• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

The Five Frank-FMs

G

Gregg.

If my count is right, there are seven Frank-FM stations owned by Binnie Media:

107.5 WFNK Lewiston-Portland ME
106.3 WFNQ Nashua-Manchester NH
99.1 WNNH Henniker-Concord NH
98.3 WLNH Laconia NH (Lakes Region)
98.7 WBYY Somersworth-Portsmouth NH
106.9 WBQX Thomaston ME (Downeast Coast)
107.1 WRFK Barre-Montpelier VT

I like the music mix, but sometimes I'm amazed at how far back the playlist goes... even back to an occasional Beatles song. I guess these songs stand up and the programmer doesn't fear falling out of the 25-54 demographic! It's classic hits with a wide playlist. But it is overwhelmingly white. I guess in Northern New England that works. Not much need for Michael Jackson, Prince or Whitney Houston. Actually, as I write this I am hearing Celebration by Kool & The Gang. So maybe a few times a day we hear an African-American artist. And it is largely uptempo. Very few ballads.

My question is how much do the stations simulcast? I have been in places where I can hear two or three of the stations at the same time. At one time, I think all the stations followed the same playlist but with different DJs in each location. I remember hearing the songs on WFNK running a few minutes ahead of WFNQ. But I assume today there is a lot of simulcasting except for the commercials and jingles, which usually give the dial position.

Is it a patch quilt of local and simulcast shows? Or some stations like WBYY and WLNH really do no local shows at all?
 
I should have changed the title of my post to "The Seven Frank-FMs". I wrote it before I saw the Wikipedia page for Frank FM, which lists seven in the format and an eighth on Cape Cod which used to be co-owned and similarly programmed. But now that one has different ownership and is more like Jack FM, running a variety hits format, even if it still uses the handle Frank FM.

(Yes, Frank FM has its own Wikipedia page, in addition to each of its stations having their own pages.)
 
The Franks in Maine only play rock classic hits. 106.3 in NH used to be the same, but now plays pop music along with the rest of the Franks in NH.

107.1 in VT is now owned by Great Eastern Radio, and is now a rock station. Back when it was started by Nassau it played the same type of rock classic hits as still heard on 107.5/106.9 in Maine.

Frank on Cape Cod was never rock classic hits, it’s always been a form of variety hits.
 
Ahh, so that explains why I didn't hear any pop songs on Frank FM WBQX 106.9 when I was in that part of Maine recently. Yet on line, listening to 106.3 WFNQ Nashua NH, I heard Celebration by Kool & The Gang as I was writing my initial post.

I also wonder now, do the NH pop-leaning Frank FMs play sung jingles, but the rock-leaning Frank FMs in Maine only use spoken liners?

And I guess someone should update the Frank FM Wikipedia page to reflect the fact that the Maine Franks are rock-leaning, the NH Franks are pop-leaning and the VT Frank at 107.1 is no longer co-owned, instead airing a standard Rock format.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom