I know we have several Central WA folks on this board. Any insight into why KXLE 95.3 would downgrade from a C1 to a C3 and drop power from 51K down to 1700 watts? Seems like they are giving up on the upper valley entirely.
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Washington KXLE-FM downgrade
- Thread starter The New Chico
- Start date
It's completely moving into the Yakima market.
The transmitter's moving to Manastash Ridge just above Ellensburg, and there will be a slight increase in HAAT. The Upper Valley will likely continue to receive KXLE but at a weaker signal, while the Yakima Valley will begin receiving a stronger signal. I imagine it could be stronger in Moses Lake as well considering K232CV 94.3 gets in despite it being at 36W.
That's going to cause problems with listeners in Easton and Roslyn. KXLE has a fanbase up there too! Solely focusing on Ellensburg could lose what little revenue they get from Upper County. Signals are multipathed badly up there. 88.1 and 94.3 are very noisy in Cle Elum.
If they are trying to gain revenue from Yakima advertisers, they won't get far. KXDD dominates and The Bull is a distant 2nd.
Not to mention K237GY in Prosser - it gets out extremely well with its 205 watts. Some Spanish religious listeners might complain about the 'new and improved' KXLE clobbering the signal in parts of the Lower Valley.
If they are trying to gain revenue from Yakima advertisers, they won't get far. KXDD dominates and The Bull is a distant 2nd.
Not to mention K237GY in Prosser - it gets out extremely well with its 205 watts. Some Spanish religious listeners might complain about the 'new and improved' KXLE clobbering the signal in parts of the Lower Valley.
Thank you for the responses. It makes sense they are trying to wedge into the Yakima market, but I wonder if there is enough signal there to make any impact. The lay of the land is rough- Manastash is much more of a plateau than just a ridge, and it will be interesting to see if it can maintain a decent signal all the way into the valley.
Spanish religious listeners in the Yakima Valley have K229AD 93.7 Yakima and K239CS 95.7 Sunnyside (whenever it gets back on the air) as options as well, and I imagine they would be tuned to 93.7 in Yakima as opposed to 95.3. Same network as K237GY Prosser.
95.7 has never been on the air, and KKSR is solid in the Lower Valley. Terrible frequency to have a translator. 97.3 or 98.1 would be far better. Besides, why bother? Doesn't 93.7 make it down there?
On the other hand, 104.5, 106.1, and 106.9 are gone before Sunnyside. Can hardly hear sports on 104.5, it's mostly just a weak Mesa WA in Sunnyside/Grandview. The Bridge is stronger than Big 106.1 at times. And KTCR/K295BT is very weak.
On the other hand, 104.5, 106.1, and 106.9 are gone before Sunnyside. Can hardly hear sports on 104.5, it's mostly just a weak Mesa WA in Sunnyside/Grandview. The Bridge is stronger than Big 106.1 at times. And KTCR/K295BT is very weak.
The AM (1240) is nothing but syndicated talk and Mariners/Seahawks in season. No HS football, no local programming, but there is local advertising at least. No translator either. If the AM wanted a translator, that time is gone now, unless KXLE goes HD and adds HD2. They could easily use the 106.3 frequency which used to be a pirate in Ellensburg that looped readings of the entire Holy Bible.
Yakima does not need a third country signal.
With Steve Scellick retired now, my guess is the company that bought out KXLE is wanting to put all the marbles to serve a market that already has two country stations, multiple other formats, and even '50s/'60s oldies on an AM and translator!
Yakima does not need a third country signal.
With Steve Scellick retired now, my guess is the company that bought out KXLE is wanting to put all the marbles to serve a market that already has two country stations, multiple other formats, and even '50s/'60s oldies on an AM and translator!
I just saw that the construction permit was filed on Friday, August 11th. 1.7KW at 1247 ft HAAT. Cle Elum goes into the grade B contour. Easton loses KXLE altogether (or it's so noisy that no one listens to it anymore). It sounds like this station is giving up on the 3,500 residents (or more) in the upper county who get very little FM coverage outside of 90.7, 95.3, 100.3 (which only matters if you're Catholic), and 102.1. Yakima FMs don't make it up there except for 107.3 and it definitely isn't solid either.
Could KXLE eventually put up a translator out that way?
I see KPLW-89.9 Wenatchee wants to expand into Ellensburg as well to fill in the multipath from KYPL. That would displace NWPB News (on K210DK).
Could KXLE eventually put up a translator out that way?
I see KPLW-89.9 Wenatchee wants to expand into Ellensburg as well to fill in the multipath from KYPL. That would displace NWPB News (on K210DK).
"....just saw that the construction permit was filed on Friday, August 11th.." The KXLE downgrade request formally was approved. Given the short season between fire threats and snowstorms I am not sure how quick this can be buildout.
KXLE might be able to backfill a translator outside the 60dBu area if it claims that the area is "underserved" (can't remember the exact wording).
KXLE might be able to backfill a translator outside the 60dBu area if it claims that the area is "underserved" (can't remember the exact wording).
It is 2/16/24, and KXLE seems to be at the new Manastash site now. Easily audible but a little spotty in Selah. A wild picket-fencing mess in much of Yakima with KXLE and K237GY slopping over each other...KXLE gets better around the Ahtanum and Wiley City area.
Also NEW TOH IDs, sweepers, NBC News Radio at TOH.
AM 1240 went classic country quite a while ago, BTW.
I can't see how they gain any Yakima advertisers, except for maybe a Selah business or two. 95.3 mHz in Yakima is a solid mix of Luke Combs singing about a 'fast car', and singing/praising Jesus in Spanish.
Also NEW TOH IDs, sweepers, NBC News Radio at TOH.
AM 1240 went classic country quite a while ago, BTW.
I can't see how they gain any Yakima advertisers, except for maybe a Selah business or two. 95.3 mHz in Yakima is a solid mix of Luke Combs singing about a 'fast car', and singing/praising Jesus in Spanish.
Rather than assume, why not ask the owner? He's on these forums.
I do want to say that KXLE does sound a lot better now, regardless of whether they gain new advertisers. A nice blend of '90s to today. Last night sounded satellite-fed, but I sure hope they gain some local personalities and expand their reach to the community even more. Perhaps some live remotes at the next rodeo, or high school sports? 
I do want to say that KXLE does sound a lot better now, regardless of whether they gain new advertisers. A nice blend of '90s to today. Last night sounded satellite-fed, but I sure hope they gain some local personalities and expand their reach to the community even more. Perhaps some live remotes at the next rodeo, or high school sports?
Sure sounds satellite. @crainbebo .. but the owner said theyre not ... again... making assumptions and guesses when youve been told otherwise and probably done little "investigative work" of your own.
Having checked out @bossbill s stations in aberdeen, i see they are utilizxing local radio networks which isn't satellite, its jocks voicetracked whos breaks are pushed directly to the stations computer and can be cutomized andx tailor to each local station.
I'd wager $100 that thats exactly what KXLE is using, hence the "not satelitte" remark by bill wolfenbarger, whos bossbill and owns KXLE.
Most radio stations in America use voice-tracking, larger markets more selectively. It's been used for over 50 years, as I've summarized previously. A friend of ours just came back from another part of the US and was astonished to hear Delilah, she thought it was a local show.
And you can tell the difference between Westwood One satellite and other forms of delivery. Westwood One has the traditional 3:30 local breaks 3-4 times an hour. Major market stations utilize voice-tracking these days.
Re: "plenty" of national spots. Westwood One was charging 4-minutes an hour PLUS cash for their satellite-delivered programming. You now hear no more than two minutes an hour, sometimes less.
In Aberdeen our flagship station is live & local in AM & PM drive, and AJ sounds fantastic in the morning. We still have one station on Westwood One, and only because we have Big D and Bubba in the morning, and it is satellite-fed. Except for that station, all our music is on our local servers. The quality is better, we no longer care about Sun fade.
Same thing for KXLE, all music is on the hard drives. Anyone need a large satellite dish? Call me.
Thanks Paul, we sound better because we dumped the 30-year-old jingles, and we play more music because we don't need to adhere to WWO breaks and the music isn't processed through a grinder. Plus we're using a new Gates FM transmtter with Orban Inside.
And you can tell the difference between Westwood One satellite and other forms of delivery. Westwood One has the traditional 3:30 local breaks 3-4 times an hour. Major market stations utilize voice-tracking these days.
Re: "plenty" of national spots. Westwood One was charging 4-minutes an hour PLUS cash for their satellite-delivered programming. You now hear no more than two minutes an hour, sometimes less.
In Aberdeen our flagship station is live & local in AM & PM drive, and AJ sounds fantastic in the morning. We still have one station on Westwood One, and only because we have Big D and Bubba in the morning, and it is satellite-fed. Except for that station, all our music is on our local servers. The quality is better, we no longer care about Sun fade.
Same thing for KXLE, all music is on the hard drives. Anyone need a large satellite dish? Call me.
Thanks Paul, we sound better because we dumped the 30-year-old jingles, and we play more music because we don't need to adhere to WWO breaks and the music isn't processed through a grinder. Plus we're using a new Gates FM transmtter with Orban Inside.
I did overnights on LRN's classic country format for 6 years and toured the LRN Facility near Fort Wayne IN twice so im familiar with it.
With the WW1 storq system, if your 50 after local break was 90 seconds or less, itd drop in an optional song so you dont run short..and it would go from the local break to the optional song without a liner. i always made sure our breaks in PA were 91 seconds or longer so wed get that "Rejoin liner" and not run an optional song
The LRN music is all uncompressed wav files and the jock voicetracks are all wav files. The WW music is compressed mp2s and the jocks on the Storq and satellite formats are tracked and they certainly arent wav files.
I had listeners to some of my LRN stations contact the station because of me, they liked my show so much and i talked about the things that mattered to them... I'm even fb friends with some of them, including a police officer in Texas whos was one of my listeners overnights
No longer with LRN, just manage KSKO, VT afternoons for a WY station and looking for one local station to track a shift for. Quality over quantity
LRN;s VT system sounds lightyears better than anything on satellite for a multitude of reasons.