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Santa fe said:
Ideastream tells the Scene they have to "make a case" to the FCC to boost its 89.7 signal in weak areas. Really? The same FCC that's been handing out FM translators like penny candy to the big operators just so they can get around ownership limits and to every AM station that wants one even those whose listenership can be measured in single digits? Ideastream can't snag a couple of these babies for the areas where 89.7 is compromised by terrain and other interference? Give me a break! Have a few fund raisers and raise enough dough to buy some of those translators the national operators gobble up every chance they can. Or just listen online. Alexa would love to help you.
Click to expand...
I think the online piece is what they're hoping for as I don't see Ideastream spending more money when they are already consolidating services. Classical music is now king over there (with a little jazz thrown in).
 
I think the biggest problem for listeners in the distant/troublesome areas of WKSU's signal is that they're using a cheap radio, even if they have the antenna fully extended and have oriented it or moved the radio to a different location. Radios that have the frequencies on the dial tightly spaced apart are essentially useless, as stronger adjacent stations will bleed over or auto-tune away from the desired weaker station. Using or finding an older radio where the frequencies are spaced farther apart on the dial should yield in better reception. A shelf/stackable or tabletop radio/amplifier from the '70s or even the '80s that has a tuning indicator across the entire front of it would be the best choice, as they are pretty good at receiving weaker stations and rejecting interference from adjacent stations due to their generous frequency spacing. Such units usually have the ability to add an external antenna, which can also help improve reception. A simple, fully extended wire for an external antenna usually does well in most cases, but it should be about 4.5 feet (half-wave) in length for the entire FM band, or 5.4 feet (half wave) to be tuned to WKSU's frequency of 89.7.

For the most part, radios with digital tuning (LCD indicator display) should work fairly well, though that may not always be the case as they don't always pull in weaker stations well, at all, or reject interference from adjacent stations. They should at least center in on the frequency to provide the best possible reception.
 
Santa fe said:
Ideastream tells the Scene they have to "make a case" to the FCC to boost its 89.7 signal in weak areas. Really? The same FCC that's been handing out FM translators like penny candy to the big operators just so they can get around ownership limits and to every AM station that wants one even those whose listenership can be measured in single digits? Ideastream can't snag a couple of these babies for the areas where 89.7 is compromised by terrain and other interference? Give me a break! Have a few fund raisers and raise enough dough to buy some of those translators the national operators gobble up every chance they can. Or just listen online. Alexa would love to help you.
Click to expand...
Friendly reminder that synchronized on-channel boosters are not low-power translators, especially when they need to be synced up to the Copley translator and deal with topography and whatnot. They absolutely need to make a case with the FCC because it’s a sophisticated answer to a complex problem. Translators will not help, and honestly, WKSU only has those two translators in Ashland and Mansfield because WKSU’s signal naturally overlaps with WOSU-FM’s, they both operate at 89.7.

Ideastream president Kevin Martin indicated back in September that on-channel boosters were already being pursued, so this is not exactly new information.
 
Sammi Brie said:
I smell something using equipment similar to ZoneCasting/etc. (but without opt-outs).
Click to expand...
I was thinking along the lines of what Audacy did with KWFN in San Diego, employing a series of five on-channel boosters at specific parts of the San Diego metro area to help KWFN’s lousy in-market signal.

In theory, WKSU could have a series of said boosters, especially near downtown, Beachwood, Willoughby, Painseville, and Rocky River. All aligned to 89.7 so no dial changing is needed. The challenge is to synchronize everything correctly.
 
I wonder why most NPR stations are on.FM? It seems like an AM station would be more appropriate. A 50 kW like 1220 in Cleveland would probably cover the same area as 89.7 and all of its repeaters and translators.
 
skiwest said:
I wonder why most NPR stations are on.FM? It seems like an AM station would be more appropriate. A 50 kW like 1220 in Cleveland would probably cover the same area as 89.7 and all of its repeaters and translators.
Click to expand...
An AM transmitter site is a money pit. There’s a reason why WOSU moved their NPR news format from AM to FM and sold the AM to a Catholic group a decade ago.

Even if Salem donated the 1220 facilities to Ideastream, they’d be better off selling the land to a developer (an assisted care facility has already been built next to the site, which IIRC Salem parceled out).
 
Good advice, @snowdog88 . On radios without antennas, it's possible that the power cord can serve as an antenna. Years ago when I was working in Beachwood during the big frequency swap, I was able to pick up WCLV at 104.9 on an old radio in my office by raising the power cord above the radio and holding it up against the wall with a push pin. It looked goofy, but it worked.
 
snowdog88 said:
I think the biggest problem for listeners in the distant/troublesome areas of WKSU's signal is that they're using a cheap radio, even if they have the antenna fully extended and have oriented it or moved the radio to a different location. Radios that have the frequencies on the dial tightly spaced apart are essentially useless, as stronger adjacent stations will bleed over or auto-tune away from the desired weaker station. Using or finding an older radio where the frequencies are spaced farther apart on the dial should yield in better reception. A shelf/stackable or tabletop radio/amplifier from the '70s or even the '80s that has a tuning indicator across the entire front of it would be the best choice, as they are pretty good at receiving weaker stations and rejecting interference from adjacent stations due to their generous frequency spacing. Such units usually have the ability to add an external antenna, which can also help improve reception. A simple, fully extended wire for an external antenna usually does well in most cases, but it should be about 4.5 feet (half-wave) in length for the entire FM band, or 5.4 feet (half wave) to be tuned to WKSU's frequency of 89.7.

For the most part, radios with digital tuning (LCD indicator display) should work fairly well, though that may not always be the case as they don't always pull in weaker stations well, at all, or reject interference from adjacent stations. They should at least center in on the frequency to provide the best possible reception.
Click to expand...
Current radios that have the Ibiquity/HD tuner will work pretty much the same and are great tuners but in a car, there could be differences based on the antenna in the glass. Digital tuners can work as well as the older analog ones. It really is matter of quality but your advice brings up a lot of good points. I would think in a home environment, most listeners will be able to receive WKSU or WCLV but may have to experiment with different locations or get a better radio but that might be more difficult today with radio becoming less popular at home with all of the streaming devices which might work better for some.
 
skiwest said:
Good advice, @snowdog88 . On radios without antennas, it's possible that the power cord can serve as an antenna. Years ago when I was working in Beachwood during the big frequency swap, I was able to pick up WCLV at 104.9 on an old radio in my office by raising the power cord above the radio and holding it up against the wall with a push pin. It looked goofy, but it worked.
Click to expand...
Good point about the power cord as most clock radios use that for the antenna on FM.
 
The other day I received an email from Ideastream as I had probably complained and/or inquired when some of the changes occurred which reduced some coverage depending on where one lives. They say they have an app for listening so I suppose that is another alternative for those who can't receive one or both of the stations clearly:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the reception and signal strength for WKSU. Hearing from our members and audience helps us serve you better; we understand it is frustrating to have a weak signal when tuning into your favorite programming. Our engineering team is hard at work improving the reception, and we are continuing to work with the FCC to approve a signal boost. We will continue to provide timely updates as the project progresses.

Right now, you can also access all live broadcasts on the just-released Ideastream Public Media app. Our free app provides live streaming of radio channels, our TV schedule and additional on-demand content. Download our app to listen to your favorite programs, wherever you are!

Our app is available in the App Store for Apple users, and in the Google Play Store for Android users.

If you’re in the Greater Cleveland Area, and do not receive a strong 89.7 signal, tune to 104.9 FM. WKSU is also broadcast on the following frequencies:
  • 89.3 WKRW Wooster
  • 91.5 WKRJ New Philadelphia
  • 89.1 WKSV Thompson
  • 90.7 WNRK Norwalk
  • 95.7 W239AZ Ashland
  • 94.7 W234CX Mansfield
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue. Please know we take your feedback seriously and greatly value your continued support.

Regards,
Lindsay Kuntzman Hilewick
Director, Individual Giving and Communications
​
Twitter​
Facebook​
Website​
Copyright © 2022 Ideastream Public Media, All rights reserved.
 
Buried in this Scene article from late March (The Signal for 89.7 FM, the New Home of NPR and Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland, Sucks Across Much of Cleveland) was this little quote by Ideastream CMO Todd Mesek: apparently they had no choice but to move all NPR programming to 89.7/104.9 to qualify for this on-channel booster pilot program.

Not that it affected the WCPN—WKSU merger, but it possibly hastened it.
"There's boosting technology that we're piloting and testing now," he said. "The more significant boost though will happen later and requires FCC approval. We are moving aggressively for that 2 percent of the listening area — low areas and by the lake — to have interim solutions but the long-term solution requires approval and to get it we needed to effectively move everything to 89.7, remove news from 90.3, so we can demonstrate to the FCC that there's a real need to restore this coverage area and there's demand in the community. That's the long-term solution, where we'll employ boosting technology on existing towers and use additional repeater equipment."
Click to expand...
 
With better coverage in the Cleveland area once these boosters are activated, maybe it will allow 90.3 HD2 to drop WKSU simulcast and air something else.
 
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In the August Cleveland ratings, WKSU gained a full point from July, from 3.3 to 4.3.
WCLV got a 1.4, a .1 increase, and while WCPN's stream rose from .01 to .02, there was nothing listed for WCPN, meaning they had less than .01 of the audience.
Are listeners to 104.9 being credited to WKSU as it is a simulcast? Or have most public radio fans tuned to WKSU and not the 104.9 signal?
 
I was also wondering about that. IIRC, prior to the switch, WCPN was around 3.0 and WKSU was around 1.0. So I'm guessing numbers for both are now being rolled into WKSU.
 
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