Fifty years ago, FM radio was shifting radio listening habits in a significant way. In Miami, where geography made AM radio challenging for some operators, acceptance of FM came fast thanks to improved reception and audio quality. In San Francisco, FM radio’s full dominance didn’t come until a decade later largely due to the area’s hilly terrain, causing line-of-sight signal challenges that persist today.
Audacy, now under new leadership, has opted to do something about that for two of its heritage music stations serving the Bay Area.
To fill in those signal holes, Audacy inked an agreement with GeoBroadcast Services to deploy MaxxCasting technology on its KITS “Live 105,” an Alternative station, and Hot Adult Contemporary sibling KLLC “Alice @ 97.3.”
Audacy joins Bonneville International as a user of the booster-based technology marketed as MaxxCasting.
Audacy is enhancing its coverage through the use of seven strategically positioned nodes designed to enhance the signal reach and clarity for Live 105 and Alice. As GBS sees it, each station is adding coverage to more than 800,000 potential listeners across the region with a focus on the South Bay and communities near San Jose.
The Bay Area deployment for Audacy marks a second use of MaxxCasting in California, as the company is using it in San Diego.
“Having witnessed meaningful success with MaxxCasting on our Padres affiliate in San Diego and seeing other stations activate successful deployments in San Francisco, we were inspired to move forward with this technology here,” said John Kennedy, SVP of Technical Operations at Audacy. “We’re excited to enhance our reach in San Francisco, providing clearer, more consistent service to over 800,000 new listeners.”
A GeoBroadcast Solutions (GBS) spokesperson said the company is “honored to see the value of MaxxCasting being readily embraced by Audacy and other broadcast leaders. The adoption of our technology in so many markets shows its versatility and effectiveness in enhancing radio coverage. We look forward to supporting future deployments and are excited by the momentum building across the country.”
