WTPT is the only GSP signal that was encoded for PPM in Charlotte, but it never rated very highly and hasn’t shown in ages. Operators care about covering markets for sales since they’re in the business of making money. Listeners may sometimes enjoy coming across something from out of market, but Audacy is only worried about Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson because that’s where they’re selling ads.
“WORD”/98.9 is a different case. They’re pushing the coverage because they’re banking on using that as “proof” to political campaigns that they have listeners in GA and NC where they can also get political ad buys in addition to SC. Both are very competitive states. Political ad buys work differently than business ad buys, they’ll buy wherever there may be a potential voter listening. Campaigns have way more $$$ to run ad blitzes than businesses and are willing to pay. Watch WYFF or WSPA-TV and you see tons of GA political ads during election season despite a very small portion of the TV DMA being in NE GA.
“WORD”/98.9 is a different case. They’re pushing the coverage because they’re banking on using that as “proof” to political campaigns that they have listeners in GA and NC where they can also get political ad buys in addition to SC. Both are very competitive states. Political ad buys work differently than business ad buys, they’ll buy wherever there may be a potential voter listening. Campaigns have way more $$$ to run ad blitzes than businesses and are willing to pay. Watch WYFF or WSPA-TV and you see tons of GA political ads during election season despite a very small portion of the TV DMA being in NE GA.