Missing Mouse

[DrAkbar]

Anyone know the reason KMIK 15~Eighty has vanished from the Ancient Modulation band? Is Disney saving money by keeping it dark until the new owner closes? Do they have to cut the carrier in order to replace one of the downed towers? Was all lost in the Zombie Apocalypse?

What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports is a goin' on?

 

[johndavis]

That's been their MO in other markets. They usually turn it off, file the STA, and leave it until the new owner closes and fires it up.

 

[purpledevil]

How long has it been off, Doc? KMIC in Houston was off exactly 10 days. When 1590 returned on the 10th day, it was under control of the new oner Daij Media. Might be a sign that KMIK is soon to close.

 

[DrAkbar]

hmmmm....wonder if 15~Eighty will be first to go All Ho-Ho-Ho Music when it returns to the air?

Just idle speculation from a bunch of Buckeyens who have far too much time to come up with this crap!

 

[KeithE4]

Do they have to cut the carrier in order to replace one of the downed towers?

I drove by there on Friday, and there are still only 5 towers.

 

[Sammi Brie]

I drove by there on Friday, and there are still only 5 towers.

That might be the holdup here, that and finding new programming. The sale has indeed consummated.

 

[DrAkbar]

Still dark as of 11/02 morning...maybe the earthquake took out the other five sticks? YIKES!!

 

[Sammi Brie]

Gabrielle has filed for a further STA, saying that similar rusted guy anchor damage has occurred to the remaining towers of the array.

They are now seeking to move KHEP to the KXEG stick. (A match made in heaven: the KHEP sign and the actual KHEP transmitter.) Proposed power is 50/0.095 and nighttime service will be cut dramatically.

The maps are so funny, thinking XEDM Hermosillo still exists. (Hint: there's an XHDM-FM in the same city!)

 

[DrAkbar]

They are now seeking to move KHEP to the KXEG stick. (A match made in heaven: the KHEP sign and the actual KHEP transmitter.) Proposed power is 50/0.095 and nighttime service will be cut dramatically.

So will 12~Eighty and 15~Eighty diplex? Sounds like it. And what becomes of that valuable piece of dirt along Loop 202 where the tower anchors rust in the humid air of Tempe? hmmmm...Nurse Jeff and I smell a land sale - how else could you justify that $1.4m selling price?

 

[KeithE4]

Gabrielle has filed for a further STA, saying that similar rusted guy anchor damage has occurred to the remaining towers of the array.

They are now seeking to move KHEP to the KXEG stick. (A match made in heaven: the KHEP sign and the actual KHEP transmitter.) Proposed power is 50/0.095 and nighttime service will be cut dramatically.

Wouldn't that classify 1580 as a Class D, since it would be running less than 250 watts at night? I thought downgrading from B to D was a no-no per the FCC.

The maps are so funny, thinking XEDM Hermosillo still exists. (Hint: there's an XHDM-FM in the same city!)

IIRC, the allocations for Mexican and Canadian stations are still in force, even if the XE-- or C--- goes off the air.

 

[DrAkbar]

Wouldn't that classify 1580 as a Class D, since it would be running less than 250 watts at night? I thought downgrading from B to D was a no-no per the FCC.

A downgrade is likely as 95 watts at night may be a stretch to cover the COL from the west side of Phoenix. The exhaust smell of our '76 Gremlin might carry further than 15~Eighty at night. Not sure if the FCC has issues with this kind of a downgrade, but the Ratchet Rule could affect how much pow-pow-power they pump into that stick.

Here's an interesting scenario: by changing to Class D, KHEP goes to the front of the line (along with sister KXEG) for getting an FM translator per the proposed FCC Ancient Modulation fix. Selling the land to pay down the purchase price...moving the xmttr to go from six sticks to one...diplexing to save big engineering and real estate bills...downgrading to Class D to get a front row seat for a translator. Hmmmm...someone has done their homework on this one. Let's see what kind of grade the FCC gives Gabrielle.

 

[johndavis]

A downgrade is likely as 95 watts at night may be a stretch to cover the COL from the west side of Phoenix.

They could always change the COL. With KDUS and KUPD both licensed to Tempe, the COL won't "lose" their "service" if they moved the COL westward.

EDIT: If classified as a class D station and a night power of less than 250 watts, there is no requirement to cover the COL at night. Homework was indeed done.

 

[DrAkbar]

After reading the application and looking at all the engineering studies, it became abundantly clear that Gabrielle started doing their homework long before the sale was anywhere close to closing. (if only students at the Buckeye Media Hut were that serious about studying for their dead end careers). Gabrielle brought up the issue of nighttime service to Tempe and sited the same ruling on Class D stations running less than 250 watts. The Nurse and I suspect 95 watts is about the max they could go at night without causing interference problems on that frequency. So after putting all this info in our hookah and smoking it, one question remains: What would Buck say? The Owens family spent a lot of time and money building out 15~Eighty, and now with FCC permission and a U Haul trailer, it'll all come undone.

 

[johndavis]

What would Buck say? The Owens family spent a lot of time and money building out 15~Eighty, and now with FCC permission and a U Haul trailer, it'll all come undone.

Buck would probably be busy launching a digital service like Radio Disney Country, another example of doing your homework.

 

[KeithE4]

They could always change the COL. With KDUS and KUPD both licensed to Tempe, the COL won't "lose" their "service" if they moved the COL westward.

EDIT: If classified as a class D station and a night power of less than 250 watts, there is no requirement to cover the COL at night. Homework was indeed done.

KDUS doesn't cover all of Tempe as it is, although it did when that facility was build back in the '60s. Tempe didn't extend south of Baseline at the time. But they're a Class B, not a D. I don't know how they get away with it now, unless protecting Monterey (1050) and LA (1070) is a higher priority.

But really, isn't it long past time for the FCC to finally get rid of the antiquated "city of license" requirements anyway? Just about every FM station between Coolidge and Prescott targets Phoenix anyway. Who cares if the license says Tempe, Mesa, Wickenburg, or Globe?

 

[Sammi Brie]

IIRC, the allocations for Mexican and Canadian stations are still in force, even if the XE-- or C--- goes off the air.

That's probably right, but the AM band has been so depopulated in much of Mexico it's ridiculous. In 2003, AMs represented 4 in 7 radio stations in Mexico. Now more than 70% are FMs.

 

[davideduardo]

That's probably right, but the AM band has been so depopulated in much of Mexico it's ridiculous. In 2003, AMs represented 4 in 7 radio stations in Mexico. Now more than 70% are FMs.

XEDM is the occupant of the Mexican clear channel of 1580, but the treaty and amendments give the channel to Mexico as what was formerly a 1-B channel meaning that anything on 1580 in the US must protect the entire Mexican border.

XEDM is not migrating, however. So it and the allocation must both be protected. There will be around 200 AM's left after the AM to FM migration, or just one out of every 4.

 

[Kent]

A downgrade is likely as 95 watts at night may be a stretch to cover the COL from the west side of Phoenix.

If it successfully downgrades to a class D, it won't have to cover the COL at night, even if it operates under a PSA, which is what the 95 watts would be.

I'm not sure about whether the FCC allows downgrades from class B to D. I seem to remember reading it's at least possible in some circumstances, though.

 

[DrAkbar]

I'm not sure about whether the FCC allows downgrades from class B to D. I seem to remember reading it's at least possible in some circumstances, though.

The Nurse and I don't think they'll have any problem downgrading, as this proposal doesn't affect co and adjacent channels. A strong case can be made that even with 50kw at night (albeit highly directional) the city of Tempe wont come to a grinding halt if 15~Eighty goes away. And who in their right mind would pay $1.4m for it? This was a land sale that just happened to include a radio station. Rusted guy anchors keep the station off the air and operating costs low until they're ready to fire up the Nautel from the 12~Eighty tower.

 

[MarioMania]

The Nurse and I don't think they'll have any problem downgrading, as this proposal doesn't affect co and adjacent channels. A strong case can be made that even with 50kw at night (albeit highly directional) the city of Tempe wont come to a grinding halt if 15~Eighty goes away. And who in their right mind would pay $1.4m for it? This was a land sale that just happened to include a radio station. Rusted guy anchors keep the station off the air and operating costs low until they're ready to fire up the Nautel from the 12~Eighty tower.

I'm going to harp on this

Why are you say like 15 Eighty for? it's 1580