Jeny flips again!

[Rusty Muck]

The limitation on boosters is the same as on non-fill-in translators: the contour of the booster can't extend past the protected contour of the primary signal. So you still can't do anything useful that would go northeast of Beachwood.

The other problem with boosters over flat terrain is self-interference. The booster has to be very carefully designed and situated to minimize interfering with the main signal. There's enough 107.3 signal on the near east side to make that a big challenge.

To illustrate this (if but "for entertainment purposes only" ), this is the 60 dBu service contour for WKSU and their two boosters. WKSU does put out a city-grade signal into much of Cleveland proper but due to their different position from the other Cleveland FMs and area topography, places like Ohio City and Cleveland Heights have had weaker signals overall; Cleveland Scene's Vince Grzegorek managed to explain this surprisingly well last year. (This map is data extracted from the FCC's JSON files, which are also extrapolated by FCCData.org)



Even with the boosters, there still exists a gap with city-grade 60 dBu coverage for WKSU in a decent portion of western Lake County, as their repeater map shows (blue are the full-power satellites, the two wine dots are the Ashland and Mansfield translators).

 

[Yabadabado1]

By the way, the building is haunted. I know, I experienced it directly. Perhaps someday around the campfire I'll share the story with you!

Oh yeah, I used to know a guy that was a DJ at WNOB and he was telling me that he saw it when he was on-air one evening. I think he quit not long after that. Since he's gone now and the only way to ask him about it would be through a seance or Ouija board, I'll just say I think he said it was the ghost of an engineer that died in the station one night.

 

[MediaLover]

The pastor of the church in the old WNOB/WELW/WDMT, etc., building did have his own preaching show that originated from Salem 1220 here and was distributed nationwide and may still be. Perhaps he did the show from that building, although it is mainly offices and worship space for his church.
The radio studios were originally in the basement. Ted Alexander and WELW moved them upstairs in 1970 and they were redone at least once in 1978 when Beasley had it. After Radio One moved the studios downtown, the building was home to the Middlefield Cheese Company (also rather fitting) but the church has been there for some time now.
By the way, the building is haunted. I know, I experienced it directly. Perhaps someday around the campfire I'll share the story with you!

I saw the building recently and it looks a lot smaller than when it was 107.9.

 

[MediaLover]

To illustrate this (if but "for entertainment purposes only" ), this is the 60 dBu service contour for WKSU and their two boosters. WKSU does put out a city-grade signal into much of Cleveland proper but due to their different position from the other Cleveland FMs and area topography, places like Ohio City and Cleveland Heights have had weaker signals overall; Cleveland Scene's Vince Grzegorek managed to explain this surprisingly well last year. (This map is data extracted from the FCC's JSON files, which are also extrapolated by FCCData.org)

View attachment 5278

Even with the boosters, there still exists a gap with city-grade 60 dBu coverage for WKSU in a decent portion of western Lake County, as their repeater map shows (blue are the full-power satellites, the two wine dots are the Ashland and Mansfield translators).
View attachment 5279

Could an option to purchase a Lake County signal or maybe a bigger Cleveland signal be an option?

 

[skiwest]

I assume the large blue circle is 104.9. It looks like it covers most of the same area as the booster.

 

[radiofollower]

From what I understand, there was a proposal to move both 107.3 and 107.9 to the top of the Key Building in downtown Cleveland, with each station agreeing to take the frequency short space. The maps showed that this move would not impact any other station on nearby frequencies. One of the stations (I don't know which one) turned down the proposal.

 

[radiofollower]

View attachment 5282

I assume the large blue circle is 104.9. It looks like it covers most of the same area as the booster.

Yes, but the very edge of 104.9's coverage is in the downtown area where it is plagued with multipath and the signal is considerably weakened. That booster is essentially for the downtown/Tremont/Gordon Square area where 89.7 gets relatively weak and 104.9 isn't much better.

 

[Rusty Muck]

View attachment 5282

I assume the large blue circle is 104.9. It looks like it covers most of the same area as the booster.

104.9 is limited to the west side as it is hemmed in by WKKY in Geneva and 105.1 in Salem (a problem that plagued WCLV listeners for 20+ years). The tower location on Nagel Road in Avon is literally the closest it can get to Cleveland.

It’s best served being a Lorain and Elyria repeater for WKSU as 89.7 flutters significantly in Westlake and points west, even with the booster. (Fun note: the other full-power repeaters are in areas with or are close to a Kent State satellite campus; WCPN is near Lorain County Community College, which has a long-standing partnership extension program with KSU.)

 

[fybush]

From what I understand, there was a proposal to move both 107.3 and 107.9 to the top of the Key Building in downtown Cleveland, with each station agreeing to take the frequency short space. The maps showed that this move would not impact any other station on nearby frequencies. One of the stations (I don't know which one) turned down the proposal.

There are so many what-ifs from earlier eras of FM.

It's true - because 107.3 and 107.9 were both authorized before the current spacing rules went into effect in 1964, they are not considered short-spaced to each other and could locate anywhere with respect to each other.

The problem is everything else that's been authorized in more recent years. Even if you could move 107.3 in to downtown while keeping Elyria as city of license (or relicense to somewhere like Westlake), now you've got 107.5 in Ashtabula County to deal with, not to mention an upgraded 106.9 in Canton and 107.3 in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

 

[Yabadabado1]

I saw the building recently and it looks a lot smaller than when it was 107.9.

Heck, when I went up for my interview I drove right past it. I thought it was a telephone switching exchange building. This was well before the days of Google maps....paper maps were still all the rage. Had to stop and ask Fred & Wilma for directions!

 

[MediaLover]

There are so many what-ifs from earlier eras of FM.

It's true - because 107.3 and 107.9 were both authorized before the current spacing rules went into effect in 1964, they are not considered short-spaced to each other and could locate anywhere with respect to each other.

The problem is everything else that's been authorized in more recent years. Even if you could move 107.3 in to downtown while keeping Elyria as city of license (or relicense to somewhere like Westlake), now you've got 107.5 in Ashtabula County to deal with, not to mention an upgraded 106.9 in Canton and 107.3 in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

Not to mention 106.9 in Cleveland

 

[MarkW]

That is an unprotected signal.

 

[Rusty Muck]

That is an unprotected signal.

Moreover, the translator exists because of iHeart owning the full-power WRQK Canton.

 

[radiofollower]

Moreover, the translator exists because of iHeart owning the full-power WRQK Canton.

Which is another unfair advantage to those companies which own a boatload of stations in a region. If someone else tried to put 106.9 on in Cleveland, iHeart would fight them. But iHeart can expand their portfolio even greater by agreeing with themselves to allow it.

 

[snowdog88]

Which is another unfair advantage to those companies which own a boatload of stations in a region. If someone else tried to put 106.9 on in Cleveland, iHeart would fight them. But iHeart can expand their portfolio even greater by agreeing with themselves to allow it.

...and also agreeing with their existing stations to create a good amount of interference to one located nearby. I have lost WBBG 106.1 & WHOF 101.7 because of these low power and translator stations that iHeart has put on the air. I'm in the fringe for both stations, and they used to come in fairly clean. For the most part, without the stereo carrier. Now WBBG has been taken over by a hip-hop station, and WHOF is full of static. Same with WMXY 98.9 after 99.1 signed on several years ago. Yes, if someone else were to sign on these low power stations on these frequencies with the same coverage and wattage, iHeart would never agree to the potential interference that they would create to their existing stations.

 

[Santa fe]

The pastor who now occupies the old WNOB/WELW/WDMT/WPHR building on Sperry road in Newbury is radio pastor/talk show host Ernie Sanders and his church. So in a way it is still a radio building. As previously mentioned, the tower for 107.9 is not on the property but was moved slightly south to the adjacent property of a trucking company. His Salem syndicated show originates from Salem 1220 here. I do not know if he has a studio in his building.

 

[johnbasalla]

The pastor who now occupies the old WNOB/WELW/WDMT/WPHR building on Sperry road in Newbury is radio pastor/talk show host Ernie Sanders and his church. So in a way it is still a radio building. As previously mentioned, the tower for 107.9 is not on the property but was moved slightly south to the adjacent property of a trucking company. His Salem syndicated show originates from Salem 1220 here. I do not know if he has a studio in his building.

Interesting. I had no idea where he was broadcasting from.