No indication that they will cite "financial reasons." This is a technical issue, and as we've seen with the tower move for WNSH, these things take time.
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No indication that they will cite "financial reasons." This is a technical issue, and as we've seen with the tower move for WNSH, these things take time.
"Silent for years"?
Not these days. That one-year deadline is firm, and set by Congress. If they go off on 2/12/21, they have to have something back on by 2/11/22 or the license is deleted as a matter of law. It doesn't have to be at full power; it can be a lower-powered STA operation. But it has to come back on the air, period.
Which apparently is what they intend to do. For that reason.
When did that go into effect? There are stations in Puerto Rico that have been "rebuilding" with no on-air signal since the hurricane and they even get modifications of CPs that have not been built.
The last mainland one of these I remember was here in CA; a station was destroyed in a wetlands flood, and the area rezoned and protected, preventing a rebuild. The area was so well populated with NIMBYites that it took several years to get anything back on the air. I believe, at that point, iheart bought them and permanently silenced the station so they could upgrade a larger market signal.
I'm still wondering whether rebuilding at another site would save a substantial amount of $$$. Based on recent sales, such as WWRL, WLIB may cost Family Radio around $10 million. The religious broadcaster could also receive a decent amount for selling the 1560 AM license. FR could remain on the air uninterrupted, through a LMA with the owners of 'LIB.
In contrast, there would be costly engineering studies and construction expenses associated with rebuilding at another site. And they would be off the air or at very low power for months/years, especially with the pandemic. That could have a significant impact on donations to Family Radio.
In contrast, there would be costly engineering studies and construction expenses associated with rebuilding at another site. And they would be off the air or at very low power for months/years, especially with the pandemic. That could have a significant impact on donations to Family Radio.
Sure, but you don't know the condition of the physical or technical plant at WLIB. It could be another situation where it's a poorly maintained operation, and will cost millions to get it up to snuff. It may be a situation of the problems you know vs. the problems you don't know.
They appear to have a game plan in place, and will be carrying it out over the next year or two.
The 365-day rule was part of the 96 Telecom Act.
"Pursuant to this language, the Commission no longer has the discretion or obligation to consider whether a licensed broadcast station should be permitted to remain silent for periods greater than 12 consecutive months. Nor is the Commission required to initiate revocation proceedings to terminate such licenses. Instead, broadcast licenses will expire as a matter of law at the end of the consecutive 12-month period of silence, without need for any Commission action."
What PR stations are you seeing with silent periods longer than a year? I'd be interested in looking at their FCC records to see whether they're reporting their silent status accurately to the Commission - what it doesn't know, it can't enforce, after all.
(Feel free to send me a private email if you'd rather not mention calls here.)
Edit: The FCC's silent station list shows only one PR license, WJVP 89.3 Culebra. Looking at its file, it has submitted repeated STA requests since 2018 and has been allowed to remain silent and licensed by showing "extraordinary circumstances" - it was ready to return to the air but was able to show that the state of emergency from the pandemic was causing the PR government to forbid it from doing the needed construction work. There is a clause in the 96 act that allows for exceptions due to circumstances beyond a licensee's control.
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There would have had to be some date and that could have been worded as "until a new site is found, not to exceed Feb 12."
As we haven't seen the details of the contract, we can only assume the new owners would not be that stupid as to leave an open date.
NOBODY will have a contract written assumed "in perpetuity".
Or, they had to start paying rent if they hadn't vacated prior to that date.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
They had intended to leave the site in January. They had been running a recorded message (the link to which is posted earlier in this thread).
J
Joylovepulse967
Guest
Here a message a video version
"We will no longer be on 1560, and we're working diligently to find a suitable replacement."
So that answers the question if they will simply move the antenna.
I'll ask my "second family" there which are still off or were off for a long time. I was told a few months ago that there were five or six that still had not come back, mostly in the smaller center-island municipalities where the infrastructure is still far from being rebuilt.
I know WGDL, "Grito De Lares", was off over two years before it came back with an STA.
The station that Clear bought in Morro Bay (I don't recall if that was the CoL or not) was off several years due to flooding and conversion of the land to a protected flood and wildlife zone. They could not even find a place for a temporary site as there were tower and radiation objections by the neighbors everywhere.
Yet the station's well known and respected engineer, Tom Ray, has stated on the "other" message board that there are definite plans for the station.
For those interested in the earlier history of WQXR, here is a book about it:
That's some good reading, thanks for posting it. It was interesting to discover how involved WQXR was in the advancement of sound quality and the development of stereo, achievements that benefited everyone. One sentence reveals how some things never change, though (I'm looking at you, SiriusXM):
Classical radio & fans of "good music" were at the forefront of the audiophile movement. The other thing book this highlights is that newspapers were great owners of broadcasting. Richard Nixon's FCC banned cross-ownership because he was made at the Washington Post and the NY Times. The Post sold their radio (including WTOP), but the Times got a waiver that allowed them to own WQXR for many years.
The strange thing is is that there is a null toward Manhattan (and toward KPMC/WNZR) in the Night Pattern. That pattern change happens at Sunset in Bakersfield. It would have to be at least 10 kW Day and Night to retain Class A status. From the NJ Meadowlands, if they shoot the pattern toward NYC, if it's close to 50 kW, they may actually have a better signal after Sunset in Bakersfield. I don't know if they would be allowed that grandfathered pattern change time from a new location though. They would probably be better off a few miles away from the WWRL array being 40 kHz away. WMCA 570 and WNYC 820 diplex. WNYM 970 Hackensack and WWRV 1330 diplex. Maybe they could diplex with WADO 1280? Maybe an array with more Night power for WADO as part of the deal?
There is apparently some continuing value of a Class A facility. CBEF was 540 with 2.5/5 with an excellent ground wave signal into Canada. They opted to move to the Class A 10 kw 1550 facility vacated by CBE.
I read that one and then the one for WOR about 35 years ago.
This one was much more for the radio person.
The WOR book, although decently written, was more geared toward the marketer.
As a result of reading the WQXR book first, I was disappointed in the WOR book.
Too bad I didn't read them in reverse...
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Good point. There are more station books (a lot are mostly self promotion) at STATION BOOKS: Radio and TV station histories and commemorative books
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