Will Beck And Hannity "Rumba" To 1480?

[DToTheJ]

Considering how Clear Channel launched a "Rush Radio" outlet in another top 10 market - Boston - earlier this year with Beck and Hannity (as well as Rush, of course), on a somewhat questionable AM signal, it would not surprise me if CC did the same here in Philadelphia. All of their FM signals are performing reasonably well, yet WUBA is consistently low-rated every PPM period. They can't even beat out WEMG-AM in Atlantic City, for crying out loud.

Just sayin'...

 

[deepstblu]

1. WEMG is 1310 in Camden, not Atlantic City.

2. 1480 is not a full-market signal. CC would only put those guys on there if they were desperate for a clearance.

 

[DG02816]

The tight DA-2 used by 1480 protects the 1480 in NYC, 1470 Allentown, and WBCB 1490. They're heavily boxed in,with little room, if any, to upgrade. The 5 kW day signal barely covers the city, and the 1 kW at night just drops off the table. Not a good thing for those 2 hosts.

 

[qtpieislit]

Boston - on a somewhat questionable AM signal, it would not surprise me if CC did the same here in Philadelphia.

Questionable? Are you serious. 50,000 watts questionable? ....Now let's compare. Philadelphia/1480? ...No, wiat. There is no comparison.

Look for 25,000 watt 950/WPEN to flip to talk. At least they can be heard above the noise floor.

WXKS-AM 1200 kHz
Newton, Massachusetts
Antenna Mode Directional - 2 Patterns
Power 50,000 Watts
Number of Towers 3

 

[MattParker]

Considering how Clear Channel launched a "Rush Radio" outlet in another top 10 market - Boston - earlier this year with Beck and Hannity (as well as Rush, of course), on a somewhat questionable AM signal, it would not surprise me if CC did the same here in Philadelphia. All of their FM signals are performing reasonably well, yet WUBA is consistently low-rated every PPM period. They can't even beat out WEMG-AM in Atlantic City, for crying out loud.

Just sayin'...

Cockroach, sometimes we can't tell when you're being serious and when you're being a smart ... ah ... aleck.

 

[DG02816]

Sam,
The signal on WXKS 1200 is highly directional also, to protect CFGO Ottawa and WOAI San Antonio. Dan Strassberg, can you add more?

 

[imhomerjay]

In a word: no. In a more appropriate four words: no way in he...ck

 

[musicman3355]

No way they're going on 1480 AM! Like another poster said, the only way CC would put Beck and Hannity on that station is if they're THAT desperate to pick them up. With a terrible night signal, no way "Rush Radio 1480 W???" or any news/talker would work on 1480.

CC flipped "Rumba 1200" Boston since their signal is not as weak and since they upgraded to 50 kW last year (I'm betting they were planning to go news/talk right after the upgrade), unlike Rumba in Philly.

 

[Rusty Muck]

While WXKS is a recent upgrade, in comparison to WBZ, WRKO or WEEI (all three have unlimited 50kW; 'BZ is a class-IA clear channel) WXKS is still on the bottom rung of those three. It also probably made the move to Rush Radio because CC has just four stations in the market, and both FMers do very well.

If Rumba picks up the talk programs, it would only be for a soft launching of said format on the FM dial. Heck, 1480 might as well just permanently simulcast whatever FM signal makes the move to talk (104.5?) and make the most out of it...

 

[BRUSSTAR]

From RADIO RACKET this past March:

"Rush Radio 1480" will be disastrous. (But if it happens, remember you heard it here first.) ...WDAS (AM) may as well be a daytimer, and that day signal is bizarre at best. 1210, with all of its signal problems (it's the worst 50kw Class I I've ever heard, signalwise) is no match for 1480. Watch CC park a simulcast on some silly "HD" subchannel, then feed it to some dog translator.

(emphasis added)

 

[DanStrassberg]

Boston - on a somewhat questionable AM signal, it would not surprise me if CC did the same here in Philadelphia.

Questionable? Are you serious. 50,000 watts questionable? ....Now let's compare. Philadelphia/1480? ...No, wiat. There is no comparison.

Look for 25,000 watt 950/WPEN to flip to talk. At least they can be heard above the noise floor.

WXKS-AM 1200 kHz
Newton, Massachusetts
Antenna Mode Directional - 2 Patterns
Power 50,000 Watts
Number of Towers 3

Yes, WXKS (AM) is 50 kW-U but its signal can't compare with that of WBZ, WRKO, or even WEEI. The only 50 kW-U signal in the Boston market with which WXKS's signal is really comparable is that of WWZN 1510. The only Boston AM that covers the entire market day and night is WBZ, which, as a Class A AM, is directionalized to the west (DA-1). Neither WXKS nor any of the other 50 kW-U AMs with the exception of WBZ puts a good signal into the western suburbs at night. Interestingly, WXKS, whose 50-kW signal has been on the air for only a little more than a year, recently applied to slightly modify its day pattern (add one already existing tower to the day array; no change to the night operation). I believe this proposed change was made possible by the deletion of a never-built AM 1200 in the Hudson Valley. My guess is that the FCC will approve WXKS's application, and since it involves no tower construction, it will probably be built. Although this change will slightly improve WXKS's day signal in several areas, it will not make the signal competitive with any more of the Boston area's 50 kW-U AMs.

As for Philadelphia, I believe that WPEN's CP to increase its day power to not quite 50 kW is still valid. This change would slightly improve the day signal in south Jersey (essentially zero improvement elsewhere). Time is running out, however, and Greater Media must either construct it or lose it. If GM's plan is to flip WPEN to talk, another 18 or 19 kW would probably be worth the expense, although they could not quite shoehorn in the originally applied for 50 kW-D. The sticking point is co-channel WCTN.

 

[wprt949]

i still think mix 106.1 is just a smokescreen for the real thing news/talk