I would have thought the same thing, but for a year plus after that whole J6 debacle and 2020 “fraud” was when WYRD/WORD was sinking down to the 2 shares and performing the worst I can remember ever seeing. WGTK gets lower numbers but their numbers stay much more consistent it seems.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
WORD to 98.9, Magic to 106.3
- Thread starter 101tm
- Start date
They didn't even mentioned that WORD was on 950, not 1330, and that 1330 was just a simulcast.
Once 106.3 came on the air with talk, it was over for 1330 and 950. While overall the best AMs (combined) in the market, Greenville county had outgrown 1330. Wouldn’t shock me if Audacy unloads those soon (if anybody wants them even) and just uses WFBC-HD3 to feed The Fan. It’s odd that 97.7 is a translator for WORD 950 but 97.1 is a translator for the WFBC-HD3 feed and not WYRD. Is the 1330 60dbu too small?
Still sounds awful. Certain songs are worse than others, but however this sound processing is set up sounds like it’s bringing the low levels of songs out and making everything the same volume level and it has an underlying “noise” during almost every song that doesn’t go away. It’s not any kind of interference or static, it’s just noise, like instruments that are meant to be low are brought out really loud with the rest of the song. The carriers on my radios say ST but it almost sounds like a mono feed being sent to a stereo transmission? Seems to me this should have been resolved before this switch happened, most stations adjust their audio if they’re changing formats beforehand or during a stunt period.
This was never the best sounding station in the market, but it never sounded anything like this. It’s not like it’s that old of a station to have a ton of equipment failing. I wonder if Audacy no longer has anyone local that knows anything about engineering?
This was never the best sounding station in the market, but it never sounded anything like this. It’s not like it’s that old of a station to have a ton of equipment failing. I wonder if Audacy no longer has anyone local that knows anything about engineering?
98.9 WYRD was boasting its signal in the midlands, yea in the town of Batesburg-Leesville I heard it very well still with only a little static at times, and in some parts of Columbia as well. Faded out completely near Orangeburg, and occasionally I heard some interference from the Augusta GA translator and the Charleston ESPN station in that area...
I rarely if ever got it past Columbia, so I wonder if the mono transmission helps that much. It was booming in to Anderson and the Northlake area today.
I never realized going west on US-76 how fast the 106.3 signal starts croaking between Gray Court and Belton or maybe it was tropo today (the WLUB-HD2 106.3 translator from Augusta was coming in over it). There isn’t a huge gap between where 106.3 becomes unlistenable and the 101.5 translator gets listenable (sadly the 101.5 translator sounds great compared to 106.3). Due to the directional nature the 106.3 signal also collapses quickly past I-85 MM 40 (153/Powdersville exit) yet easily makes it to the NC stare line and throws a solid signal as far as Union and Laurens to the east/SE. I have noticed 10 or so miles south of Laurens the signal has deteriorated slightly now that the transmission is in stereo which is to be expected
I was surprised yesterday to hear a very faint but detectable signal from Magic 106.3 in eastern Hendersonville NC yesterday on Route 64, but couldn't hear it at all in Rutherfordton, NC. Those mountains really can mess up a signal, or not, depending which / how many mountains are in the way...
Edit: Magic 106.3 was also listenable but weak and fading out around Newberry SC on I-26...
Edit: Magic 106.3 was also listenable but weak and fading out around Newberry SC on I-26...
Last edited:
Around I-85 Exit 27, reception of both 106.3 and 101.5 is fair at best, usually poor.
Ironic considering it started out in Newberry.
Anyone know how to find information about that because the current Wikipedia article only has the call letters.
FCCInfo Facility Search Results
FCC Info is a Radio and Television Station Search Engine provided by Cavell, Mertz & Associates, Inc.
fccinfo.com
Exit 40 at 153 is from my experience where 106.3 starts to fall apart somewhat fast. It’s also bad on 153 going from 85 through Powdersville to Easley. The translators always shock me around Anderson, Spartanburg, etc because none of them have that height that 98.5, 99.5, etc have that almost makes them like a class A FM!
Although it’s difficult to always know if I’m getting a good signal or not due to the sound quality on 106.3. I went back and forth between 99.5 and 106.3 today since they should have similar sound processing and Audacy should be embarrassed at how much better 99.5 sounds than 106.3. They are even getting social media complaints about how bad it sounds so if it gets to that point they have issues. 99.5 has punch but it’s very bright and fine tuned.
I can not hear Awesome 99.5 over the air at all in Gaffney but sometimes I tune in when in Spartanburg (or Greenville) or i can listen to them on streaming. 99.3 WBT is a bit strong here and bleeds over into 99.5
Maybe 101.5 (and here in Gaffney 104.3 WZZQ - W232AX for example) can get on taller towers in the area since 250 watts is allowed they wouldn't really interfere and could get out a bit further. Looks like they settled on smaller towers instead even with taller towers nearby.
88.1 WUBK in Enoree is one example that did move to a new taller tower, one that was 25 feet atop a small shed and is now about 164 feet AGL (194 feet HAAT).
Maybe 101.5 (and here in Gaffney 104.3 WZZQ - W232AX for example) can get on taller towers in the area since 250 watts is allowed they wouldn't really interfere and could get out a bit further. Looks like they settled on smaller towers instead even with taller towers nearby.
88.1 WUBK in Enoree is one example that did move to a new taller tower, one that was 25 feet atop a small shed and is now about 164 feet AGL (194 feet HAAT).
Last edited:
There’s a translator on 98.5 in Greenwood (W253BL) for WCRS 1450 at 250 watts and 350 feet AGL. They also broadcast in mono and rip in to X-98.5’s signal in southern and southeastern Greenville county all the time. I know there’s no government regulation over translators interfering but the Greenwood station gets irritating, especially with how far outside of its estimated coverage that it gets out. My reception of 99.5 and 98.5 is always close to identical in every direction but to the south in the direction of US-25 or I-385 where the Greenwood station cutting in to it is just too much.
What about WQNQ in Asheville?
WQNQ'S signal doesn't seem to come too close to WZZQ (104.3 W282AX) especially 10 miles out of Gaffney, like in the Chesnee area. If they could increase power I would say to add a directional signal to the NW but I think a bigger factor is W283CG (104.5 The Block) and WHRZ-LP (His Radio Z 104.1) both of which are in Spartanburg, and their signals alone prevent WZZQ from being heard there, both bleeding into 104.3
Here in Gaffney even 5 miles away from the WZZQ transmitter we often get major interference from WBBQ in Augusta, But WQNQ never seems to interfere here, not until about Landrum SC, close to where another 104.3 LP recently signed on in Greer SC (WCGF)
However I really don't think WZZQ cares anymore about reaching anything else outside of Gaffney, but there are still plenty of places in Cherokee County where its difficult if not impossible to her WZZQ, even in places that are still considered Gaffney, like near the Union County Line / Pacolet / Jonesville / Cowpens area. Remember many years ago, before WZZQ this station was on 105.3 as WAGI as a country station. Now it is mostly a Classic Hits station.
Last edited:
Many of these smaller translators don’t go out very far like those from the larger operators because they normally use an existing AM tower which isn’t extremely tall. WLBG 860 in Laurens has a translator at 104.1 FM 250 watts but their towed is almost in a ditch so it’s only clear in about a 4-5 mile radius. In most cases these stations seem content with their translator signal covering the main area or the town that their AM has served and are just glad to have the FM lifeline via translator.
Today was a good example of how translators can go wrong when you run them to operate as a separate station like Summit does and Audacy does with The Block. WKSP from Aiken was stomping all over The Block up to Roper Mountain Rd on 385 NB in Greenville then WKXC was wrecking havoc on 99.5 at the 85/385 interchange and kept trying to come in. I kept hearing WKKT trying to bleed in areas where Rejoice 96.9 normally comes in with a solid signal. I also got a HD lock on 104.3 from WBBQ! I got a Bandscan video off of Pelham Rd earlier today.
Today was a good example of how translators can go wrong when you run them to operate as a separate station like Summit does and Audacy does with The Block. WKSP from Aiken was stomping all over The Block up to Roper Mountain Rd on 385 NB in Greenville then WKXC was wrecking havoc on 99.5 at the 85/385 interchange and kept trying to come in. I kept hearing WKKT trying to bleed in areas where Rejoice 96.9 normally comes in with a solid signal. I also got a HD lock on 104.3 from WBBQ! I got a Bandscan video off of Pelham Rd earlier today.
I was thinking of possible problems for WQNQ.
I’m no expert but I doubt a signal on 104.3 in Gaffney would be able to make it over the mountains inside WQNQ’s protected contour, but maybe there’s a risk. Very few signals cross those mountains either way (92.5, 93.3, 93.7, 94.5, 98.9, 99.9, 102.5, 106.9 are about it) but I could be wrong. There’s a translator in Greenville on 105.9 (directional) and Asheville has a full power station WTMT at 105.9.
96.9-WKKT used to come in strong through Spartanburg and into the tip of Greenville County before the Rejoice 96.9 translator signed on.
Even from a taller tower?
- Status