Who gets to keep WBZ calls?

[M.Casey]

Seems like most TV viewers don't pay so much attention to TV calls as radio 
listeners do.

That was proved to me, many years ago when WTIC Ch 3 in Hartford was sold 
and changed calls to WFSB and viewership was not impacted. WTIC at or near 
the top of ratings on AM, FM & TV and was a heritage call in Hartford and 
WTIC calls remained with the AM, and FM stations. Yet, later WTIC calls 
appeared on Ch 61, although mostly for nostalgic reasons and those TV calls 
did not appear to have an effect on TV ratings, as Fox, Ch61 has toggled 
identities CH61, WTIC Ch61, Fox CT, and back to, now Fox CH61.

So, Max $/value for this deal would probably mean that WBZ calls stay on 
1030, and Channel 4 gets a new callsign.

I'm going to miss CH4 weather on 1030. I believe that the ch4 TV 
meteorologists are among the best, or maybe the best in the country on radio 
and TV. CBS often uses CH 4 meteorogists for national news reports. And, 
they know how to deliver a concise and accurate radio weather forecast.
EX: In just a minute you will know that Cape Cod might be going to have 
showers due to a storm passing to the south, yet Boston will be rainfree and 
you might find some sun out near Worcester & Lowell. More than many other 
areas of the country, New England is often near the confluence of 
continental and coastal storms and fronts, so conditions often vary a lot 
over a smaller area. We often have dry, pleasant weather in Springfield and 
Hartford when Boston is drizzly due to stalled low pressure just off the 
coast.  And, Ch 4 Wx is much better than accuweather. We have some very good 
wx forecasters here in Springfield -Hartford area also. A quality detailed 
forecast on TV is one thing I try to get every morning, followed by good 
forecasts, like the ones on WBZ AM, and WTIC AM, from the radio, during the 
day.

Mark Casey


-----Original Message----- 
From: Rob Landry
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2017 8:16 PM
To: Scott Fybush
Cc: Sean Smyth ; A Joseph Ross ; Boston Radio Group
Subject: Re: Entercom announces what it plans to keep



On Fri, 13 Oct 2017, Scott Fybush wrote:

> Another consideration: CBS is unloading the CBS Radio division to get 
> money. If they can get more money by selling the 1030 facility with the 
> WBZ calls, they have little reason to withhold the calls and reduce their 
> income.

Unless "WBZ" is an important part of their TV station branding. Most folks
here think of it as "Channel 4", so perhaps the call letters aren't so
important. But I'm not in TV, and I rarely even watch TV these days.


Rob