Re: Emerson College Empire Expands

[Aaron Read <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 03:32 PM 8/26/2003, Laurence Glavin wrote:
>A few weeks ago, the Boston Globe ran a lengthy article about
>Emerson College's plans for real estate it owns in
>Bostonn's Theater district.  Later, there appeared a shorter
>article about its plans to take over the Colonial Theater.
>Now, hidden away in the FCC's applications in yesterday's
>(08/25) Daily Digest was an application by Emerson's WERS
>to insert a translator on 96.5 in New Bedford, MA.
>Hmmm...the operator of a translator on the same frequency
>died a short time ago, and vultures have been hovering
>with applications for translators or LPFMs on 96.5 ever
>since. I suppose the translator in Newport (repeating the
>mind-numbing fare of pseudo-classical WCRB) could
>co-exist with another such outlet in New Bedord; what are
>the rules anyway?
>
>Laurence Glavin

"Hidden away"?  I mentioned - on this list - Emerson's application for a 
translator in New Bedford months ago, when the results from the filing 
window were released in late March or early April.  It's been common 
knowledge for a while now.  I imagine they'll have a tricky time getting 
WERS's signal in strongly enough to be useable, though...New Bedford is 
just outside of WERS's 40dBu contour and there's a lot of terrain in the 
way.  (remember, commercial-band translator - has to be fed via the 
primary's air signal).

On a personal note, I don't see anything wrong with WERS getting a 
translator down there.  Why not?  I rarely agree with some of the 
management over there, but the actual air product isn't so bad.  And the 
expansion fits with Emerson's mission to make WERS into a regional 
powerhouse.  They already have an app on-file to raise their power from 4kW 
to 5.3kw, thus helping minimize reception problems anywhere in the 
city.   I'm sure sooner or later we will see them attempting to get a 
broadcast outlet on the Cape, or perhaps up in Portsmouth, NH.

New Bedford is also a good distance away from the late Dr. Ferguson's 
co-channel translator on top of Newport Hospital...I would imagine there's 
some impact, but nothing that's not outside the rules.  Similar to how WMRQ 
Hartford and WBCN Boston - both on 104.1 certainly affect each other but 
not in any way that really matters.  With translators it's done via 
contours: your 40dBu contour cannot overlap any co-channel's 60dBu contour, 
or else illegal interference will result.  And vice versa.

I seriously doubt there have been LPFM's hovering over 96.5 in Newport or 
New Bedford, because there's an LPFM - WXHQ-LP 105.9 - operating RIGHT NOW 
in Newport.  Given how packed the radio dial is in Rhode Island and the 
South Coast they must have been the only LPFM application anywhere near 
there.   And neither are there lots of translator applications or else 
Emerson College's application would've been MX'ed; it wasn't - it's on the 
list of singletons that may proceed will filing without going to auction.

And actually the Newport translator rebroadcasts WCRI (Block Island) for 
what it's worth, not WCRB.  A nitpick, true...but that's what we do on this 
list.  :-)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron "Bishop" Read             aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels Consulting          AOL-IM: readaaron
http://www.friedbagels.com      Boston, MA