Stations With Translators On The Same frequencies As Their Competition's

[Ai4i]

Here is a hypothetical situation, which may or may not exist in the real world, to ponder.
Consider two AM sports or news-talk stations in strong competition with each other.
They each have rim-shot translators on the SAME frequency that cover about half of their (single) market,
but both almost or even do slightly overlap.
Both stations want to promote their new FM frequency, but without also promoting their competition.
How to handle this? What to do?

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

This kind of problem has occurred in many forms, from Docket 80-90 drop ins that interfere with usable service of another station, to translators which do the same. They should have expanded the FM band instead.

 

[Ai4i]

But, how do they handle the issue of promoting their translator without getting listeners to find their competition on the same frequency?

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

They'd have to promote it locally...though I don't think most clusters would want to be in a situation where competing formats overlap on rimshot FM translators. First explanation would be switching the format to not compete and finding another translator for your AM to FM conversion. That being said, not everybody may have that option. For ease of explanation I'll use the hypothetical market of Seattle.

Let's say two stations have translators on the same frequency: Both have a signal that somewhat overlaps in Downtown enough that neither is particularly usable there. One 15 miles south of Downtown Seattle in Kent, the other one 15 miles north in Lynnwood. The one up north would likely advertise its frequency as being "North Sound" "Lynnwood/Everett" "Snohomish County" or "North Seattle". The one down south would likely advertise itself as "SeaTac" (generic name for swath of land between Seattle-Tacoma as well as the name of the city and the airport), "South Seattle" or "South King County"

 

[Ai4i]

But what would be promoted on the parent station and the website?

 

[CTListener]

This kind of problem has occurred in many forms, from Docket 80-90 drop ins that interfere with usable service of another station, to translators which do the same. They should have expanded the FM band instead.

Never would have happened or will ever happen. Big Electronics is not interested in building expanded-band radios, or any radios, for that matter. Even if radios were rushed to market and became standard in cars immediately, stations would die on the expanded band while waiting for consumer interest to materialize. You can see what a roaring success the expanded AM band has been, right?

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

In that instance, you’d want to promote the FM in the logo/website, but not overriding your AM frequency. You’ll have to remember that more than half your listeners that listened AM only will probably still be listening to AM with a rimshot FM translator.

Example (assuming this is a logo):
KING-AM 1090
98.5 Northsound

 

[cyberdad]

In that instance, you’d want to promote the FM in the logo/website, but not overriding your AM frequency. You’ll have to remember that more than half your listeners that listened AM only will probably still be listening to AM with a rimshot FM translator.

Example (assuming this is a logo):
KING-AM 1090
98.5 Northsound

CFZM in Toronto does something like this. "AM 740 and on 96.7 downtown"

 

[gr8oldies]

Not the exact scenario, but in Knoxville WRJZ parked a translator on 99.1 in Sevier County, blocking reception of WNML, the Sports Animal in that area. That was moved after complaints. WRJZ didn't make a big deal of promoting it on-air. Eventually it moved to 99.5