-
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
Worcester NPR
- Thread starter dhoule
- Start date
Although I agree, a Worcester NPR news station would be a good move, I do love the morning and afternoon drive music shows on WICN.
WGBH has a Worcester bureau on Federal Street DT but the news coverage is infrequent at best. I was hoping when they opened a local news bureau there would be more reporting from Worcester but Boston is still there primary focus.
WGBH has a Worcester bureau on Federal Street DT but the news coverage is infrequent at best. I was hoping when they opened a local news bureau there would be more reporting from Worcester but Boston is still there primary focus.
And music wise, WBPR, part of the WUMB network is "a noncommercial public radio–style station which carries some NPR programming. " (Wiki)
They claim to be an NPR station, but I don't see any NPR jazz or cultural shows on their schedule. WBGO in Newark is another NPR station that sometimes runs NPR hourly news or occasional jazz shows, but mostly runs local jazz. Sometimes, NPR stations will collaborate on coverage in nearby areas so as to not duplicate programming or distract members. At one time WGBH and WBUR did a lot of jazz programming and both cut back in order to concentrate on news.
Doesn't 89.7/90.9/even 88.5 give moderate reception of the Worcester area? Even those the first two stations focus on Boston area mostly, and the third on Western Mass/Springfield area, the Worcester area should have reception of NPR programming.
Yes a look at the approximate maps for each station on radio-locator, with the ranges of local, distant, and fringe show the city of Worcester is right at the edge of the local range, with nearby areas falling into distant.
Is there that much going on in Worcester that would signify it's own NPR news/talk operation?
Much of it would be repeated programs from 89.7 & 90.9....and both those signals cover Worcester virtually as a local.
Can WICN or others afford the resources necessary?
Yes 89.7 & 90.9 cover Worcester quite well. And as I pointed out in my earlier post, WGBH even established a Worcester bureau.
As for not much going on in Worcester, that’s an antiquated sound bite that left the city years ago. In fact people are flocking to Worcester in search of more affordable real estate while having an abundance of urban amenities. It’s the fastest growing large city in New England since the 2010 census. It grew by 14% in the previous 10 years to 206,518 residents as of the 2020 census. And the upward population growth should continue. Every day there are more new apartment buildings being announced DT and in the Canal District along with conversions of former office and factory buildings to apartments.
So yes Worcester could definitely support their own NPR news station but alas just like the lack of their own network TV station, their radio options are limited. WICN, Worcester’s NPR station has established themselves as a music centric station. Although other NPR radio stations around the country reduced or eliminated their music, WICN has chosen to stick with their Jazz, standards and other speciality music shows.
If we had a 2nd NPR option, I believe they would have become Worcester’s NPR news station and become quite successful.
As for not much going on in Worcester, that’s an antiquated sound bite that left the city years ago. In fact people are flocking to Worcester in search of more affordable real estate while having an abundance of urban amenities. It’s the fastest growing large city in New England since the 2010 census. It grew by 14% in the previous 10 years to 206,518 residents as of the 2020 census. And the upward population growth should continue. Every day there are more new apartment buildings being announced DT and in the Canal District along with conversions of former office and factory buildings to apartments.
So yes Worcester could definitely support their own NPR news station but alas just like the lack of their own network TV station, their radio options are limited. WICN, Worcester’s NPR station has established themselves as a music centric station. Although other NPR radio stations around the country reduced or eliminated their music, WICN has chosen to stick with their Jazz, standards and other speciality music shows.
If we had a 2nd NPR option, I believe they would have become Worcester’s NPR news station and become quite successful.
WICN made a decision a long time not to copy the programming on Wgbh and Wbur, both of which have strong signals instead to provide FULLTIME jazz instead which was, and is not offered anywhere within the listening area, on HD, or mainstream stations
In recent years, WICN explored having less local shows, and instead to relay a lot of 88.5's programming.
That didn't happen.
As both a listener and a professional. I am adamantly against cloning other stations commercial, or non commercial no matter how successful they are.
I was on WICN for 21 years, so I know what I'm talking about
In recent years, WICN explored having less local shows, and instead to relay a lot of 88.5's programming.
That didn't happen.
As both a listener and a professional. I am adamantly against cloning other stations commercial, or non commercial no matter how successful they are.
I was on WICN for 21 years, so I know what I'm talking about
WGBH AND WBUR have strong signals in Worcester, 88.5 ok.
WGBH AND WBUR more or less have mostly network programming
QUOTE="BostonProvidence, post: 6475336, member: 107475"]
Doesn't 89.7/90.9/even 88.5 give moderate reception of the Worcester area? Even those the first two stations focus on Boston area mostly, and the third on Western Mass/Springfield area, the Worcester area should have reception of NPR programming.
[/QUOTE]
WGBH AND WBUR more or less have mostly network programming
QUOTE="BostonProvidence, post: 6475336, member: 107475"]
Doesn't 89.7/90.9/even 88.5 give moderate reception of the Worcester area? Even those the first two stations focus on Boston area mostly, and the third on Western Mass/Springfield area, the Worcester area should have reception of NPR programming.
[/QUOTE]
It's doubtful you're going to get a full local Worcester NPR News station. The funding needed for that is likely prohibitive given the market size.
Has anyone approached WICN's community advisory board? That's probably where this would start. They're not going to do something without community support. That ultimately means a source of funding.
- Status