WATR

[amfmradio1]

WATR plans to formally sign on it's FM translator simulcast on W249DY in "the coming weeks".

They began testing the FM signal on Tuesday, 11/10.

GM Tom Chute told the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper that the station is for sale, and the translator will help make the station more attractive to buyers.

I worked with Tom at 990WNTY in the early '80's.

 

[Gregg.]

FM Channel 249 is 97.7 MHz.

 

[amfmradio1]

Thanks, Gregg.

I didn't know what the frequency was.

 

[SarahB98]

It’s officially confirmed according to yesterday’s episode of Saturday morning memories

 

[CTListener]

It’s officially confirmed according to yesterday’s episode of Saturday morning memories

What's confirmed? A pending sale? The official sign-on date for the translator? Or just that tests have been going on for a while?

Also, how is this translator going to avoid interfering with first-adjacent WUCS Windsor Locks in Southington, or for that matter in South Meriden and Wallingford, where the signal on 97.9 gets choppy and runs into interference by WSKQ New York? Can a transmitter on West Peak actually have such a deep null that it won't bother WUCS barely five miles from the tower?

 

[MarcB]

They can hope all they want that someone will buy and keep the local programming, but even if they do, I guarantee in 18 months or less the station will be for sale again and it will become Waterbury's 3rd Hispanic Station after Bomba 99.5 and Viva 106.3 (1240) although neither of those 2 Hispanic stations are local to Waterbury. Or if not a 3rd Hispanic Station then another station running the Life Changing Radio religious programming to fill in the gaps between 101.9 (1500) in Milford and 95.3 (1550) in Bloomfield.

 

[CTListener]

Scanning the dial in Wallingford today, I heard WATR's new 97.7 translator with a very weak signal running COVID conspiracy talk. At 250 watts from Meriden's West Peak, it was much weaker than WMNR's 10-watt translator at 91.9 from the same location. I probably shouldn't be hearing it at all, but it's hard to keep the entire signal from leaking out the opposite side of the intended direction.

 

[MarcB]

I can say for certain I did not pick up their 97.7 signal at the Southington Public Library. No surprise I picked up 97.5 WALK and 97.9 WUCS. 97.7 was a mess. I was however able to pick up WWCO's 106.3's translator at the library.

 

[Don CT]

Do we need more translators clogging up the airwaves. Let's get a few stronger powered stations at good quality instead of 20 small powered ones that nobody can hear.

 

[MarcB]

Was in Cheshire on Friday. WATR was coming in crystal clear on 97.7 FM on the car stereo. The translator was not in stereo. Christopher Fortier was doing the local news when I tuned in at about 1:04PM and then he said up next was "The Brian Kilmeade Show taped earlier today."

The Brian Kilmeade Show comes from FOX News Radio.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Do we need more translators clogging up the airwaves. Let's get a few stronger powered stations at good quality instead of 20 small powered ones that nobody can hear.

Those bigger ones wont fit.... a Class A 6KW on 97.7 probably wouldn't work.

 

[CTListener]

Those bigger ones wont fit.... a Class A 6KW on 97.7 probably wouldn't work.

Definitely wouldn't work from West Peak -- would wipe out WUCS one channel up in the Meriden-Southington area on an average radio.

 

[Don CT]

Those bigger ones wont fit.... a Class A 6KW on 97.7 probably wouldn't work.

Spread the band out, don't cram a bunch of stations near each other.

 

[CTListener]

Spread the band out, don't cram a bunch of stations near each other.

If you're thinking of expanding the band below 88.1 (plus the two Franken-FM frequencies, for which the loophole is expected to close soon) or above 107.9, forget it. The government isn't reallocating those frequencies. Otherwise, you must remember that not only on-frequency stations but first- and second-adjacents must be accommodated by any new Class A station. That severely limits the number of frequencies available, as does the fact that everything from 88.1 to 91.9 is reserved for noncommercial broadcasters.

 

[Don CT]

If you're thinking of expanding the band below 88.1 (plus the two Franken-FM frequencies, for which the loophole is expected to close soon) or above 107.9, forget it. The government isn't reallocating those frequencies. Otherwise, you must remember that not only on-frequency stations but first- and second-adjacents must be accommodated by any new Class A station. That severely limits the number of frequencies available, as does the fact that everything from 88.1 to 91.9 is reserved for noncommercial broadcasters.

I'm saying get rid of the low power stations that can only be heard for a few miles. Yet are just enough to block a stronger signal.

 

[CTListener]

I'm saying get rid of the low power stations that can only be heard for a few miles. Yet are just enough to block a stronger signal.

The FCC is trying to save radio station owners' businesses, not kill them. I listen to two low-power translators regularly, WNTY at 96.1 and WMNR at 91.9. They don't block anything I'd ever want to listen to. I don't care if I never hear WSRS again. There are stations just like it in Hartford and Springfield that come in much stronger.

 

[qwertyuiop56]

Though 97.7 WATR always goes off air every night, 5 miles from that site like the major broadcast towers are for FM, WALK 97.5 came in with an HD Lock no issues but 97.9 WUCS is a mess for me since the adjacent is too strong for me compared to that I thought is coming from Waterbury initially. RIP WCTY Norwich, CT during the daytime.

 

[b-turner]

Don CT - Might I suggest you lodge your complaint with the FCC. They are the ones that license every station and they are the ones that set the rules. Complaining here is about like saying to fellow drivers the speed limit on a highway is wrong when that speed limit is set by the state. My point is to be heard, tell the guys that set the rules and issue the licenses to stations.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I'm saying get rid of the low power stations that can only be heard for a few miles. Yet are just enough to block a stronger signal.

LOL that complain won't really fly.... the fcc would laugh you out the door

 

[CTListener]

RIP WCTY Norwich, CT during the daytime.

If you live where the WATR translator is putting in a solid signal, then WCTY will never miss having you as a listener one bit. Its advertisers aren't paying for their message to reach your ears, and you surely have another country station playing exactly the same music on an interference-clear frequency that you can listen to. And doesn't WCTY stream?