WCRN applies to increase night power to 50 kW

[dan.strassberg@att.net]

WCRN 830 Worcester, which dropped brokered religion in favor of NOS when it 
increased its day power to 50 kW a couple of years ago, has just had its 
application to increase its night power to 50 kW accepted for filing. To 
acomplish the power increase, the station proposes to add one tower to its 
existing two-tower night array. Thus the site, seven or eight miles west of the 
western boundary of Worcester, will contain four towers, one of which (as at 
present) will be shared between the day and night arrays. With its current 
nighttime power of 5 kW, WCRN's 10.25 mV/m nighttime interference-free contour 
encompasses about 90% of Worcester. The proposed 50 kW NIF contour will cover 
all of Worcester and extend to about half way between the eastern boundary of 
Worcester and the western boundary of Framingham. Nevertheless, the increased 
power would make the station clearly audible at night even inside of Route 128.

Now, if the FCC approves the application and WCRN builds the upgrade and if the 
sidebands from WEEI's HD Radio digital broadcasts (once WEEI starts 
broadcasting in HD Radio) don't create too much interference and if WCRN 
retains its excellent Swing format, greater Boston will have an around-the-
clock (except for the times when WCRN runs brokered talk) NOS station. There 
are a lot of ifs there ;>) but this IS radio, after all.

--
dan.strassberg@att.net
617-558-4205
eFax 707-215-6367