• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WZBR-1410: No Music, Just A Carrier

J

Joseph_Gallant

For the last few days prior to this post (February 28th, 2023), I have noticed that the carrier of WZBR-1410 as on the air, but no programming.

(I'm too far away from their 98.1 translator to tell if that too has been affected)
 
The 98.1 translator is also broadcasting a silent carrier.

I receive it here in Somerville, but weak because I'm south of it in the directional null. It mainly transmits east/northeast.
 
Didn't they shut down for awhile previously. IIRC it was a couple of years ago It must be a lack of revenue issue.

Is WSRO still on the air, as digital only?
 
raccoonradio said:
Just saw on FB that WZBR has announced the death of owner Alex Langer at 65 (via New England Radio Stations group)
Click to expand...
That’s very sad to see. Despite all his challenges in doing so, I applaud anyone who tries to keep independent locally owned and programmed radio alive nowadays in any form. I briefly met him at some radio events years ago, seemed to be a nice guy.
 
Supposedly there was an announcement about the stations going off the air airing as part of the announcement over the weekend, and now the stations are off completely, not even a dead carrier.
 
Tonight (March 8th) after dark, I got a halfway decent signal from Hartford's WPOP-1410 at my home Norwood, Massachusetts. Previously, I got a very strong daytime signal WNEW CD ent night signal from WZBR in Norwood.

The 1410 frequency in the Boston area was originally in Brockton, a daytimer to protect WPOP. Eventually, night service was added, and of course, under Alex Langer's ownership, the transmitter was moved to the Readville section of Boston (just over the Dedham line), with the city of license changed to Dedham.

I suspect that if WZBR-1410 and WSRO-650 ever return to the air, they will be broadcasting ethnic formats. In the case of WSRO, there's a rapidly growing Portuguese-American community in the Framingham/Ashland area; while the Mattapan and Dorchester sections of Boston, not too far from the WZBR stick, has a large Haitian-American population.

But I also wouldn't be surprised if 650 and 1410 never return to the air.
 
Typo!

I meant to write that I got a very good daytime signal and a listenable nighttime signal from WZBR-1410 in my hometown of Norwood, Massachusetts.
 
johnster said:
I hope they know they have to notify the commission.
Click to expand...

They have 10 days to notify, 30 days to ask for permission.. and it doesnt sound like tis even been 10 days.. and while that 10 days is a rule, there seems to be a bit of flexibility
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
They have 10 days to notify, 30 days to ask for permission.. and it doesnt sound like tis even been 10 days.. and while that 10 days is a rule, there seems to be a bit of flexibility
Click to expand...
And even if they're late, would the FCC actually go after the Langer family with a fine?
 
CTListener said:
And even if they're late, would the FCC actually go after the Langer family with a fine?
Click to expand...

I dont claim to be the expert Fybush or David are, but i cant recall when ive seen a station fined because an STA filing to be silent was a few days late in notifying or being filed especialyl with "extenuating circumstances"
 
Langer owned 1060 off and on a couple times--the Wiki for WQOM 1060 has details. (For example around 2000 he changed calls to WMEX and briefly brought back Burns, Williams, maybe Clapprood?) I don't know if he owned 890 at some point.
Then there was WBAS 1240
Wiki: "As of February 2021, WBAS returned to the air broadcasting an adult standards format. Effective April 29, 2021, Bob Bittner Broadcasting bought the station from Langer Broadcasting"
I believe 650 and 1410 were both up for sale for some time now, with the classical or jazz programing keeping them on.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom