Anything We Can Do for Classical Music Radio in Boston?

[Dave Doherty]

Hi, Joe-

>I understand about parts of Boston, but I don't understand about areas 
>south.

WCRB's transmitter is northwest of Boston. Its signal to the south is 
limited by distance, terrain, and upper and lower first adjacent stations in 
Rhode Island.

As a Class B station, it is theoretically protected from interference to its 
54dbu (0.5mV/m) FCC f(50,50) contour.  The 54dbu protected contour runs 
through Quincy and Norwood.

The FCC contours are statistical models with well-known flaws. They are 
based on terrain only between 2 and 10 miles from the transmitter, so a 
cliff at 11 miles is invisible to the FCC model.

The fully terrain-aware PTP model places the 54dbu signal level farther 
south, roughly to Randolph and Stoughton.

Here in Worcester, I get a respectable signal from WCRB. That is not 
predicted by the FCC model, but it is right on the edge of the PTP model, 
and I have terrain to the south shielding me from the Rhode Island 
interferors.

-d




--------------------------------------------------
From: "A. Joseph Ross" <joe@attorneyross.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 12:49 AM
To: "Romy" <Romy@goodsoundclub.com>
Cc: <bri@bostonradio.org>
Subject: Re: Anything We Can Do for Classical Music Radio in Boston?

>
> On 28 Dec 2009 at 18:42, Romy wrote:
>
>
>> . Friday afternoon broadcasts of the Boston Symphony Orchestra are
>> cancelled. . In Boston's Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and areas south of
>> Boston, listeners are unable to receive a clear signal from
>> "all-classical" WCRB.
>
> I understand about parts of Boston, but I don't understand about
> areas south.  WCRB announces that it is also on a station on
> Nantucket.  Does the Nantucket station have that bad a signal?
>
>> Much of the music on WCRB is programed by a Minneapolis syndicate.
>
> The question for me is how good the music is, not where it comes
> from.  I particularly like the Sunday Baroque programming, and while
> it's obviously not local, it's good.  The economics of classical
> music programming are not favorable these days, unfortunately.
>
>> . Area listeners have lost fifty hours a week of quality classical
>> music. . Do we really need more talk radio and duplicative NPR
>> programming? .Are WGBH contributors pleased with the changes? .Are
>> WCRB listeners pleased? .Will the administration at WGBH
>> reconsider?
>
> I remember, during the 1970s recession, when WGBH faced protests
> when, in order to save money, they dropped most of their excellent
> talk programming in favor of classical music.  I guess you can't win.
>
> -- 
> A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                           617.367.0468
> 92 State Street, Suite 700                   Fax 617.507.7856
> Boston, MA 02109-2004                    http://www.attorneyross.com
>
>
>