PURCHASE, N.Y. — It was first brought to RBR+TVBR‘s attention last week in a conversation with the President and Vice President of partner SCMS. Now, GeoBroadcast Solutions (GBS) has formally disclosed its plans to bring Audacy improved FM reception for two of its FM radio stations serving the New York Tri-State area.
The plan is to bring MaxxCasting to Class B WCBS-FM 101.1 in New York and sibling WXBK-FM 94.7 in Newark, N.J., a Class B with a very different signal contour. WCBS-FM uses a transmitter high atop the Empire State Building, whereas WXBK relies on a transmitter between Route 3 and I-95 just south of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in Rutherford, N.J.
To some media observers, this has hindered the ability of WXBK’s “94.7 The Block” retro hip-hop format of growing audience in key boroughs of the City of New York. While the signal contour appears to show a city-grade signal over the entire market, “canyon” effects caused by the Manhattan skyline and the hilly terrain of lower Westchester County famously curtail HD Radio signals. The latter is also a reality for WCBS-FM and other stations using the Empire State Building.
“The initiative reflects a growing industry realization that even the strongest FM signals in dense urban markets are not reaching their full potential audience,” GBS further explained. “In New York, terrain effects and dense development in all directions can disrupt reception at street level, where most listening occurs, particularly in cars with antennas positioned roughly six feet off the ground.”
Audacy Sr. VP of Technical Operations John Kennedy added, “In a market as competitive as New York, consistency of reach matters. This technology strengthens our service, improves our competitive position and ensures our content reaches the full audience that wants it.”
Fifty-year-old broadcast equipment provider SCMS played a key role in bringing MaxxCasting to the two Audacy stations in New York. For more, be sure to read our Spring 2026 Radio + Television Business Report magazine, as Adam R Jacobson interviews Bob and Matt Cauthen.
