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Wasted FM signals

R

rdcuffpa1

As a parallel thought to the discussion regarding 50kW AM signals, I was surprised to see how low the ratings were for WTSS / Star 102.5.

Given the huge, grandfathered signal they put out, one would think a less niche-oriented format would do better there. I realize that unseating incumbent leaders would not be productive, but I would think that the region's biggest signal, by far, should be able to place better than #7 in FM listenership.

At what point does Entercom try something different?

Living in East Aurora as a kid, 'KB overwhelmed cheap AM radios, and WBEN-FM ("the accent...is on...variety") could bring cheap FM radios to their knees.

Richard in Allentown, PA
 
What ARE Star 102's numbers--and for that matter, the numbers of the other principal stations in the market? Arbitron's been embargoing the Buffalo 12+ numbers for a long time now...
 
I don't know what constitutes "wasted." Star certainly isn't wasted by program or revenue standards. When I think of "wasted," I think of stations that are unable to improve their lot by upgrading and moving closer to populated areas, a definition that might apply to stations like WLKK Whethersfield or WLOF 101.7 in Attica. Some might say that WNED-FM, WBUF, WGCC Batavia and WBFB could be defined as wasted. Yet, each of these aforementioned stations serves a number of devoted listeners (especially WNED-FM) that enjoy and patronize the stations, so who's to say they're "wasted."

Personally, I think the 92.1 allocation is wasted because of its non-com-yet-so-obviously-more-than-likely-to-be-religious-status. 92.1 would make a good allocation as a community or college FM allocation and even better as a local commercial FM.
 
My take on wasted FM signals are the endless parade of FM religious translators polluting the educational FM band (and elsewhere). While Syracuse has a boatload of public radio repeaters, we here suffer from way too many religious translators. I can hear one of the satellite outlets on at least six different frequencies in the car all playing the same programming whose only local community-originated "program" would be the legal ID.
 
Radknowski said:
I don't know what constitutes "wasted." Star certainly isn't wasted by program or revenue standards. When I think of "wasted," I think of stations that are unable to improve their lot by upgrading and moving closer to populated areas, a definition that might apply to stations like WLKK Whethersfield or WLOF 101.7 in Attica. Some might say that WNED-FM, WBUF, WGCC Batavia and WBFB could be defined as wasted. Yet, each of these aforementioned stations serves a number of devoted listeners (especially WNED-FM) that enjoy and patronize the stations, so who's to say they're "wasted."

Personally, I think the 92.1 allocation is wasted because of its non-com-yet-so-obviously-more-than-likely-to-be-religious-status. 92.1 would make a good allocation as a community or college FM allocation and even better as a local commercial FM.
Click to expand...

Here's my thinking when I wrote the first post: I would have figured that the strength of WTSS' signal would have enabled it to be ranked #1 or #2, but I guess the logic is that, above a certain audibility, it really doesn't matter how good your signal is in your market, it then becomes a matter of format and the competitive landscape surrounding that format.

Richard / Allentown, PA
 
When you're talking about the Buffalo market, there are a lot of big sticks. The only leg up Star's signal has on its competition is in Canada and the Southern Tier. From a revenue standpoint, this is fairly significant, but it doesn't affect the ratings one iota.

Ratings are always about programming and the competitive situation, only in the cities and counties that arbitron monitors, based on the whims of a select, some might say "dumb" few who get diaries. Then it's up to them to correctly remember at the end of the day what stations they think they listened to, by writing it down in (arbitron hopes) clear, legible writing.

And for their troubles they get $5 each.

Only in radio would people's livelihoods depend on such a ridiculous system of measurement.
 
Buffalo has a lot of medium sticks (class B 50KW at 500 feet). WTSS, WNED-FM, and WBUF are I believe grandfathered class C (100KW at 1000 feet), with greater coverage.

This was an issue for me when I was staying in the Rochester area a few years ago and wanted to hear Danny on WHTT. I couldn't hear him on the FM but the AM worked for me.

In the south most of the FM's are 100KW and over 1000 feet up the tower. Some are at 2000 feet!
 
Mike Sheridan said:
...This was an issue for me when I was staying in the Rochester area a few years ago and wanted to hear Danny on WHTT. I couldn't hear him on the FM but the AM worked for me.
Click to expand...
You didn't miss much, especially in the last few years, sorry to say. The man's brilliant and a legend, but it was clear that he was coasting and the kids were riding the gravy train. Objective evaluation, nothing personal.

-9-
 
Actually WNED, WTSS and WBUF are all licensed Class B stations and are "grandfathered" to operate at higher power and HAAT than that allowed by their license class. I believe the station on 99.5 in Buffalo ( don't know callsign) is in same category.
 
W2JUV_AL said:
Actually WNED, WTSS and WBUF are all licensed Class B stations and are "grandfathered" to operate at higher power and HAAT than that allowed by their license class. I believe the station on 99.5 in Buffalo ( don't know callsign) is in same category.
Click to expand...

Yep that would be WDCX I forgot about that one!
 
Wasted FM's you ask? Any religeous outlet above 92.1 perhaps. WDCX in Buffalo comes to mind. The Pacifica outlets too. Those stations are worth hundreds of millions and have very few listeners. I lean blue politically yet everytime I hear a Pacifica station clogging up valuable real estate I cringe. What gives?
 
"I lean blue politically yet everytime I hear a Pacifica station clogging up valuable real estate I cringe. What gives?"

They go beyond blue, past violet, past the visible light spectrum completely into the realm of ultraviolet. If the Pacifica stations sounded as professional and reasonable as Air America, they'd do well given their good coverage FM signals. But the powers that be at Pacifica today would probably condemn Al Franken and Randi Rhodes as revisionist capitalist-roaders. ;)

Pacifica started in the late 40s as a challenge to the ultraconservative wingnuts who backed Martin Dies and then Joe McCarthy, and intimidated conventional radio. Back then they were a voice of reason. Now, Amy Goodman, as preachy as she may be, is about the only issue-talk host left on Pacifica with an ounce of reason and rationality. I wonder how much longer she's going to last there before jumping over to WNYC, where at this stage of her career she'd be a better fit. You wouldn't believe how paranoid some of the Pacifica programming is.
 
Didn't they have their own in-house civil war a few years back? I remember reading that it got pretty nasty.

You wouldn't believe how paranoid some of the Pacifica programming is.
Click to expand...
I'm not too familiar with their programs, but would like to check a few of them out on their website....which shows in particular have paranoid tendencies?
 
sleepyhead said:
Wasted FM's you ask? Any religeous outlet above 92.1 perhaps. WDCX in Buffalo comes to mind. The Pacifica outlets too. Those stations are worth hundreds of millions and have very few listeners. I lean blue politically yet everytime I hear a Pacifica station clogging up valuable real estate I cringe. What gives?
Click to expand...

What gives?

What gives is that these stations have been owned by Pacifica since the early days of FM, when FM stood for "Find Me." I'd say it's quite impressive that these stations HAVEN'T been spun off to the mainstream corporate whores. Like you, I lean blue (although I'm a fiscal conservative) and find some (most?) of the Pacifica stuff extreme. Nonetheless, it's provocative and stimulating, kind of like PBS on hormones, steroids, halucinatory medication AND caffeine. But to it's credit, Pacifica built the stations and held onto them in the face of some very challenging times and issues (Pacifica v. FCC being one of the interesting side notes.)[/Mike]
 
After further review I'd have to say that the Bay Area Pacifica outlets at 94.1 and New York's WBAI are the stations that "may" be worth big bucks on the market. WBAI in particular would be a commercial coup. I've listened to 'BAI and find it marginal, despite the big signal, within the Tri-State sphere. Pacifica has many competitors in the broadcasting community that caters to listeners seeking a non-commercialized environment, and most of the others provide far more appropriate fare as compared to the obvious leanings at Pacifica.

I agree with the poster who slammed Pacifica with the ultra-violet quote. Pacifica is out of touch, much like the religeous, right-wing "wingnuts". 99.5 in NYC and 94.1 in S.F. are valuable pieces of real estate and yet that really isn't the issue. These are public airwaves. I don't find that's appropriate for Pacifica to have these big sticks. As a former manager of a college radio station, forced to fight for space with limited budgets, signals and competition from the likes of NPR, Pacifica and hundreds of religeous apps, I smell the stench.

When Pacifica works within the broadcasting community instead of being so insular, I may give a thumbs up.
 
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