WXKS-AM Gains An Integer

[Laurence Glavin]

I'll let others get into trouble with the managers of this board and won't cite exact ratings numbers, except to say that WXKS-AM 1200 finally has a whole integer to show to the left of the decimal point! Must be the Severin effect. Next Monday, the station will reduce its footprint halfway into his show (4:30 pm). I wonder how many of his listeners will suddenly hear IBOC hash from WHAM-AM 1180 in Rochester, NY and WPHT-AM 1210 in Philadelphia.

 

[fybush]

If they get interference from WHAM, something's wrong with their radios. Even at its splattiest, WHAM's IBOC doesn't extend past about 1193 kHz, and WXKS's analog audio doesn't go out that far when the IBOC is running.

 

[raccoonradio]

If you're talking the 6+ numbers radio-info.com publishes then yes you're right about that number. I don't
know what the 25-54 or even-older skewing demos show.
Again for their signal it depends where you are. 1200 comes in half decent at night here in Beverly.

 

[DToTheJ]

Must be the Severin effect...

I credit dropping the "Rush Radio" branding. :

 

[DanStrassberg]

If they get interference from WHAM, something's wrong with their radios. Even at its splattiest, WHAM's IBOC doesn't extend past about 1193 kHz, and WXKS's analog audio doesn't go out that far when the IBOC is running.

I have never heard WXKS (AM) 1200 running IBOC. All three stations that transmit from 750 Sawmill Brook Parkway are supposedly equipped to transmit IBOC and when they did not start to do so after all three had received licenses to cover, I figured that they were waiting until one year after the date on which they received program test authority. That way, if any new complaints of interference were received as a result of turning on IBOC, the stations would not legally be required to address them because FCC rules state the stations are obligated to rectify complaints of interference that were reported during the first year of new or substantially changed operation. (I don't think that switching on IBOC constitutes new or substantially changed operation.) Presumably, one or more of the owners decided that the advantages of IBOC did not justify the risk of having to rectify additional complaints of interference and one or both of the other owners just didn't feel that it was worthwhile to have to try to convince the owner that objected.

Of course, it would be very interesting to find out the REAL story. CBS (owner of WPHT, which is first-adjacent to WXKS) seems to be the most determined proponent of AM-band IBOC of any major US station owner. CBS apparently doesn't care that interference from WBZ's lower IBOC sideband has been reported causing annoying interference to KDKA within the city of Pittsburgh (not just within the Pittsburgh market but actually within KDKA's CoL).

 

[mgpt6]

FCC should sunset AM IBOC. It does not work. Ruins host analog, interference to next station over and unrealiable digital even with 50kW.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

If they get interference from WHAM, something's wrong with their radios. Even at its splattiest, WHAM's IBOC doesn't extend past about 1193 kHz, and WXKS's analog audio doesn't go out that far when the IBOC is running.

Last night (Wednesday, 11/2) I checked WEPN-AM 1050 in New York well after sunset, and there WAS a little WBZ-AM hash on the GE pretty-good-but-not-Superadio (the one I used to listen to LTAR for years).

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

FCC should sunset AM IBOC. It does not work. Ruins host analog, interference to next station over and unrealiable digital even with 50kW.

Or, at least, limit it to daytime, like they did early on!