There's a zillion Red Sox Radio Network Stations But.......

[NO DAG]

I can't hear the damn Sox games on my local AM station (WSYB) after dark even though I live less than 5 miles away from the two Dorr Drive towers that do an effective job of putting the signal northeast of Rutland.. (Yep it boom into Halifax, Nova Scotia, and even over the Atlantic at night into Finland) and us poor slobs that live west of Rutland have to suffer with salsa music from Naugutuck CT from a 1380 down there that must shoot it's scant 500 nighttime watts right up Route 7 ! Yet I can hear the Yankees on two static free frequency modulated stations, one local, one from Albany. So I offer up the following solutions tot he Pamal brain surgeons..
1) Put the games on Cat Country.. beg Entercom for a waiver, (emotional suffering and pain) there's no other Red Sox stations the WJEN signal would even remotely overlap with.. Same signal as WSYB in the daytime.
2) Turn the juice down at night and forget to activate the phasor so at least it's 1kw circular , just not directional, trust me there would be no one calling from Saskatoon with interference issues. It's funny how the power sometimes does not get reduced on some nights and weekends, but with the playoff in full motion, no breaks for the faithful..Click..
3) See if the station on 1380 in Naugutuck CT would give the salsa music a rest and broadcast the games.. That signal is better up here at night than the WSYB signal where I reside..( I know that is out of Pamal's but maybe a short term time sharing arrangment can be made so even the big hardware store in Castleton can finally hear thier ads at night..)

OK I know I'm out there on these requests, yes I am venting, and I do believe in AM radio. You don;t appreciate what you have until after sunset when it's gonzo.. My only realistic hopes, rig a large antenna and hope I can get either WDEV-FM or maybe WMXR through the mountains.. Now back to my "Hooked on Spanish Lessons" so I can enjoy WFNW 1380 Naugutuck CT after sunset.. "Si"..

 

[BRNout]

It is strange, but true, that the only Red Sox radio affiliate that is receivable to the west or south of New England is WTIC. That's it. Granted, they have a good signal - but they still pull in a bit of a null to the southwest and are in a crowded bit of the band.

All of the other big affiliates beam their signals eastward or northeastward toward the Atlantic (WRKO/WEEI, WCRN). Which means that you have LOTS of nighttime Red Sox coverage in rural Maine or Saint John or Halifax or Newfoundland - but little in westernmost New England. For members of RSN who live elsewhere in the US, it's WTIC or bust. Listening from exile here in PA, WTIC usually does ok but is subject to intermittent interference from WBAL and from KYW's IBOC hash machine/Soviet jammer (when the infernal thing is running). Let's just say that WBZ's signal is cleaner.

Unfortunately, the 50 kw Boston and Worcester signals are so directional that their coverage must be augmented by other affiliates in Gloucester, Milford, Fitchburg, and Nasuha - all of which are pretty nearby places. The rest of the affiliates are either relatively low powered AM stations (bad for most listeners at night) or are on FM.

I know that it was not always fun to listen to Red Sox radio from Milford, NH because WGAM from Nashua, WGIR from Manchester and WEEI/WRKO are directional away from that location. So, all the games sounded like crud there too. Your problem does not seem to be an isolated one.

Here's the full affiliate list for those interested: http://www.redsoxconnection.com/audio.html

You're right about the Yankees and others; you can pick up their nighttime games (when they're playing) pretty readily. The flagship stations for the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Indians, Cubs, Reds, White Sox, Rockies, Dodgers, Giants, and Rangers (there may be more) are all 50,000 watters and most have pretty good propagation over land (where people live).

 

[PortlandMainer]

Along this line, what's the deal with Atlantic Broadcasting airing the Sox on both WLOB 1310 and The Big Jab at 1440 in Portland? I get them on at least 3 local frequencies not to mention the out of town stations.

I know this is blasphemy here, but XM seems the way to go in these areas and for those members of the Nation in exile. Brought mine along on a trip to Ohio for this reason.

Rich

 

[NO DAG]

I guess to some extent I'm sure that's how some people viewed big stations like 1520 WKBW or 1540 WPTR that have awesome booming signals heading east that can be heard in lots of states at night, but if you're past 10 to 20 miles west of those antenna sites.. It's snap, crackle, and pop..

 

[BRNout]

Along this line, what's the deal with Atlantic Broadcasting airing the Sox on both WLOB 1310 and The Big Jab at 1440 in Portland? I get them on at least 3 local frequencies not to mention the out of town stations.

I know this is blasphemy here, but XM seems the way to go in these areas and for those members of the Nation in exile. Brought mine along on a trip to Ohio for this reason.

Rich

When we can get up there, we LOVE to vacation in the Boothbay area. Beautiful part of the country. Out there, we can get the Red Sox games on 3 or 4 local-grade signals and at least 4 or 5 still listenable ones. An embarrassment of riches.

I don't understand how the affiliation ended up going to multiple stations in the Portland area. The Big Jab network + WLOB (AM & FM) thing was confusing, as both sets of stations came in perfectly well on the coast. Not to mention several fringe stations that also overlap. And, next year it will probably all change when (if) the WEEI New England network comes online at 104.7/106.7.

Hey, I'm not complaining - but I agree with you.

 

[NO DAG]

The Shaw's WEEI / WRKO Red Sox Radio Network should..
1) Go for agreements with stations that have full market good AM signals of 5kw or more..
2) Squeeze group owners for FM signals that have superior coverage than the AM stations in the group's portfolio.
3) Don;t waste time with stations with night power of 1000 watts or less, and especially those class D's where light bulbs in my house crank out more power..

The next president of "Red Sox Nation" should grant us all our right to hear these games without static, no matter where we are in New England.. From Poultney to Presque Isle, from Providence to Pittsburg (NH)..

 

[BRNout]

The Shaw's WEEI / WRKO Red Sox Radio Network should..
1) Go for agreements with stations that have full market good AM signals of 5kw or more..
2) Squeeze group owners for FM signals that have superior coverage than the AM stations in the group's portfolio.
3) Don;t waste time with stations with night power of 1000 watts or less, and especially those class D's where light bulbs in my house crank out more power..

The next president of "Red Sox Nation" should grant us all our right to hear these games without static, no matter where we are in New England.. From Poultney to Presque Isle, from Providence to Pittsburg (NH)..

Actually, wouldn't that be Greenwich to Pittsburg (NH)...?

I generally agree with you, but it'll never happen that way. Too bad, too.

 

[yocco]

Its a shame that over the years WBZ hasn't become the Red Sox flagship. That would solve alot of problems.

 

[Ozman]

I am still clustered why the Red sox are on WGCH in Greenwich I wonder what they have for ratings. were all Yankees fans!... ok, ok, and a few Mets fans

3) Don;t waste time with stations with night power of 1000 watts or less, and especially those class D's where light bulbs in my house crank out more power..

I'd be 1/2 without a Job then...
(please don't ask me what station i work for tho I will not answer.. a jobs a job and i don't feel like being fired...)

 

[raccoonradio]

>>WGIR from Manchester

I thought the Sox went to the 1250 in Manch NH...WGIR running Fisher Cats instead, etc.
They should be on WGAM (new calls in Manch, replacing the famed WKBR) 1250
and the 900 in Nashua is now WGHM, isn't it?

 

[BRNout]

>>WGIR from Manchester

I thought the Sox went to the 1250 in Manch NH...WGIR running Fisher Cats instead, etc.
They should be on WGAM (new calls in Manch, replacing the famed WKBR) 1250
and the 900 in Nashua is now WGHM, isn't it?

I heard the same thing, but WGIR is on the affiliate list. But, I too was under the impression that the games are on WGAM and WGHM and no longer on WGIR. It would be interesting to get some confirmation on that.

 

[NO DAG]

The Sox are on AM 1250 in Manchester.. Have heard them cruising to Bahhhston. What's almost workable is that you can hear the Sox on FM just about all the way from before Concord going up I-89 deep into Vermont with help from WTPL 107.7 in Hillsboro, 99.7 WNTK-FM in New London, 93.9 WMXR Woodstock and 96.1 WDEV-FM Warren VT.. Not a bad way to travel..

 

[BRNout]

You start to pick up WTPL on the outskirts of Manchvegas, so you end up with baseball on FM for a couple of hours then? You are right, that's not bad at all.

And, don't forget to tune in to 104.9 (WBOQ Gloucester, MA) for the games once you get into the Nashua area. It's perfectly listenable from there to Boston with only occasional fades. Certainly not as strong as the local AM's, but it is free of interference. Further south and southwest is WEEI 103.7.

Maine also seems to have several Red Sox affiliates on FM. So, it would seem that the Red Sox have built up an impressive list of FM affiliates. Perhaps, someday, a Boston FM will join that lineup. Given the choice, I'd choose FM too. And, I am one of AM's youngest supporters!

 

[rvgproduction]

How about WDEV 550AM, 96.1 FM, 96.5 FM, WLVB 93.9 FM, WJOY?
They are everywhere and DEV comes in for a long distance since they have repeaters

 

[raccoonradio]

Don't be too surprised if the Sox (or sports talk WEEI) eventually winds up on an Entercom FM like
93.7 WMKK Lawrence (stick in Peabody MA) or 99.5 WCRB Lowell (half-owned by Entercom, though they're
still working through the tech. & legal stuff between Nassau and Entercom--stick in Andover).
They may eventually put sports talk and/or Sox on an FM like that

 

[raccoonradio]

>>The Sox are on AM 1250 in Manchester

Indeed they are. Earlier this year I went to see a Fisher Cats game in Manchester and then went to
eat at Strange Brew tavern. They had a 4 pm Sox-Yankees game on (Fox) but the sound wasn't
really up so I turned my walkman on and heard it on...1250.

 

[NO DAG]

Back to add to my original post, there was I was enjoying some interesting Sawx / Yankees / and Tribe Talk on "Fox Sports Radio" which is used as nighttime 'fill' on WSYB.. It was well past local sunset in the beautiful village of West Rutland and there's the "Great 138" WSYB is still at full juice. I'm totally enjoying getting into this conversation on the radio, it's about 8:45 pm and click... Salsa music time from Naugustuck CT.

My point is that since it appears that modern remote control equipment may have evaded the Dorr Drive megaplex for raising and lowering the power and activating the phasor for WSYB.. (There used to be a sequence of 3 buttons to push, but not to fast to cause sparks) perhaps the staff can forget a bit more often with the upcoming ALCS.. ;D Please..

 

[Who REALLY Cares?]

I wouldn't REALLY count on sports originating on WCRB anytime soon. That old classical station throws down some healthy profit and has heritage in Boston that I don't think Entercom/Nassau would have the guts to mess with.

Sports talk and sports play by play on the FM band may be a brighter reality given the Nassau deal to carry WEEI programming on up to 10 or 11 of its New England stations. I think that Nassau only owns 7 AM stations in New England, so it will be pretty interesting to watch that unfold.

Given how well the Sox, Pats, soon to be Celts, and hopefully the Bruins again someday are / will perform, it looks like Nassau and Entercom might be on to something pretty good here.

NESN appears to show that a sports network can work, and WEEI shows that there is a huge appetite to talk sports all day long.

But then again,
Who REALLY Cares?

 

[NO DAG]

I'm saved, I'm saved.. Got the antenna rigged up, and I can get my Sox fox on WMXR 93.9 in Woodstock, quite a few miles east of West Rutland and through the mountains. Now I can turn off the salsa music from "Galaxia 1380" WFNW in Naugatuck VT that's blasting over where the "Great 138" WSYB in Rutland should be booming in.. Go Sox !!

 

[MarcB]

Gotta love AM signals. Where I live it's about a 20 mile drive to Naugatuck. WFNW's 5000 watt daytime signal is very staticy. And their 500 watt night time signal is non-existant. Meanwhile you're about a 190 mile drive from Naugatuck and you can get their night time signal.


Meanwhile I'm not sure why but they have an application on file to reduce daytime power to 3000 watts and night power to 350 watts.