Re: WCCM and CJAD fight it out in Lowell

["Kevin Vahey" <kvahey@channel1.com>]

Had my trusty Sony digital walkman with me in Section 106 (had to listen to
JibGuys farewell to CBL), and at 8:20 I could hear loud and clear "Mary from
NDG, you're next on CJAD"...... simple fact that the day pattern from
Montreal is aimed right at Lowell....

I give WCCM praise however for having a broadcast quality link from the park
to the studio, which is something WCAP would not do for the hockey team.

Also found it odd that the CRTC allowed another station on 800 in Quebec
City, which CJAD has to protect, which is the reason CJAD has to simulcast
on 900 in Sherbrooke to cover the townships.

The Weber family that owns the Spinners are not from the area (New Jersey) ,
so they are unaware of the tribal politics of the Merrimack Valley. I am
also sure they are unaware of the limitations of AM radio at night as well,
and if you went by the daytime signal they would figure fine. They don't
understand how a station 270 miles away can play havoc with one 10 miles
away. What I find "odd" is that Chaz Scoggins of the Lowell Sun is doing the
color on the broadcasts, yet when the team started on the road, the Sun ran
something written for them by the Poughkeepsie Journal.

I am surprised that the Spinners have followed the lead of the LockMonster
hockey team and gotten games on MediaOne. Pawtucket seems to do well with
Cox Cable ( which is why they are no longer on NESN), and MediaOne would be
a perfect fit for the Spinners.

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Bill O'Neill <billo@erols.com>
To: Kevin Vahey <kvahey@channel1.com>; Boston Radio <bri@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 19, 1999 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: WCCM and CJAD fight it out in Lowell


> > However it is going to make it very hard to keep their audience in
> Lowell
> > during games.........
> > (I suggested WCAP, but Maurice didn't want Ellis.....so)
>
> One's _gotta_ think by now that there is more to _that_ story.....  If
> one still thinks it's all about a preferred announcer, um...
>
> What no one would admit "on the record" at the home opener last night
> (and I refer to elected Lowell officials on hand) is how many feel the
> owner of the Spinners "sold out" to an agressive out-of-city company
> for broadcast rights.  Also buzzing-about is the opinion that Costa
> Eagle's WCCM (800, Lawrence) and it's attempts to become more "Lowell"
> is a thinly veiled street level attempt (signal pun unintended) to
> enter their (greater Lawrence ADI) Eagle Tribune newspaper in Lowell
> to go up against the (established) Lowell Sun, as the primary
> objective.  (For out of towners, it had been pretty much impossible to
> find a Lawrence paper anywhere in Lowell.)
>
> I guess you could say the scenerio is a lot more about selling
> newspapers and increasing Lowell area ad revenue share than it is
> about radio.  And the relationship with the Spinners may be simply a
> side-effect to that and unimportant (e.g., Lowell's 5 kW DA-2 WCAP not
> getting this year's Spinner's deal allegedly over a choice of talent).
> Word is that (Costa Eagle/Tribune's) WCCM hopes to open a remote
> studio in Lowell around the corner from WCAP to build more of a Lowell
> presence. One has to wonder if that would also make for a good place
> to display the current edition of..the Eagle Tribune?   Although it is
> tough for me to stay impartial on this one (I frequently work at WCAP)
> we do know that "percention" can win out for a time.  But, in radio,
> it ultimately becomes time to drop towel.  CJAD will only get louder
> once July's, then Augusts earlier and earlier night patterns take over
> and more of the 7:00 games are under the looming skywave.
>
> Perhaps this was not what the Spinners had on their minds at the time.
>
> Bill O'Neill
>
>

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