Alert Confessor James reports in a comment to the prior article that on this very day, WBAP News/Talk 820 AM has begun simulcasting on 96.7 FM, the signal formerly occupied by KPMZ, the Ron Chapman-programmed "Platinum" 60s-70s station licensed to Flower Mound. Citadel Broadcasting just up and freakin' gave it to 'em.
I don't know the ins and outs of why Citadel Broadcasting gave WBAP the FM signal. Doubt that it was signal-related. (820AM is 50,000 watts, clear-channel omnidirectional at night. 96.7 FM is 90,000 watts, not too shabby.) Whatever the reason, it unquestionably made WBAP, which has a strong local news and Limbaugh/Hannity/Ingraham lineup, stronger still.
But when The Ticket arises from its Cumulus-induced slumber and fills the ether with a fresh new 93.3 FM signal, the airwaves will sizzle with the exodus of ideology-exhausted WBAP listeners to The Little One.
Or some other overblown, mixed, and inappropriate metaphor.
Maybe this is what The Ticket needs to get the ball rolling on improving their signal. I'm sure they will lead in ratings no matter who comes to the FM side of the dial, but this could cut into their lead. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they jump to 93.3, because as The Plainsman stated, aren't they playing what at least 3-4 other stations play?
ReplyDeleteTim, thanks for your support. Spread the word among other potential Confessors.
ReplyDeleteI do hear from Jeff once in awhile, and I've heard from other P1s that he is pretty responsive. I give him a lot of credit for that -- guess P1-friendlieness is part of the ethos of the station and why we like it so much.
I doubt whether my suggestions will have much influence in the Cumulus corporate compound. And who knows, maybe someone there has already "thought about it." It would be kinda cool, though, if there were a message-board rebellion supporting moving the FM signal to 93.3.
Of course, I don't know what the original Ticket deal was and if there's some private legal restriction I'll take Jeff's word for it. But I doubt very much whether there are any contractual restrictions on assignment of the signal to one or another FM wavelength. After all, nothing prevented them from popping it onto 104.1 a few years ago. There are undoubtedly FCC hoops to jump through before one moves signals around, but as recent history has shown us, they must not be too high because lots of stations are doing it or considering it, including sports-talk stations.
Tim, thanks again for the kind words on this and other comment threads.