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WVLK Translator Being Challenged by WSGS

This matter is getting 'interesting".
 
A scary thought is that Cumulus will purchase WSGS like they did 102.3 WCYN in Cynthiana KY and either lower their power or take them silent.
 
microbob said:
A scary thought is that Cumulus will purchase WSGS like they did 102.3 WCYN in Cynthiana KY and either lower their power or take them silent.
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While changing power on two co-owned stations is a possibility, they can't "take silent" an allocation. Turning the station off would just allow someone else to file for the allocation.
 
WeNeverKnew said:
Don't allow yourself to be distracted by Cumulus and their peevish attempt at spin. This isn't about what site WSGS is currently broadcasting from. It's only about whether or not Cumulus will do the right thing and turn off W266AN. So far they continue to behave like a petulant child trying to delay an inevitable punishment. Truly the bottom feeders of Lexington radio.
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The translator coverage is waaaaay outside the protected contours of the Hazard station. There is nothing petulant about objecting to claims that what is very obviously tiny amounts of listening outside the protected contour should be subjugated to greater local service in Lexington and to the FCC's own efforts to improve the future for AM stations.
 
microbob said:
A scary thought is that Cumulus will purchase WSGS like they did 102.3 WCYN in Cynthiana KY and either lower their power or take them silent.
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WCYN 102.3 is an oldies station now. I can barely get here in Winchester where I work.

Didn't 102.3 rebroadcast 92.9 many years ago?
 
WeNeverKnew said:


Are you really saying that in the name of "greater local service," the monied corporate owner has every "right" (sorry, KR4BD) to impose themselves on the small town owner and the WSGS audience - no matter how large or small the Lexington or Hazard audience?
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WSGS is protected to the 60 dbu of a conforming station of its class, which is about 60 miles. The translator's farthest reach is about 100 miles from the Hazard site. There is no protection to be expected, no matter who the owner is.

Years ago in Cleveland, I used to listen to XEB from Mexico City at night when local WGAR signed off; I'd even call and request songs! But XEB had no right to cover my area, despite being a full 1-A clear channel station. When WGAR went 24/7, I could no longer get WGAR, and had recourse to complain.

Frankly Mr. Eduardo, after enjoying your contributions here and elsewhere over the years, I'm more than confident that were you the owner at WSGS you'd be fighting this too.
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On one of the occasions when I was PD of KLVE 107.5 in LA we had a considerable, top-10, share in Santa Barbara, outside our conforming B protected contour. An application was filed for 107.7 in a "suburb" of Santa Barbara, and which would block future listening to KLVE in that market. We looked at the legal and engineering aspects, and saw nothing could be done as we had simply enjoyed a "bonus" as long as the adjacent channel was vacant well up the coast. Same applies to the Hazard station.
 
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jb_ky said:
WCYN 102.3 is an oldies station now. I can barely get here in Winchester where I work.

Didn't 102.3 rebroadcast 92.9 many years ago?
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Yes they did simulcast 92.9 as well prior to simulcasting 590 WVLK when they were also on 101.5
 
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I thought so. Never understood why you would want to simulcast 92.9 in Cynthiana at 102.3.

I've asked Cumulus about having HD radio or even HD2 and they have no plans to do that here in Lexington. If they had an HD2 for 92.9 it cover more real estate than 101.1.
 
WeNeverKnew said:
As always, I appreciate your reasoned response, Mr. Eduardo. I'll be the first to admit that I am far too much the cynic. Far too quick to anger over what I perceive as injustice. At times, I wish that weren't so. Perhaps that is why I always enjoy reading your contributions to this site. They're always based in a love of radio, both past and present, as well as an obvious desire to share the great wealth of your knowledge and experience.
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I appreciate the comments. From my perspective, it is hard to defend a company I do not admire, even if it is doing a perfectly legitimate move... so I get the emotional attachment for the underdog. In the end, though, a translator that respects its power limits and authorization (something I suspect all too often does not happen) will not hurt that brave little station in Hazard which probably does better radio than the Cloud people will on the translator.
 
DavidEduardo said:

The translator coverage is waaaaay outside the protected contours of the Hazard station. There is nothing petulant about objecting to claims that what is very obviously tiny amounts of listening outside the protected contour should be subjugated to greater local service in Lexington and to the FCC's own efforts to improve the future for AM stations.
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The FCC translator rules state that no translator shall interfere with any regularly listened to licensed station (including existing translators) regardless of the signal strength of said station. That WSGS is roughly 100 miles from Lexington is immaterial. The only issue is what constitutes "regular listening." In the past, the FCC has determined one listener complaint via the station fits the bill.

What's interesting here is that Cumulus seems to be alleging WSGS wouldn't get regular listening in Lexington from its regular tower, which I find hard to believe. Also, Cumulus sees to imply the so-called "Mattoon Waiver" exempts it from protecting WSGS outside of its interference free signal contour. Seems to me like that one, too, would be a long shot, though I suppose the FCC hasn't explicitly stated otherwise.
 
WeNeverKnew said:
Not a Lexington TV news viewer, nor have I read the Herald-Leader in close to 15 years. As such, I'm not aware of any news coverage of this issue. Were a story done, I sense the court of public opinion would weigh heavily in favor of WSGS.
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Can't hurt. WLEX would never do it since they do the news, weather and sports for the Cumulus cluster.
 
jb_ky said:
Still no updates. I overlapped the radio-locator.com coverage maps in photoshop.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2IEh98G90TVNG1yUFZYUjljbzg/view?usp=sharing
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That map looks terrible at first glance. But it's not what it seems.

Radio-locator gives you 3 rings on the map: 60 DBu, 50 DBu, and 40 DBu. The inner ring of the three is the 60 DBu contour, or 1000 microvolts per meter. This is the interference "protected contour" for all class A and class C stations. ( WSGS is a class C) The WSGS "protected contour" (red line, lower right) is not at all threatened by the WVLK translator. The WVLK 40 DBu contour (which is a crappy 100 microvolts/ meter) doesn't even touch the WSGS 60 DBu.

Nor do the 50 DBu contours (316 microvolts per meter) of the two stations overlap. The problem comes up beyond the 50 Dbu, which is well past the point the FCC says you should have interference-free coverage.

I'm not saying this isn't a problem. It is. It looks to me like you used to be able to drive through Richmond and listen to WSGS, and now you can't. And I'm on WSGS' side in this. But it's not as bad as you might think from looking at the map, if you don't know what you're looking at.
 
greg.hahn said:
That map looks terrible at first glance. But it's not what it seems.

Radio-locator gives you 3 rings on the map: 60 DBu, 50 DBu, and 40 DBu. The inner ring of the three is the 60 DBu contour, or 1000 microvolts per meter. This is the interference "protected contour" for all class A and class C stations. ( WSGS is a class C) The WSGS "protected contour" (red line, lower right) is not at all threatened by the WVLK translator. The WVLK 40 DBu contour (which is a crappy 100 microvolts/ meter) doesn't even touch the WSGS 60 DBu.

Nor do the 50 DBu contours (316 microvolts per meter) of the two stations overlap. The problem comes up beyond the 50 Dbu, which is well past the point the FCC says you should have interference-free coverage.

I'm not saying this isn't a problem. It is. It looks to me like you used to be able to drive through Richmond and listen to WSGS, and now you can't. And I'm on WSGS' side in this. But it's not as bad as you might think from looking at the map, if you don't know what you're looking at.
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Thanks to Greg for posting, from a knowledgeable engineering perspective, what this map appeared to show an engineering novice like me. It seems to show that WVLK's assigned parameters don't cause harm to WSGS in the FCC's eye. Back when the 101.1 translator was on a much weaker signal transmitting from Lawrenceburg, you couldn't even hear it in Frankfort 10 miles away. WSGS could be heard (not always, but regularly) in Frankfort. I'm on WSGS's side in this as well, but this may become a test case for just how much protection a distant signal gets from a translator given the proliferation of translators that have occurred and will occur in the next few years.
 
I hope this decision will bring a halt to all those who are trying to wedge in more translators and LPFMs into areas that look to be clear of interference "on paper". This case clearly demonstrates that many people well outside the so-called WSGS "projected contours" listened (to WSGS) for many decades as demonstrated by several hundred letters filed in their support. The FCC agrees with WSGS. Now, I expect WVLK and Cumulus will legally try to drag this out.
 
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