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Township Media Acquires 1060 KFIT

R

Ryan Williams

Martin Broadcasting is selling KFIT 1060 AM to Township Media for $695,000, with an LMA to start soon. It does not include K280GN 103.9 FM that has been rebroadcasting KFIT but is not owned by Martin. Recently 1060 has been off the air often (although it is on the air currently).

Township Media currently owns Sun Radio 1490 AM KTSN and 100.1 FM K261DW in Austin and is in the process of upgrading 96.1 K241DA to Austin from Hutto.

With this acquisition, 100.1 FM will likely move to "translate" 1060 AM so that K241DA can complete its upgrade, as rules do not allow an AM (such as KTSN) to rebroadcast on multiple translators that cover primarily the same area and K241DA is forever linked to KTSN, being an "AM Revitalization" translator.

In the last week the downgrade applications for KTHE 96.3 Llano and KGID 96.3 Giddings, allowing the upgrade of K241DA, were approved.
 
Ryan Williams said:
With this acquisition, 100.1 FM will likely move to "translate" 1060 AM so that K241DA can complete its upgrade, as rules do not allow an AM (such as KTSN) to rebroadcast on multiple translators that cover primarily the same area and K241DA is forever linked to KTSN, being an "AM Revitalization" translator.
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How is that law?

An AM in Tennessee has two translators rebroadcasting it on the same tower.. the AM tower!
 
Does this mean Sun Radio will be operating two different formats in the Austin market since they will have both 96.3 and 100.1?
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
How is that law?

An AM in Tennessee has two translators rebroadcasting it on the same tower.. the AM tower!
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It's confusing. In Huntsville, KHVL-AM is on two translators (with one extending the AM's coverage).

I also thought translators were no longer required to be tied to their AM parent station? Wasn't the requirement now that they only be tied for three years? I always assumed that the translator was free to rebroadcast something else after that.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
How is that law?

An AM in Tennessee has two translators rebroadcasting it on the same tower.. the AM tower!
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74.1232(b) is the rule in question. It requires a technical showing that there's justification for overlapping signals carrying the same originating station.

There are a couple of busybodies who have made a hobby of filing 74.1232(b) objections with the FCC to translator applications around the country.
 
BamaTX said:
It's confusing. In Huntsville, KHVL-AM is on two translators (with one extending the AM's coverage).

I also thought translators were no longer required to be tied to their AM parent station? Wasn't the requirement now that they only be tied for three years? I always assumed that the translator was free to rebroadcast something else after that.
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It depends on when the translator was granted. There are now three classes: older translators that were never locked to an AM station, "250-mile-window" translators that were moved in 2016-2017 that were locked to their new parent AM station for four years, and translators granted in the final windows in 2018 that are permanently locked to their AM parent.
 
fybush said:
It depends on when the translator was granted. There are now three classes: older translators that were never locked to an AM station, "250-mile-window" translators that were moved in 2016-2017 that were locked to their new parent AM station for four years, and translators granted in the final windows in 2018 that are permanently locked to their AM parent.
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What does the Rochester Crystal Ball tell you about the chances that this Commission might consider giving permanency to translators and allowing linked AM's to either turn in their license or to be allowed the maximum non-directional power that "fits" and the use of one of the ultra-short antennas that can be put on a small lot or even a rooftop?

I was always fascinated by complex directionals until had to put WJIT in San Juan off the air for over 4 months to bring the 4-tower system into compliance with Jules Cohen and Bob DuTriel and I realized how expensive they were, how much land they needed and what a costly ongoing drain on money they could be (and that was before getting to KTNQ!)
 
fybush said:
74.1232(b) is the rule in question. It requires a technical showing that there's justification for overlapping signals carrying the same originating station.

There are a couple of busybodies who have made a hobby of filing 74.1232(b) objections with the FCC to translator applications around the country.
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So educate me.. how does WGNS 1450 get away with it, or use to? (I havent checked them out in awhile)
 
BamaTX said:
It's confusing. In Huntsville, KHVL-AM is on two translators (with one extending the AM's coverage).
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The rule is that the translator's 60 dBu contour has to be within the 2 mV/m AM contour or within a 25 mile radius of the AM site. You can use whichever is great. In the case of KHVL, the 94.1 translator serving "Lake Conroe" is legal because it is within 25 miles.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
So educate me.. how does WGNS 1450 get away with it, or use to? (I havent checked them out in awhile)
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There may well be an example of an AM stations running on multiple translators serving primarily the same area, but WGNS doesn't seem to be problematic with regard to the rule. Despite being licensed for "Murfreesboro", W263AI is mostly serving Smyrna and La Vergne, while W270AF, also "Murfreesboro", actually is serving Murfreesboro. While there is a little overlap between the two in the area near the interchange of I-24 and 840, I don't think both signals are serving the same primary area. There isn't specific rule about overlap, per se.

Township was apparently aware of this rule when they filed to move-in the Hutto translator because they state it would have a new primary station.

This same rule doesn't apply to translators fed by an FM station and should probably be revised or retired to bring them up to parity. It's also a rule that doesn't really make much sense. If you are Township and have two valuable translators that serve primarily the same area, it's not the highest and best use of that second signal. A good, local operator, like Township, could generate substantially more income with a second format or by divesting the weaker signal than any pennies they might find by being on a second channel.
 
Ryan Williams said:
There may well be an example of an AM stations running on multiple translators serving primarily the same area, but WGNS doesn't seem to be problematic with regard to the rule. Despite being licensed for "Murfreesboro", W263AI is mostly serving Smyrna and La Vergne, while W270AF, also "Murfreesboro", actually is serving Murfreesboro. While there is a little overlap between the two in the area near the interchange of I-24 and 840, I don't think both signals are serving the same primary area. There isn't specific rule about overlap, per se.

Township was apparently aware of this rule when they filed to move-in the Hutto translator because they state it would have a new primary station.

This same rule doesn't apply to translators fed by an FM station and should probably be revised or retired to bring them up to parity. It's also a rule that doesn't really make much sense. If you are Township and have two valuable translators that serve primarily the same area, it's not the highest and best use of that second signal. A good, local operator, like Township, could generate substantially more income with a second format or by divesting the weaker signal than any pennies they might find by being on a second channel.
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I havent looked at WGNS in a few years, but at one time.. both translators were at the same location, the AM tower. Im sure of it.
 
The licensee split the translator's co-location because of an Informal Objection from Triangle Access. It was just recently approved.
One of the translators on that tower wasn't originally used to translate WGNS but a non-profit in Lebanon with limited coverage. Once it went off the air and then, sold, the translator's originating station was changed to WGNS.
 
The Rimshot said:
What happens to KRMY in Killeen? They were still running a simulcast last I checked.
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KRMY has been off the air for a while and recently filed a silent STA stating they lost their transmitter site lease. The associated translator was just turned on last year and was still going without the AM last time I was in Killeen.
 
Ryan Williams said:
KRMY has been off the air for a while and recently filed a silent STA stating they lost their transmitter site lease. The associated translator was just turned on last year and was still going without the AM last time I was in Killeen.
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It's owned by Martin Broadcasting.. does that surprise you any?
 
The link says:
"Township Media owns AAA “Sun Radio” 1490 KTSN Austin as well as three simulcasting FMs outside the market: 104.1 KMSN Mason, 96.3 KTHE Llano, and 96.3 KGID Giddings."

What about KTSN 88.9 Blowout? KDRP-LP 103.1 Dripping Springs? KCTI-FM 88.1 Gonzales? The 99.9 San Marcos translator? I might have missed some others.
 
A full powered FM or AM station or its parent translator can't own and operate a LPFM styled staton. A LPFM entity can't have but one station and two translators paired with it. Something I was taught, while building out this station. Just so you know.​

Dan <><
 
R.D.P. said:
A LPFM entity can't have but one station and two translators paired with it. Something I was taught, while building out this station. Just so you know.​

Dan <><
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Also, an entity, other than the LPFM licensee can rebroadcast an LPFM on a translator. The normal non-fill in rules apply. (Must receive the the primary station directly over the air or via another translator, ERP limited to 250w@107m west of the Mississippi, 250w@32m east of the Mississippi and in CA south of 40 lat).
 
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