pats1

ESPN Radio’s Boston affiliate set to sign off - The Boston Globe

Wow, this is potentially another crazy shakeup.

ESPN 850 would be affiliated with the new ESPNBoston.com, where Reiss will be featured.

So if this all goes through, the new landscape would look like this:

Entercom: WEEI (FM ???), WEEI.com, Fox Sports Radio, NFL on Westwood One, Red Sox, Celtics, Revolution
Entercom: ESPN 850 AM, ESPNBoston.com, ESPN Radio, ???
CBS Radio: WBZ-FM The Sports Hub 98.5 FM, 985TheSportsHub.com, Sporting News Radio, CBS Sports Local Boston, Patriots, Bruins

WWZN 1510 The Zone pulled its sports talk programming a while ago, but still has some local college games on. They also lost Sporting News affiliation to 98.5.

Gone is WAMG 890 ESPN and long gone is AM 790 The Score.

chris66

EEI must have taken a good hit in the ratings. they definitely need a fm signal

PatsWickedPissah

Tough receiving those weak AM sigs even back in Sudbury, MA in the winter. Faggetaboutit here in southern seacoast NH. But 98.5 FM comes in clear up here. It and 96.9 FM don't receive well in South Yarmouth in Cape Cod though, a dead zone.

I welcome more sports radio on FM. I'm confounded on why the move to 1950s FM technology didn't happen sooner, a sad reflection on lack of market awareness by dinosaur era radio station management.

__________________
Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man. Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people. Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as "bad luck." RAH

jmt57

Seems like Entercom perceives CBS/98.5 to be far more of a threat than any of the previous sports talk radio stations such as 1510 and 890. The fact they are taking their competition seriously is a good sign for sports fans.

hwc

Hey, I love having two options to try for Pats talk before moving right to Rush/Howie or left to NPR to escape the Red Sox hockey talk.

Pats726

All interesting....that ESPN radio might move in totally in a few months...THAT would make 3 stations...

Deus Irae

I'd love to know how much is a perceived 'threat', how much was already in the works, and how much was a result of 'good ideas' brought about in the general course.

Going FM, for example, had already been done by WEEI in the south. I listen to it on 103.7 from Boston south, and from Norwich, Ct east.

__________________
"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."
- Marcus Aurelius

efin98

They have three choices for conversion to the new FM station here: 93.7, 97.7, or 107.3

93.7 is doing very well in most ratings, WAAF not so much. I don't think they would want to shut down their cheap, multiple genre, top 10 station in favor of their rock station so AAF seems to be the casulty looming.

Either they lose their 97.7 frequency or both 97.7 and 107.3

__________________
"As long as we have Belichick, I always think that we're going to be just fine."...Tom Brady, in reference to his coach.

“It is what it is, but it ain’t what you think.”...Brandon Spikes

Rob0729

I am sure that WEEI would ultimately want to to move to FM at some point although 850 is an extremely powerful station for an AM signal. It does seem pretty clear though that WEEI sees 98.5 as real competition and have been making a lot business moves in terms of on-air programming to counteract them. They may not think 98.5 can ever beat them, but they are definitely concerned that they will syphon enough listeners to hurt them.

As for moving WEEI to FM and ESPN to 850's signal, I wholeheartily welcome it. The more competition the better it is for us. Choice is good when it comes to entertainment. If you don't like what the Big Show is talking about, you can go to Felger and Mazz. And if they don't have what you want, you can go to ESPN Boston.

It also helps discover new radio talent. I assume Christopher Price wouldn't be getting the radio time he is starting to get if Felger and Zolak were still available to WEEI. I think brining in an outside talent like Damon Amendolara has boosted the quality of radio in this town.

I say the more the merrier. Not a big fan of Kevin Winter or Bob Lobel, but with an increased signal strength ESPN Boston might be able to attract better talent for their afternoon gig.

Rob0729

Isn't WAAF broadcast on both 97.7 and 107.3? They can easily lose one or the other. The problem with AAF (and WBCN before it) is the status of modern rock is in the toilet. Even what is passed off as rock these days is nothing but poser pop-rock. Bands don't even aim high anymore. Instead of trying to be the next U2 or Green Day, they want to be the next Fallout Boys or Nickelback. It's kinda sad, but kids today rather listen to rap than rock. And the record companies only care about style over substance when it comes to rock today.