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WCAP off the air

Glad you are back on the air.
If Nautel didn't send you a big surge suppressor with the loaner transmitter, be sure to get one installed as soon as possible.
 
I had high hopes for WCAP back in 2007 iirc when they were bought from the Cohens

Their antenna farm has been neglected for decades, I would think the reduced power and maintenance costs of a new solid state transmitter would pay for the repairs to the towers and radials, but then again the location of their towers in the middle of wetlands is going to be near impossible to modify

Lets face it, if Insurance was not picking up the cost of replacement WCAP would be dark.

Without a translator ( and that ship sailed down the Merrimack years ago) they are like every other low power AM with a hampered night signal ... they are toast.

Maybe someone with more insight than I can explain how they stay on the air and make rent. payroll, and utility bills, plus whatever borrowed monies it took to buy the place, plus having to buy out Clark Schmidt.
 
MRBIboredop said:
I had high hopes for WCAP back in 2007 iirc when they were bought from the Cohens

Their antenna farm has been neglected for decades, I would think the reduced power and maintenance costs of a new solid state transmitter would pay for the repairs to the towers and radials, but then again the location of their towers in the middle of wetlands is going to be near impossible to modify

Lets face it, if Insurance was not picking up the cost of replacement WCAP would be dark.

Without a translator ( and that ship sailed down the Merrimack years ago) they are like every other low power AM with a hampered night signal ... they are toast.

Maybe someone with more insight than I can explain how they stay on the air and make rent. payroll, and utility bills, plus whatever borrowed monies it took to buy the place, plus having to buy out Clark Schmidt.
Click to expand...
Oooooh gossipy gossip

I'll bite. I've known Sam since I was a kid, so I have to be careful what I say. But...he has his connections. That's all that I will say. He has his connections.

But it's not just Sam who is a tortoise in a shell. The afternoon guy has been there for a while and he's pretty insulated from failure.

And there's a litany of other reasons as to why this Poulten-era WCAP has been able to thrive w/o a translator. Most of which that I won't get into. He's a retired Army colonel. Served in both the Gulf War and Iraqi Freedom. Plus with the unnamed connections that I won't get into. Does any of that play a role in WCAP's successes? I can't say. I haven't affiliated myself with that place in over six years.

Sidebar: I always knew Sam as someone as a big kid at heart. He used to do darn good doggy impressions On-Air at WCAP when he first bought the place. Suzy the wonder dog was her name. Plus, when Smidt was with Sam, they used to bring on celebrities for the first six months of the new ownership. One time, Sam was broadcasting from a Beatles tribute band on his cell phone and he spoke about the time that he met Sir Paul McCartney years prior and Sam joked about one of Paul's songs being "anti-Semitic." I was at the board at that time listening in like "wait? what?"
 
lowelliswcapstrong said:
Guess i still dont understand Why do people like to put WCAP down? Can someone on here explain why?

Ted Panis-Ok i enjoy listening to him im not politically agree with some of Ted's Trump viewa, but him and Alex arent wrong on a lot of things. Millennials need to toughen up and understand that theres a world out there that wont always cator to them Merrimack valley Morning Show just likes to expose these fallacies Uncoachable children become unemployable adults and the guys are just calling out the virtue signaling There just pointing out the obvious

Ryan Johnstone-Yeah i guess he is prone to angry tempers towards his production staff many whom have a disability but they need to pay attention to Ryan more otherwise there fired Ryan has standards and i like him on the sports hub show

Curnel Sam- served in war and puts up with a lot of bad people kept WCAP on air for a long time and makes lots of money i think that people dont like him because jealousy

WCAP is now back on the air sorry to all of the pwple who want them to fail
Click to expand...
Okay. Nobody wanted them to fail. I wanted them to succeed like everyone else. But this was my first time working for a commercial station and it was disappointing. I have always had the utmost respect for Sam. Some of the things that I had experienced there didn't always gel with me, but it's a business. I still think about some of the things that I had to deal with at WCAP that I didn't have to deal with at some of the other stations that I had worked at.

I will end this conversation and bid you adieu. Best of luck to Sam on his corner.
 
jdmonairinnh said:
Oooooh gossipy gossip

I'll bite. I've known Sam since I was a kid, so I have to be careful what I say. But...he has his connections. That's all that I will say. He has his connections.

But it's not just Sam who is a tortoise in a shell. The afternoon guy has been there for a while and he's pretty insulated from failure.

And there's a litany of other reasons as to why this Poulten-era WCAP has been able to thrive w/o a translator. Most of which that I won't get into. He's a retired Army colonel. Served in both the Gulf War and Iraqi Freedom. Plus with the unnamed connections that I won't get into. Does any of that play a role in WCAP's successes? I can't say. I haven't affiliated myself with that place in over six years.

Sidebar: I always knew Sam as someone as a big kid at heart. He used to do darn good doggy impressions On-Air at WCAP when he first bought the place. Suzy the wonder dog was her name. Plus, when Smidt was with Sam, they used to bring on celebrities for the first six months of the new ownership. One time, Sam was broadcasting from a Beatles tribute band on his cell phone and he spoke about the time that he met Sir Paul McCartney years prior and Sam joked about one of Paul's songs being "anti-Semitic." I was at the board at that time Me funny thing about people being connected is that the people who can actually pick up a phone and ask for a meeting never let on that they can do it, it is the people who can't that imply they can.
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The people who really are connected never let on that they are

You also use those favors sparingly as nobody does anything without expecting something in return.

It is great that Lt Col or Col Sam plays taps at funerals.

My Neighbor in FL is retired military (Major General whatever that is), he is the former Asst Surgeon General US Army and currently the Acting Undersecretary for Health in the V.A.. His budget is 68 BILLION dollars He probably has Joe Biden's unlisted number. My neighbor has NEVER mentioned his position or background, he only says he is a Doctor in the VA and he still sees patients. He is someone with "connections" if I had to take a guess. If I ever have a family member who is getting the run around from the VA I will be calling him


​

 
lowelliswcapstrong said:
Guess i still dont understand Why do people like to put WCAP down? Can someone on here explain why?

Ted Panis-Ok i enjoy listening to him im not politically agree with some of Ted's Trump viewa, but him and Alex arent wrong on a lot of things. Millennials need to toughen up and understand that theres a world out there that wont always cator to them Merrimack valley Morning Show just likes to expose these fallacies Uncoachable children become unemployable adults and the guys are just calling out the virtue signaling There just pointing out the obvious

Ryan Johnstone-Yeah i guess he is prone to angry tempers towards his production staff many whom have a disability but they need to pay attention to Ryan more otherwise there fired Ryan has standards and i like him on the sports hub show

Curnel Sam- served in war and puts up with a lot of bad people kept WCAP on air for a long time and makes lots of money i think that people dont like him because jealousy

WCAP is now back on the air sorry to all of the pwple who want them to fail
Click to expand...
Spell check could be your friend. :)
 
WCAP's Updated Coverage Map...

...Take time to let this image sink in. I get that there are a lot of defenders of this AM radio equivalent of a bar room, but...oooops!

IMG_7458 (1).jpg
 
I worked at CAP for a short period during my freshman year of college. It was a quality full service station with a news staff, sports department and live local news headlines during the Larry King Show in the overnight hours. And the overnight board op/news anchor had to be on their game or they would receive a call from one of the Cohen Brothers.
I can still remember the stench of the beer that was spilled on the Copper Kettle Bar on the 1st floor. That smell provided a wake up before a 6am Saturday shift.
 
The stories that I hear compared to when Maurice and Ike ran the place to when Clark and Sam took over are night and day. You want to support live and local radio, but we are not talking WATD or WMEX. How many owners break into regular programming because they're on their cell phone and they want to ride the Yankee Cannonball at Canobie live and on air? In their military uniform nonetheless?
 
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vmorrison99 said:
I worked at CAP for a short period during my freshman year of college. It was a quality full service station with a news staff, sports department and live local news headlines during the Larry King Show in the overnight hours. And the overnight board op/news anchor had to be on their game or they would receive a call from one of the Cohen Brothers.
I can still remember the stench of the beer that was spilled on the Copper Kettle Bar on the 1st floor. That smell provided a wake up before a 6am Saturday shift.
Click to expand...
I'm sure that it was a powerhouse back in the day.
 
IMHO they sounded great during the pandemic with former WHDH sports guy Ted Panos and producer Steve Perez going at it every day. Then one day Perez was gone and the decline was noticeable. That was during lockdown. They gave me something to listen to when I was stuck home.
 
jdmonairinnh said:
I'm sure that it was a powerhouse back in the day.
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I am not sure I would call them a powerhouse but they had a solid on air sound. WCAP WLLH, WCCM and WHAV delivered quality local coverage. Those local AM's provided many young broadcasters a launching pad and in many cases a chance to work with veteran broadcasters who were happy serving their community. Back then there were countless stations doing the same thing, like WJDA, WESX, WESO, WARE, WEIM, WPEP and WBET. A few remain but most are only a fond memory.

I was in the Lexington/Burlington area this morning and tuned in to CAP. The signal was ok but the hosts could not have sounded more boring as the discussed the City Council candidates.
 
Wimmmex said:
Where did this map originate? Who drew the new contours?
Click to expand...

Way to have no sense of humor and kill a joke.

I'm betting the original poster did based on the stations meager signal/power levels currently
 
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