[BC] Channel 6 audio

[Dana Puopolo]

WLNE-TV in New Bedford, MA (Providence, RI) ended analog on channel 6 this
week, and over 90% of their calls were from people complaining that they
couldn't pick them up on FM any more. They had really promoted it over the
years, including billboards. They even went CP.

Right now they are actually turning the analog back on for newscasts and any
emergency stuff-per the FCC.

The entire market shut down analog the other day.

IMHO, WPVI should have gotten the ratings. By disallowing them, Arbitron
DELIBERATELY distorted those numbers.

-D

From: Mark Humphrey <mark3xy at gmail.com>

On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 6:30 PM, Broadcast List USER
<Broadcast at fetrow.org> wrote:

 > Over Christmas I heard a radio station in the Philadelphia market running
 > promos stating you should listen to their news because Channel 6 will soon
 > be off FM!
 >

In the mid-80's, back when Arbitron allowed clients to physically
inspect paper diaries, the GM and I spent a day in Laurel reviewing
the most recent returns from the Philadelphia market.  I found at
least 150 with "Channel 6", "WPVI-FM",  "WPVI 87.7", "Action News",or
similar entries written in during part of the survey week, all of
which were crossed out in red ink by the Arbitron editors.

One woman even wrote in her comments, "I'm so glad Channel 6 has an FM
station so I can keep up with General Hospital when I'm in the car!"

Perhaps this is a use for those HD-2 channels.

Mark