WSNR 620 AM To Be Sold at Auction

[Barry]

 

Program producers targeting immigrant populations in the NYC urban core, might look at leasing FM HD channels instead of AM stations, and consider promoting sales of HD receivers.  That effort might be a cheaper way to reach those smaller market segments.

At this point in time, this may not be viable, due to lack of interest in HD radio.
One Caribbean Radio had leased WSKQ HD2. They had previosuly leased WNYH 740 AM. The broadcaster had a variety of shows for the West Indian Community. They offered decent HD radios for $50, and promoted that quite heavily. One Caribbean Radio went off the air (even online) at the beginning of the year.
HumDesi radio does continue to offer South Asian programming on WRKS HD2. But this is part of a small network on HD2's in some other cities. I believe they also have their programming on some translators. That probably makes it more likely to succeed than a standalone HD signal, such as One Caribbean Radio.

[TimeIsTight]

At this point in time, this may not be viable, due to lack of interest in HD radio.

Not to get too far off the WNSR topic, but people trying to sell HD radios, should work with these immigrant program producers where the effort could be a real win-win.  Immigrant's who don't speak English tend to congregate in certain neighborhoods.  Big store displays touting local radio programs in their own language could sell a lot of HD radios.

Years ago, I had an old friend who owned an Italian language station broadcasting on an FM subcarrier, and knew another guy who did very well broadcasting the same way in Mandarin for the Chinese community.  Both guys just made an effort to sell or lease subcarrier receivers at various locations and at public gatherings that attracted members of those immigrant communities.

Both guys claimed to be making money, and were able to make their programming available to their audiences 24/7, instead of leasing an hour at a time on an AM.  This is actually a way to generate interest in HD radio.

[DanStrassberg]

More wattage at night than during the day is happening more often these days.  One such signal is WPEN in Philadelphia.

WRONG! WPEN runs 43 kW-D/21 kW-N from dual sites. The more efficient towers at the night site mean that the night signal is equivalent to approximately 25 kW but it's still way less than 43 kW. For a short while maybe five years ago while WPEN was in the midst of its series of upgrades, I believe it was running 5 kW-D and 21 kW at night. But that was always planned as a temporary situation and it was, indeed, very short-lived.

[HHH]

WSNR is really hemmed in.  Nulled NE toward 630 WPRO Providence, nulled SW into NJ to protect WIP 610 Philadelphia, not to mention NW to protect WHEN, Syracuse right on 620.  I don't know what a station like that is worth, but there are still lots of people within their coverage area.  Like others, I suspect that they will stay Russian or some other specialty format to play to the specifics of the population which can receive the station.

[ai4i]

More wattage at night than during the day is happening more often these days.

There are a few stations that have higher night power.
Most of those are on the coast and are able to shoot the extra power towards the ocean.
The benefit is the station has a night signal that, locally, punches through all of the skywave interference.

My favorite example is KFMB, a local San Diego station in the day with a groundwave that gets way up north of LA at night.

[Barry]

Today is supposed to be the day that bids from potential buyers of WSNR are due.
Guess we'll find out by next week whether anyone was willing to offer at least the 16.5 million dollar minimum bid that the current owner specified.

[WNTIRadio]

I'll give you $16.50 for that station.  Possibly the worst signal in the market.

[badjef]

I'll give you $16.50 for that station.  Possibly the worst signal in the market.

I'll increase that to $17.

Hey, I'll have to spend more than that a day to eat if I move back up there.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[ai4i]

$20, but someone pays for my move.

[radioman148]

$20, but someone pays for my move.

SOLD!