Update 7:00pm: As we were compiling our report based on the call sign applications, The Boston Globe goes one step further verifying that WEEI will begin simulcasting on 93.7 this Monday, September 12 displacing “Mike-FM“.
Original Report 6:55pm: Entercom Sports 850 WEEI Boston will make its move to the FM band in Boston proper.
The station has scheduled a “Special Announcement” for the 8:00am hour on Thursday morning. At that time all signs point to the station announcing its move to the FM band.
Entercom has begun the process by applying for some call sign changes for a pair of its owned affiliate stations. 103.7 WEEI-FM Westerly, RI has applied to take the WVEI-FM calls from 105.5 in Springfield, MA. That station has concurrently applied to become WWEI. These moves will free the WEEI-FM calls for use in Boston.
Of the three FM’s Entercom owns in Boston, Variety Hits “93.7 Mike-FM” WMKK appears to be the best fit. 107.3 WAAF and simulcaster 97.7 WKAF have more overlap with the aforementioned 103.7 and 105.5.
The move will put WEEI on equal footing with CBS’ “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM which has surpassed WEEI with younger demos and during the NFL and NHL seasons as flagship to the New England Patriots and Boston Bruins. WEEI is the flagship of the Boston Red Sox and Celtics.
WEEI is the flagship for an eight station regional network serving New England. In addition to 850 WEEI, 103.7 WEEI-FM, and 105.5 WVEI-FM, the bulk of the WEEI programming can be heard on 1440 WVEI Worcester, MA, 96.3 WEII Cape Cod, MA, 93.5 WEEY Keene, NH, 95.5 WLOB-FM Portland, ME and 95.9 WPEI Saco, ME.
I think another shoe is going to drop. And that show may involve 107.3, the current home of WAAF.
The simulcast of 850 with 93.7 will do very little for the WEEI Sports Network’s spotty reception in “Metrowest” (the far western suburbs between Boston and Worcester), where neither 850 in Boston nor 1440 in Worcester has a strong signal.
I had thought that both WAAF frequencies would get “blown up” and WMKK to move to 97.7 to cerate a 93.7/107.3 WEEI simulcast.
But what I think will now occur is that WAAF will be heard only on 97.7, with 107.3 becoming a simulcast of 93.7.
Having WEEI on a 93./107.3 simulcast will mean that 850 and 1440 will probably both ipped (maybe to a 24/7 ESPN Radio simulcast and overflow sports events from 93.7/107.3??) and Worcester’s WCRN-830 will get dropped from the Boston Red Sox radio network after this season.
But if my understanding of Major League Baseball broadcasting regulations is correct, WCRN’s being about 40 miles outside of Boston will allow it to, if they get dumped by WEEI and the Sox, to become an affiliate of the Evil Empire Propaganda Broadcasting System (a/k/a the New York Yankees Radio Network).
I’m convinced that this isn’t the last concerning WEEI and FM in Boston.
Not so sure that would happen. They may do well with WAAF and the 97.7 brings the signal into Boston. Your thoughts about it could be true, though. For WEEI: I would think they may rely on the sister stations at 1440, 103.7, and the 105.5 from Springfield (ALTHOUGH there is a pirate on 105.5 in Worc. itself. Entercom could complain to the FCC about that)
93.7 may do OK in Worc area too, if the chart at radio-locator is accurate though it’s possible the 93.7 from Hartford could mix in, I don’t know. As for what will become of the AM 850 I don’t know if it would flip to ESPN 24/7 but maybe they could do a hodgepodge in which middays and overnights could be ESPN and the 850 would simulcast the AM drive, PM drive, and evenings (Mikey or Sox or Celtics)
The plus of ESPN on 850: may take some listeners away from rival Sports Hub
Minus: It may take listeners away from their own local
sports talk
But overall ESPN talk shows may not do well in ratings. They are used overnight to fill out the lineup. Play by play of baseball playoffs, etc. from ESPN will be a plus.
But for all we know the 850 could be flipped to anything from True Oldies to ESPN to ethnic. As more people turn to FM, the 850’s value may be less and less. Who knows, could even poss. be sold off.