Ping: DC Area Radio Listeners (Sports Talk 980)

[wade moore]

I misunderstood what you guys meant by radio voice..

Yeah, I agree, he does not have a good one ..

[Bee]

Originally Posted by Bee

Mike and Mike was on this morning, which was a pleasant surprise for me.

The Sports Reporters was pretty mediocre. Andy was spinning this lineup change like a merry-go-round though.

Well so much for Mike and Mike in the morning. The Czaban show was on this morning and it was worse than I feared.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Bee

Well so much for Mike and Mike in the morning. The Czaban show was on this morning and it was worse than I feared.

I'm glad you bumped this thread...

The Brian Mitchell show now has Scott Lin instead of Bram Weinstein... I've listened to it now and then...

I have to say, it's not 1/2 bad... While B-Mitch doesn't have the best radio voice, I feel like he has decent insight even for sports outside of Football.

Don't get me wrong, he's not great, but better than I expected.

[cuervo72]

Heh, I knew this thread would get a bump this morning.

FWIW, I had a hard time listening to *either* show this morning. I think I'm going to listen to more music on the ride in.

[CamEdwards]

So as of now Mike and Mike do not have a home in DC? Because I cannot listen to Czaban. After five minutes my eardrums start to bleed.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I'm glad you bumped this thread...

The Brian Mitchell show now has Scott Lin instead of Bram Weinstein... I've listened to it now and then...

I have to say, it's not 1/2 bad... While B-Mitch doesn't have the best radio voice, I feel like he has decent insight even for sports outside of Football.

Don't get me wrong, he's not great, but better than I expected.

I mostly agree about Mitchell. I think he's gotten much better, but my biggest problem with him right now is that he waffles on some of the issues. There's been several times when he's been like a freaking ping pong ball going back and forth on issues depending on the caller and what Scott or Bram say. But overall he's much better.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by CamEdwards

So as of now Mike and Mike do not have a home in DC? Because I cannot listen to Czaban. After five minutes my eardrums start to bleed.

Wow, you're not kidding. I liked him on the Sports Reporters, but he was like really bad this morning.

980 has really dropped the ball. OK, maybe they didn't have a choice in losing ESPN feeds, but some of their programming choices have been dreadful. I can't stand listening to John Thompson on my drive home. I'm tired as it is and his slow, methodical, low voice speach patterns put me to sleep. Not to mention he knows pratically nothing in sports beyond basketball.

When's Danny's new Redskins' propoganda radio supposed to start? Aren't they supposed to be the ones carrying Mike and Mike going forward?

[JPhillips]

Here's a story from the Post that explains the changes in DC sports radio.


Red Zebra: Sports Radio of a Different Stripe

By Marc Fisher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 2, 2006; N06



At first glance, Bennett Zier's mission seems impossible.

In a city where the only sports talk radio station languishes at the bottom of the ratings, Zier is charged with launching a second sports talker. To do the job, he's been given three Spanish-language stations that have some of the weakest signals in town.

But Zier's start-up, known only by its corporate name, Red Zebra, will sign on in a couple of weeks with one huge advantage: its owner. Red Zebra is something new in the annals of American sports -- a radio operation owned by the same guy who owns the primary sports team the station will cover, Dan Snyder's Washington Redskins.

Not only will Red Zebra broadcast Redskins games, but the station also will devote a large chunk of its talk programming to the team, around the clock, all year long.

"For the listeners, it's going to be like belonging to a club," says Zier, who came to Red Zebra from Clear Channel, where he was regional vice president in charge of the radio giant's eight Washington stations (including WTEM, the sports talker that Zier created in 1992). "The Redskins are the dominant, number-one attraction in this area, and we will have excellent access to Redskins news. Whenever there's breaking news, the listeners won't want to miss a minute."

In addition to winning ESPN Radio's nationally syndicated programming away from WTEM (980 AM), Red Zebra is planning local talk shows featuring Redskins Hall of Famer John Riggins and former WTEM talker Bram Weinstein. The Redskins station will use ESPN's morning show, "Mike and Mike," and the midday talk show hosted by Dan Patrick, both of which formerly aired on WTEM.

But the core of Red Zebra's appeal will be its access to news about the Redskins. Zier says he trusts that his station will get first crack at player news, next-game planning and other information about the team before word gets to media outlets not controlled by the Redskins. But Zier vehemently rejects the notion that Redskins radio will be beholden to team management's views about what the franchise is doing right or wrong.

"When people see some of the talent that we'll have on the air, they will recognize we are putting on people so they can say what they feel," Zier says. "We will have an exciting, sometimes controversial, radio station. I said to Dan Snyder, how are you going to feel when our reporters and hosts speak their mind? Am I all of a sudden going to get a call from Redskins Park? And he said never, and in all my time at WTEM, he never picked up the phone."

Zier says the radio station will have close ties to Redskins.com, the team's innovative Web site. The Redskins have been among the most aggressive sports franchises in creating their own media empire, setting up a TV studio at Redskins Park in Ashburn and producing team-owned TV shows that air on three local channels.

Managers at competing radio stations say they are indeed worried that the Redskins will funnel news to their own station, but the competitors also see an advantage in being able to tout their independence from the team.

But before listeners can judge Red Zebra's ability to provide critical coverage of its owner's team, they will have to find the station, which will be known on the air as Redskins Radio and another name, yet to be announced. The new programming will be on three Washington area frequencies, 92.7 and 94.3 FM and 730 AM, all of which now serve Spanish speakers with pop music and talk.

Snyder bought the three stations for $33 million from Mega Communications, but the two FM stations are located on the fringes of the Washington area and their signals barely reach inside the Beltway. The AM signal is stronger closer to town, but only during the day; at night it is barely audible even near its transmitter.

There is rampant speculation that Red Zebra is working on deals to put Redskins radio on other local stations with stronger signals. But Zier says no additional Washington stations will be added to the roster this season. Eventually, "we want to acquire as many signals as the FCC will allow," Zier says. "We're not done buying radio stations." Red Zebra recently bought an AM sports talk station in Richmond.

Clear Channel's sports talk station, WTEM, has been forced into a rebuilding mode now that Red Zebra has acquired ESPN's programming. WTEM has also suffered the loss of its most popular talk host, Tony Kornheiser, who's moving to ESPN's "Monday Night Football." So far, WTEM seems to be leaning toward more local sports talk, with former Redskins running back Brian Mitchell taking over the midday slot. The station will also rely more heavily on syndicated programs from Fox Sports.

WTEM and its corporate sisters, WTNT (570 AM) and WWRC (1260 AM), offer play-by-play of Wizards basketball, Capitals hockey, Orioles baseball, Mystics women's basketball, and several local colleges' basketball and football games.

Red Zebra has made unannounced deals with at least two local colleges and hopes to add more play-by-play programming, Zier says. Sources close to the Washington Nationals say the baseball team is in talks with Red Zebra about moving its broadcasts from Washington Post Radio (1500 AM and 107.7 FM) to the Redskins station next year; a decision could come as early as next week.

"A good sports talk station really relies on its hosts and talk shows," Zier says, "but baseball is something that sounds great on the radio and it would fit in very well here."

[Bee]

That's pretty interesting...I'd suspect a John Riggins radio show would be pretty good as long as he has someone to set him up.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Bee

That's pretty interesting...I'd suspect a John Riggins radio show would be pretty good as long as he has someone to set him up.

I hated him when he did his weekly show on 980, but he was very listenable doing the afternoon talk show on NFL network with Adam Shine.

The question is will we be able to ever recieve the signals.

[cuervo72]

Hmm, I actually liked Thursdays when Riggins would sit in with the Sport Reporters. *shurg*

[Bee]

Originally Posted by Samdari

I hated him when he did his weekly show on 980, but he was very listenable doing the afternoon talk show on NFL network with Adam Shine.

The question is will we be able to ever recieve the signals.

I have good reception on 94.3 FM. My wife listens to it sometimes and has it programmed as a preset in all of our cars.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Bee

I mostly agree about Mitchell. I think he's gotten much better, but my biggest problem with him right now is that he waffles on some of the issues. There's been several times when he's been like a freaking ping pong ball going back and forth on issues depending on the caller and what Scott or Bram say. But overall he's much better.

I don't think I've listened to him enough to notice the total waffling.

Originally Posted by Bee

That's pretty interesting...I'd suspect a John Riggins radio show would be pretty good as long as he has someone to set him up.

From what I read on drtv, the rumor is that it will be Bram.

I liked Bram, until I heard him with B-Mitch. Hearing what Scott Lin has done with B-Mitch, I have to wonder if Riggins would be the much stronger part of that pairing. I'm a pretty big fan of Riggo when I've heard him, but I do wonder whehter what he does will hold as well as a full-time host vs. an hour guest once a week. I wonder if his directness will hurt him with guests, etc.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Hmm, I actually liked Thursdays when Riggins would sit in with the Sport Reporters. *shurg*

Ditto, although he was a bit of a goof .. this segment wasn't really set up as a serious tone show. Riggins does a decent job on some of the Sunday night game coverages when he's more serious.

I agree though he definitely needs a good setup man to carry the show and let Riggins focus on analysis and one-liners.

[cuervo72]

Ah, that's part of Riggo's charm.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Ah, that's part of Riggo's charm.

Agreed. I just don't know how it translates to a regular show. I'm hopeful, but I just don't know.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Here's a story from the Post that explains the changes in DC sports radio.


Red Zebra: Sports Radio of a Different Stripe
"

Good find, although I didn't see a date in there. I hate the thought of having to check the Spanish channels daily hoping for a little ESPN or Redskins report. Alas, I have you guys around to keep me updated.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Samdari

I hated him when he did his weekly show on 980, but he was very listenable doing the afternoon talk show on NFL network with Adam Shine.

The question is will we be able to ever recieve the signals.

I hated the Afternoon Blitz show on NFL Radio with Riggins. Riggins and Shine together drove me insane, mainly because it was like 1 man doing two voices. They had the same lines and same opinions about everything, and they were both way over the top.

Riggins would be fine with someone else though. Usually when Adam was gone and someone sat in for him on that show it was much better.


The other NFL Radio shows are still better then the Afternoon Blitz though.

[JPhillips]

Moriarty: It was from last week some time. I actually saw the printed version and went to the online story after this thread was revived.

[moriarty]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Moriarty: It was from last week some time. I actually saw the printed version and went to the online story after this thread was revived.

No, sorry I meant the date when they will start carrying Mike & Mike and others shows on the Spanish channel (I'm assuming it hasn't started yet).

[terpkristin]

Thank goodness I got XM.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Thank goodness I got XM.

ditto, but Sirius. Although there are better things to listen to then Mike and Mike on it, so I pretty much listen to ESPN radio only once in a while now. So maybe someone getting sat. radio isn't the best thing for ESPN radio.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by Cringer

ditto, but Sirius. Although there are better things to listen to then Mike and Mike on it, so I pretty much listen to ESPN radio only once in a while now. So maybe someone getting sat. radio isn't the best thing for ESPN radio.

Actually what drove me to XM was the World Cup coverage and the MLB play-by-play stuff. ESPN Radio was a bonus, but damn did it work out well now that 980 has become the 3rd station I listenED to with any regularity that started truly sucking.

/tk

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Actually what drove me to XM was the World Cup coverage and the MLB play-by-play stuff. ESPN Radio was a bonus, but damn did it work out well now that 980 has become the 3rd station I listenED to with any regularity that started truly sucking.

/tk

I figured XM had the World Cup. One of the few things I was disappointed Sirius didn't get. They have the Premeirship games, and was surprised they didn't get the WC.

Normally radio is DOOOOOMED!

[moriarty]

My wife has XM in her car and I'm very jealous. I wish XM had the premier games, but I'm more interested in commute programming. Having said that I did listen to several WC games while riding in her vehicle.

On the plus side, I found out 94.3 comes in pretty clearly on my commute. On the negative side ... the Spanish tunes on that channel now are just god awful.

[cuervo72]

If I haven't mentioned it already, DC listeners *might* be able to get M&M on 1300AM out of Baltimore.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsr...7/topstory.asp

Monday, July 17, 2006
DC To Get 'Triple X' Radio

As widely predicted, Washington, DC-based Red Zebra Broadcasting will debut a new Sports outlet tomorrow on company O&O's 94.3 WWXT-FM/Warrenton, VA (formerly WBPS), 92.7 WWXX-FM/Prince Frederick, MD (formerly WBZS) and 730 WXTR-AM/Alexandria, VA (formerly WKDL). The new "Triple X ESPN Radio" will simulcast on all three frequencies, which currently air Spanish- language programming.

The trio of radio stations was recently purchased by Washington Redskins' owner Daniel Snyder in a deal with Mega Communications. As previously announced the Sports trimulcast will become the radio flagship of the NFL Redskins beginning next season.

Also announced as part of the station's new lineup is local DC favorite and NFL Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, who will host afternoon drive from 4-7pm. The station's daytime lineup also includes ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning, The Herd With Colin Cowherd and The Dan Patrick Show. Evenings will be covered by ESPN's Game Night and AllNight With Jason Smith. Along with its broadcast signals "Triple X" will also stream its programming 24/7 on the web at www.triplexespnradio.com.

[QuikSand]

WTEM 980 is rapidly approaching the point of having absolutely nothing I want to listen to. The only show I really enjoyed recently was the Pollin/Czaban "Sports Reporters" which, last I heard, was buried in the late morning now (so it might as well not exist for me). Whatever they are airing now at 8:00am and 5:00pm is unlistenable. No need for it to be a pre-set any more, even. Ugh.

[Subby]

Thank god. I love Czaban on Sports Reporters, but he can't effectively carry his own show. I miss the ESPN analysts' segments.

Don't get me started on Rick "Doc" Walker...

[cuervo72]

I've not been listening to WTEM at all either, and agree on Czaban's morning show. Not worth listening to.

[Subby]

Snyder Is Getting Radio Active
Redskins Owner Takes On Sports Talk In Effort to Expand

By Paul Farhi and Thomas Heath
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, July 18, 2006; E01

Daniel Snyder bought a football team, a chain of amusement parks and his own jet before the age of 40. Now he has fixed his gaze on a new role: Media baron.

With little fanfare, the Washington Redskins' owner flips the switch today on his latest venture: a collection of three small radio stations that will broadcast Redskins games, ESPN chat programs and an afternoon talk show hosted by former Redskins running back John Riggins. The three stations will go by the somewhat awkward umbrella name "Triple X ESPN Radio."

The stations, which Snyder bought this year, represent Snyder's latest effort to capitalize on his crown jewel, the Redskins, a franchise with an estimated value in excess of $1 billion. By doing so, he will take on WTEM (980 AM), until now the only sports-talk station in the area.

Snyder's move into broadcast ownership follows the lead of other sports franchises that have created networks to reach fans while giving sports owners direct control over content. The NFL, NBA and NHL have all started their own cable and satellite TV networks, and Major League Baseball streams its games onto its Web site. The Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves have long carried their games on franchise-owned radio and TV stations, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels recently moved their radio broadcasts onto stations partially owned by the team.

In an interview, Snyder said he is bullish on the conventional broadcast business at a time when other investors have turned their attention to newer technologies. With the Redskins as his calling card, he says he is interested in building a portfolio of radio and TV stations throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

Radio is like the newspaper business, he said -- out-of-favor on Wall Street but still full of potential. "If The Washington Post were for sale, I'd buy it right now," Snyder said. "I don't buy companies at their peak. I sell them at their peak."

Snyder is counting on twin brands, the Redskins and ESPN, to lift three relatively weak stations (94.3 FM, 92.7 FM and 730 AM) that have been broadcasting Spanish-language pop music and talk. He is betting that if he can acquire more and more powerful stations -- he has bought one in Richmond and has a deal in the works for another in Norfolk -- he can create a wholly owned Redskins network reaching millions of fans from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas.

Snyder, 41, decided to become his team's broadcaster last December after CBS Radio's WJFK (106.7 FM) declined to renew its $10 million-a-year contract to carry the team's games, the most lucrative radio rights deal in the NFL. Not long thereafter, Snyder hired Bennett Zier, the top local executive at radio station operator Clear Channel Communications, and bought the three stations from Mega Communications of Florida for $33 million.

The question now is whether he can make it work.

Zier will oversee stations whose signals are so weak in parts of the metropolitan area that they can't be heard without interference. The AM station is weakest of all; under terms of its license, it must reduce its power after dark, which means it will fade out almost entirely by 5 p.m. during the fall and winter.

As such, the Snyder-controlled company that Zier runs, Red Zebra Broadcasting, is counting on a novel strategy: It will broadcast the same programs simultaneously on all three stations, counting on listeners to find the strongest signal by jumping from one station to the next via preset buttons. A new TV commercial for the stations, starring Riggins, attempts to make a virtue out of this deficiency. Over the sounds of the ESPN "SportsCenter" jingle and "Hail to the Redskins," an announcer says, "94.3 to the West. 92.7 to the East. And 730 AM all over D.C."

"It would be better if there were one signal," said Mark Fratrik, a radio industry expert and vice president of BIA Financial Network, based in Chantilly. "It doesn't knock me down. . . . If you want to position yourself as the Washington area sports network, not having complete coverage makes it more challenging."

Zier and Snyder say that shouldn't be a problem. Combined, they say the three stations reach farther and with better reception than WJFK. "We're going to be a vast improvement over sports radio in the Washington area now," Snyder said.

The comment is as much a shot at the Redskins' old station as the station that Triple X will compete against most directly, WTEM. "SportsTalk 980," as the station is known, is one Zier knows intimately: He oversaw its founding in the early 1990s, and was its top executive before being lured to Snyder's venture earlier this year.

Since then, Zier has raided the station for talent and programming. He snatched the ESPN shows and made a string of hires from WTEM, including program director Tod Castleberry and on-air reporter Bram Weinstein. The moves weakened WTEM, which was already reeling from the loss of one of its biggest draws, Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser, who left to become a color commentator for ESPN's "Monday Night Football."

The ESPN programs -- including "Mike & Mike in the Morning" and "SportsCenter" host Dan Patrick's show in the afternoon -- form the bulk of what listeners will hear. This, too, could prove problematic. Sports radio thrives on local sports talk, with hometown teams and personalities in the crosshairs of the call-ins and opinion-slinging. But outside of Riggins's program from 3 to 7 p.m. and an hour-long Redskins show at noon, the stations will be carrying nationally syndicated fare. As a result, local listeners seeking the latest on the Redskins are likely to find themselves tuning in to discussions of the Dodgers' pitching woes or the Indianapolis Colts' rookie prospects.

The two competitors will be fighting over a relatively small audience -- essentially, the adult men who are the most faithful sports-talk fans. WTEM captured an average of just 2 percent of the radio audience during the most recent three-month segment tracked by Arbitron Inc. -- and that was with the field all to itself. The station was the 15th most popular in the area, ranking just ahead of Spanish-language pop music on WLZL (99.1 FM) and classic rock on WARW (94.7 FM).

WTEM generated $7.7 million in revenue last year, which put it in 20th place among local stations, according to BIA. Sources close to the station put the number higher, around $10 million. By contrast, WTOP, the area's highest-grossing station, had estimated sales of $41 million last year, BIA said. (The Washington Post supplies radio programming to a station owned by WTOP's owner, Bonneville International Corp.)

For Redskins game broadcasts, Snyder is keeping the popular team of Sonny Jurgensen, Sam Huff and Larry Michael. In addition to the Riggins show, other current and former Redskins players, coaches, owners, cheerleaders and other members of the Redskins family are likely to be part of the programming, all almost certainly pushing Snyder's message.

"What you are able to do is control the message, not just during the game but in shoulder programming in days between the games where many fans keep the radio station on their radio dial and listen between the games," said Marc S. Ganis, president of the Chicago-based firm SportsCorp Ltd. and a consultant who follows the NFL closely.

This raises an obvious question: Can a radio station owned by a team be a fair critic of its owner, its team and the league?

"Talking Redskins works in sports talk every month of the year, but being a team-owned radio station prohibits you from being unbiased no mater what you may hear," said Dave Pugh, who replaced Zier as regional manager of the Clear Channel stations, including WTEM. "We've gotten calls from Redskins management regularly because of not only the fans speaking their minds but our [broadcasters'] perception and opinion as well."

Last year, for example, the Redskins demanded that WTEM change the hosts of its weekly chat with Coach Joe Gibbs after objecting to the tough questioning of former hosts Steve Czaban and Andy Pollin. The station complied, subbing in Weinstein.

Zier insists, however, that no holds will be barred, and that he is his own man, bolstered by an ownership stake in Red Zebra. He said he will have final say over the stations' content.

Riggins, who has often been a tough critic of the Redskins since retiring from the team 21 years ago, doesn't seem to be holding back. Is Snyder, his new boss, thin-skinned, he was asked during an early-morning interview at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown last week.

Riggins considered the question for a moment: "He's like tissue paper. He's a very sensitive guy. He reacts to things." But, he allowed, Snyder may also be misunderstood. "He made a lot of things happen at an early age," Riggins said. "If I had done many of the things he'd done, I would have been very confused."
© 2006 The Washington Post Company

[moriarty]

I flipped on 94.3 this morning, and while there was no live programming yet, the Spanish channel had been replaced by bits of Redskins game day coverage (almost like a highlight package).

Getting closer to going live w/ M&M in the morning.

[QuikSand]

I can't believe I kinda miss Mike & Mike. I've been listening to Imus, even. *sigh*

Time to go get a book on tape or something.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I can't believe I kinda miss Mike & Mike. I've been listening to Imus, even. *sigh*

Time to go get a book on tape or something.

I seem to not fit with most others here in my dislike for Mike & Mike... But, then again, I'd be perfectly content with WJFK in that time slot if I was up there...

[timmyw3]

Does nobody listen to the Junkies? They may be kind of goofy and have gotten away from the sports angles more over the past few years but they are more entertaining the these other stiffs.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by timmyw3

Does nobody listen to the Junkies? They may be kind of goofy and have gotten away from the sports angles more over the past few years but they are more entertaining the these other stiffs.

That was my point..

And actually, when I listen to internet radio at that time, 90% of the time I listen to the Junkies... but from what I think I know of Quik from this message board, I can see where they're not his style...

[Subby]

Okay I checked this out on the way home and the AM signal was the strongest for me by far. I am coming home from right near the White House though, so it makes sense that the Alexandria signal would work best.

Riggins was okay - he had Coach Gibbs on - but it was the type of softball horseshit I am pretty much resigned to getting from this new station...

Oh well. I think I am going to start exploring podcasts of PTI and other stuff as a replacement for the commute.

[gottimd]

Originally Posted by timmyw3

Does nobody listen to the Junkies? They may be kind of goofy and have gotten away from the sports angles more over the past few years but they are more entertaining the these other stiffs.

I listen to Junkies all the time. Since I take the Metro to work, and can't hear them live, I download their podcasts. I agree, they are much better than the rest. I used to listen to D&M all the time, and O&A when they were on. D&M, when I catch them in the evening live is pretty boring these days. O&A, I think I posed the question earlier in this thread about them.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by gottimd

I listen to Junkies all the time. Since I take the Metro to work, and can't hear them live, I download their podcasts. I agree, they are much better than the rest. I used to listen to D&M all the time, and O&A when they were on. D&M, when I catch them in the evening live is pretty boring these days. O&A, I think I posed the question earlier in this thread about them.

whoah whoah whoah, D&M is still the best thing going in DC ...

[gottimd]

Just to get back on topic, the John Thompson was the worst thing I have ever heard. Hurrrrting!

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by wade moore

whoah whoah whoah, D&M is still the best thing going in DC ...

I'm boycotting as long as they have that damned reverb. It's disorienting on AM (I can't pick up 106.7 until I'm a couple minutes from home).

[gottimd]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

I'm boycotting as long as they have that damned reverb. It's disorienting on AM (I can't pick up 106.7 until I'm a couple minutes from home).

Arent they on another station (FM) near the Baltimore area?

[cuervo72]

They may be, not sure. Best signal I've usually gotten leaving work (G'Burg) is 1350 out of York, PA. Considering I can get that almost to my house and 106.7 barely starts to come in, 106.7 must have ass for a signal (I think it gets squeezed out by the 106.7 station in Harrisburg, PA).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by gottimd

Arent they on another station (FM) near the Baltimore area?

WXYV-FM 105.7, from 3p-7p
http://s146481175.onlinehome.us/2006/affiliates.html

[cuervo72]

Ahh...yeah, that rings a bell now. I'm not sure if 105.7 comes in any better, I'd have to check (Baltimore and DC are pretty much equidistant from Frederick - about 45-50 miles).

[wade moore]

I remember the reverb because they've had it on 106.7 for awhile... but because of how my schedule has been, I haven't been able to listen to their stream since before they got in the new studio a couple of weeks ago..

Either way, my impression is that you'll be boycotting them for a LONG time if you are boycotting them as long as the reverb is on - supposedly Don has said it is here to stay... although that could change I imagine if it effects their ratings ...

[cuervo72]

That's fine. I've been wandering up and down the dial anyway. I could probably get used to the reverb on FM. On AM though when you're dealing with mono rather than stereo...well, it's not so good. Sounds like they're broadcasting from the bottom of a pit.

[Bee]

I hate this Cowherd guy.

It was nice to hear Mike and Mike in the morning though.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

That's fine. I've been wandering up and down the dial anyway. I could probably get used to the reverb on FM. On AM though when you're dealing with mono rather than stereo...well, it's not so good. Sounds like they're broadcasting from the bottom of a pit.

Hah, yeah... I don't even notice it on the podcasts that I listened to this morning. (while, audio highlights from their site since the podcasts are scrwed up)

Originally Posted by Bee

I hate this Cowherd guy.

It was nice to hear Mike and Mike in the morning though.

It kills me to say this, but... Cowherd grows on you... I really hated him at first, didn't want to like him, but I've slowly been able to appreciate him in small bunches.. when I'm in the car here it's him, conservative talk radio, or 980 actually reaches down here.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And, in a related story ...
http://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsr...9/topstory.asp

Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Red Zebra Grabs WWHV-FM/Virginia Beach, VA


The station is currently running under the moniker "Hot 102.1" and will continue its Urban format aimed at the Hampton Roads community until an LMA is negotiated, and possibly longer.

CEO Bennett Zier bought the station in Federal bankruptcy court in Greenbelt, MD on Monday as part of the On Top Communications collapse. A source close to the deal tells R&R the sale price was $4.25 million.
...
Redskins games are currently heard in Hampton Roads on WNIS-AM/Norfolk and are expected to continue to be heard there since advertising packages have already been sold for the fall football season. It is unclear whether the games will also be simulcast on 102.1 FM and what programming changes will be made at that station.

Red Zebra officials tell R&R that other acquisitions are in the works in the Washington, DC area, and an announcement could come later in the summer.