New All News 24 Hour FM

[dhoule]

I just noticed that in Houston there is a new all-news station set to premiere on 92.(something) FM in mid-November. Would Boston ever try an all-news on FM? Would a 24 hour all-news FM be supported in Boston? Could it defeat Newsradio 1030?

 

[mgpt6]

WBUR 90.9 is close to all news and info. FM News would be probably CBS moving WBZ to FM as Entercomm did recently with sports radio to 93.7 FM/850 AM simlucast.

 

[reelyreal]

WBUR 90.9 is close to all news and info. FM News would be probably CBS moving WBZ to FM as Entercomm did recently with sports radio to 93.7 FM/850 AM simlucast.

.... which won't happen because there's no need to cannibalize one of their own when there's no outside threat and 1030 is still mightily profitable.

 

[carmen]

WBZ is already on FM. 98.5 HD3

 

[DavidZ]

And WBZ is not really all news. Between their evening and overnight talk shows and weekend infomercials / speciality programming...

I would think that an actual all news station could dethrone them rather quickly. If the FM signal covered eastern and central Massachusetts along with Southern New Hampshire they could postion themselves as New England's All-News Station.

 

[dhoule]

Who has an HD radio? I suspect very few. Guess what I'm asking is would all news in Boston work, not a 15 hour a day operation, not a hybrid all-news like 'BUR, but rather a true 24/7 all-news station with a 'consistent hourly clock'?

 

[DavidZ]

IMHO, yes it would.

 

[onair]

And WBZ is not really all news. Between their evening and overnight talk shows and weekend infomercials / speciality programming...

Put WBZ 1030 on around 11pm on Saturday to check on the storm. Thousands without power, huge Snowstorm in the area, and was there weather? Traffic? news? No, it was an infomercial. Will never turn to them again for important updates.

 

[dhoule]

I know my parents, who are in their 80s and have relied on WTAG for years, turned on the radio Saturday night and Sunday during the day to find WTAG carrying infomercials and syndicated talk shows. Earlier in the year, they had continuous coverage on the hurricane. Guess that the difference after Clear Channel cutbacks.

 

[DavidZ]

I thought I heard Sherman Whitman mention this morning that he was on the air at WCRN giving storm info over the weekend. I would tell your parents to change the dial to WCRN-AM 830. And as an added bonus, they feature Hank & Sherman again in morning drive (formerly of WTAG).

WTAG (thanks to the powers that be at CC) doesn't even have a local Worcester Newsroom anymore. Their so called "local news" comes from one of the CC hubs.

 

[raccoonradio]

6 pm hr Sat night, WRKO had Real Estate Today and a financial talk show was on WBZ radio.
They did have TOH news I think but mostly syndie stuff, pre-recorded etc. On New England
Cable news they had, as Barry Scott mentioned on his facebook, informercials for bras during
the afternoon, then they had a couple hrs of storm coverage followed at 7 pm by the
(paid) TV Diner show.

Local TV news did have expanded coverage though.

 

[dhoule]

I heard 'HYN in Springfield but not sure if that's true.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

WBZ is already on FM. 98.5 HD3

IOW, they're not on FM.

 

[Retro]

Maybe 'TKK could go all news, but then again...

 

[dhoule]

I don't think TKK would put the money into it. If they went all news, they would probably carry NECN or CNN Headline News or, if it's still around, AP All News Radio a lot.

 

[raccoonradio]

It does take a money investment to do local news, etc. Also I believe Jim and Margery and Graham
are under contract till 2013 at least and they may still covet Howie for AM or PM drive. They indeed
might wind up doing some news from CNN Headline, MSNBC (audio portion) etc and you wonder
if they would be like BZ and do news most of the day then talk, or vice versa?

Who knows, if they did, they could form some kind of partnership with that big newspaper right
next door on Morrissey Blvd.

 

[carmen]

It does take a money investment to do local news, etc

says who? im willing to bet Universalhub's budget is under $1000 a year, including hosting costs

if you mean to make it big and crappy, and have contentles 3-secondn headlines claiming to be news, a la WBZ-AM, then yes, perhaps it costs millions

 

[MassMusicMan]

Universal Hub is my number one source for relevant Boston news.

 

[raccoonradio]

If they can do reporters, newswriters, sports people, etc. on a low budget, more power to 'em. Otherwise:

WTKK NEWSRADIO 96.9
6-9 am Jim And Margery Morning Show
9 am-6 am the next day CNN Headline News (no wait, simulcast of NECN...more local)
NECN Radio?
Or: The Radio Voice of the Boston Globe?

 

[Worm Town]

WTAG was LIVE Sunday from 11am to about 6pm. I can warn you now if you don't like infomercials stay away from WCRN. They take up about 85% of their programming. I do like Hank & Sherman, but after they're off the air at 9am it's 3 hours of informercials.