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One Way WFME-94.7 Could Move Their Transmitter To The Empire State Building

J

Joseph_Gallant

With Cumulus about to acquire WFME-94.7, and concerns their New Jersey transmitter location won't deliver a strong signal in some parts of the market due to the presence of WMAS-94.7 in Springfield, Massachusetts, I could see one way Cumulus could move the transmitter to New York's Empire State Building, 4 Times Square, or (when it is complete) the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site.

According to Radio-Locator.com (http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMAS&service=FM&status=L&hours=U), the WMAS transmitter site is currently just west of Springfield, Massachusetts.

However, were WMAS's antenna to be moved a few miles north to the summit of Mount Tom (already the home to the transmitters of WHYN-93.1 and the city's TV stations), I think that will be enough to bring the WFME antenna to ESB, 4 Times Square, or Freedom Tower.

(See http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WHYN&service=FM&status=L&hours=U for WHYN-FM's coverage map)

And with Cumulus owning both WFME and WMAS, it should be easy to do.
 
As stated numerous times, numerous ways on this board, WMAS isn't the only issue.

WWSK, 94.3 on Long Island is also a problem. Then there are minimum spacings to deal with etc.

So it isn't that easy to do. We've all been over this for the past few months.
 
WNTIRadio said:
As stated numerous times, numerous ways on this board, WMAS isn't the only issue.

WWSK, 94.3 on Long Island is also a problem. Then there are minimum spacings to deal with etc.

So it isn't that easy to do. We've all been over this for the past few months.
Click to expand...

^THIS. It's all about WWSK. It has very little to nothing to do with WMAS.
 
Even if it were about WMAS, you'd run into problems as WMAS-FM is now licensed to Enfield, CT as the town's "only local service."

I don't think you could properly cover Enfield from Mt. Tom.

Anyways, WWSK. THERE'S your problem.
 
Wouldn't WJLK 94.3 from Asbury Park also factor into it? I just checked their coverage map and they seem to put more of a signal into NYC and Manhattan than WWSK does.
 
I believe that one of the advantages of using 94.7 for a country format is that the existing facilities would put a strong signal into many areas in NJ where the musical genre is popular. There would be little or no advantage to moving the antenna into Manhattan, as in this area country is probably primarily a suburban format.
Let's also not forget that in Suffolk County, where the 94.7 signal becomes weak, there is already a country station, WJVC on 96.1.
 
WJKY is much closer to the ESB than 94.3 is - and is 4mhz+- with 97.9 and 98.7 -- is this a grandfathered allotment?
 
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The problem with 94.7 moving, as Scott Fybush previously pointed out, is that it's fully spaced to WWSK/Smithtown at its present location.
If it were to move to Empire, it would then be short-spaced to WWSK.

Had 94.7 been previously short-spaced, and thus grandfathered to Smithtown, it would be a different situation.
 
From a "prestige" angle getting 94.7 on the ESB (or any other tall city building) is desirable, but without any major construction permits, they have literally millions of folks in their 54 dBu

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/c...freq=94.7&contour=54&city=NEWARK&state=NJ.kml

Assuming they only reach 50% of the 15.5 market, that is 7.75 million. Market # 3 Chicago is 7.7 million. If you can not make money in a 7 million + market with 22 viable commercial FM signals:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bi...p=Y&format=&dx=0&radius=&freq=&sort=freq&sid=

There is something wrong.
 
They reach more than 50% of the market with the current facilities.
 
People are really underestimating WFME's coverage area. I would say they reach more like 90% of the typical empire coverage area. The transmitter is only 10 miles west of Empire. Any coverage you lose in Suffolk county is offset by listeners you gain in western NJ.
 
ansky212 said:
People are really underestimating WFME's coverage area. I would say they reach more like 90% of the typical empire coverage area. The transmitter is only 10 miles west of Empire. Any coverage you lose in Suffolk county is offset by listeners you gain in western NJ.
Click to expand...

Neither of which matters in local ad $$ terms anyway.
 
Do any of those buildings pose a problem for the stations at Empire?

I'm sure it won't help multipath and shadowing. Add to that you have a megawatt of radio and TV firing straight into your office or living room.... wouldn't want to be in the main beam of any of that.

Are any of the new supertall buildings planning on adding a tower to the top? Would make sense.

4 Times Square is going to be way down in the valley soon.
 
thataveragejoe said:
ansky212 said:
People are really underestimating WFME's coverage area. I would say they reach more like 90% of the typical empire coverage area. The transmitter is only 10 miles west of Empire. Any coverage you lose in Suffolk county is offset by listeners you gain in western NJ.
Click to expand...

Neither of which matters in local ad $$ terms anyway.
Click to expand...

Suffolk is in the NY Arbitron MSA, while the counties of western NJ are not. Net loss.

Counties in the Arbitron market:

Fairfield, CT
Bergen, NJ
Essex, NJ
Hudson, NJ
Middlesex, NJ
Monmouth, NJ
Morris, NJ
Passaic, NJ
Somerset, NJ
Union, NJ
Bronx, NY
Kings, NY
Nassau, NY
New York, NY
Putnam, NY
Queens, NY
Richmond, NY
Rockland, NY
Suffolk, NY
Westchester, NY
 
DavidEduardo said:
thataveragejoe said:
ansky212 said:
People are really underestimating WFME's coverage area. I would say they reach more like 90% of the typical empire coverage area. The transmitter is only 10 miles west of Empire. Any coverage you lose in Suffolk county is offset by listeners you gain in western NJ.
Click to expand...

Neither of which matters in local ad $$ terms anyway.
Click to expand...

Suffolk is in the NY Arbitron MSA, while the counties of western NJ are not. Net loss.

Counties in the Arbitron market:

Fairfield, CT
Bergen, NJ
Essex, NJ
Hudson, NJ
Middlesex, NJ
Monmouth, NJ
Morris, NJ
Passaic, NJ
Somerset, NJ
Union, NJ
Bronx, NY
Kings, NY
Nassau, NY
New York, NY
Putnam, NY
Queens, NY
Richmond, NY
Rockland, NY
Suffolk, NY
Westchester, NY
Click to expand...

I am more than aware of what the MSA is David, and I still stand by my reply in what I was getting at.
 
thataveragejoe said:
I am more than aware of what the MSA is David, and I still stand by my reply in what I was getting at.
Click to expand...

But ad rates are set by cost per point (CPP) and if you don't cover part of the market, it is going to be considerably harder to get the ratings points up to where you are both even considered for a buy and then where you get a decent rate.
 
Could Cumulus buy 94.3 The Shark and use that to augment their Long Island coverage, or downgrade it or take it off the air to move 94.7 to Empire
 
Nick said:
Could Cumulus buy 94.3 The Shark and use that to augment their Long Island coverage, or downgrade it or take it off the air to move 94.7 to Empire
Click to expand...

As Scott Fybush explained, you can't remove an FM from the table of allocations. Even if they buy the station, the assignment still remains in place.
 
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