WMEX

["Dan Strassberg" <Dan.Strassberg@worldnet.att.net>]

Station owner Alex Langer was in-studio taking listener calls today from
11:00 to 1:00. With him by phone was Jerry Williams. They were later joined
by Larry Glick, health-show host Frankie Boyer, and shortly before 1:00, by
Gene Burns and fill-in host Bob Katzen. Langer suggested that Williams would
be back to do a regular show, but Williams refused to confirm that he would.
I suspect that he may do some fill-in slots from his home. In any event,
Williams sounded a lot better than he did during the two or three shows he
did right after WMEX signed on in February, though I think he is overdoing
his grumpy old man schtick. I heard Williams on some other WMEX show over
the weekend bemoaning the death of Walter Matthau. Maybe Jerry sees himself
as assuming Matthau's public persona.

The first caller, who identified himself as Doug from Newton (it wasn't me
using an alias), asked if anything could be done about WMEX's nonexistent
post-sunset signal at his location. Langer said that WMEX would be going on
the air full-time before the end of this year. I wonder if he really meant
that or whether he's talking about higher power during the two post-sunset
hours, which sounds more likely to me. I have not noticed any application in
the FCC's daily reports; higher power during the two hours after sunset
would not require an application that the FCC would post; full-time
operation would.

The best bet for a full nighttime license would probably be to operate
nights from the old 1060 site, now the WBPS site, on Sewell St in Ashland.
WMEX's predecessors on 1060 could never secure a license from that site
because the directional array could never be adjusted within spec, but if
Langer were to drop the night power enough, I suspect the array would work
adequately. By changing the COL to Sherborn, he could probably go all the
way down to about 120W if necessary and still obtain a Class B license for
WMEX. The FCC rules allow such licenses for stations whose night facilities
produce an rms field equivalent to that which would be obtained using 250W
into an antenna that provides the minimum efficiency for the station class.
The 205.5-degree towers and good ground system would produce such a signal
with only about 120W. Langer already has an application on file to move his
WJLT 650 to Sewell St, so presumably he has some relationship with the folks
at Mega, which owns WBPS. I even wonder whether WJLT is already operating
from the Sewell St site with 250W-D ND-D under STA pending action on its
application for 2 kW-D DA-D. I wonder this because WJLT no longer comes in
nearly as well where I live in Arlington as it did before 1060 increased its
day power.

Another interesting speculation: Several months ago, someone here reported
hearing a rumor that WESX was being sold to a Spanish broadcaster. Could it
be that WKOX has struck out with its proposed move to the WUNR site and is
trying to resurrect its once-proposed move to the WEZE site at Wellington
Circle using 50 kW DA-N? The last time such an application was filed, the
FCC never even accepted it for tender because such a move would have caused
serious prohibited overlap with WESX. However, if Radio Unica, the rumored
purchaser of WKOX--if and when WKOX can find an acceptable TX site for its
proposed 50 kW-U operation--were able to cross the Ashers' palms with a
sufficient offer, WESX would fold its tent and WKOX could find a home right
in the midst of the Boston market, most likely using Malden as its new COL.
Of course, the station would suffer from the same problem as WXKS (AM); the
night signal to the west of the site would be atrocious, but coverage of
most of Boston would be OK.