WXLO (plus WSRS/WSNE) -- why don't they market towards Boston?

I have never quite gotten why WXLO doesn't care about Boston, while WAAF (which has an equal signal in Boston but a much better one in Worcester) focuses almost all their attention on Boston. WXLO really should try to sell their station in the Boston market. It's a MAJOR market as opposed to a small market. There's more advertisers, more $$$. Their local contour easily covers all of Middlesex County, plus western Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties. It can be heard well into Rhode Island and is the de facto Hot AC for Manchester, NH. Their signal stretches well beyond Worcester County. Sure they identify as "New England's #1 for Variety" but they really should directly compete with WBMX. They should put billboards over greater Boston and really try to get higher in the ratings IMO. So why do they stay within their small market most of the time?

WSRS, same story. And as for WSNE, why don't they move their tower to WPEP's former tower (at 50 kW) or something closer to Boston and try to put their pretty unique (for iFart standards) hot AC format into Beantown? Their signal is the best out of all the Providence area stations as far as going north is concerned. WHJY should've been trying to reach Boston's southern suburbs and exurbs too, since now that WKAF is Urban AC that area can't receive a local rock station anymore.

The Worcester stations would be minor players in the Boston market, which already has two strong AC stations, and would risk losing listeners in their primary market by becoming too Boston-oriented. Their signals don't make it into office buildings in Boston proper well enough to compete with WBMX or WMJX either. WAAF can afford to target Boston because it is the only modern rock station in either Worcester or Boston.

Tomgsinger said:

I have never quite gotten why WXLO doesn't care about Boston, while WAAF (which has an equal signal in Boston but a much better one in Worcester) focuses almost all their attention on Boston. WXLO really should try to sell their station in the Boston market. It's a MAJOR market as opposed to a small market.

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If WAAF has a tough time making it in the Boston Market (and they do)....you expect WXLO and WSRS to try...with a worse signal?

(WAAF's latest radios are, what? a 1.5?)

Look at the strongest grade signal is for WAAF:

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WAAF-FM

Now look at the WSRS and WXLO.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WSRS-FM

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WXLO-FM

For all of these stations, there is a huge swath of the North Shore that does not get a strong signal......and they would not be able to compete.

Compared to a signal of a Boston station (Like WJMN)....that covers (almost) the entire metro with a strong signal.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WJMN-FM

Tomgsinger said:

WSRS, same story. And as for WSNE, why don't they move their tower to WPEP's former tower (at 50 kW) or something closer to Boston...

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Besides that they're better off being a top dog in Worcester/Central MA than trying to compete in Boston, I don't think that would be technically possible with first adjacents on Block Island, the South Shore, and Cape Cod, among others.

What about WSNE? Could they rimshot Boston? They're the only "real" hot AC (and not CHR for soccer moms) in the Boston area.

Tomgsinger said:

What about WSNE? Could they rimshot Boston? They're the only "real" hot AC (and not CHR for soccer moms) in the Boston area.

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I don't see that as a format hole in Boston. AC in all its guises is a 25-54 white female-skewing format, and WMJX and WBMX -- along with the two country stations, WKLB and WBWL -- have the demo WSNE would be looking to chip away at just about locked up. There are few white male listeners in the demo to chase with a "real" hot AC with none of the "soccer mom" artists. They're already listening to WJMN, WROR, WZLX or one of the sports talkers. Besides, I think Eli addressed your rimshot idea when you asked about moving to another tower. Read it again.

Actually, my mistake, I was thinking WSRS when I said first adjacents in Block Island, the South Shore, and Cape Cod. But, WSNE would have full-power second adjacents in the Boston market WBOS and WEEI-FM, and a co-channel WNHW in southern NH.

For the record, by "CHR for soccer moms" I purposefully used that term instead of adult CHR because adult CHR = hot AC in some people's minds. WSNE has only about 30 recurrents/currents combined at any given time, and over half of what they play is gold stretching back to 1980. They have a rhythmic AC lean too, as they've played Baby Got Back, No Diggity, One Dance, What's Luv and other rhythmic songs that real hot ACs would never play.

WXLO has applied for three FM boosters in the Boston area. They might be looking to refocus on Boston, or maybe they are looking to sell it and permits on hand would make it more valuable.

ngriffin said:

WXLO has applied for three FM boosters in the Boston area. They might be looking to refocus on Boston, or maybe they are looking to sell it and permits on hand would make it more valuable.

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Really interesting catch. If you check out the coverage maps of the these three boosters (Boston, Lexington and Waltham), they are highly-directional and would work together to cover most areas inside the 128 Belt. The Boston booster would even be on the Hancock tower. Regardless of format, sure seems like a greater push toward Boston is on the way for 104.5.

encarta95 said:

Really interesting catch. If you check out the coverage maps of the these three boosters (Boston, Lexington and Waltham), they are highly-directional and would work together to cover most areas inside the 128 Belt. The Boston booster would even be on the Hancock tower. Regardless of format, sure seems like a greater push toward Boston is on the way for 104.5.

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I wonder if CBS/Entercom would object to a booster for 104.5 being on the Hancock?

Anyone have a link to the paperwork/applications for these 3 boosters?

I'm surprised Cumulus has the foresight to even think about boosters...with all the corporate headaches they now have.

Wimmmex said:

Anyone have a link to the paperwork/applications for these 3 boosters?

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https://fccdata.org/?facid=201850
https://fccdata.org/?facid=201849
https://fccdata.org/?facid=201847

I'm surprised Cumulus has the foresight to even think about boosters...with all the corporate headaches they now have.

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Build the boosters, have an instant "Boston" station... then spin to EMF for some quick cash?

Just a thought. But Hancock tower rent can't be cheap for a company in Cumulus' position. Seems like there's a bigger plan here somewhere.

DavidEduardo said:

And the downtown booster is all of 10 watts ERP.

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WXRV 92.5 "The River", main transmitter 30 miles north of Boston in Haverhill, also has a 10 watt booster directional toward the south on the Hancock in Boston.

From that height, 10 watts is an effective local booster. The signal is strong and clean in downtown Boston, the South End, and all the Boston neighborhoods south of downtown, where the original main signal was marginal.

Only drawback is WXRV's main signal broadcasts in HD but their boosters don't.

If this indeed does change formats, then that will mean that Worcester will lack both a hot AC and a CHR (and any other younger skewing formats, too). What are they thinking? I know it's not confirmed but still, a competitor to 104.1 definitely wouldn't hurt.

Eli Polonsky said:

WXRV 92.5 "The River", main transmitter 30 miles north of Boston in Haverhill, also has a 10 watt booster directional toward the south on the Hancock in Boston.

From that height, 10 watts is an effective local booster. The signal is strong and clean in downtown Boston, the South End, and all the Boston neighborhoods south of downtown, where the original main signal was marginal.

Only drawback is WXRV's main signal broadcasts in HD but their boosters don't.

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WXRV only briefly used HD. They haven’t had it on the air in quite some time.

jlehmann said:

WXRV only briefly used HD. They haven’t had it on the air in quite some time.

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OK, I haven't been up that way to check it lately. Where I live in Somerville, the main signal wasn't strong enough to activate HD. I had to be a ways north of Boston, where I heard it a while ago.

what about WRBB!