I was just on the All Access web site and saw that WRNX morning host Steve Cantara left. It was said the reason is that WPKX will be taking the 100.9 signal and moving the studios to Hartford. Too bad. I know RNX was not a big ratings grabber, but they were the only AAA station in the area and I enjoyed listening to them. Wondering what will be done with the 97.9 signal.
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WPKX moving to Hartford
- Thread starter uncle todd
- Start date
uncle todd said:
Hasn't the assumption been that 97.9 will be right-wing talk and 100.9 will be country?
WRNX's move closer to Springfield was approved yesterday, as was the contingent application for the upgrade of co-channel WKNL New London to a 6kw directional facility, with the blessing of short-spaced WRCH New Britain. That's the first step of the puzzle. The next two contingent applications are the upgrade of WPKX to downtown Hartford with a change in COL to Windsor Locks, and the application to change the COL of Citadel's WMAS-FM to Enfield to maintain first service to that community. Citadel's agreed to do this for the use of a generator that belongs to Clear Channel out west somewhere.
It's been assumed that with a better Springfield signal of WRNX, that'll take over the country because of the powerful Clear Channel owned WWYZ Waterbury already covering country in Hartford (and quite well, by the looks of the last book.)
The plans for WPKX have been less cut and dry... talk is definitely a possibility, but I just don't see Rush being pulled off WTIC... especially since CBS owned WRCH had to give consent to all of the 100.9 moves. I feel like CBS would have made sure that if they were going to help improve a Clear Channel signal, it wouldn't be so they could come in and steal the midday host off their flagship.
It's been assumed that with a better Springfield signal of WRNX, that'll take over the country because of the powerful Clear Channel owned WWYZ Waterbury already covering country in Hartford (and quite well, by the looks of the last book.)
The plans for WPKX have been less cut and dry... talk is definitely a possibility, but I just don't see Rush being pulled off WTIC... especially since CBS owned WRCH had to give consent to all of the 100.9 moves. I feel like CBS would have made sure that if they were going to help improve a Clear Channel signal, it wouldn't be so they could come in and steal the midday host off their flagship.
I agree that Rushie will probably not be moved from WTIC despite El Rushblow's 33% drop in his ratings. Hartford already has two right wing nut talk stations. I have no idea why anyone, even Clear Channel would add a third one, unless CC takes the entire nationally syndicated programming to WPKX, forcing WTIC to tack in another direction. Progressive talk radio radio would be more realistic if 97.9 were to go in that direction since there is none in the market. As for music, what would they program, as virtually every music genre is already here? Lite rock, country and oldies (although WDRC FM is more CHR than oldies) are doing quite well ratings wise in Hartford. Spanish is also here in droves. Both WCCC and WHCN do well in the ratings but neither are in the top five. I doubt that the new station would compete with WMRQ, as how many stations cater to Slipknot and Godsmack fans? The only music genre that might come into play is MOYL and there seems to be no ratings for Sinatra, Bennett, Clooney et al.
progressivetalk said:
Huh? It plays music from the mid-'60s through the late '80s, with a few late '50/early '60s titles. How is it like a CHR when 1989 is 22 years removed from being "contemporary"?
Formats left for Hartford include Spanish/Tropical, AAA, classic country, urban AC and classic rock. If CC wanted to put an AAA in Hartford, they'd just move WRNX's current format to 97.9, but that's not going to happen. Classic country is a longshot since the market didn't really get turned on to country music until WWYZ flipped in 1988. Spanish/Tropical? There's certainly an audience, but are the ad agencies convinced that those listeners have money to spend on non-necessities and impulse-buy items? Same goes for urban AC -- would the format have the same appeal to suburban listeners as Hot 93.7's hip-hop/R&B does? IMO, the safest route might be classic rock. The market doesn't have a true classic rocker of its own, just WAQY to the north and WPLR to the south, so the door may be open for a Hartford-centric station playing those thoroughly-researched, oh-so-familiar 400 gems of classic rock that work so well everywhere else.
I'm still thinking right-wing talk is the way 97.9 is going to go if it's going to go talk. Clear Channel has a strong motivation to see a Republican back in the White House and I can't see Lowry Mays and company putting liberal talk on a full-power signal when they can use it as a GOP propaganda outlet.
kms575 said:How about 97.9 going Spanish. 97.1 goes away. Then I can pick up Hot 97 more clearly down here in New Haven again! :
That makes no sense. 97.1 is a translator. It's owned by Red Wolf so if a full-power FM Tropical stationed signed on, they'd flip 104.1 HD2 to something else and whatever that something else is will be relayed on 97.1
reelyreal said:
What would Clear Channel do about WPOP?
Perhaps return it to the political talk/news station it was before sports, although POP has been fairly consistent in the recent ratings.
MarcB said:kms575 said:How about 97.9 going Spanish. 97.1 goes away. Then I can pick up Hot 97 more clearly down here in New Haven again! :
That makes no sense. 97.1 is a translator. It's owned by Red Wolf so if a full-power FM Tropical stationed signed on, they'd flip 104.1 HD2 to something else and whatever that something else is will be relayed on 97.1
I'm saying shut down 97.1, just my own crazy idea :
My reference to WDRC FM as CHR is Classic Hits radio, which is what DRC FM has become. Does not WHCN classify as a classic rock station? Granted its playlist is larger than WAQY which makes it better in some respects. BTW when does WPKX come to Hartford??
progressivetalk said:
CHR has stood for Contemporary Hit Radio for many, many years. WHCN isn't a classic rock station, since it plays some currents, plus lots of '90s and '00s music, all of which are out of the classic rock timeframe. It's a hybrid rock/classic rock/hot AC station.
If we lose WRNX, that leaves WJMJ as the only commercial station playing anything interesting.
It's a shame that the Hartford market has been so behind the times for so many years. After WCCC, WHCN and WPLR were all playing new music in the 1970s, the market got stuck. Hartford missed punk rock of the late '70s, power pop of the early '80s, alternative rock of the '80s and AAA of the '90s and '00s.
WRNX is an intelligent, well-crafted station playing a good selection and mix of artists. Losing the station for talk and country, formats available elsewhere on the dial already, is double-plus-ungood.
Paul
It's a shame that the Hartford market has been so behind the times for so many years. After WCCC, WHCN and WPLR were all playing new music in the 1970s, the market got stuck. Hartford missed punk rock of the late '70s, power pop of the early '80s, alternative rock of the '80s and AAA of the '90s and '00s.
WRNX is an intelligent, well-crafted station playing a good selection and mix of artists. Losing the station for talk and country, formats available elsewhere on the dial already, is double-plus-ungood.
Paul
N
necrat123
Guest
reelyreal said:
I was kind of thinking this myself. With ESPN's HQ being "just down the road", imagine the deal CC could sign with ESPN to put ESPN radio on 97.9 in Hartford.
Pure speculation on my part. Another possibility is some spanish format.
As far as AAA goes, Springfield area still has WRSI 93.9, which puts a good signal into the city. WZMX down on West Peak is far enough that you don't get a ton of IBOC noise over WRSI especially as you head north of Springfield.
100.9 takes the WPKX call sign, moves to a MUCH easier to access transmitter site, with a much improved signal over Springfield. WKNL gets a big signal improvement. The null WKNL places is in the oppisite direction of their own market.
Once the WPKX/WMAS-FM change is approved, I would not be suprised to see this get "fast tracked" and the whole change completed by next summer.
I think ESPN would want to own the station themselves. And I think they would just run all their national shows. Also possible getting the rights for some sports.
Ken said:
In Connecticut, that means UConn, the Yankees and the Red Sox, with UConn basketball being the big ticket. (Yes, there's Giants and Patriots football, but the vast majority of NFL fans are at home or in bars watching the games, not listening to the radio.) How much longer do the UConn and Red Sox deals with WTIC have to run? And would either want to switch from a 50,000-watt AM blowtorch with statewide coverage to an FM that only puts a big-time signal into central Connecticut?
As to ESPN owning the station, didn't ABC (parent of ESPN) spin off its radio operations to Citadel a while back? With Citadel having zero presence in the Hartford market, I'd think popping in here as a one-station owner, with no cluster to sell to local advertisers, is an ultra-longshot.
CTListener said:
No. ABC sold its stations to Citadel except for 5 ESPN Radio stations and their Radio Disney Outlets. Disney then sold about a dozen Radio Disney Outlets across the country including 1550 AM in Hartford and 550 AM in Rhode Island. And they flipped ESPN 1250 in Pittsburgh to Radio Disney, which makes more business $en$e. They don't have to pay local hosts any more. And they no longer have to pay Birach Broadcasting to run Radio Disney on their 540 AM.
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