WFME -94.7FM Transmitter

[Nick]

What if 94.3 New Haven moves 20 miles northeast to West Peak, then 94.3 Long Island moves 20 miles east to Bald Hill? Then could 94.7 move to Empire? Or could 94.3 Long Island downgrade its power to allow 94.7 to move east?

[stationless listener]

How about: work with what they have and get some good business by superserving the northern NJ areas where the signal covers.

Yeah, I think that'd be my first option. Why? Because it almost guarantees that the station won't be another urban/female-leaning/talk/chr station. At least I'd have a chance at listening to one of the "forgotten" formats that corporate type think are "unworthy". If that means a somewhat degraded signal in the city so be it. Better than having to stream in distant or out-of-area stations.

[ai4i]

Better than having to stream in distant or out-of-area stations.

Why? What is wrong with that, I do it all the time.

[badjef]

We've been around this track 1,000 times.  WMAS isn't the only obstacle to WFME moving to Empire, or any other site in NYC.  94.3 on Long Island is just as big of a roadblock, and it isn't co-owned.  It also can't move anywhere due to short spacing to New Haven and NJ. 

WFME is stuck where it is.  And the signal isn't half bad where it is, either.  The best they could do is go even higher and lower the ERP to get over more of the mountains and the city to the east.  But I doubt that's going to happen with Newark Airport being so close.  Last year, Family Radio moved the antenna to a neighboring tower and went 100 feet higher.

Let me clarify and expand.

Take this scenario:

If Cumulus makes a deal for 99.5 (after the purchase is complete for 94.7) and then leases the 94.7 to Pacifica in return. Cash could (and probably would) be involved as well.
Pacifica won't have to worry about $500k/year for Empire rent and Cumulus gets an Empire signal.

In this case, the move for 94.7 to Empire would be irrelevant and unnecessary. 99.5 is already there.

Then wait for something to happen to Smithtown.

94.3 could always be deflowered and reclassified to translator status, eventually.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[WNTIRadio]

94.3 could always be deflowered and reclassified to translator status, eventually.

No, it can't.  An allocation on the FM table cannot be deleted.  Even if the 94.3 license was turned in, the allocation still exists and would have to be protected.  It's different from the AM band where a license can be deleted and that "space" opened up to other stations. 

[ansky212]

What if 94.3 New Haven moves 20 miles northeast to West Peak, then 94.3 Long Island moves 20 miles east to Bald Hill? Then could 94.7 move to Empire? Or could 94.3 Long Island downgrade its power to allow 94.7 to move east?

Way too complicated. Plus, WYBC is a New Haven station serving the urban community. If their signal moved to Meriden it would be extremely weak in New Haven.

[w9wi]

Any reason they couldn't put up a booster in Manhattan?

I suppose it wouldn't do much good for LI or Westchester coverage but I would think it would address any issues in the city itself.  Or would the self-interference zone be the issue?  (I suppose that would fall in a rather heavily populated area...)

[Mike D]

Is there any chance of moving WFME to 94.9?  I'm sure that opens a whole 'nother can of worms, but I'm not sure if it is possible.

[ansky212]

Is there any chance of moving WFME to 94.9?  I'm sure that opens a whole 'nother can of worms, but I'm not sure if it is possible.

Not possible because of WRKI 95.1 in Danbury.

[Scott Fybush]

Is there any chance of moving WFME to 94.9?  I'm sure that opens a whole 'nother can of worms, but I'm not sure if it is possible.

Not possible because of WRKI 95.1 in Danbury.

Not to mention WPLJ. (And no, Cumulus can't grant itself a waiver.)