'RKO announces Sox deal official

[Dan Strassberg]

Interesting that the Sox have acquired an option to buy at least part of
WRKO. Also interesting is the reference to AM HD Radio. I wonder if anyone
at the Red Sox realizes that the eight-second delay, which may have had
something to do with the demise of the deal with GM, is also a technical
issue with AM-band HD Radio. AM portables should pick up WRKO just fine in
the stands at Fenway, but even though cheap pocket radios are, for the
moment at least, analog only, HD Radio demands that both the analog and
digital streams be delayed by eight seconds. So if WRKO goes HD and doesn't
turn HD off during the games, a portable radio won't help a fan very much;
the descriptions of the action will be 8 sec behind real time. Presumably,
this discussion is related to WCRN, too. Sounds as if Entercom realizes
that, at least by day (and this statement will hold true even after the FCC
authorizes nighttime use of HD on the AM band), if both WCRN and WEEI were
to run HD, both stations' analog signals would be impaired in a large part
of their coverage areas and so, too would both stations' HD signals. That
fact might have been a factor in the decision to move the games from 850 to
680.

I wonder whether Entercom ever considered having the Sox buy WWZN and move
the games there. If Entercom were to put the Sox on WAAF, WWZN's coverage
deficiencies would have become immaterial, as would WAAF's signal
deficiencies downtown. The 1510 and 107.3 coverage footprints are quite
complementary. The whole thing might have become a win-win situation. The
Sox would have gotten their o&o, Entercom would have spent a lot less for
the rights, and an organization with enough $$$ to pay for the lease on the
transmitter site would own WWZN.

Regardless, the Sox/Entercom announcement appears to be good news for AM
Radio in Boston because the Sox are staying on AM. Had this deal not been
done with an AM station, I wonder whether AM could have survived here for
any programming other than ethnic, religous, and WJIB. Now, when WILL we
hear about the fate of WWZN?

--
Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@att.net
eFax 707-215-6367

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Nelson" <raccoonradio@gmail.com>
To: <boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>;
<raccoonradio@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 11:22 AM
Subject: 'RKO announces Sox deal official


> DePetro was mentioning it this morning as he talked to Sox
> Chief Oper. officer Mike Dee. The WRKO website now has the official
> announcement:
>
> http://wrko.com/Article.asp?PT=Top%20Story&id=212257
>
> "We are pleased that we can move our radio broadcasts to a 50,000-watt
> station with an excellent signal pattern, one that was the radio home
> of the Red Sox for twelve years," (Sox CEO Larry) Lucchino said"
>
> (...excellent signal except to the west, but maybe WAAF can
> fix that)
>
> "We look forward to building a stronger network of affiliated stations
> throughout New England" (Dee)
>
> So, what becomes of Taste of Boston?
>
> I think if they really want to keep Taste around for awhile, it's safe
> until next spring when Sox start on 680. They could keep it up w/
> Celtics (assuming Celts don't move totally to 850) and TOB, since
> Celts aren't on virtually every weeknight--maybe 2 or 3 weeknights per
> week. But the Sox ARE on just about every weeknight (maybe 2 days off
> per month!)...
>
> I'm guessing they'll keep Savage where he is and, after the post game
> show, say, "Now, you can talk about tonight's game--over on AM 850".
> OR will they do a post game _Sox talk_ show  on 680?
>