Re: WCAP (was: RE: Re:Re:Re:Wired.com on Reversing Consolidation)

["Sean Smyth" <ssmyth@suscom.net>]

Bill O'Neill writes:
>> Realistically, though, the signal is a "big five" in that it has a
>> great footprint.  I'd consider it a smart buy for a Boston AMer who
>> is weak in the Merrimack Valley/Southern New Hampshire area that is
>> looking to expand it's coverage.  Nighttime would be a LOT of
>> overlap in and around Boston and it wouldn't give them any S. NH
>> help at all at night.  WCAP also is generous on the ride down 495 as
>> it takes the ride quite well toward the Pike.  Basically, it could
>> fill in a lot of the gaps that a Boston AMer is lacking.  As much as
>> I'd hate to see it go.  Other option would be a local buyer group
>> would take it for a spin for a couple of years, get the "this is
>> fun!" out of their system, and then roll it over to someone else.
>> I'll echo that the WCAP owner simply is not interested in selling.
>> I've known Maurice for over 20 years and can attest that he's a very
>> private man, keeps his cards close, and treats the station more like
>> personal property than that of a "business."  A prospective buyer
>> would need to be respectful of that.

WWZN has an almost non-existent signal to the northwest at night, and in
theory I would imagine WCAP could remedy that.  In fact, there may be parts
of the North Shore that'll get WCAP much better than WWZN. (I am presuming
that the North Shore gets some good signal strength from 980, since the old
Lynn independent-league baseball team of a few years back actually used WCAP
as its flagship for a season instead of WESX.)

It seems like the current programming staff is doing a yeoman's job over
there. I recall six or seven years ago that there wasn't much local
programming at all, just satellite feeds of Judy Jarvis and whatnot. It
sounds like WCAP has solidified its status in recent years, not let it
dwindle as some AMs of its size have.