> > I thought some 102 freq was for sale in Boston? Is this
> > right and has it been already sold or do we know who's in
> > the running to get it?
> >
> > > I like to see Radio One get another FM signal in Boston
> ,
> > so
> > > Boston can have a real Urban A/C station and a Real
> Urban
> > > Station . Right now 97.7 WILD-FM sound like a big pile
> of
> > > mess . Tom Joyner in the Morning , Hip Hop in the
> > afternoon
> > > and slow jamz at night and Gospel on sunday is to much
> > > jumping around . 97.7 sound like a urban college station
> .
> >
> > > Dont get me wrong , I love the music 97.7 plays but
> there
> > > are times I want to hear just R&B music ( Or Hip Hop
> Music
> > )
> > > but its wrong time of the day . With a second FM signal
> > > Radio One can bring back the old Hot 97.7 Music ( Hip
> Hop
> > )
> > > and have 24 hour Urban A/C format on WILD-FM .
> > >
> I think Greater Media pick up 102.5 signal . If that is true
> , Greater Media may have to spin off 99.5 signal .
>
The 102.5 signal of WCRB was out of R1's price range - so more of the same lame conservative (non rhythmic) radio for Boston, courtesy of Greater Media.
Furthermore, the 99.5 signal is licensed to Lowell and is about 25 miles north of Boston. Probably too far out of town to attract any interest from R1. Actually, it is a great spot for it's current country format - serving the northern and western burbs and southern New Hampshire well. And, it has done surprisingly well, too. Greater Media is probably going to blow that advantage by moving the format to 102.5, leaving 99.5 up for grabs. Given where that stick is, Boston will probably get JUST what they need - another AC!
As for WILD-FM, it's great to have a "real" urban FM in the market (finally). But, with two major gripes:
1) As RDEBRK said, the format is all over the place - to the extent that it ensures failure. From a decent Urban AC format to a messed up Hip Hop one straight into "the Quiet Storm", you get whiplash from trying to listen!
2) And, "trying" to listen is a problem in much of the market. Yes, it now comes in fine in the City of Boston and Brockton. But, it's still weak in metro west and horrible to the north and northwest. And, yes, there are a lot of potential listeners in those areas. Drive along I-495 (Boston's outer loop) and you get a mish-mash of WILD-FM and an out-of-market yokel-sounding oldies station from the Keene, NH market (WOQL). That's well within the Boston survey area folks! WOQL seems awfully strong for a class A, I might add. Yeah, I just love having coverage of a local-yokel high school basketball from Hinsdale, NH interrupting my enjoyment of fine R&B during my commute! And, with such a crap signal, R1 immediately loses 30% of the market. They could be the best damn R&B station on Earth and they will still trail in the ratings for that reason - if nothing else. FIX THE SIGNAL!!!