Moving from AM to FM (was : Uncle Dale's replacement)

[Dan.Strassberg]

I believe that, by Clear Channel's estimate, the WKOX/WRCA move was in
the works for 12 years, and that may not be the whole length of time
either, because Fairbanks started the ball rolling by buying and
taking dark WNSW 1200 Brewer ME several years before CCU bought WKOX.
Eliminating the Portland ME area signal was essential if WKOX was
going to upgrade.

Anyhow, can you say with any certainty that that the site move would
still have been thought to be a sound business proposition if the
project had started later--say, just before CCU started making moves
to go private--which must still take us back almost two years, if not
longer.

I have the impression that, despite escalating costs, the project kept
moving forward for two main reasons (1) WRCA HAD to move and (2) Clear
Channel was not about to let itself be pushed around by the City of
Newton. Thing is, I believe that WRCA could have done OK simply by
moving to WUNR's original tall towers. Using those towers, WRCA could
not have continued to run 5 kW; the ratchet rule and protections to
Derry and Attleboro would have necessitated a power reduction. But the
signal would probably still have been viable for Beasley's purposes.
Moreover, the cost would have been dramatically lower and the work
could have been completed YEARS ago.

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aaron Read" <friedbagels@gmail.com>
To: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2008 1:34 PM
Subject: Moving from AM to FM (was : Uncle Dale's replacement)


>
> To pull back a bit...if AM is dead, or dying, then why did three
> companies fight so hard to complete the WUNR-WRCA-WKOX triplex?
> Obviously they think there's still substantial dollar value in AM or
> else they wouldn't have dropped millions in equipment, labor and
> man-hours to put it together.
>
> -- 
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> Aaron Read        |  General Manager, WEOS 89.7FM
> friedbagels@gmail.com  |  Fried Bagels Broadcast Consulting
> Rochester, NY 14618    |  (315) 521-0569 cell