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Should NYC Sell or Revamp WNYE, 91.5 FM?

B

Barry

This municipal station is always at or near the bottom of the ratings lists. It has a mishmash of block programming, including alternative rock provided by KEXP in Seattle, diet guy Gary Null, a show or two from NPR, ethnic programs, highly specialized talk shows with titles such as "Ask the D.A.", and world music.
I believe one important thing makes WNYE different from most other local bottom-rated stations-the people of New York City are paying for it through their taxes. Given the minuscule amount of listeners, would they be better served if the station is sold? Or should New York hold on to it but change the programming? Or is it OK the way it is?
WNYE's Schedule: http://www.nyc.gov/html/media/html/radio/radio.shtml
 
Being that it is on the non-commercial part of the dial, it is not possible for any profit-driven organization to take it over. I have thought that, maybe, a swap could be arranged with 'BAI, where the latter would take over the 91.5 signal and the city could sell 99.5. Alternatively, they could ask WNYU or WFDU to take over 91.5 in exchange for them airing the ethnic programs. There may be others that would be willing to operate the station and take it off the city's hands.

But this is the city we're talking about, with entrenched interests not wanting to let go of that fiefdom. When Giuliani decided to sell WNYC-TV and FM, the city, then, agreed to let a non-profit group take over that radio station but the TV station was sold to private interests.

I don't think it costs that much to run that radio station but I guess in an age of austerity they might have to transfer the license to someone else.
 
If anything, WBAI should be changed to another format before WNYE. But I like SL's idea of a "swap" deal involving both stations.

Then we can start the rumors about ESPN buying 99.5 FM. ;D (Keep in mind, the City of New York has sold a broadcast property before - remember the former WNYC-TV, now WPXN - but previously the now-defunct "S+"?)
 
'QXR should move to 91.5, where it would gain signal strength and the possibility of building it out. Move 'BAI to 105.9, where despite the loss of signal it will reach the listeners in NYC who care about it the most. This opens 99.5 for purchase by a major operator, perhaps CBS, Bonneville or ESPN. CC has five FMs in NYC and cannot legally acquire it.

Just my personal observation. :)
 
Or how about this. Let BAI go to 91.5, move WFME to 105.9, and either QXR can go on 94.7 or 99.5 since the classical listeners want their monster signal back where QXR delivered in the first place.
 
d21ofnj said:
Or how about this. Let BAI go to 91.5, move WFME to 105.9, and either QXR can go on 94.7 or 99.5 since the classical listeners want their monster signal back where QXR delivered in the first place.
Click to expand...

That's a good one also! It allows better utilization of both 94.7 and 99.5. :)
 
I think NYE should expand on the KEXP provided programs. It'd be great to have a New York version of KEXP.
 
If New Yorkers aren't even supporting RXP, what are the odds that they'll listen to EXP?
 
If I was WBAI I wouldn't trade my dial position for anything, and I'm sure they've been offered hundreds of millions of dollars for it. They have twice as much power at 99.5 as they would down at 91.5. The problem with WNYE isn't dial location. City governments should not be in the broadcasting business. It's a huge waste of taxpayer money. This is one area where Chris Christie is right. I had a chance to do some work with WNYC when it was owned by the city, and it was one of the most depressing places I've ever been. Huge improvement once it went to the Foundation. I imagine the Foundation discussed the idea of running WNYE before it spoke to WQXR. It would have been a more logical move. My sense is that the city isn't interested in selling assets.
 
In theory, the problem with RXP is the classic rock and throwing things like GNR and AC/DC in with Broken Bells & The Strokes. If you had an NYC equal to KEXP, then it wouldn't be mixing the odd classic rock track with the new indie and progressive & local stuff.

I wonder if it would be possible for FUV to work out a programming agreement and do their "Alternate Side" service on 91.5? I think NYC could have a viable, contemporary music public radio station and the current KEXP programming on 91.5 is a good start.
 
Yeah, but it is also a $$$ drain to operate on that monster signal. They're always begging people to give money to them every other chance they get. I haven't listened to it lately but I imagine more than half the time in their broadcasting year is used for fundraising. Their solid core audience is urbanites, people living in tenements or rent-controlled units. The 91.5 signal can reach them as can the 99.5 signal, while saving $$$ because they don't have to pay the extra cost of running on a monster signal.

As for WFME/WQXR, any transaction between them may not involve the city because, in WFME's case, the stick is in New Jersey. The problem I see here is that whether that would be helpful to either group. While 94.7 is a better signal than 105.9, since 94.7's stick is in New Jersey folks living in eastern Queens and Nassau may not be able to hear it. Meanwhile, folks in New Jersey who listen to the religious programming may have trouble with the 105.9 signal. In essence, the drawbacks in each dial position simply shift between the interested groups affected.

I do agree that the city has no business in radio. It's an anachronism from the days when city governments thought that being involved in media was good for civics. It turned out that they created a fiefdom for some interest groups at the exclusion of others.
 
stationless listener said:
As for WFME/WQXR, any transaction between them may not involve the city because, in WFME's case, the stick is in New Jersey. The problem I see here is that whether that would be helpful to either group.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind the mentality of FME is similar to BAI, which is to say that radio is their mission. It's not about money or logic, but doing the Lord's work. Logical spectrum discussions have no relevence. Same with the Pillar of Fire folks.
 
stationless listener said:
As for WFME/WQXR, any transaction between them may not involve the city because, in WFME's case, the stick is in New Jersey. The problem I see here is that whether that would be helpful to either group. While 94.7 is a better signal than 105.9, since 94.7's stick is in New Jersey folks living in eastern Queens and Nassau may not be able to hear it. Meanwhile, folks in New Jersey who listen to the religious programming may have trouble with the 105.9 signal. In essence, the drawbacks in each dial position simply shift between the interested groups affected.
Click to expand...

94.7 would also have an adjacent channel issue with 94.5 Trenton going south. If 94.7 went commercial, how much of a problem would 94.5 present? Is it possible the 94.7 stick could be moved to the ESB? When Z100 took air in 1983, it was on a weak stick in NJ but within a week it was on top of the ESB, effectively giving NYC another station.

Family has done swaps with commercial broadcasters before, most notably San Francisco, where they traded monster class B FM 106.9 to CBS for 610 AM.

It's really surprising NYC has so many non-comms and religious stations on the commercial FM dial above 92.1. :)
 
radioguy39nj said:
It's really surprising NYC has so many non-comms and religious stations on the commercial FM dial above 92.1. :)
Click to expand...

Not really...most of them were there before the big FM explosion in 1969. And while they've all been offered money, none of them have wanted to give up the airspace in Market #1. The Riverside Church used to own 106.7.
 
... hence the old WRVR calls...

And incidentally, there's been speculation that CBS Radio and Family could swap the exact same frequencies (610 AM, 106.9 FM) in Philadelphia (actually, 106.9 is licensed to Camden).
 
Is it possible the 94.7 stick could be moved to the ESB? When Z100 took air in 1983, it was on a weak stick in NJ but within a week it was on top of the ESB, effectively giving NYC another station.
Click to expand...

Yes but it would have to downgrade to a B1 like 105.9 ib/c they have to protect 94.7 WMAS Springfield, MA
 
I thought only 50,000-watt AM blowtorches needed to be "protected"...
 
GSP163 said:
Is it possible the 94.7 stick could be moved to the ESB? When Z100 took air in 1983, it was on a weak stick in NJ but within a week it was on top of the ESB, effectively giving NYC another station.
Click to expand...

Yes but it would have to downgrade to a B1 like 105.9 ib/c they have to protect 94.7 WMAS Springfield, MA
Click to expand...

That's interesting! WHTZ New York and WPHI Philadelphia are both class B's on 100.3 FM, about 100 miles apart. Why the issue on 94.7 with Springfield, MA, about 140 miles from NYC. :)
 
DToTheJ said:
... hence the old WRVR calls...

And incidentally, there's been speculation that CBS Radio and Family could swap the exact same frequencies (610 AM, 106.9 FM) in Philadelphia (actually, 106.9 is licensed to Camden).
Click to expand...

We've been discussing this issue. Someone posted CBS can't purchase any more FM stations in the Philly market because they own two TV stations. I know they own KYW-3, but what is the other TV station?

A swap between CBS and Family of 610 AM and 106.9 FM (incidentally the same frequencies the two swapped in SF) makes sense. WIP's sports format moves to 106.9 FM, WKDN's religious format moves to 610 AM. IMHO, this opens the possibility of KYW Newsradio simulcasting on 1060 AM and 94.1 FM. :)
 
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