WKVB-FM/Worcester MA Expands to the Boston Market

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, July 30, 2020

GeoBroadcast Solutions

Educational Media Foundation's WKVB-FM (107.3) in Worcester, MA has expanded its signal and audience to reach the Boston-market through a diplexing arrangement with WXLO-FM's existing MaxxCasting system from GeoBroadcast Solutions. Operating as part of the K-LOVE network of Contemporary Christian stations, WKVB is a non-commercial station that benefitted from the MaxxCasting infrastructure and improving its coverage due to the location of its antenna and the local terrain.

The coverage boost represents the first diplex deployment of a MaxxCasting system with HD Radio, and opens the way for future multicasting of several stations using a 4-node single-frequency network (SFN).

MaxxCasting combines radio and cellular technology and enables FM Broadcasters using boosters to enhance their signals by reducing interference between the main and booster transmissions through the use of a cluster of low to the ground, high power, highly directionalized synchronized booster sites.

"The ability to include more than one station in a MaxxCasting system provides multiple broadcasters the ability to improve their signals and increase their listeners through one booster source," said GeoBroadcast Solutions CTO Bill Hieatt. "Applying the technology in such a way brings down costs and supports the revenue split business model we've proposed for ZoneCasting."

"After seeing the success of a MaxxCasting HD deployment at WXLO and Seattle's KDDS, and the newly provided practically seamless coverage, we decided to explore the technology to improve the listener experience," said EMF VP/Signal Development Joe Miller. "We are quite pleased with the outcome and are in the process of exploring several other markets to implement the GBS technology."

The FCC is currently considering a rule change petition that would permit radio broadcasters to air geo-targeted programming. In a letter dated May 4, 2020 to the FCC, EMF Vice President Sam Wallington supported the petition to allow FM stations to hyper-target audiences. ZoneCasting will eventually owe its success to MaxxCasting, the foundational architecture that is also currently boosting FM and HD signals at KWFN in San Diego. The improved signal also increases penetration with Nielsen PPM to help broadcasters accurately measure audiences and set advertising rates.