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NY Times: Can WBCN on HD drive listeners to get HD radio?

It *might* fly if, and ONLY if, they don't expect it to generate revenue. There just aren't enough HD radios out there to justify resurrecting WBCN as a money-making venture.

Now...if they put it on the Internet, then it might make them some money.
 
There's no room for a translator for WBCN on the Boston radio dial... every frequency is pretty much on a co-channel with Cape Cod, Providence, Hartford, Worcester, etc.
 
If WBCN returns with a solid, music intensive, very serious about modern rock attitude; with "personalities" that really care about rock and are hip enough to do their bit and shut up within 90 seconds, they will kick some royal ass. Block programming with "personality talk" shows and dicking with the music attempting to retain that audience, will result in the same embarrassing defeat that WBOS handed to them. You wanna be "The Rock of Boston"? Then STFU and play the God damned music! Key word here "credibility". WFNX revolves around it's music. WBCN tried revolving it's music around "talk and personality" programming. Net result: WBCN is a conservative talker on AM 1660 down south. Lady GaGa is playing on 104.1 CBS is an excellent company. I believe the wreckage of all their heritage rockers (does KROQ and KITS still exist?) may possibly indicate that their forte lies in formats other than rock.
 
Besides all the practical problems with HD radio, BCN Free Form is just absolutely boring dreck. Of course, that's just my opinion, but I do think it's pretty obvious that the format is not geared toward a mainstream audience. If one is a hipster, or an aging hippie, or considers Bob Marley to be a prophet, then one will enjoy that station. The rest of us have lives.
 
iyiyi said:
I believe the wreckage of all their heritage rockers (does KROQ and KITS still exist?) may possibly indicate that their forte lies in formats other than rock.
Click to expand...

Yep, KROQ is such a wreck, it was only the 7th highest grossing station last year, pulling in $42 million in gross revenues. I wish my station were that much of a wreck.

When it comes to rock in Boston and MA, I absolutely love WAAF. I think it's one of the best rock stations left in New England. The best part, hands down, is the production. NOBODY in New England has better production. I think the music mix is a perfect blend of new and old, alternative and active. The personalities are great but not overly intrusive, and I find I can listen for hours without getting fatigued.
 
First off, I don't think they're getting all the old jocks together. There will be live shifts, and a couple of BCN vets may come back, but I'm thinking there will be plenty of new blood. The new format will play everything from 60's progressive rock right up to the present day, so it will probably be more of a AAA/AOR hybrid targeting adults. Secondly, it looks like the station will also stream as well as broadcast on WZLX HD-3, so I don't see how this helps HD Radio any. The majority of 25-54's already stream terrestrial, pure-play internet, or apps like Pandora at least part of the time. That's where the audience is, not with HD.
 
iyiyi said:
I believe the wreckage of all their heritage rockers (does KROQ and KITS still exist?) may possibly indicate that their forte lies in formats other than rock.
Click to expand...

They've mostly scrapped their Modern rock stations (See WPB and Cleveland for the most recent casualities), but KROQ is still billing VERY well, as iyiyi pointed out. KITS is trying to mix the presentation up with more Top 40 and dance tunes, but I really wonder how much longer they've got....
 
danikayser84 said:
There's no room for a translator for WBCN on the Boston radio dial... every frequency is pretty much on a co-channel with Cape Cod, Providence, Hartford, Worcester, etc.
Click to expand...

A translator in Boston would not have to worry about Cape Cod, Providence, Hartford. Only the "Big Bs" in Worcester and maybe the Pike (WWFX).

There is room to squeeze a translator into Boston, on 101.3, provided it is on one of the tall buildings on the Back Bay or Downtown.
 
RedWingCJS278 said:
Besides all the practical problems with HD radio, BCN Free Form is just absolutely boring dreck. Of course, that's just my opinion, but I do think it's pretty obvious that the format is not geared toward a mainstream audience. If one is a hipster, or an aging hippie, or considers Bob Marley to be a prophet, then one will enjoy that station. The rest of us have lives.
Click to expand...

I'm one of those aging ex-hippies and free form BCN doesn't play any of the stuff that helped to make it famous like Bob Marley. They don't play enough of the old stuff for me and the fact that they rarely even have a live jock kills it for me. HD radio isn't going to save anything, it is just damn lucky it still exists. The loophole with translators is what is keeping IBOC's tenuous grasp in the marketplace. To bring back WBCN they'd have to rehire all the old DJ's and let them say and play what they want to say and play just like the old days. The DJ's and the format which just kind of evolved into what it was are what made WBCN great. WBCN was not a corporate decision,

I wonder who pays the Times to write ridiculous articles like this anyway? HD may stay on as a way to circumvent ownership rules but that's it, otherwise it's dead.

Freeform BCN been online almost since BCN went off the air.
 
Years ago there used to be a translator on 101.3 in Boston (I think downtown) that simulcasted WFNX and filled in some of the gaps around the buildings that 101.7 couldn't reach. IIRC, 101.7 adjusted their pattern or moved their stick which resulted in the deletion of the translator due to short spacing issues. Anyone else remember how this went down?
 
iyiyi said:
If WBCN returns with a solid, music intensive, very serious about modern rock attitude; with "personalities" that really care about rock and are hip enough to do their bit and shut up within 90 seconds, they will kick some royal ass.
Click to expand...

...which means it's not going to happen. There's neither a programming nor an economic justification to spend the kind of money such a format would take to produce. The only HD secondary channels that even show up in the ratings are the ones simulcast on FM (read: analog) translators, and so far no HD channel that's not simulcast in analog is bringing in any revenue. Programming isn't free, even if it's only continuing cost is the guy who reboots the computer once a week.
 
ThatGuyOnTheRadio said:
A quick search of the FCC database shows applications in for translators licensed to Boston-proper. 94.9 and 102.9.

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/f...&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9
Click to expand...

There's a pretty good chance none of those apps will ever see the light of day, they're pending from the 2003 window and may bite the dust to make room for the new LPFM window.

The 94.9 translator app licensed to Boston would be a religious repeater, 10 watts from the Hancock Tower. It's mutually exclusive with a 94.9 app for Lexington filed by WXRV

WXRV is also asking for 10 watts on 96.5 licensed to Needham from the UHF Candelabra tower. That's competing with 10 watts on 96.5 from Quincy. Neither would really cover Boston.

There are also competing apps for 102.1 in Quincy and 102.9 in Boston (off the Hancock Tower.) However, none of these may ever come to fruition. These apps are 9 years old, and who knows what'll happen with LPFM.

Even if they did, they'd be pretty lackluster in terms of coverage... I doubt they'd be powerful enough to make money on their own rebroadcasting an HD2
 
fmradio1 said:
Years ago there used to be a translator on 101.3 in Boston (I think downtown) that simulcasted WFNX and filled in some of the gaps around the buildings that 101.7 couldn't reach. IIRC, 101.7 adjusted their pattern or moved their stick which resulted in the deletion of the translator due to short spacing issues. Anyone else remember how this went down?
Click to expand...

101.3 was on the roof of the Hancock tower, while 101.7 was up on the Medford/Malden line tower. When WFNX moved down to One Financial Center in 2006, they returned the license for the translator. (Probably regret that move now, they could've made decent money off of it...)
 
raccoonradio said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pNlWaNMvxo
Ch 4 covers the death of WBCN on terrestrial radio, 2009.
Click to expand...

In addition to channel 4 above, had also posted channel 5 and 7's coverage of the story on YouTube if anyone is interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0PPKj32H7c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ovGlOJk9A

chrocket87 said:
They've had WBCN on the Radio.com app for awhile if I am not mistaken.
Click to expand...

Yes and they still do. I listen on occasion using my Android phone. The following two are available on the app (and at radio.com directly):

WBCN The Rock of Boston
WBCN Free Form Rock
 
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