Pack Dumps WPTF--Maybe Duke should drop WDNC

[homebre]

Though I love the announcers on WDNC, it is very frustrating as many of you in North Carolina know to listen to WDNC. The signal for WDNC is so weak, after 5 pm I have trouble receiving the station for Duke basketball games at night, and I live 15 miles from Durham. It would be great to have an FM station so as not to get all the AM interference, or possibly have a station with a strong AM signal at night.

Andy from Hillsborough

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Now that State has jumped from WPTF 680 AM to WRAL 101.5 FM for its game broadcasts, and seeing how carolina is already on a strong FM station, perhaps Duke can move its game broadcasts to WRTP so folks outside of downtown Durham and Raleigh can actually hear night game broadcasts. 620 AM, the flagship station in Durham and sister station 850thebuzz AM in Raleigh both reduce their power at sunset so much that 15 miles from town the signal fades in and out, and by the time you get to Smithfield 30 miles east of Raleigh you can hear bupkis at night. This isn't so much of a problem for road basketball games since they are all televised, but is an issue for football, even if I am the only one who wants to listen ;)

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Though I love the announcers on WDNC, it is very frustrating as many of you in North Carolina know to listen to WDNC. The signal for WDNC is so weak, after 5 pm I have trouble receiving the station for Duke basketball games at night, and I live 15 miles from Durham. It would be great to have an FM station so as not to get all the AM interference, or possibly have a station with a strong AM signal at night.

Andy from Hillsborough

Well you and I had the same thought at roughly the same time, and I would guess that our two threads will soon be merged into one. But the idea is certainly valid!

[-jk]

Well you and I had the same thought at roughly the same time, and I would guess that our two threads will soon be merged into one.

Consider it done! :)

-jk

[PallasAthena]

In the case of NCSU, the announcers are the employees of Wolfpack Sports Marketing, so Gary Hahn et al. will continue to call the games, regardless of station. I wonder who employs Bob Harris?

[jimsumner]

Moore Productions.

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=187716&SPID=1845&SPSID=22745

[captmojo]

My understanding is that Moore productions is overpriced compared to the others of the big four.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Now that State has jumped from WPTF 680 AM to WRAL 101.5 FM for its game broadcasts, and seeing how carolina is already on a strong FM station, perhaps Duke can move its game broadcasts to WRTP so folks outside of downtown Durham and Raleigh can actually hear night game broadcasts. 620 AM, the flagship station in Durham and sister station 850thebuzz AM in Raleigh both reduce their power at sunset so much that 15 miles from town the signal fades in and out, and by the time you get to Smithfield 30 miles east of Raleigh you can hear bupkis at night. This isn't so much of a problem for road basketball games since they are all televised, but is an issue for football, even if I am the only one who wants to listen ;)

I've been wishing to dump 620 for years! We always know that when we make the turn off of Cameron Blvd onto 15-501 on our ride home from the games, we'll lose the post game program on the car radio. And that's not even a mile from Cameron!

You can bet that if Clear Channel switched the stations and and we had 1360 while "you know who" had 620 things would be different! Dump 'em.

Love, Ima

[HCFthird]

While we are talking about it - would it kill Duke to get a station in Wilmington???

I went through a whole season of Packer, Elmore, et al. Combine that with the team's play and these guys, it was intolerable.

[watzone]

Indeed, Duke could use a station on the Carolina Coast. Myrtle Beach would be nice too, but not many alumni down that way. Moore Proiductions dos a great job. If they cost more, which I am uncertain of, they are worth it.

[wxyz]

Let's keep AM 620 and simply add an FM station with broader coverage. AM 620 has good announcers and a loyal cadre of listeners. The FM listeners may be a distinct group and a nice addition. Realistically, the football team is going to have to win some games for the broadcast to be attractive.

[jjasper0729]

1) Duke can't drop WDNC for a while if they wanted to because a couple years ago, they signed a long term contract I believe. They will honor that contract. The contract NCSU had with Curtis had been year to year.

2) I'm not sure what the problem is with the strength of signal. I guess it depends on which direction you're heading. I leave the games and travel to Cary and have no problem picking up 620 for post game.

[devilish]

Let's keep AM 620 and simply add an FM station with broader coverage. AM 620 has good announcers and a loyal cadre of listeners. The FM listeners may be a distinct group and a nice addition. Realistically, the football team is going to have to win some games for the broadcast to be attractive.

Why would we have to get new announcers to move to a different station? Every station that has the Duke Radio Network that I have listened to has Bob Harris & Company,

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Let's keep AM 620 and simply add an FM station with broader coverage. AM 620 has good announcers and a loyal cadre of listeners. The FM listeners may be a distinct group and a nice addition. Realistically, the football team is going to have to win some games for the broadcast to be attractive.

If we were to change stations our announcers (Bob Harris and crew) wouldn't have to change, they would just be on the new network.

Fans down east do (occassionally) have a strong FM station to listen to - 107.9 out of Greenville. They don't do the full schedule for either football or basketball, and it is not just when there is a conflict with ECU games.

State dumped the strongest AM station around in favor of an even stronger FM signal. 680 would be such a signal strength improvement over the 620/850 combo that few would still have reason to complain (although obviously State wasn't satisfied). One would think that WPTF 680 management would be interested in getting the Duke bball broadcasts (football would have to be part of the package). C'mon Joe. I know you read the DBR. Make some inquiries and get this done.