Re: Re:Re:Wired.com on Reversing Consolidation

[Garrett Wollman <wollman@lcs.mit.edu>]

<<On Sat, 11 Jan 2003 18:15:52 -0500, Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com> said:

> The comparison is still valid because while the Texas stations were moved
> out of their old markets, the wannabe Boston stations just ignore their
> "local" market.

The Boston rimshotters don't have a "local" market.  Their market is
the Boston market.[1]  If there were a separate market -- as defined by
demographics, not wishful thinking -- in those communities, then there
might be some economic value for those stations in doing more to
identify with those communities.  (The Commission's rules make it very
clear that, while all stations are expected to have some, however
tenuous, connection with their communities of license, class B and C
FM licenses are granted for the purpose of serving a large area, well
outside the corporate boundaries of one particular city.)

You still haven't explained just what it is that would be of value *to
the listeners* of those stations that would be a worthwhile use of a
broadcast signal which is licensed with regional coverage.

-GAWollman

[1] Well, if they wanted to, they could make Portsmouth/Dover or
Manchester/Nashua be their local market instead -- but only WXRV seems
to make much of an attempt to serve those communities, even though the
other two stations do garner comparable ratings in those markets.