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Something up with WLYN 1360 AM/WAZN 1470 AM - Multicultural Broadcasting?
- Thread starter mysticnitekatt
- Start date
That's just what I was thinking (don't stations still haveāat least pretendāto air a minimum amount of ascertained community issues/public affairs programming per week?).
There is not a quota of hours the FCC holds stations to. The FCC only requires that stations keep the following record:
> For commercial AM and FM broadcast stations, every three months a list of programs that have provided the
> station's most significant treatment of community issues during the preceding three month period.
> The list for each calendar quarter is to be filed by the tenth day of the succeeding calendar quarter.
(Excerpt from FCC rules, 47 CFR Ā§ 73.3526 (e)(12))
Many stations will provide for that by having a block of public affairs programming early on a weekend morning, but there are other means to satisfy the rules.
Further, the āascertainmentā that Uncle K referred toā¦its method and resultsā¦are entirely up to the stationās management.
Back in the 70's at its peak, management had to interview community leaders from all sectors (government, business, religion, community groups, etc.) for each three year renewal. This process could take weeks and weeks out of a manager's time and generated enormous dislike among those leaders in markets with many stations.
Then the station had to show which issues were going to be addressed in programming and how that would be done. A major market station renewal could fill an entire Banker's Box.
WLYN was off the air for a few hours on 2/10 - dead air static - was back on late in the day. Later that night, oddly enough there was some blead though of another station on 1360 - but I didn't get the id or location. The signal of WLYN seemed weaker than usual for overnight and I'm only 5 miles south of the transmiter.
Probably WDRC(AM) Hartford. I remember getting that on 1360 as a teenage AM listener on the South Shore.
Seven months later, these two stations are still airing (two different music shuffles of) the same automated oldies/classic pop hits format piped up from NYC, with the only local element still being the automated TOH ID. (I haven't listened for the weekend graveyard hour brokered "health" show that was posted about here, if it's still on).
However for the past few weeks, the one at 1470 AM (WAZN) has been having serious signal issues, sounds like transmitter and/or antenna problems. It seems to now be operating at a low "flea" power, barely audible where I am in Somerville only about seven miles east of the Lexington transmitter, where it was previously fairly strong day and night. I can still tell what song is playing, but just barely. At times it may have been off the air recently, or transmitting at such low power that it wasn't coming in at all. The original longtime AM station at the same site, 1150 (now WWDJ), seems to be transmitting as usual.
The other Multicultural station broadcasting the canned oldies/classic pop hits format, WLYN 1360, seems to be transmitting as usual from Lynn.
However for the past few weeks, the one at 1470 AM (WAZN) has been having serious signal issues, sounds like transmitter and/or antenna problems. It seems to now be operating at a low "flea" power, barely audible where I am in Somerville only about seven miles east of the Lexington transmitter, where it was previously fairly strong day and night. I can still tell what song is playing, but just barely. At times it may have been off the air recently, or transmitting at such low power that it wasn't coming in at all. The original longtime AM station at the same site, 1150 (now WWDJ), seems to be transmitting as usual.
The other Multicultural station broadcasting the canned oldies/classic pop hits format, WLYN 1360, seems to be transmitting as usual from Lynn.
And they are probably getting better ratings than they did when they were LMA/brokered! š
...Yeah, I know, they likely aren't subscribers...š
Checking out 1470 while driving back from west of Boston last night, it seems their directional pattern is messed up rather than broadcasting very low power overall.
Itās still putting out a listenable signal south of Lexington to the west suburbs south of Route 2 and within Route 128/95 (Newton, etcā¦) and some southeast toward Boston, but traveling a little northward, toward due east of Lexington into Cambridge and Somerville, areas itās supposed to (and used to) serve at night, it nulls out and is barely audible in Somerville where it was fairly strong until a few weeks ago.
Thatās why from where I live in Somerville I had thought it was transmitting very low power recently.
Itās still putting out a listenable signal south of Lexington to the west suburbs south of Route 2 and within Route 128/95 (Newton, etcā¦) and some southeast toward Boston, but traveling a little northward, toward due east of Lexington into Cambridge and Somerville, areas itās supposed to (and used to) serve at night, it nulls out and is barely audible in Somerville where it was fairly strong until a few weeks ago.
Thatās why from where I live in Somerville I had thought it was transmitting very low power recently.
Dead Air on both channels october 1st, 2025 5:00pm...
WLYN 1360 was dead air around mid-afternoon yesterday, but the music was playing on WAZN 1470, which has been broadcasting with a weaker than normal signal and directional pattern issues for weeks.
Both stations had the music feeds on by evening. Mustāve been a temporary issue.
One has to wonder how long Multicultural will keep looking for clients for these stations. A year without any revenue is a very long time.
There is the benifit of a tax write off for two stations...and I dobut they'd go 'dark'...
Are they even looking? I know that they padlocked the local studios in Woburn last year, fired the two local employees, and the oldies/classic hits feeds are coming directly from their NYC headquarters to the transmitters up here.
I guess if they sell any airtime, they could run the programs from NYC without any local studio or personnel.
At such stations, potential clients call the station. There's no going out on the streets to find them because you haven't a clue who is interested.
You don't really push much on the air that you need a client(s). In fact, to do so indicates you might not be such a great station. For a potential client to need a station means they might not be a good client. You find one another through introduction: ie: potential client asks somebody in the business if they know of any stations for lease. The person gives that person your station's number. Joe at WWWW suggested I give you a call in case your staion might be available for lease. The other way is a broker finds a client and vice versa. Brokers are used frequently if the client is trying to get ino several markets.
You don't need an office or staff. One person can handle multiple stations.
Some stations have computers programmed to go to X client at X time but will fill with music if they haven't paid. The home office gets payment online and emails a password to get them on the air. I think Liu has this installed.
If there are issues with the transmitter, computer and such you call the engineer.
You don't really push much on the air that you need a client(s). In fact, to do so indicates you might not be such a great station. For a potential client to need a station means they might not be a good client. You find one another through introduction: ie: potential client asks somebody in the business if they know of any stations for lease. The person gives that person your station's number. Joe at WWWW suggested I give you a call in case your staion might be available for lease. The other way is a broker finds a client and vice versa. Brokers are used frequently if the client is trying to get ino several markets.
You don't need an office or staff. One person can handle multiple stations.
Some stations have computers programmed to go to X client at X time but will fill with music if they haven't paid. The home office gets payment online and emails a password to get them on the air. I think Liu has this installed.
If there are issues with the transmitter, computer and such you call the engineer.
That was really ******* what they did...A friend of a friend knows one of the Guys (Scott C.) who had 20 minutes to clean out his desk, and he'd been there 22 years!
11/6/25 WLYN The signal was weak, as if the power was reduced - only 5 miles from the transmitter and it usually comes in clear and nice - wonder what is going on...
Yup, usually booming in as a near local, it sounds as weak as (reduced pwr) WPLM-AM.