• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WGBY-TV to Merge Operations with New England Public Media

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies

Walk of Fame Participant
https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/...fforts-and-form-new-england-public-media.html

SPRINGFIELD — New England Public Radio and WGBY public television are merging operations, with plans to expand local news reporting.

The combined stations, which will be called New England Public Media, will start with 21 journalists when the merger becomes official in July.

There will be a new board that will include the executive director of the Five College Consortium and a representative from WGBH, the Boston public TV station.

New England Public Media hopes to ramp up to more than 30 reporters and editors within three years. And it plans to launch a daily hour-long radio news program sometime in the year 2020, said Martin Miller, CEO and general manager of NEPR, and Anthony Hayes, general manager of WGBY.
Click to expand...

Note Merger becomes official in July
 
Interesting. I wonder if this will reduce or even eliminate the classical and jazz programming on some of the NEPR stations in Western Mass., including flagship WFCR Amherst. With more investment in local talent, could WFCR start sounding more like WAMC Albany?
 
I often wonder why WFCR isn't full time Classical? New England Public Radio has 50,000 watt AM 640 WNNZ for its news and information programming. There are Classical public radio stations in Boston and in Fairfield County. Vermont and Maine have classical networks in addition to their news/talk networks. But the Hartford-Springfield area only gets part time classical. And to be truthful, even when WFCR is playing Classical music, it really doesn't sound as good as those other public classical stations.
 
Interesting that in the commercial sphere, TV companies seek to avoid radio, while in non-commercial arena, TV & radio see similar missions and ways to combine their staff and operation.

I don't see anything in any of the stories that imply a format change is in the works. However I wonder if this is a way for the folks on the Great Blue Hill to expand their audio footprint to Amherst without actually buying a station.
 
Gregg. said:
I often wonder why WFCR isn't full time Classical? New England Public Radio has 50,000 watt AM 640 WNNZ for its news and information programming. There are Classical public radio stations in Boston and in Fairfield County. Vermont and Maine have classical networks in addition to their news/talk networks. But the Hartford-Springfield area only gets part time classical. And to be truthful, even when WFCR is playing Classical music, it really doesn't sound as good as those other public classical stations.
Click to expand...

WMNR Monroe is almost a hobby operation. The announcers are all volunteers and serious classical music fans, and they create their own playlists that, I find, reflect their personal tastes. If you tune in when someone is on air who doesn't care for baroque, you won't hear Telemann. If the DJ isn't big on 20th-century composers, look elsewhere for Stravinsky. I find WFCR's format more predictable, but not to the extent that all you hear are old warhorses. It does stick to shorter pieces more than WMNR or even VPR Classical does, though.
 
Despite being 50,000 watts, 640 AM must be directional. I've always had problems getting their signal in New Britain and Berlin, CT (southern Hartford County). I have better luck with 5,000 watt WHYN-AM 560. Go figure!
 
KML-224 said:
Despite being 50,000 watts, 640 AM must be directional. I've always had problems getting their signal in New Britain and Berlin, CT (southern Hartford County). I have better luck with 5,000 watt WHYN-AM 560. Go figure!
Click to expand...

WNNZ's daytime pattern is extreme. Its primary coverage area extends northwest all the way to Albany, yet our locations south of Hartford in in the deep fringe, as is Worcester, Mass. In fact, WNNZ puts no signal at all into much of New Haven County, yet I've heard it up in Lebanon, NH, and the coverage map shows fringe reception west of Rome, NY! WHYN's pattern is nearly the opposite of WNNZ's, severely constricted to the north and west but pushing a usable signal as far southeast as New Bedford.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom