WEEI and WWTM

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

I was in Worcester today and I noticed a couple of things that puzzled me-- 
perhaps somebody on the list could explain.

1.  In the afternoon (which is when I was in "the Big Woo"), WWTM was 
simulcasting WEEI-- including letting WEEI's call letters run, letting 
their 20/20 sports flashes run, and only occasionally inserting a local 
avail from the Worcester area (like WEEI, they don't seem to have many 
spots either).  Yet, WWTM was carrying WEEI on at least a 7 second delay-- 
when I switched back and forth between the two stations, there was at least 
a 5 to 7 second lag between what ran on WEEI and what ran on WWTM.  If the 
stations are simulcasting, why have an extra delay?

2.  WWTM occasionally has its own ID (although at the top of the hour, 
several times, I heard the WEEI Entercom ID), but that ID does not mention 
the WEEI call letters-- it just mentions 1440 WWTM  and then mentions 
"850"-- if you are simulcasting and letting the WEEI calls be heard, why 
have an ID that suddenly doesn't say them?

3.  And maybe I am just old fashioned, but I always thought call letters 
meant something.  Wouldn't it be confusing for Worcester area listeners to 
know what station to write in their diary-- WEEI or WWTM?  Back when it was 
WEEI and WVEI, the calls were close enough so that credit could be given 
either way.  But having two such different  station calls being used at odd 
times seems strange to me.  Or am I missing something that would explain 
it?

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