NH Stuff

["John Bolduc"<John_Bolduc@Pictel.com>]

I noticed that NH was void of news in the weekly news letter. So here are
some new and old tidbits that may be of use.

WPEA 90.5 Exeter made an appearance back on the air this past Saturday
night (4/11/98) after being off the air (to this listeners knowledge) all
school year (for sure since Thanksgiving). No carrier, no signal (unlike
their sister station WPAA that constantly has a dead carrier)

The programing I heard around 6-7PM consisted of three teens toying around
with Rap Music, volume controls, and taking on air phone calls filled with
tons of feedback and "Hey dude, ya gotta turn off yur radio".  You could
barely  hear the caller, and even after they supposidly turned off their
radio, there was still feedback. The chatter consisted mostly of who were
you dating on campus this week.

The signal strong to the west as far as Hampstead and Salem NH. The signal
deteriorated badly into Derry NH as WICN Worcester was taking over.
(Looking a the Worcester pattern it indicates a strong null to in this
direction, so I wonder if this is an accurate pattern.

At home the both WICN and WPEA made for a unlistenable hash of noise. With
the comments that teens were making and the fact that I haven't heard this
hash at home makes me believe this was WPEA's first broadcast in ages.

Their system station WPAA 91.7 in Andover MA has only been heard by me
twice since Christmas, and always leaves the carrier on.

WSMN  1590 AM in Nashua that in the past had played a considerable amount
of ethnic programming, seems to have increased the amount even more.  I
have heard what sounds like Indian (Asian) programming Friday evenings at
7PM. Saturday afternoon  I've heard what I believe is Greek in normally
English timeslots.


WGIR 610 AM in  Manchester is carrying ESPN / Sports Fan Radio Network on
week-end evenings. (Unsure of schedule, I just hear this programming a lot
on the weekend on WGIR) - They also continue to carry major league baseball
this year from ESPN (formerly covered by CBS sports).

Terry Benz very recently of WGIR was heard one late afternoon recently as a
guest on the call in show doing his well known movie commentary.

WGIR has been replaying the 3 hour M-F AM Dan Pierce show at odd hours of
the day and night. I heard a rebroadcast of the Friday morning local call
in show late Saturday afternoon, for example.

94.3 translator on Pack Monadnock Mountain covering the Milford NH area is
once again relaying there religious conterpart. They had inadvertently been
relaying WATD 95.9 for the better part of a week (at least!)

The Mancheste Union Leader (newspaper) sports section has a listing of Red
Sox / other sports on radio. In spite of picking up a seacoast edition of
the paper, the listing still had only WGIR Manchester and WKXL Concord as
stations carrying the Red Sox. WTMN Portsmouth was not listed, although
where I bought the paper they come in loud and clear, even at night. (Yes I
was in Portsmouth).

I wonder how WQLL 96.5 is doing in the rating versus 99.1 WNNH. Both
stations play an oldies format, but WNNH doesn't cut it in the Derry,
Nashua, Salem area with WPLM struggling for dominance. My wife, the money
spender in my family, has given up on WNNH, and sticks with WQLL or even
103.3 in Boston.

Gee! too much rambling,
enough for now
Happy Holi/Holy days

John
Merrimack Valley NH

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