WKOX-WRCA

[Deleted member 64531]

I read this morning on the FCC CDBS, that WKOX and WRCA were granted Program Test Authority 02/06/2009. No word on WUNR though.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I read this morning on the FCC CDBS, that WKOX and WRCA were granted Program Test Authority 02/06/2009. No word on WUNR though.

As of earlier this morning (Saturday 2/7), I had not noticed that either station was operating at a higher power than I had heard since the move to Newton early last September. Maybe Monday...

 

[DanStrassberg]

I read this morning on the FCC CDBS, that WKOX and WRCA were granted Program Test Authority 02/06/2009. No word on WUNR though.

I read elsewhere--NOT on All Access--that All Access has reported that ALL THREE stations have filed for program-test authority. I do not know whether All Access has reported that ANY of the three stations have yet received authorization to operate with the CP power. I know that it was the intention of the three stations to commence full-power operation from the Newton site at the same time. If, in fact, some glitch in WUNR's application for program-test authority has delayed a grant of such authority to WUNR, the result could be that WKOX and WRCA are waiting to operate at full power until the FCC grants WUNR's application. As of the evening of Monday 2/9/09, I have not detected any change in the signal strangth of any of the three stations.

 

[Deleted member 64531]

I read elsewhere--NOT on All Access--that All Access has reported that ALL THREE stations have filed for program-test authority. I do not know whether All Access has reported that ANY of the three stations have yet received authorization to operate with the CP power. I know that it was the intention of the three stations to commence full-power operation from the Newton site at the same time. If, in fact, some glitch in WUNR's application for program-test authority has delayed a grant of such authority to WUNR, the result could be that WKOX and WRCA are waiting to operate at full power until the FCC grants WUNR's application. As of the evening of Monday 2/9/09, I have not detected any change in the signal strangth of any of the three stations.

You're absolutely correct concerning the intention of all three stations to commence full power operation at the same time. At least that is how I interpeted what I have read in the FCC CDBS Correspondence Folders. WUNR it would seem, has yet to file for PTA. I should point out that any information I pass along here I get from the FCC.gov site, not from third party sites or "some guy I know said" or for that matter, "All Access". I feel that if the FCC doesn't know the answers, then the others certainly don't either. In short, I try to deal with facts.

http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_sear.htm

 

[DanStrassberg]

I should point out that any information I pass along here I get from the FCC.gov site, not from third party sites or "some guy I know said" or for that matter, "All Access". I feel that if the FCC doesn't know the answers, then the others certainly don't either. In short, I try to deal with facts.

I think you give the FCC _WAY_ too much credit for having its act together! I've caught many instances of their records being utterly screwed up. For example, within the past year (I believe), the FCC accepted for filing an application to modify a CP for a station in Brewer ME. The (unbuilt) station had applied to move to 1200! You may recall that in the early days of WKOX's fight to upgrade to 50 kW-U, WKOX's then owner, Fairbanks Communications, had purchased and taken dark WNSW 1200 in Brewer ME (10 kW-U DA-N two towers). WNSW stood in the way of WKOX's upgrade. Brewer is well within WKOX's 50 kW CP 0.025 mV/m day and night contours. Clear Channel wasn't even aware of the new Brewer application, which should have been dismissed--NOT accepted for filing. Through a friend who has connections at CCU, I notified the company, which notified the FCC, which promptly withdrew the acceptance for filing and dismissed the application. You gotta watch the FCC folks like a hawk!

Looking over the list of WUNR applications, it appears that WUNR has a problem _OR_ that the FCC's files have not been kept up to date. Unless I've missed something (DEFINITELY possible), WUNR failed fo file for an extension of its CP, probably because the station's consulting engineers believed that the STA that allowed operation with the CP antenna system but with a power of 5 kW-U (rather than the CP 20 kW-U) covered them through the end of this month. However, the CP appears to have expired at the end of November 2008. My guess is that WUNR tendered for filing an application for program-test authority at the same time as did WKOX and WRCA, but the FCC would not accept it for filing--much less grant it--because it was related to a lapsed CP!

 

[DanStrassberg]

Today's (Wednesday 2/11) FCC actions indicate that the FCC has accepted for filing applications from WKOX and WRCA for licenses to cover. I guess it is not all that uncommon for stations to file for licenses to cover before completion of testing of new or upgraded signals, but I don't think that such early applications are the norm. At any rate, I have yet to hear either station operating at what sounds like the higher power specified in their CPs. And I have not seen any word of an application for program-test authority or a license to cover from WUNR.

 

[DanStrassberg]

WXKS (AM) 1430 no longer simulcasting WKOX

As of today, Friday 2/13, a few minutes before noon, WXKS (AM) was programming separately from WKOX (AM) 1200. WKOX is still broadcasting en Espanol and I assume the format is still Rumba. WXKS is broadcasting in English. It is a music format called Automatic Radio 1430 (someone will have to tell me what genre of Rock it is; I'm no good at IDing Rock genres). As far as I'm able to tell, WKOX is still not running 50 kW. Compared with last September when WKOX et al began transmitting from Newton, when I tune to 1200, I can observe no increase in the small number of bars that appear on the CC Radio's signal-strength display. I'm expecting full power soon, though, because as I noted in a post yesterday, the FCC has accepted for filing applications from WKOX and WRCA for licenses to cover their upgraded facilities. I covered the possible situation with WUNR in another post a day or two earlier.

 

[diamondj]

Automatic Radio is Ernie (Boch) & The Automatics "day and night" (or so said Ernie in between tunes). How many car dealership owners could swing this?

 

[raccoonradio]

COME ON DOWN! Boch 1430

Yeah I heard a song called Low Expectations and when I looked up E&TA on the web, sure enough that's the name of their new CD. Is this temporary brokered time or a whole new format?
Wonder if Canal Claro is getting some calls from Rumba about this (though maybe they'll just switch to 1200,
if it comes in clearly where they are)

"¿Hola llamo a preguntar por qué yo oigo que música rock en SON 1430 en vez de Rumba?"

 

[raccoonradio]

Just heard the WXKS ID (with "Orgullo Latino", "Latin Pride") followed by an announcement saying
"This program featuring Ernie and the Automatics is sponsored by Consumer Creativity". So it may just be
a brokered time show promoting the CD put out by the car czar. COME ON DOWN!

 

[WFNERBSHX]

I called Clear Channel Boston today and the person I spoke with said that the "Automatic Radio" programming will be on through March 2nd, at which point they will return to the regular "Rumba" format.

 

[magpie]

Re: COME ON DOWN! Boch 1430

Raccoon: "Is this temporary brokered time or a whole new format?"


Could Boch have outbid Rumba for the time for a few weeks? Jeez, if pay-for-play stations are flipping people on and off based on who'll pay more....talk radio people will essentially "bid" for airtime...there's no stability in that at all. The best talk hosts aren't always the best salesmen, so DANG!!

You need experience to get on; You need to get on to get experience.
That was my struggle to get into radio....and it was hard but I did it.

Nowadays it's all about the Benjamins. The STUPID BENJAMINS!!!!

You need to be on air to sell to advertisers; you need to sell to advertisers to pay to be on the air.
It's like some crazy Sphinx Riddle! You have to be your own sales dept, PD, GM, Creative/Production, etc. all in one person--a person who really just wants to sit behind a mike and talk to people.

I'll tell you, 8 years ago, I would have turned up my nose at brokered radio....but I'm seeing it work for some people I know and it's got my attention. Maybe I could get used to the smell?....

Sorry, got a little rant-y and off the topic there.

 

[raccoonradio]

Someone on boston-radio-interest said they called Clear Channel and were told the Ernie Boch Jr
format "Automatic Radio" will run till March 2, I believe, then it's back to Rumba.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Re: COME ON DOWN! Boch 1430

Sorry, got a little rant-y and off the topic there.

Also, AFAIK. Rumba is NOT leased time. My understanding is that Clear Channel produces Rumba itself and that the folks who work on it are emplyees of the company. That may make Rumba unique among ethnic formats in this market, since most foreign-language programming here is indeed leased-time.