WJR Question

[Wthom100]

Was wondering why WJR has not made a move to find a FM outlet like a lot of the other major AM radio stations have done in other markets. At a mininum, I am surprised WJR has not at least pursued simulcasting on a sister station FM HD sub-channel like WWJ does (I know HD does not have a large listenership but you would think a HD 3 sub-channel on 93.1 Doug-FM could be done affordably - I think Doug-FM is a sister station to WJR - or is it 96.3 FM?). Is it because WJR has such a strong signal it does not need to do this?

Was just wondering - seems like this would have been pursued already.

8)

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

As long as WDRQ and WDVD hold up ratings wise and revenue wise, the format will not move to one of them. The reason it has taken this long is that 760 does have a decent signal, and there are not a lot of FM radio properties for sale in the market.

 

[rfry]

FWIW: Class A WBBM (CBS) in Chicago simulcasts its 780 kHz AM programming on the main channel of a Chicago FM station at 105.9 MHz.

Probably the groundwave fields of WJR and WBBM are ~equivalent, over their respective metro areas.

 

[MarkW]

Regardless of what the slimy radio suits in Chicago say, the addition of the 105.9 signal to Newsradio WBBM was clearly a defensive maneuver (given the launch of FM News 101.1). CBS had little to lose since the station they killed (Fresh 105.9) was a lackluster biller and ratings race loser.

WJR's programming is geared toward an older audience, generally speaking, and those people are perfectly comfortable pressing the "AM" button. They would see very little ratings accretion by adding an FM signal. 96.3 isn't going away any time soon, and if Doug FM goes away, I assure you a Country format will most likely appear in its place.

Conservative News/Talk doesn't get magically get good money demo numbers by adding FM. Look at Washington, DC. WMAL continues to get embarrassingly poor numbers, even after adding FM 105.9. In San Diego, a market that is amendable to conservative talk radio, Clear Channel recently decided to dump its legacy News/Talk brand from FM, returning it to an AM-only operation.

I would also add in the case of Chicago, the Bears air on WBBM. Chicago was one of a quickly decreasing number of markets where the NFL franchise didn't have an FM flagship. It would not at all surprise me if that played a factor in CBS's decision.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

Older people may be comfortable pushing the AM button, but those inside steel buildings get the WDTK translator on 92.7 better than WJR in some areas. Being on FM would sure help in many work places.

 

[jry]

As long as WDRQ and WDVD hold up ratings wise and revenue wise, the format will not move to one of them. The reason it has taken this long is that 760 does have a decent signal, and there are not a lot of FM radio properties for sale in the market.

Agreed. There is not a need to do this as yet.

 

[umfan]

The FM band is crowded in Detroit. It would be nice if WJR could simulcast, but finding an open frequency would be a challenge.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

There are NO open frequencies. Even if they allowed second adjacents, there are no frequencies. There are no move in opportunities that wouldn't cramp something else even besides locals. They would have to buy another station.

 

[umfan]

And I don't see that happening unless the rumor about CBS leaving the business is true.

 

[rfry]

While not exactly on topic, WJR is the dominant signal heard on 760 kHz today on my indoor Sony 7600GR in west central Illinois at the Mississippi River, a little before local sunset. I can't hear enough of the competing, co-channel signals to WJR to identify them by call letters or program content.