WBNW

[Lucylu]

Can anyone give me the quick rundown on this station? Programing, people, managment... that kind of thing.

 

[beantownradio25]

Programming consists of mainly Business Talk, and their slogan is "Boston's Talk Variety". They can also be heard on WESO 970 AM. Flagship station of Money Matters.

 

[jumpstar455]

ive been doing a show for a few months now and its a great atmosphere. they have a brand new studio and even installed cameras to broadcast all shows (still in testing phases as the video isnt 24 hours just yet). theyre mostly known for money matters like the last post said but they are making valiant efforts to be a local player and put out great content. the guys around there are great and help put out a good product on all levels. dave cullinane and scottie mccall are the programming and business ends but they have a great cast of producers around. theyre moving forward, dave told me that money matters is actually adding a weekend edition on wrko but i dont see it listed on wrkos website yet.

 

[beantownradio25]

They just launched a brand new website, but on their old website it was funny, they had an advertisers page with a list of sponsors, and one of the sponsors was "UPN 38" ;D LOL! Can you say out of date!

 

[JoeyMurr]

I host the morning sports show at WBNW 1120AM called the Sports Blast. I have been here since October of 2008. They have a new studio with all new state of the art equipment as well as a great production team. Money Matters is the big show on the program. I've worked at other radio stations in Boston and WBNW for a 5,000 watt station does a really nice job.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I host the morning sports show at WBNW 1120AM called the Sports Blast. I have been here since October of 2008. They have a new studio with all new state of the art equipment as well as a great production team. Money Matters is the big show on the program. I've worked at other radio stations in Boston and WBNW for a 5,000 watt station does a really nice job.

Glad you think so; I think you must be talking about what you WISH the signal were like. The reality is that it's not a very good signal for 5 kW and the transmitter is further from the City of Boston than that of any other AM that purports to serve Boston. WBNW does not come close to delivering 5 mV/m to Boston. Officially, 5 mV/m is required for serving a community with population of more than (I think) 50,000 people. That's not to say that you can't hear WBNW in Boston during the daytime, but you sure can't hear it very well. Have you tried listening in South Boston, for example? I have, on an OK car radio. Couldn't hear it, even on the bridge over Fort Point Channel near South Station, which ought to be about the best spot in that neighborhood for AM reception.

The 1 kW night signal is MUCH worse. I live in Arlington near the Lexington line just north of Route 2, 12 miles due east of the WBNW transmitter in E Acton. WBNW's signal is directionalized RIGHT AT me at night. Between the co-channel stations (WPRX, for example), third-adjacent WWDJ, and first-adjacent WBBR, WBNW is often unlistenable at night on my CC Radio Plus, which is quite sensitive and selective for a consumer-grade AM radio.

WBNW desperately needs to increase its night power, but given the other signals on 1120 that must be protected and the layout of the transmitter site, there seems to be no chance of adding the necessary tower or towers. Even if there were room, the cost would be prohibitive.

 

[Don Juan]

Glad you think so; I think you must be talking about what you WISH the signal were like. The reality is that it's not a very good signal for 5 kW and the transmitter is further from the City of Boston than that of any other AM that purports to serve Boston. WBNW does not come close to delivering 5 mV/m to Boston. Officially, 5 mV/m is required for serving a community with population of more than (I think) 50,000 people. That's not to say that you can't hear WBNW in Boston during the daytime, but you sure can't hear it very well. Have you tried listening in South Boston, for example? I have, on an OK car radio. Couldn't hear it, even on the bridge over Fort Point Channel near South Station, which ought to be about the best spot in that neighborhood for AM reception.

The 1 kW night signal is MUCH worse. I live in Arlington near the Lexington line just north of Route 2, 12 miles due east of the WBNW transmitter in E Acton. WBNW's signal is directionalized RIGHT AT me at night. Between the co-channel stations (WPRX, for example), third-adjacent WWDJ, and first-adjacent WBBR, WBNW is often unlistenable at night on my CC Radio Plus, which is quite sensitive and selective for a consumer-grade AM radio.

WBNW desperately needs to increase its night power, but given the other signals on 1120 that must be protected and the layout of the transmitter site, there seems to be no chance of adding the necessary tower or towers. Even if there were room, the cost would be prohibitive.

I don't want to be the skunk at the garden party, but....here's my assessment without worrying about people's feelings. ;-)

I agree with Dan, the WBNW signal is atrociously (sp?) bad, to be considered a "Boston station" by any stretch.. The programming seems to be made up of sold/bartered time or something.

With all the people I know who enjoy talking business/finance...not one has listened of this station...or even heard about it.

The signal is unreliable...and seems to cover a lot of "no place". Nulled to the North. Not powerful enough towards Boston. Maybe cruising around in the car, you can pick it up...but not if you are inside any kind of building in Boston.

Wouldn't a business station want/need the ability to be heard in the financial center of Boston?

I hear lots of automation mistakes, and lots of dead air, and the wrong program running from time to time. It seems to be an advertising venue for the hosts "other" jobs. It does more to serve the hosts interests...than the audiences.

WBNW started out with a lot of promise as WADN, but soon petered out. It seems to be one of those stations that should never have been put on the air. Wrong station in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I guess I'm glad that the owners have found some business model that helps them pay the bill.....but that plan doesn't appear to include listeners judging by the ratings.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Glad you think so; I think you must be talking about what you WISH the signal were like. The reality is that it's not a very good signal for 5 kW and the transmitter is further from the City of Boston than that of any other AM that purports to serve Boston.

I've heard other AM stations with transmitters even farther out claim Boston coverage on-air, or seen such claims on their websites. Sometimes producers of brokered programs on these stations claim to potential (out-of-town) advertisers that they will be heard in Boston. These include, among various others, WCRN Worcester, WFGL Fitchburg, and WALE Greenville, RI!

 

[robotique]

gone are the days of WADN "walden 1120" with its crunch granola folk format. When this station launched, I was really confused about what market it was supposed to be a part of.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I've heard other AM stations with transmitters even farther out claim Boston coverage on-air, or seen such claims on their websites. Sometimes producers of brokered programs on these stations claim to potential (out-of-town) advertisers that they will be heard in Boston. These include, among various others, WCRN Worcester, WFGL Fitchburg, and WALE Greenville, RI!

AFAIK, WCRN, which for a while IDed as Worcester-Boston and then as Worcester-Framingham-Boston, now IDs as Worcester-Framingham. Can't argue with Worcester-Framingham; WCRN delivers more than 5 mV/m by day to all of Framingham and may deliver an NIF signal (10.<something> mV/m by night) to 80% of the population of Framingham. If so, it could legally be relicensed to Framingham.

WALE Greenville-Boston would be a total joke; the day pattern sends, at most, the equivalent of a few hundred watts toward Boston from about 40 miles away. WALE does not even put 0.5 mV/m into any part of Boston by day--not to mention by night, when the power is lower. WFGL is directionalized away from Boston by day to protect first-adjacent WROL. No chance of hearing WFGL in Boston. And you left out WGAW from your list of stations that have claimed to serve Boston. WGAW is even further from Boston than WFGL is and sends less signal toward Boston on a higher frequency. Not to mention that WGAW is first-adjacent to WRCA, which is now more powerful than WROL. At least you can pick up WBNW (with difficulty and by day only) in a few Boston neighborhoods.

 

[DavidZ]

I've heard other AM stations with transmitters even farther out claim Boston coverage on-air, or seen such claims on their websites. Sometimes producers of brokered programs on these stations claim to potential (out-of-town) advertisers that they will be heard in Boston. These include, among various others, WCRN Worcester, WFGL Fitchburg, and WALE Greenville, RI!

AFAIK, WCRN, which for a while IDed as Worcester-Boston and then as Worcester-Framingham-Boston, now IDs as Worcester-Framingham. Can't argue with Worcester-Framingham; WCRN delivers more than 5 mV/m by day to all of Framingham and may deliver an NIF signal (10.<something> mV/m by night) to 80% of the population of Framingham. If so, it could legally be relicensed to Framingham.

I've never heard WCRN ID as Worcester-Framingham but that doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't using that as the ID. Lately I have heard the top of the hour ID as just Worcester.
Although depending on when your listening you could hear different top of the hour IDs every hour.

Speaking of WCRN, I have also heard a new traffic intro used during the Howie Carr show but not in morning drive. There seems to be seperate sweepers and promos for every show with no real cohesiveness to the station.

 

[OreoJoe417]

Despite all the negative emotions from Dan :-\....blah, blah, blah, not too many stations are actually making an attempt to provide local content truly for the local audience as is WBNW. Most stations (owners) now only care about ONE thing....DOLLARS (yeah, we know we all NEED money......so get over it already). Gone are the days when programming was structured around and for the audience......excuse me, except what seems to be happening at WBNW. Glad and nice to hear some local talent talking about local stuff all for us little ole' local people. I'm falling in love with WBNW and those that don't catch it all because of the signal....what can you do, can't please everyone.............right Dan??!!!

 

[jumpstar455]

the attempt is certainly being made at bnw. cant argue that.

as i said, i respect whats being built and the people who are in charge of building it.

 

[Don Juan]

...not too many stations are actually making an attempt to provide local content truly for the local audience as is WBNW.

...Gone are the days when programming was structured around and for the audience......excuse me, except what seems to be happening at WBNW.

Glad and nice to hear some local talent talking about local stuff all for us little ole' local people.

As I said in my earlier post, the programming seems to serve the hosts more than the public. I get the impression that the programming is simply advertising for the hosts "other" jobs.

What percentage of the programming is bought/sold/barter/lease time?

Can you elaborate on what "local stuff" the hosts are talking about? Cuz I don't hear anything local in the content.

I'm falling in love with WBNW and those that don't catch it all because of the signal....what can you do, can't please everyone.............right Dan??!!!

I don't know who else is "falling in love" with WBNW besides those that work there or have some vested interest in it. There are no ratings to show anyone is listening to this station.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Despite all the negative emotions from Dan :-\....blah, blah, blah,....what can you do, can't please everyone.............right Dan??!!!

You must have me confused with some other poster. In this thread, I have commented only on the signal as far as I can recall. I actually think that Scott McCall, the GM, is doing quite a good job with this little station, which has a lousy signal from out in the hinterlands, and needs to make a few dollars (or at least break even) without driving away all of the listeners (assuming that someone besides us radio geeks actually does listen).

 

[OreoJoe417]

...not too many stations are actually making an attempt to provide local content truly for the local audience as is WBNW.

...Gone are the days when programming was structured around and for the audience......excuse me, except what seems to be happening at WBNW.

Glad and nice to hear some local talent talking about local stuff all for us little ole' local people.

As I said in my earlier post, the programming seems to serve the hosts more than the public. I get the impression that the programming is simply advertising for the hosts "other" jobs.

What percentage of the programming is bought/sold/barter/lease time?

Can you elaborate on what "local stuff" the hosts are talking about? Cuz I don't hear anything local in the content.

I'm falling in love with WBNW and those that don't catch it all because of the signal....what can you do, can't please everyone.............right Dan??!!!

I don't know who else is "falling in love" with WBNW besides those that work there or have some vested interest in it. There are no ratings to show anyone is listening to this station.

Oh Don Juan.........ALL show host give of themselves in an effort to reach the public. Whether you're spending your time on the air talking sports, business or just goofing off (which seems to be the norm), how that time is paid for whether from the host themselves or by sponsors, they are still there serving themselves while talking to the public. The better they are, regardless of "what they are selling", the more attractive they are and the more people may like what they have to say about that given subject.....as far as the "local stuff", I haven't heard the host of the real estate show talk about why people should be focusing on real estate issues in California, they talk to the real estate issues here in the commonwealth and how they effect us locally. Seems to make sense to me......what else Don Juan?

 

[Don Juan]

...ALL show host give of themselves in an effort to reach the public. Whether you're spending your time on the air talking sports, business or just goofing off (which seems to be the norm), how that time is paid for whether from the host themselves or by sponsors, they are still there serving themselves while talking to the public.

Well, I assume Dan Rea from WBZ or Bob Oakes are not doing their jobs for charity, they are doing it for the paycheck. But it's a different story if Dan or Bob were doing their show as one big infomercial for some side business.

I can't pick up WADN more than 5 minutes at a time on a good day so I admit I dont know..... But on WBIX there is a show on investing in gold....and it's more about getting people to call their sales line...than giving the public honest info about gold as an investment.

Usually RE Brokers and Mortgage folks are cheerleaders for their industry rather than give honest information for consumers. Were your RE hosts sounding the alarm about overpriced realty...or were they cheering people onward to overpriced properties. Again, is it about ringing the phone at the RE agent's office or mortgage company? Or are they committed to giving the correct information to the public.

Thus, it's a conflict of interests.

.....as far as the "local stuff", I haven't heard the host of the real estate show talk about why people should be focusing on real estate issues in California, they talk to the real estate issues here in the commonwealth and how they effect us locally. Seems to make sense to me......

Well, if they are talking about Real Estate in the Boston area...then that's a good thing.

 

[JoeyMurr]

Despite some of the signal issues,from 6am-8am the signal is good.As far as ratings go I track website hits from those hours and people are listening. Also all the programming during weekdays is local as well as weekends. I have worked at 3 other radio stations and WBNW does a really nice job. As a host, the station has benefits that other stations couldn't offer as far as their production team,web casts etc... OF course I'm a client of the station and you wouldn't expect me to knock the station, but from the owner all the way down to the board ops and cleaning lady, Its a good operation.......

 

[Don Juan]

Despite some of the signal issues,from 6am-8am the signal is good.As far as ratings go I track website hits from those hours and people are listening. Also all the programming during weekdays is local as well as weekends. I have worked at 3 other radio stations and WBNW does a really nice job. As a host, the station has benefits that other stations couldn't offer as far as their production team,web casts etc... OF course I'm a client of the station and you wouldn't expect me to knock the station, but from the owner all the way down to the board ops and cleaning lady, Its a good operation.......

This is the perspective of someone who works there...not the perspective of a listener.

Plus, the signal is not good....and not suited to it's purpose of providing financial information to Boston. The signal is good if you live in the boonies.....but not in Boston....where it takes extra effort that most would not bother with.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WBNW&service=AM&status=L&hours=D

(I have a hard time even believing that the station is performing to the parameters that this map is drawn from.)

And it's not even on the daytime pattern from 6A to 6P...it's only on this pattern during the daylight hours. In the winter months that could means 7:15P to 4:15PM.

You call yourself a "client" of the radio station....and not an employee. The client/employee status of the people on the air is disturbing. Which is it?

As far as being all local...the schedule lists Rachel Maddow.......thats not a local program.

I'm glad to hear that everyone who works there is nice. And it's understandable that you are a cheerleader for the station you are involved with.

 

[beantownradio25]

This station covers a bunch of nowhere! And their night time signal is a joke.

They may get some surrounding urban areas good, but as far as core Boston and the financial district, forget it!