Comments on: Mets Flagship Station WFAN Switching From AM To FM

By: Metsie

Metsie — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:32:10 +0000

Well Armed Forces radio is now all done via Satellite with all the other data communications the Military uses.

Most of what is available on Short Wave now are all the foregn language propaganda stations beamed into closed countries who limit the media.

By: Joey D.

Joey D. — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 22:38:20 +0000

Hi Metsie,

It’s like my other love – shortwave radio. So many countries now find it not worth the transmission cost anymore along with cable and the web so popular.

Up through the eighties it used to be that the international bands were packed with English language broadcasts beginning in the early afternoon. Now, it’s like the amount we find on average FM. Before MLB was plastered all over the place, Armed Forces Radio would broadcast many important games down the stretch.

Such a shame, too. Now that I have a rig I would have died for when I was a teenager, what I had to listen to as a teenager has dropped as much DW’s batting average the second half.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:18:54 +0000

It’s a problem with the high cost of license fees for the AM band that just is not worth it to the broadcaster.

The ratings simply do not justify the license and the cost of maintaining AM transmission.

Not when FM stransmission and DigitSat are so much cheaper since those transmitters are easily rentable as opposed to having to be owned as is the case for AM. ALl that old Analog TV transmitter technology can handle FM broadcast. AM is and has only ever been used by Radio stations and as a result maintain thier Niche High price.

In time FM will go away as well. In time it will all be done via Data/Cellular or Sat.
I wouldn’t be surprised if eventually they try and take those AM/FM frequencies over and make them Cell/Data the way they are trying to do with TV frequencies now.

By: alan

alan — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:11:50 +0000

Maybe they decided it was costing too much to feed Mike Francessa!

By: This is stupid

This is stupid — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:47:10 +0000

Are we allowed to post pictures on metsmerized? Just wondering.

By: Joey D.

Joey D. — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:26:25 +0000

At the 50th Anniversary Celebration at Hofstra last April one of the speakers talked about the demise of “New York Mets Radio Network”. Whereas in decades past stations throughout the tri-state area carried games, there is now only one out-of-town station carrying the orange and blue. Living in the city I was unaware of this.

If FAN did go to FM only it would hurt so many Met fans in the tri-state area. I remember one problem back in the sixties and early seventies was the fact the signal from New Jersey based station WJRZ was at times hard to pick even in the immediate area up depending upon on the surroundings.

As it is, I don’t notice any post-season – other than the Yankees of course – on the AM dial.

By: Kay

Kay — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:53:43 +0000

Well at work I listen to my very antiquated radio attachment on my IPOD which only has FM, so it works for me However, I’d rather listen to teeny bopper station then the1:00 show on the FAN Unless of course it’s a day game.

By: jessep

jessep — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:51:41 +0000

yeah I heard they will remain on 660am anyway…. living out of NY, I get 660 and got 1050 but when ESPN ditched 1050, they lost a listener. If 660 switched to only FM they’d lose a ton of people I think

By: stick

stick — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:38:41 +0000

those of us in south jersey will be shut out too. 660 does not always come in clear (subject to interference),

with XM, I can at least get the games, but every once in a while I decide to listen to the talk part of FAN in the car. No more of that!

ideally for the listening area, they will have other stations picking up the games, but again, they probably won’t have the rest of the programming.

By: Kay

Kay — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:26:20 +0000

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/10/08/wfan-sportsradio-66-to-simulcast-on-101-9-fm/

The Fan will still be on AM according to this article.

By: Little Nicky

Little Nicky — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:15:38 +0000

This would totally suck for me, will really miss Howie if it’s true. Just barely get good reception now as it is.

By: Donal

Donal — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:05:22 +0000

Ya, I don’t get it. AM covers a larger area. I work in upper Westchester and can hardly get any of the music stations in the car. You’d think they want more people to get their signal.

By: USMF

USMF — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:55:45 +0000

Sucks, I live in Rochester and at night I can pick up 660 and listen to the games when driving…now that option goes away.

By: Donal

Donal — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:38:24 +0000

Great. The one decent music station in this town and they are switching formats. Again.

What is really funny is that after ESPN went to FM, Carton had some snide remarks about it, how a real station wouldn’t need to do that.