WWBB, WCIB downgrade to help WBWL

http://www.fybush.com/nerw-update-clear-channels-new-england-shuffle/

A slight gain for its Boston country station at the expense of 101.5 Prov, 101.9 Falmouth
>> One of just four class B signals in Providence, WWBB will leave its longtime transmitter site on the old WNAC-TV tower in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and relocate to one of the towers of Clear Channel’s WHJJ (920) in East Providence. Even more dramatically, it will drop all the way to a class A signal, running just 4.9 kW/361′ with a directional notch to protect WBWL to the north.

Disgusting - on two fronts. B101 will go from arguably the fourth best signal in the market to one of the worst. Sure, Providence itself will still hear the station just fine, but a Class A? B101 will now have trouble in South County, parts of SE Mass., and probably Woonsocket. B101 will now have a signal as deficient as Hot 106's.

And then there is Cool 102. It has the best signal on the Cape and many in RI enjoyed listening to it. What a shame.

With the overlap of the signals being largely removed, I predict a simulcast of the two. What do you all think?

But don't forget, you can hear B101 on iHeartRadio!

Yes, considering 'CIB's proxiity to 'WBB, a simulcast would seem likely.

Missing from the WBWL application was any discussion or analysis of population gain and loss. Prior to the FCCs Rural Radio policy, the rationale behind all of those signal swaps was providing more service to more people. Example: Station WBBB in Littletown, class B, drops to class A to accomodate the upgrade of WAAA in Biggsville from A to B. WBBB's population loss: 35,000, WAAA's population gain: 240,000.

Clear Channel's WBWL upgrade proposal adds four or five miles to aid reception in the southern suburbs of Boston, while dramatically cutting the service area of the class B in Providence.

The population gain to WBWL in the Boston area will be more than outweighed by the population loss to WWBB in the Providence area.

I don't see this proposal making it through the FCC, at least during the current administration.

joebtsflk1 said:

I don't see this proposal making it through the FCC, at least during the current administration.

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This FCC hasn't paid much attention to radio in a while. I can't see them spending as much time on this application as you have.

"Rural Radio" came out of the FCC during this administration. Also the 2nd LPFM window, plus the upcoming digital repack to help out Obama's good buddies in the cellular industry.

Many in the broadcasting industry might say the FCC in this administration has been paying way too much attention to broadcasting. and the broadcast breaths don't like it one bit.

On the other side of the argument is that the coverage that Providence would lose is in areas beyond the core sellable market, while Boston would get more close-in listeners that could translate into sales. I'd counter with how many people currently in the city grade of the Providence B would instead be in 60 dBu or worse as an A.

Then, if Clear Channel makes waves with country in Boston, they're liable to see another more powerful station take aim at them.

joebtsflk1 said:

Many in the broadcasting industry might say the FCC in this administration has been paying way too much attention to broadcasting. and the broadcast breaths don't like it one bit.

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Really? Even the Commissioners in the current FCC are complaining that the FCC isn't paying attention to broadcasting. Do a search on what Agit Pai has been saying.

why bother

B101 died a long time ago. With less than 25 hours of local programming a week, it stopped serving the Providence market. It's contests are fraudulent; often the weather forecasts are weeks old. Digital has killed the local radio in Providence. Quite frankly, why would anyone listen to B101, Coast 93.3 or 920? It is a shame; all three used to be connected to the community.

dead already

B101 was destroyed years ago. With the decimation of the signal, CC officially ends it. With less than five hours of local programming, B 101 was not really anything but internet radio. We can only hope that CC will someday reach its debt ceiling.

RadioHead

I predicted the 101.7 upgrade at the expense of the downgrades to its south as soon as CC acquired the old WFNX. It seemed like a no brainer. Another no brainer in the Boston market is for WBOQ 104.9 to upgrade from class A to B1 (perhaps directional) and/or hop towers again closer to Boston and displace class D co-channel WRBB in Boston.

Leave Things The Way They Are And Downgrade WBWL-FM!

I really agree with “ScottBurns”! This power-switching crap between 101.5 and 101.9 is all “Disgusting,” by my personal opinion and is, if you ask me, “A Load of BULL,” pun intended! Of course this is only an opinion but I think this is a totally horrible idea! In fact, it’s the precise opposite of what I’ve always wanted to have happen! Shrinking/Downgrading the signal for 101.7 in Boston and Upgrading the signals for 101.5 WWBB-FM and 101.9 WCIB-FM! I’ve always wondered what would happen if the Power and Effective Coverage of 101.5 WWBB-FM and 101.9 WCIB-FM was to be maximized and the Power and Effective Coverage of 101.7 Boston was to be minimized but now I guess that’s one scenario that might never materialize… Yes, I agree that 101.5 & 101.9 being turned into a Two-Station Simulcast does seem very likely (power switches approved or not), because not only are those two stations close in geographical proximity but they’re also very closely-allocated on the FM dial. With a single tap on the “Scan” button and you’re on the other frequency! Maybe, even the long-lived “B-101” and “Cool 102” brands will be retired and some new branding will be unveiled…How much do you wanna bet? Well, those “signal deficiencies” ought to be complemented with iHeartMedia purchasing some Low-Power FM Translators and cranking them all the way up to 250 Watts. Of course, there are laws governing how Low-Power FM Translators ought to be used but lots of broadcasters often tend to be very lax in their following those rules that all the smaller broadcasters usually follow. But if I had my way, iHeartMedia will fail to get FCC approval and things will stay as they are; however, I doubt iHeartMedia will be denied permission and suspect that this power change is inevitable…and in the less-likely event that iHeartMedia was to be denied the power changes, it seems (at least to me) to be highly inevitable and unavoidable that the long-standing “B101” and “Cool 102” branding will be discontinued and the two stations will eventually be consolidated into a Two-Station Simulcast with an all-new branding…The “B101” and “Cool 102” brands being traded in for the two separate stations being consolidated into a Two-Station Simulcast with an all-new branding (but all their power stats remaining unchanged) is, I feel, the LEAST amount of change that could ever possibly occur between all those three stations and the one that would, by my personal opinion, best-serve the listeners of 101.5 WWBB-FM and 101.9 WCIB-FM (lesser the sure tightening of playlists and loss of local jocks for the Cape Cod station, for the offices will most likely be located in Providence, Rhode Island)…

FrankieBoyTheRadioHead said:

I predicted the 101.7 upgrade at the expense of the downgrades to its south as soon as CC acquired the old WFNX. It seemed like a no brainer. Another no brainer in the Boston market is for WBOQ 104.9 to upgrade from class A to B1 (perhaps directional) and/or hop towers again closer to Boston and displace class D co-channel WRBB in Boston.

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Why, then, did WBOQ choose to send less of its signal over Boston just a year or so ago? Were those plans made before WODS's flip to CHR left Boston without a pop/soul-leaning classic hits station? Is the absence of such a station from Boston reason enough for WBOQ's ownership to go through the costly planning/application/implementation process all over again?

CTListener said:

Why, then, did WBOQ choose to send less of its signal over Boston just a year or so ago? Were those plans made before WODS's flip to CHR left Boston without a pop/soul-leaning classic hits station? Is the absence of such a station from Boston reason enough for WBOQ's ownership to go through the costly planning/application/implementation process all over again?

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The signal should not have changed all that much over Boston....

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WBOQ&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

If anything it might have improved "a bit".

They made the change to move the antenna due West, in order to cover more land and less ocean.

I don't think there are any feasible plans in the works to move WBOQ closer to Boston.

WWBB-FM & WCIB-FM & WBWL-FM Should “Trimulcast” A Classic Hits Radio Format…

Why can’t WBWL-FM “101.7 The Bull” just be reformatted to a format that is similar to that of WWBB-FM “B101” and WCIB-FM “Cool 102” and then WBWL-FM can be a Classic Hits radio station with a signal that can penetrate into the immediate Boston-MA area better than the signal for WBOQ-FM “North Shore 104.9” can…and then compete with them! Then, WWBB-FM “B101” & WCIB-FM “Cool 102” & WBWL-FM can all be rebranded as a “Trimulcast” covering all of Rhode Island (WWBB-FM), Cape Cod (WCIB-FM), and the Back Bay of Boston (WBWL-FM)! No Power Upgrades or Power Downgrades Necessary. And then WBOQ-FM “North Shore 104.9” could focus its attention on the very region that it’s branded to serve: The “North Shore” of Northeastern Massachusetts…Maybe iHeartRadio is overlooking this idea but I personally feel that a Classic Hits Radio “Trimulcast” would be just what the Doctor Ordered for the RI-Boston-CC Radio Market…

I Respectfully-Disagree With Clear Channel Radio On This One…

Although I can somewhat see what Clear Channel Radio’s intentions are with the Downgrading of WWBB-FM “B101” and WCIB-FM “Cool 102” (in order to change the signal of WBWL-FM “101.7 The Bull” into a Non-Directional broadcast), I respectfully-disagree with this decision. Instead, I approve of the idea of turning those three stations into a Classic Hits Trimulcast (3 Stations) serving all three listening areas. It’s not like a Classic Hits Trimulcast has never before been tried here in New England. “Big 104 FM” in Eastern and Central Maine consists of WABK-FM (in the Augusta area), WBAK-FM (in the Belfast/Bangor area), and WBKA-FM (in the Bar Harbor/Ellsworth area). Also, as I recollect, wasn’t 101.7 WFNX-FM up at double power at some point, during their “101-7 FNX” days? Here’s an archived GIF image from the old “101-7 FNX” website in Mid-2006, for the evidence… https://web.archive.org/web/20060615214923/http://fnxradio.com/images/FNX_orange033106.gif

listners dont matter

listners dont matter,, do we...

There is a thread on the Boston board that the downgrade at B101 and Cool 102 was completed this week. And this was only the first part of a further upgrade for Boston's Bull 101.7.

http://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?684981-101-7-Upgrade

Old stations just fade away

Driving in Little Compton and Westport MA yesterday; B-101 reception was poor. Turned it off in Westport. Does anybody know how the reception is in Washington County? B's cume will be reduced by a third, and its share will be cut in half. Nice work CC.

Fading Away

Unregistered said:

Driving in Little Compton and Westport MA yesterday; B-101 reception was poor. Turned it off in Westport. Does anybody know how the reception is in Washington County? B's cume will be reduced by a third, and its share will be cut in half. Nice work CC.

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The Bull with its new signal showed no gain. B 101 went from a 7.3 share with 450,000 cume to a 4.7 share with a 274,000 cume. That share and cume will continue to dwindle as listeners will become annoyed with its weak signal on the southcoast. Boston's class B signals are stronger in Warwick than B 101's. B 101 in the days of Don Spencer and Amy Hagen was a good local radio station. Now it is simply a Premium Choice similcast. No reason to listen.

Yes, it's a shame what is happening to B101. Some argue that they're still covering all of the well-populated areas. On a car radio, you wouldn't notice much of a difference. It's the office radios and other portables, even home stereos, where there is a more dramatic effect. And I thought that broadcasters were supposed to serve communities…

Speaking of great B101 jocks, don't forget Cruisin' Bruce Palmer.

Jacko