FOR TALK RADIO GEEKS

‘What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light:  and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.” (Matthew 10:27)

In scanning through the FM radio dial early this afternoon while driving through downtown Framingham, I was very surprised to find a pretty strong FM signal carrying the Rush Limbaugh Show.  It was at 94.9.  For years, WHOM with studios in the Portland, Maine area and transmitter atop Mount Washington, New Hampshire broadcast adult/contemporary soft rock music at 94.9 on the dial.  I’m not sure if WHOM is still around but it had a very strong signal and at many times (day or night) it could be heard in Framingham with a signal strength almost as strong as a Boston station.  At first, I wondered if WHOM had adopted a new talk-radio format, but it turns out the station is WTAG out of Worcester.

WTAG has been broadcasting at 580 on the AM dial for many decades, and they continue to do so.  They’ve now added 94.9 FM which broadcasts the exact same programming that’s on 580 AM.  I suspect the station probably plans to eventually “jump” exclusively to 94.9 and abandon 580 AM which is a trend that happening around North America as more and more music stations go to satellite and more and more talk stations go from AM to FM.  WTAG’s signal on 580 AM was always terrible in Framingham.  That’s always surprised me because its sister station, WSRS at 96.1 which plays adult/contemporary soft rock (very similar to Boston's MAGIC 106.7) comes into Framingham with a blockbuster signal.  

94.9’s signal isn’t quite as strong as that of WSRS or of WRKO-AM for that matter, BUT the absence of static and the clearer modulation on FM is more pleasant on the ears than is WRKO.  Unfortunately, WTAG features pretty much all nationally syndicated shows.  Limbaugh is O.K., but I’m a guy who prefers local talk so it’s unlikely I’d abandon 96.9 WTKK or WRKO for WTAG.

For those of you who are falling asleep, please bear with us talk radio geeks!