WFNX being sold to Clear Channel

[raccoonradio]

It wouldn't be adding talk, it would take what's on 1200. Unless you mean prog talk which
Santos has on 1510

[wickedwritah]

Yes. Guessing you aren't going to find, ratio-wise, many Severin listeners inside 128.

[Gadon]

101.7 would be the perfect signal to bring Rock 101 WGIR-FM into the Boston area. The signals complement each other nicely, wonder how "Greg and the Morning Buzz" and Scorch would play out in Bosstown ? Just a random thought..

[Nick]

If WFNX really had as many streaming listeners as over the air listeners, it would be a good idea for Clear Channel to buy the intellectual property of WFNX and put it on WXKS-HD2 (since 101.7 isn't in HD and WXKS-HD2 currently simulcasts 1200). Then they can promote that FNX is available on iHeartRadio and HD radio. Who knows, it might sell a few HD radios and it will definitely get more people to install the iHeartRadio app. Sure, Clear Channel has alternative stations in other markets, but those aren't FNX.

I wonder if Clear Channel can get a translator on 101.3. That way, they could keep FNX alive on there, and its signal would be comparable to Big City 101.3. It has a huge signal but it doesn't interfere with anyone.

[Scott Fybush]

I wonder if Clear Channel can get a translator on 101.3. That way, they could keep FNX alive on there, and its signal would be comparable to Big City 101.3. It has a huge signal but it doesn't interfere with anyone.

The Phoenix made a mistake, I've always thought, in surrendering the translator license it had on 101.3 when it moved WFNX from Medford/Malden to One Financial Center. The second-adjacent rules at the time would have allowed 101.3 to be moved from the Hancock to One Financial and continue operating, but WFNX appeared to believe it couldn't do that, so it returned the 101.3 license and shut that signal down. Unfortunately, it's not possible to get the license back now, at least not until a new translator window opens up.

[aaronread]

The second-adjacent rules at the time would have allowed 101.3 to be moved from the Hancock to One Financial and continue operating, but WFNX appeared to believe it couldn't do that, so it returned the 101.3 license and shut that signal down.

I have no direct knowledge of it, but word around the campfire was that it was a stretch to physically get enough room on the OFC towers for the new WFNX signal; the landlords weren't going to allow another antenna up there because there wasn't any room for it.  Not on the tower nor in the transmitter rooms below...although on that last point, I have to think you could squeeze in the roughly 3RU of equipment you'd need for a Crown FM30.  (shrugs)

Probably more relevant is that tower rent for any signal on a Boston skyscraper ain't cheap.  It was a stretch justifying that measly 7 watt signal in the first place.  But when it provides a redundant service?  What's the ROI??

[Zach]

I feel like Boston already has more FM News/Talk/Sports stations than any other market in the country (I think) - 3 FM talk stations and 2 FM sports stations

I can't believe Clear Channel would choose to add a 6th FM-talk station to the market - I would think their best bet would be either Country to compete with WKLB or AC to compete with WMJX

Birmingham has 6 (4 talk, 2 sports) if you count the mostly-speech NPR, 8 if you count two nearby rimshots and up to 11 on college football weekends when games are active. And that's not including religious speech programming!  There's also at least one other talker on AM that is part-time separately programmed from one of the FMs. 

[frankfurter]

Although FM news has been mostly unsuccessful as of late, WFNX's weaker signal might be a place to try it out and establish an FM News station.  If the AM band is hurdling toward irrelevance, they might have an established product that could compete with WBZ (AM) when it finally makes the jump to FM in a few years.

Country is unlikely - WKLB is well-established, has a great signal and I just don't see the Boston market supporting a second contemporary country station, particularly when there's also out of market signals to the north, south and west that reach well into parts of the Boston survey area (ie WOKQ to the north).

WFNX's broadcast area and signal strength lend itself to a niche format - something that listeners will make an effort to hear, as FNX's fanbase has for many years.  Why make an effort to hear Country 101.7 when WKLB comes in everywhere?

Rush Limbaugh and company aren't popular enough in this area to warrant essentially devaluing an AM property to put red state talk on in a broadcast area that stands to re-elect Obama with 70% of the vote.  The angry townie Republican crowd is happy with Howie Carr and Dennis & Callahan, and the ratings reflect it.

If you go Urban or even AC-leaning Urban, you have a signal that reaches most of the major minority communities in eastern Mass (Brockton and New Bedford aside) and no competition, since WJMN is on the CHR side of the Rhythmic coin and WILD is gone.  Not sure what's happening at 87.7 these days, but an Urban station on 101.7 could take the wind out of their pirate sails. 

Another possibility - Mike FM was a popular station before it was blown up for WEEI 93.7 - Clear Channel could create "Frank 101.7" (and potentially keep the call letters?) and make good money without spending much.  The risk is that you stand to shave off some of Kiss 108's older listeners.  Maybe the answer is to make Kiss younger (if that's possible), Jam'n more urban and let the "we play everything" station have its way with Madonna and Prince and the like.

And then there's Spanish - while every other top 10 market has at least one Spanish FM, those markets all have more Spanish speaking people in their listening area.  What percentage of people in the coverage area speak Spanish as a first language - 15% maybe?  But what would the format be?  If you could secure Red Sox en Espanol broadcasts and play a mix of "tropical" Puerto Rican and Dominican music the rest of the time, you might do well.

[Fenway1912]

And then there's Spanish - while every other top 10 market has at least one Spanish FM, those markets all have more Spanish speaking people in their listening area.  What percentage of people in the coverage area speak Spanish as a first language - 15% maybe?  But what would the format be?  If you could secure Red Sox en Espanol broadcasts and play a mix of "tropical" Puerto Rican and Dominican music the rest of the time, you might do well.

Arbitron says 7.2% Hispanic for Boston. 

[frankfurter]

Arbitron says 7.2% Hispanic for Boston. 

For all of the Boston market, yes, but most of the areas WFNX is sketchy or inaudible in are outer suburbs with few Hispanics.  Take the areas it comes in best - Lynn, Revere, Chelsea, Salem, Malden, Somerville, the various neighborhoods of Boston (Eastie, Dorchester, Brighton, etc), and I think you'll see a higher # than 7.2%

Still, without looking up all the exact figures, I'd bet that's quite a bit lower than many of the Top 10 markets - LA, SF, NY, Houston, Dallas...