New England RadioWatch: March 4, 1996

Quadropoly Arrives

by Scott Fybush

• Now that the telecommunications act is law, Infinity is wasting no time in growing still larger in Boston. Locally, Infinity already owns modern-rock WBCN (104.1), which it's had since the beginning, and classic-rock WZLX (100.7), which it purchased a few years back as part of Cook Inlet. With its $410 million purchase of Granum, Infinity now also gets AAA WBOS (92.9) and smooth jazz WOAZ ("The Oasis," 99.5, licensed to outlying Lowell). The most recent Arbitrends give the four FMs a 14.8 share, 12+, making it the third-most-listened to radio group in Boston, behind Evergreen at 17.3 (including WKLB, whose acquisition is still pending) and American Radio Systems at 14.8, but now ahead of CBS at 13.1. If Infinity sticks to established practice, it will keep WBOS/WOAZ operations separate from WBCN and WZLX. This should be interesting for a few people at WBOS, especially morning jock Ken Shelton, who just defected from Infinity and WZLX last year. The deal also adds to Infinity's holdings in Baltimore (2 AMs/2 FMs, including Granum's WXYV-FM/WCAO-AM), Dallas-Ft. Worth (6 FMs/2 AMs, including Granum's KRBV-FM/KOAI-FM/KHVN-AM), and Atlanta (2 FMs/1 AM, including Granum's WVEE-FM/WAOK-AM), as well as putting Infinity in Orlando for the first time with Granum's WHTQ-FM/WMMO-FM/WHOO-AM. This is Boston's first four-FM combo, although American Radio Systems has two AMs and two FMs, and Evergreen has two FMs, an AM, and is buying a third FM. I'm not sure exactly how to read the communications act, but it seems a single owner could control either seven or eight stations in the Boston market. You need a scorecard, and fortunately you can find one right here.

• The leased-time sports format debuted on schedule Monday morning on WBPS 890 Dedham-Boston, with Jimmy Myers at 6am, Jack Farrell at 10am, and Dave Pallone at noon. But then at 3pm, listeners were treated to a rebroadcast of one hour of each show, starting with Myers -- complete with 7am time checks and invitations to call in at 617-931-1800 -- and without any mention that the program was on tape. Judging by an hour or two of listening, the callers seem to be few and far between. Also, it appears the New England Revolution major-league soccer team will NOT be heard on WBPS in its debut season, nor on any other English-language outlet. Spanish-language broadcasts are still in the works.

• And finally, a first: a web page for a defunct station! You can see the on-line remnants of WSNG (610) Torrington CT. The station has been dark since January 19, but has reportedly been bought by nearby WZBG (97.3) Litchfield and could return to the air soon.