Could Alt 98.7 move to WWJ Simulcast?

[drew10219]

it would get better ratings then it does now...

they just flipped the old AMP station in LA to a News so I would not rule it out

[MrTaterSalad]

I think rebranding it News Radio 98-7 WWJ or News Radio 98 WWJ would be fine. Either one of those have a nice ring and flow to it when said aloud.

[Ben Zonia]

The Simulcast works well on WBBM 780 and WCFS 105.9 in Chicago. They have to be all simulcast to appear as one combined rating. The reason it is WCFS and not WBBM-FM is that WBBM-FM 96.3 is a well established identity.

There would be no problem with 98.7 being WWJ-FM. The rules would not allow 98.7 to locate at the WXYT-FM tower. The FCC should offer a waiver to WOWE 98.9 for it to increase to 6 kW in return for the short spacing, WWJ-FM with a diplexed antenna with WXYT-FM. Considering all the grandfathered spacings, it wouldn't cause any real problems. Not sure if WOWE is short spaced to WFMK though. WFMK did move a little further away though. Would have to check. The FCC probably wouldn't allow a waiver anyway.

It's short spaced to WFMK also. Directional 6 kW is usually not a meaningful improvement over 3 kW nondirectional.

[Marcus]

Could happen any day now. Alternative is not a ratings powerhouse in Detroit. Bell (Canada), IHeart, and now Audacy know this all too well. There might even be a day when WJR is heard on 93.1 FM.

[MWmetalhead]

While I agree the tower originally known as the WWJ-FM / WWJ-TV tower (those stations today bear the calls of WXYT-FM and WDIV, respectively) near I-696 and Lincoln Ave. in Southfield is the best site in the region bar none, 98.7 FM wouldn't see enough of a signal gain on a net basis to make the move worthwhile.

It would merely enable them to deliver a better signal to Livingston County to the west of Brighton plus the far northern reaches of the area (Holly, Ortonville, Fenton, Grand Blanc, Lapeer and perhaps Port Huron).

I would be curious to know who owns that structure today.

[Mega Hertz]

No! Goddammit NO! NO NO NO!!! I have to have my Billie Eilish and Fall Out Boy every hour on the hour! LEAVE MY 24KGOLDNUGGET STATION ALONE!!!

/s

We've farted around about a WWJ simulcast for years (in part because AMP was terrible, also). And also, while alternative was indeed never a ratings powerhouse (going back the later years of WABX and WLBS in 1983-84), but what they are playing now is NOT alternative rock. It's a collection of YouTube ad jingles and 95.5 rejects. I still say they should toughen it up, play newer cuts from actual rock artists and go heavy on the gold. Lots of 90s and early 00s stuff has been pushed aside.

Whether they do that or flip it to a WWJ simulcast, it can't possibly do any worse than the current format. That is, unless it's some kind of Brewster's Millions thing, where they have to tank and suck to get $30,000,000 dollars or something.

[Ben Zonia]

Moving to the WXYT-FM tower is already very speculative, assuming the FCC would grant waivers if necessary. WLCO has been sold, and that could change the Paragraph 73.3555 situation for Townsquare, and that or swapping an FM might allow Townsquare to acquire standalone WOWE, opening up a self agreement with WFMK if allowed.

The tower at 8009 Lyndon is owned by Audacy, and also has a multiplex of Audacy AUX facilities.

No move should be made without complete Longley Rice and population studies related to any move. I would suspect it would show more gains than losses at 15 kW at 893 feet HAAT.

Complete speculation, as was admitted.

[SBaxley]

with the suggestion of 98.7 as wwj fm , I give you a little logo refresh..

[Realist]

with the suggestion of 98.7 as wwj fm , I give you a little logo refresh..

God that looks sweet

[SBaxley]

Thanks, should audcity switch one of their FM'ers to WWJ news radio , logically it would have to be ALT 98.7 , why, simple, Young country 99.5 still gets an audience, WOMC is WAYYY too legacy to be flipped. so, through the process of elimination, the only FM station that would be the choice to get flipped IS ALT 98.7

[Mega Hertz]

Look on the bright side...not like there's any local air talent or anything to get fired if they flip, so there's that.

[MWmetalhead]

I like the logo mock-up, too! Nice job.

No way would Audacy leave a tower site that they own in favor of one where they'd likely have to pay rent to simply shift coverage radials about eight miles north-northwestward. Building penetration ability in downtown Detroit would also be diminished a bit.

98.7 already enjoys a great signal across most of Oakland and Macomb County's highly populated areas. The Lyndon Rd. tower also delivers a very good signal to Ann Arbor. Signal placement is not at all responsible for 98.7's cruddy ratings. Terrible programming is completely responsible.

[Mega Hertz]

Oh, hey, are they allowed to change the FM calls to WWJ-FM or are 3 letter calls not allowed anymore?

[Ben Zonia]

Oh, hey, are they allowed to change the FM calls to WWJ-FM or are 3 letter calls not allowed anymore?

No problem changing to WWJ-FM. Rules have changed over the years so that you can do almost anything. You can't be assigned new three letter call signs, but many stations pretend they do by dropping the first W, such as WWTN Nashville is called WTN. Also in Nashville, for instance, WSM and WSM-FM are not even co-owned. A number of AM stations with three letter callsigns have FMs in neighboring cities using the -FM suffix of the AM. WGY is in Schenectady, NY, and WGY-FM is in Albany, NY, is one example. Many stations have gone back to legacy three letter callsigns.Sometimes, they end up on other stations in the market that they own, such as KGB 1360 (now KLSD) San Diego now being KGB on 760. WWL-FM is actually licensed to Kenner, LA. WHB 810 Kansas City flip flopped with KCMO 710 to get the call letters on a 50000 watt facility.

"-FM" would be considered to be a suffix to the three letter callsign, like "-TV".

[ZenithCKLW]

Isn’t WWJ-FM considered a 5 letter call sign?