If 890 is sold

[David Tomm]

On Sep 1, 2007, at 7:54 PM, Don A wrote:

>>>>> One of the reasons WKLB wanted to get off of 99.5...is the terrible
>>>>> signal they have on the South Shore.
>>>>> Why would they want to put sucessful programming on an inferior 
>>>>> signal?
>>>> 99.5 is still a better signal than 850...
>>>
>>> Can't say I agree with that.
>>
>> Yeah, sure.  How great is 850 after dark much outside of 128?  It 
>> sucks.
>
> Can't agree with that.  I live outside 128 and it comes in crystal 
> clear all the time.

I live in Metrowest.  It sucks.  I live closer to WVEI and that's even 
worse.  However, 99.5 comes in just fine....

>
>> How about 850 during the day in Worcester county and Southern New 
>> Hampshire, the fastest growing regions of the Boston metro?  It 
>> sucks. 99.5?  Crystal clear in those areas.
>
> 99.5 in the South Shore?  Sucks.

So does 850, particularly after sunset.  Plus it's AM.  And 850 sucks 
during the day in a lot of outlying areas of the market.
Funny thing.  Since WKLB and WCRB switched frequencies, their ratings 
have pretty much remained the same overall to what they were before.  
At the end of the day, I'd rather have WEEI on an FM station that more 
people can hear at night then on an AM frequency that doesn't cover the 
suburbs very well.   Why do you think Entercom took the Red Sox games 
off 850?  Because the signal sucks.

> (And the Boston metro ends at the NH border for the most part...and 
> ends at Worcester Country.)

Wrong.  Worcester is an embedded market within Boston.  So are the 
southernmost counties of New Hampshire.  These areas are growing in 
population, while many of the suburbs closest to town are losing 
people.  If this trend continues, stations that can reach these growth 
areas will have an advantage in the ratings.  99.5 can get there.  850 
can't.

>>
>> As far as South Shore goes, it's been mentioned that 103.7 fills the 
>> gaps in that region nicely.
>
> So you'd be filling in part of the Boston metro with a station 
> licensed to Rhode Island?

So?  It's not that big of an affected area, and improving night service 
to the rest of the market outweighs a few outlying areas of the South 
Shore not getting optimum coverage.
>
> Not to mention that 103.7 already exists.

And it placed in the Spring Book in Boston, probably due to people 
south of the market tuning in since 850 is so unreliable.

> Not a great Idea.

Personally, I think it's brilliant, and my guess is the suits at 
Entercom were also thinking it when they made the deal for 99.5.

> What basically you are doing is adding lots of land populated with 
> trees to the coverage area.
> For what reason I don't know.

It's because the market is expanding geographically.   It's no longer 
just the city and the burbs around 128.  It's much bigger, something a 
directional AM signal cannot cover as well as an FM, even a suburban 
FM.

>> So under your scenario, Entercom allows another broadcast company to 
>> pick up ESPN and potentially use it against WEEI, and you'd be OK 
>> with that.
>
> That's what is happening now.  And WEEI is OK with this.

On a flea powered AM that doesn't even cover half the market during the 
day, and barely covers Framingham at night.  Of course Entercom is OK 
with this.  However, if WBOS or WBCN ever decided to launch an FM 
sportstalker with local hosts and ESPN to fill the off hours, WEEI 
would not be OK with this.
>
>> Greater Media could easily pick it up and put it on 92.9 along with 
>> some local hosts and take WEEI on head to head.  CBS radio could do 
>> the same thing on 104.1.  But, since you love 850 so much, you'd just 
>> wait for another company to put sports on FM...
>
> So, you would put your already wildly sucessful format on an inferior 
> signal because you are afraid of what *might* happen?

No, I'd put my wildly successful station on an FM signal that covers 
most of the market, day and night.  Not because of fear, because of the 
opportunity to make the station even more wildly successful.

>> It parks ESPN on a co-owned station and more importantly KEEPS IT 
>> AWAY FROM A COMPETITOR!!
>
> ESPN National is a non-entitiy in cities where they have a dominant 
> local sports station.
> Every format leader could waste their time and resources thinking 
> about what would happen if a competitor took dead aim at them.
> Never mind flipping to a out of town signal just to beat them to FM.

It's called being pro-active.  Talk is moving to FM in many markets.   
Sports talk is far and away the most popular type in Boston.   WRKO 
took that same attitude with WTKK. Oh, no big deal.  However, while 
their 12+ numbers tend to be lower than WRKO's, WTKK tends to do better 
25-54.   And once Howie moves to 96.9, 680 is toast.  I think Entercom 
learned their lesson on that one.  If WEEI is to continue being 
successful in the coming years, it needs to move to FM.  If they don't, 
someone else will try it.

>>  As long as the ratings go to the same company, who cares?
>
> Thats a big assumption..

Not really.  Clusters program their stations to compliment each other 
all the time.  WXKS-FM and WJMN share quite a few music titles between 
them and compete against each other in the younger demos, yet the 
stations are co-owned and both are successful.  The entire existance of 
WROR and WBOS is to support WMJX.   You can have similarly formatted 
stations work together and have them all be successful.

> The scenario I would draw is that if they put WEEI on 99.5....WBOS and 
> WBCN might look an opportunity to go head-to-heard with the format. 
> (Seeing the weakness of 99.5's signal.)

They could do it now but thus far haven't.  My guess is that younger 
sports talk fans would gravitate to an FM station if the product is 
decent.  WEEI on FM against a WBOS or WBCN wouldn't make much 
difference.   People still would tune to WEEI because of heritage and 
their proven personalities.    99.5 doesn't get to parts of the South 
Shore.  Big deal.  103.7 does.  850 doesn't get out much past Natick at 
night, and barely makes it to Worcester county (part of the Boston 
market) at all.   Why did the Sox games get taken off 850?  Because the 
signal is NON-EXISTANT at night in Metrowest, where a LOT of people who 
get diaries live and work.   99.5 would alleviate that problem, despite 
your love for the static-y AM signal.