CBS-FM with WOGL and broadcast the same exact programming on both 101.1s. That would add a potential audience of millions in central NJ that live in the battle ground of WCBS and WBEB that can't listen to either station in the car. If both 101.1s simulcasted, the interference would not be noticeable. Then treat 101.1 as a superstation covering both market 1 and market 6 when selling ads.
Click to expand...

This type of thing is being done in the Los Angeles market between KDLD 103.1 Santa Monica and KDLE 103.1 Newport Beach. The two signals are synchronized so radios between the two stick would receive an identical signal and sum them, in theory. In practice Long Beach has never gotten any better than a fuzzy signal.
Click to expand...

NJN's two stations on 88.1 provide basically seamless coverage along Route 206 from Trenton to Hammonton...out there in the pines there's no way to be sure whether you're picking up WNJT or WNJS. Not bad for a couple of fleapower stations.
 
BRNout said:
For those of us who are radio geeks, this is a cool idea on the surface. However, that "coolness" would fall apart at the first spot break. To make money, you need to sell local ads to each market. These would differ between NY and Philly.
Click to expand...

The one current operator that could make it work is Family; no spots and almost all programming originating in Oakland and coming off the bird. But do you want to give up frequencies you've had for 40+ years so that people don't have to change stations when they hit South Brunswick? No.
 
I thought the reason was that 97.5 could be moved in closer to Philadelphia, and then eventually sold. So they put the format that they wanted to keep in Trenton on the signal that was going to stay in Trenton.
 
An NYC/Philly simulcast was actually in place back in the mid 90's when 100.3 WPLY Y-100 simulcasted 'Love Phones' from 100.3 WHTZ Z-100 late every weeknight (10 PM I think). Driving down the NJ turnpike in the 'coverage overlap zone' (Exits 6-9) was interesting. Both stations were time synched but the capture effect of the signals swapping could still be heard from the phasing and it was not pleasing to the average listener.
 
I noticed in Las Vegas where the signals of KVBE and its booster overlap, it sounded like multipath interference.
 
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