WQXR

[MHVRadiofan]

Last I knew QXR had translators in Oakhurst, New Jersey and Highland, New York. How is the public supposed to know when they are never promoted on-air?

Where are Oakhurst NJ and Highland NY? And did these translators exist and, if so, did they rebroadcast 105.9 before it became WQXR? Got any stats on the translators (HAAT, power, frequency)?

The Highland NY translator for WQXR is W279AJ 103.7. With 2 watts it puts a decent signal to the Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park area. It has been around since the early 90’s repeating the original WQXR on 96.3 and switched to repeating 105.9 when WQXR was sold. The original intent of the translator was to replace reception of WQXR in Poughkeepsie, which was lost when a new station signed on 96.1(now WPKF Kiss Poughkeepsie). WQXR had been pulling in about a 1 in the market but has not shown up in the past few years.

 

[CAPCOM]

I can confirm the comment below that the frequency change and lower transmission power has been detrimental to
reception in the suburbs. We're in central Rockland County NY. The very nature of classical music broadcast is such that ANY flutter or interference from neighbors on the dial pretty much ruin the experience of listening to the music...like having someone constantly
cough during a live performance. Our only other option for interference-free classical music up here amongst the mighty
Ramapo Mountains and Harriman State Park is satellite radio (though I have not gone there).

 

[Marckd]

Biggest difference between the original WQXR and this one is the fact the original one had commercials and the current WQXR does NOT. By the way 105.9 is a commercial license and WNYC Foundation could accept ads if they wanted to. But in Boston 99.5 WCRB (previously on 102.3) had been commercial a few years at their new home and they were sold from Nassau to WGBH Foundation who converted WCRB to NON Commercial even though the license is commercial.

I have found even Classical music stations remaining at their dial positions wind up being sold to Non Commercial entities. I think the main reason is Classical Music just makes more sense being delivered on a non commercial basis.

Someone asked a few weeks back if Educational Radio Stations could maybe adopt Oldies full time. I asked myself that. The board moderator there said "Not at this time at least" Reason??? Well Classical Music has been a part of Public radio since the beginning of time (using that term as a figure of speech). Jazz and Classical Music have been heard on educational radio stations at least part time all along. But Oldies really has not. So NPR stations have the DNA to execute a Classical Music format because these foundations have experience with the music. With oldies they really do not have the "DNA" to really do the format well. Educational foundations understand cultural music and programming while really not understanding older stuff that used to be popular. Thay may change some day but now that is how things are so Oldies really cannot exist on a non commercial basis just yet.

 

[DanStrassberg]

But in Boston 99.5 WCRB (previously on 102.3) had been commercial a few years at their new home and they were sold from Nassau to WGBH Foundation who converted WCRB to NON Commercial even though the license is commercial.

Until it moved to 99.5, WCRB had been at 102.5, not 102.3.

 

[Marckd]

Yes that is right - WCRB was 102.5 NOT 102.3 - SHould have remembered - 102.3 is a Class A frequency while 102.5 is a Class B designated to reach farther distances than a Class A....But you are right - THANKS

 

[Ai4i]

...102.3 is a Class A frequency while 102.5 is a Class B designated to reach farther distances than a Class A...

Was and was.

 

[xmusicmatt]

Someone asked a few weeks back if Educational Radio Stations could maybe adopt Oldies full time. I asked myself that. The board moderator there said "Not at this time at least" Reason??? Well Classical Music has been a part of Public radio since the beginning of time (using that term as a figure of speech). Jazz and Classical Music have been heard on educational radio stations at least part time all along. But Oldies really has not.

Nothing is stopping anyone from doing a non commercial oldies format.... However the big thing is that people would have to support it with their pocket books and I don't see oldies as a format that people are going to sit thru a "Pledge drive" every 6 months opening their pocket book to keep the station on air..

 

[Ike]

However the big thing is that people would have to support it with their pocket books and I don't see oldies as a format that people are going to sit thru a "Pledge drive" every 6 months opening their pocket book to keep the station on air...

Why not? It works for PBS! Heck, they pre-empt their regular programming for annoying oldies specials during pledge break time. (This has always baffled me. Don't you want the fans of your regular shows to keep tuning in and to pledge? But I guess it must work.)

EJM pointed out a couple of non-comm oldies stations around the country. I believe there are a few more of them, too. I am not a fan of the format but I think it can work as a non-comm. For FM, AAA or indie rock are better choices IMHO, but if a public radio group has an extra AM station and they don't want to put news/talk on it, then 50s/60s oldies is the best choice. In fact, there are some extra AM stations held by WSHU (if I'm not mistaken) in SW CT that might be best put to this use since their NPR news/talk programming is extremely redundant.