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Question about the New London - Norwich Market - Too Many signals?

BruceS8852

BruceS8852

When I lived in New London, Ct in 1977-78, I remember the following radio stations in that region:

WSUB - 980 AM and 105.5 FM - simulcast
WICH - 1310 AM
WNLC - 1510 AM
WERI - 1230 AM simulcast with 103.7 FM
WTYD - 100.9 Beautiful music
WLNG - 92.1 oldies
The NYC AM stations came in loud and clear and I remember Imus and WNBC being very popular in that area. WPLR from New Haven was also popular.

Since that time there are signals at the following frequencies

98.7 FM - WNLC - replaced 1510 AM that is now dark
106.5 FM - WBMW
102.3 FM
107.7 FM
104.7 FM - from Montauk
94.9 FM from Eastern LI, but aimed at New London
103.7 FM still licensed from Westerly, but transmitter moved closer to Providence
980 AM and 105.5 FM have different programming

My question to anyone living in that area is are there just too many radio stations for a small market? I assume that with the two casinos in the area, the population increased since the late 1970s, but is the listenership spread too thin?

Thanks
 
Well, you forgot about WCTY?

And no, there are not too many radio stations for the market.
 
WLNG was never sold or programmed as a CT station. WERI AM/FM sold Westerly/South County primarily. Given that, you had 6 signals and three clusters selling the area

Today, the reality of the situation is that there are 11 (technically 13 including non-commercial WPKT and WCNI) but still 3 clusters selling the area. WICH/WCTY/WNLC/WKNL are Hall, WXLM/WQGN/WMOS/WELJ are Cumulus, and WBMW/WWRX/WJJF are Red Wolf.

1230 WBLQ is sold and programmed to Westerly only. WVEI-FM may have a couple of New London car dealers on, but it's a Providence station.

It's a competitive selling situation, but sustainable. Hey, it's nowhere near as bad as Cape Cod.
 
Trivia: While 100.9 WKNL hasn't been beautiful music for well over a decade, they still have the same phone number from the WTYD era (its last four digits are 8433, which translate into TIDE on the telephone keypad).

@Adam: Would we be remissed if we left out I-98?
 
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