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WGTK, Earth FM sold to EMF

AT40 the 70s and the 80s is moving to Kool FM effective this weekend.

Wish WMYI could have gotten those, I know a lot of iheart stations carry those and the signal can’t be compared. But best of luck to Kool FM.
 
The Kool FM signal is extremely terrible. Driving past their transmitter site (on I-385) at the start of a 3 minute song, there's a good bit of static and interference from the Tryon and Anderson translators before the song is over. Be lucky to go over 2 miles with a decent signal, and usually only right by the Haywood Mall and Roper Mountain off 385.

In most of Downtown Greenville Kool FM is hit or miss, and difficult to hear while driving. The 107.7 translator doesn't even work until a few miles above that, gotta be within like 3 miles of Paris Mountain, and weak in the Taylors area.

Looking forward to an online streaming from their station, i hear streaming costs a few hundred $$ per month but definitely worth listening when away from that area.
 
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The FCC limits Kool-FM. WZWK is just 25 watts ERP due to height. W299BO is only 10 watts. Considering there is only 35 watts of combined power in a hilly environment against, say, WRTH/WLTE, with a combined power of 12,000 watts, I'd say the signal isn't too bad. It covers 200k people according to the last census. But, I agree, streaming on the net will help greatly.
 
A big disadvantage and that said maybe they can increase power or their signal efficiency if they moved it to a location with better line of sight, even though they moved a few years ago, something closer to town would clear the slight hills on either side of North Pleasantburg (at 385), like that big striped water tower near Greenville downtown Airport. Maybe even a site atop a tall building in Downtown Greenville they could still be allowed at least 20-25 Watts.

From the transmitter site for WZWK, on average there is a lower elevation just to the south, but higher elevation just to the north and west and east (Roper Mountain / North Pleasantburg) 25 watts isn't much to clear the obstacles with much distance, lots of the signal is lost before it reaches downtown. The top of their transmitter sits at 1142 ft above sea level. Many parts of the City of Greenville are even higher than that.
There's no way their current site is almost 200 ft above average terrain (HAAT), as I said, going a few miles in almost any direction puts the top of their transmitter at ground level from other parts of the city.

Also, their 10 watt translator W299BO, though on Paris Mountain with good line of sight, is highly directional to the South, so most of the signal in that direction doesn't reach downtown Greenville, I was there recently and I heard the Mauldin / Simpsonville LP FM station (WGWY) also on the same channel instead.
 
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KyleAndMelissa22 said:
A big disadvantage and that said maybe they can increase power or their signal efficiency if they moved it to a location with better line of sight, even though they moved a few years ago, something closer to town would clear the slight hills on either side of North Pleasantburg (at 385), like that big striped water tower near Greenville downtown Airport. Maybe even a site atop a tall building in Downtown Greenville they could still be allowed at least 20-25 Watts.

-I have seen it at all of the sites and how it performs. I don't doubt there is a perfect place somewhere, however, tower/building roof access is not inexpensive in Greenville. WZWK owns their current tower.

From the transmitter site for WZWK, on average there is a lower elevation just to the south, but higher elevation just to the north and west and east (Roper Mountain / North Pleasantburg) 25 watts isn't much to clear the obstacles with much distance, lots of the signal is lost before it reaches downtown. The top of their transmitter sits at 1142 ft above sea level. Many parts of the City of Greenville are even higher than that.
There's no way their current site is almost 200 ft above average terrain (HAAT), as I said, going a few miles in almost any direction puts the top of their transmitter at ground level from other parts of the city.

-As far as site locations, the challenge is between

Also, their 10 watt translator W299BO, though on Paris Mountain with good line of sight, is highly directional to the South, so most of the signal in that direction doesn't reach downtown Greenville, I was there recently and I heard the Mauldin / Simpsonville LP FM station (WGWY) also on the same channel instead.
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When WZWK signed on as WEZG, the signal was much cleaner. Since then, a 101.5 translator has signed on in Tryon, in Brevard and in Anderson. Also, a full power has signed on at 101.7 in Walhalla and a translator has signed at 101.7 in Woodruff. It has had a bad effect on WZWK; though, in many areas of Greenville, it comes in better than WRTH or upgraded WLTE. It has gained an audience in businesses and local Greenville area population. At its present location, it is 192 feet HAAT.

W299BO moved to its present location after WGWY, Greenville (South Greenville at 107.7) was licensed for theirs. It has a directional null to the South to protect that station. Also, it is limited to 10 watts (instead of 100 watts) due to a stupid rule at the FCC that limits LPFM rebroadcasts on FM tranlators to 10 watts above a certain height.
 
KyleAndMelissa22 said:
A big disadvantage and that said maybe they can increase power or their signal efficiency if they moved it to a location with better line of sight, even though they moved a few years ago, something closer to town would clear the slight hills on either side of North Pleasantburg (at 385), like that big striped water tower near Greenville downtown Airport. Maybe even a site atop a tall building in Downtown Greenville they could still be allowed at least 20-25 Watts.

From the transmitter site for WZWK, on average there is a lower elevation just to the south, but higher elevation just to the north and west and east (Roper Mountain / North Pleasantburg) 25 watts isn't much to clear the obstacles with much distance, lots of the signal is lost before it reaches downtown. The top of their transmitter sits at 1142 ft above sea level. Many parts of the City of Greenville are even higher than that.
There's no way their current site is almost 200 ft above average terrain (HAAT), as I said, going a few miles in almost any direction puts the top of their transmitter at ground level from other parts of the city.

Also, their 10 watt translator W299BO, though on Paris Mountain with good line of sight, is highly directional to the South, so most of the signal in that direction doesn't reach downtown Greenville, I was there recently and I heard the Mauldin / Simpsonville LP FM station (WGWY) also on the same channel instead.
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My station shows 90 watst at -81 feet and because of the nearby terrain of multiple very tall mountains, this is correct

The FCC procedure to calculate HAAT is: from the proposed or actual antenna site, either 12 or 16 radials were drawn, and points at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 miles (16 km) radius along each radial were used.
 
Now that you mention it, I see that WCQS now has not 1, but 2 translators in 101.5 (W268CL) and (W268BS) both only 25 miles apart and on either side of Hendersonville. Both are 10 watt signals.

The W268CL signal in Brevard is at the Fox Carolina Tower (WHNS-TV) below Brevard, but right at Cedar Mountain and next to Caesars Head, which I think is a bit too close for comfort to Greenville / WZWK.

The 40 dbu contour for (W268CL - Brevard NC) reaches the Travelers Rest area, but with good line of sight stright out of the mountains it likely reaches Greenville causing new issues for WZWK. Impressive for only 10 watts, while the equally powered 10 Watt WZWK translator (W299BO) has trouble being heard more than 3 miles from Paris Mountain much closer to the population W299BO intends to serve.
 
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KyleAndMelissa22 said:
Now that you mention it, I see that WCQS now has not 1, but 2 translators in 101.5 (W268CL) and (W268BS) both only 25 miles apart and on either side of Hendersonville. Both are 10 watt signals.

The W268CL signal in Brevard is at the Fox Carolina Tower (WHNS-TV) below Brevard, but right at Cedar Mountain and next to Caesars Head, which I think is a bit too close for comfort to Greenville / WZWK.

The 40 dbu contour for (W268CL - Brevard NC) reaches the Travelers Rest area, but with good line of sight stright out of the mountains it likely reaches Greenville causing new issues for WZWK. Impressive for only 10 watts, while the equally powered 10 Watt WZWK translator (W299BO) has trouble being heard more than 3 miles from Paris Mountain much closer to the population W299BO intends to serve.
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The 40dB of the Tryon translator reaches well into Greenville. When WZWK signs off its transmitter for any reason, it comes in like a local station.
 
The Tryon translator kinda makes it into parts of Spartanburg as well, but in that area and heading east, the Shelby NC station is stronger (W268CU) which has a weak but listenable signal here in Gaffney.

That Shelby station (WOHS + translator) is also a good local station that plays some of the same great music found on Earth FM.
 
Another thing I’ve seen mentioned is Kool FM leasing an HD subchannel to simulcast on which I don’t think would be legal. Doesn’t that go against the non-commercial LPFM status of the OTA signal and translator? I guess they could do one but not the other.

Does Earth FM even leave that many significant gaps to fill musically? WMYI plays most of the same songs although it is older leaning and plays some songs from the 70s which I don’t believe Earth FM does. They play less 90s too but if you like the music on Earth FM you’re going to like the music on The Lake IMO.
 
101tm said:
Another thing I’ve seen mentioned is Kool FM leasing an HD subchannel to simulcast on which I don’t think would be legal.

-It is fully legal.

Doesn’t that go against the non-commercial LPFM status of the OTA signal and translator? I guess they could do one but not the other.

- It does not.
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KyleAndMelissa22 said:
The 40 dbu contour for (W268CL - Brevard NC) reaches the Travelers Rest area, but with good line of sight stright out of the mountains it likely reaches Greenville causing new issues for WZWK. Impressive for only 10 watts, while the equally powered 10 Watt WZWK translator (W299BO) has trouble being heard more than 3 miles from Paris Mountain much closer to the population W299BO intends to serve.
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In "40 dbu" the "u" means "useless". The limits for in-car reliable and consistent reception are in the 54 to 60 dbu range, and in home or at work, 65 is the almost absolute minimum signal needed to penetrate walls.
 
DavidEduardo said:
In "40 dbu" the "u" means "useless". The limits for in-car reliable and consistent reception are in the 54 to 60 dbu range, and in home or at work, 65 is the almost absolute minimum signal needed to penetrate walls.
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I agree, however, if you look at the RL map for WZWK-LP, the "60 dbu" contour reaches the Eastern part of Downtown Greenville (4 miles away) however signal starts to have issues from the current site about 2 miles away, only half that distance (where signal should he at least 70 dbu - at least on paper) and interference is from translator stations 30+ miles away well beyond their intended range.
 
KyleAndMelissa22 said:
I agree, however, if you look at the RL map for WZWK-LP, the "60 dbu" contour reaches the Eastern part of Downtown Greenville (4 miles away) however signal starts to have issues from the current site about 2 miles away, only half that distance (where signal should he at least 70 dbu - at least on paper) and interference is from translator stations 30+ miles away well beyond their intended range.
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There is currently no way to know it the transmitters of all stations are operating within/beyond licensed values. Also, given the terrain, there is bound to be obstacles that affect coverage. Real world interference changes Radio-Locator coverage maps all the time.
 
Slightly different subject from the current discussion - but I assume Salem is hanging on to 96.9 and 102.9 until they find a buyer? I wonder if they’ll shift their conservative talk format to 96.9 / WGTK-HD3 (which they are leasing as part of the sale agreement) to continue to carry it in the market until? Perhaps they want to fulfill whatever agreement they have with leasing 102.9 and are making some cash from the lease? I can’t see this really being a long term agreement, it sounds like they want to keep them until they can sell them so they arranged something with EMF.
 
101tm said:
Slightly different subject from the current discussion - but I assume Salem is hanging on to 96.9 and 102.9 until they find a buyer? I wonder if they’ll shift their conservative talk format to 96.9 / WGTK-HD3 (which they are leasing as part of the sale agreement) to continue to carry it in the market until? Perhaps they want to fulfill whatever agreement they have with leasing 102.9 and are making some cash from the lease? I can’t see this really being a long term agreement, it sounds like they want to keep them until they can sell them so they arranged something with EMF.
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They're for sale. 1/2 million each.
 
The Beat said:
They're for sale. 1/2 million each.
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Ahh, I figured. 96.9 is bad from Greer to the east but is a much better Greenville area signal than the ultra directional 102.9. Can’t really see who would want them other than another religious broadcaster that doesn’t require a local signal since there aren’t really any AM’s left that I can see getting a translator. Iheart hasn’t played the translator game in this market and I can’t see Audacy launching another station. Summit at this point is maxed out with HD unless they wanted to give up Hot on the HD4 on 107.3 which feeds a simulcast to the 94.1 translator which is located on the 103.3 tower.
 
If / when 94.5 goes to K-Love, 88.3 in Boiling Springs becomes redundant as a K-Love Signal, but maybe that would be a better choice for Air1.

I think Air 1 would work better on 88.3 Spartanburg and maybe 95.5 or 96.9/102.9 for Greenville.

"The Answer" station as a Brand is valuable to Salem and in many markets, not just Greenville, they can easily move or do something else if they want it to keep that station going as well (other than staying on 94.5), but it wouldn't be as competitive as WYRD on 98.9 now with their huge signal.

The station Earth FM as we know it may go away, but there's a chance something (it's remnants) will take its place or find a different spot on the dial in the near future.

Maybe retain 103.3 or reclaim 105.7 (W289BS) or move the Spanish station to the Block's channels. Or maybe Earth 2.0 on 104.9 and Switch the Sports station (97.1 / 97.7) for added coverage. If iHeart and or Audacy somehow get some of Earth's former staff.

Also WSPA's translators in Anderson (101.5) and Six Mile (95.1) sound terrible, more like an AM station on FM than FM quality, they would be better off fixing that or putting something else on there as well.

Personally, I think Magic hurt themselves so much moving to 106.3 they'd be better off changing the Brand to "Earth 106.3" which could be a stronger competitor for WMYI. Speaking of Earth (as a Planet, no pun intended 😂) launch Earth 2.0 on 93.3 and move the Rock Station to 106.3, like the Planet 106.3 which recently launched near Atlantic City NJ (WJSE). Ok, Now I'm dreaming. lol 😅🛸🌎

But seriously, If the other stations/companies care or are paying any attention in this market, it would be worth looking into to try to fill any void or Capitalize on the Earth FM (Castaway Earthings) audience.
 
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