Quote:
Originally Posted by esquire
Yes, I've noticed that... once I get to Minnesota/North Dakota it doesn't take long before NPR stations fade out.
That contrasts with Winnipeg's major radio stations which carry for comparatively huge distances. Maybe it's an effect of the US being more densely populated?
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I think it's mostly due to catchment area / city size. If you're a major radio station in Winnipeg, it makes sense to pay more to have broadcasting power that can be received all over Southern Manitoba, because those people are all potential listeners, and potential customers for your Winnipeg-based advertisers.
If there was a Winnipeg-sized city in ND, it would probably broadcast like Winnipeg does.
I'm almost certain NPR in Burlington broadcasts significantly more powerfully than the Colebrook and St. Johnsbury stations. I get the Burlington one pretty clearly in the Townships and in the Montreal area - that's a much bigger radius than the other two.
And based on my drives across the US, I also recall I don't have to change stations too often when in heavily populated corridors. Pretty sure I catch NPR from Washington DC deep into Virginia, etc.
This all makes business sense when you think about it. A radio station from a given city doesn't need to broadcast beyond the catchment area of the city in question, while they also don't want to leave too many listeners out. It results in an equilibrium point where broadcasting power of major stations is correlated to a city's catchment area.