100.3 translator finally on the air?

[tomservo]

I think all the local iHeart stations sound like crap, analog or digital. I don't know if it's a compression issue (as in mp3 bitrate, not the other kind) or some sort of digital link somewhere that's very lossy or what. But they all sound "swishy" and "watery" to my sensitive ears.

Anyway, when you run that crap bitrate audio through a second round of encoding (for the HD stream) it magnifies those issues and makes then stand out even more. The same is true of listening online, too. That stream is re-encoded just like the HD is.

It's obvious there's some cascading CODEC issue with them in HD, since they sound so bad while the Cumulus stations that used to run HD always sounded so dang good. No subchannels, better audio input into the HD stream…

Up in Birmingham they don't have this audio issue and the iHeart stations all sound a lot better.

My guess is either iHeart's cluster in Mobile and Pensacola were early upgrades to digital music on hard drive type systems and they never updated their libraries to modern music standards… or the engineer who originally set it up had a tin ear and couldn't honestly hear any differences. It's good enough for 90% of people, but that was before streaming and HD became realities.

 

[tomservo]

Guess the Jack FM type format is over, we're back to Pride Radio and dance. Ok by me, dance makes decent background music.

 

[Radio_Alex_1990]

Guess the Jack FM type format is over, we're back to Pride Radio and dance. Ok by me, dance makes decent background music.

We need a Jack-FM type of music format. But we are approach one week from Labor Day weekend and they sure are enjoying changing the format every and/or every other day. They could put Smooth Jazz back on 99.9-2 and put Pride Radio or something that is equivalent on 107.3-2.

And why is their a Josh Groban station on 101.5-2?

 

[tomservo]

We need a Jack-FM type of music format. But we are approach one week from Labor Day weekend and they sure are enjoying changing the format every and/or every other day. They could put Smooth Jazz back on 99.9-2 and put Pride Radio or something that is equivalent on 107.3-2.

And why is their a Josh Groban station on 101.5-2?

The content of 101.5-2 has been a real head-scratcher. The Josh Groban thing is some special deal they're doing on iHeart Radio online, so I guess they have an agreement to feed it to a few stations' HD2 broadcasts to get it heard more widely. Before Groban, it was "RadioacTV", some sort of temporary new music partnership channel between iHeart and the CW TV network. And I think at one time before that it was all Nikki Sixx's Sixx Sense, all the time. In between special events it seems to play a very generic, very shallow playlist of classic rock tunes.

(As an aside, I actually liked that feed of classic rock better than The Rocket, at least until it got really repetitive. It was older stuff which I like.)

While I wouldn't mind having Pride Radio on all the time locally, I have a feeling I'm the only one who'd listen on a regular basis. I am confident that iHeart won't ditch Smooth Jazz for anything anytime soon on 107.3-2.

iHeart just doesn't own enough stations in this area to really saturate us with HD2 mini-stations like they do elsewhere. We know that Cumulus has HD equipment for at least three of their stations (92.9, 100.7 and 104.1) that is mostly sitting dormant or not using any subchannels at all, which is really unusual. I don't know of another radio market similar in size to Mobile or Pensacola where we have so many HD-capable stations but so few extra choices. Radio stations in other markets either never install HD at all (Jackson, MS) or they do and they all run something different on subchannels.

I understand the technology is basically dead in the water at this point as far as reaching listeners directly, but there have never been more HD radios installed as standard in new cars as there are now, and there's never been a bigger movement to feed translators ("metro signals" as Saga calls them, IIRC) with HD2 feeds… yet we seem to be dragging our heels as a region embracing this.

If you combine Mobile AND Pensacola and lump them together it's a medium sized market, yet we have few translators on the air between the two cities than something that barely registers as a market, like Tuscaloosa. I was just updating some info for that area on my website and realized Tuscaloosa alone (market #174 or something like that) has 10 translators either on air or in the build-out stages. iHeart alone seems to be responsible for at least three of them.

Between Mobile and Pensacola I show 22 listed on my website, but when you weed out duplication and stations with no concrete plans to actually do anything, it drops to just 11.

Most of those that are on the air are in Pensacola, so I'd really like to know what's "wrong" with Mobile that they're not getting assaulted with all these new signals like so many other markets are. It sure can't be bad economic conditions, at least not now.

 

[Groove1670]

Pensacola is better suited for translators because of the geography. Mobile is too spread out. For example, Atlanta is a great market for translators while Miami Ft. Lauderdale isn't. Tuscaloosa, and Jackson are also good markets. There are several factors (demographics, market share etc.) Each group has studied their respective markets and knows where a translator is a good fit. Keep in mind, most of the translators owned in Mobile or Pensacola are owned by independent groups, or religious operators.

 

[Poledo]

Edgewater owns 5(?) translator CPs in Mobile. Think Cumulus or iHeart will buy the whole lot?

 

[tomservo]

Most of the translators in Birmingham were owned by religious groups, too. They've been leased or bought outright.

I don't think either Birmingham or Atlanta are great translator markets. They're both much more spread out than Mobile and 99 or 250 watts at 600 feey only goes so far. I've seen complaints from people in far suburbs who can't pick up those signals... I think an urban format would do well in Mobile even if it doesn't reach the Eastern Shore.

Even if it's a must to cover both sides of the bay, Goforth has proven it can be done with their combo, which means we could still get two or three new stations by creatively pairing up existing unbuilt translators.

The costs would be a fraction of building a full power station from scratch and even if they only netted 1 or 2 shares, that's more than they have now.

If the local operators have done the research and it says it isn't worth it, then that means or economy is not as good as people think.

 

[Poledo]

I think the unbuilt CPs are now more valuable for retransmitting new formats originating from HD2 signals on iHeart or some other FM operator's stations than they were worth for bringing AM stations an FM simucast just a few years ago.
Just imagine if those unbuilt CPs were already tied up with a near useless Independent or Religious AM.

Historically, as I recall, 92.1 and 106.5 couldn't draw a big enough audience to pay the bills with 25kw from towers on the Eastern Shore. It's easy to see how localizing 100-250 watts around Mobile would be difficult.

 

[Radio_Alex_1990]

On a related but different note, radioinsights.com has reported that Alternative is coming to Birmingham to replace 94.9 - an iHeart station to compete with the Tripple A station.

I wonder if that will happen for the Mobile market. I wonder if Classic Hits on 100.7 doesn't work - if Alternative is the next choice? I don't see iHeart doing that unless they put Alternative on 100.3/99.9-2... I don't see iHeart messing with 96.1 and/or 101.5 in the near future.

 

[tomservo]

On a related but different note, radioinsights.com has reported that Alternative is coming to Birmingham to replace 94.9 - an iHeart station to compete with the Tripple A station.

I wonder if that will happen for the Mobile market. I wonder if Classic Hits on 100.7 doesn't work - if Alternative is the next choice? I don't see iHeart doing that unless they put Alternative on 100.3/99.9-2... I don't see iHeart messing with 96.1 and/or 101.5 in the near future.

Iiiiiinteresting. I don't subscribe to the premium content (because I'm poor and this is a hobby not a job for me) so I was curious about that. Someone I've been talking to via e-mail thought it might be alternative to compete with BMR but they thought it might be 99.5 flipping. I countered that Cumulus is still too entrenched in Nash FM and Nash Icons to drop that so soon.

The funny thing is when I was giving it a bit of thought, I dismissed alternative because my feeble brain always associates Vulcan with alt rock… but it's just rock-rock. That and I think of AAA, rock and alt rock as having a lot of overlap.

By that same (apparently flawed) logic, I didn't think alt rock would be a possibility on 100.3/99.9-2 for that same reason. Too close to AAA to win listeners.

 

[Groove1670]

Alternative would be short lived. It has failed in Pensacola, and TK101 has the market wrapped up. The existing translators will be on the air in Mobile in the future, and plans have been made for them. In Atlanta you have millions of people in one central location, and with that the translator concept works. Birmingham is also the central location for workers, and commuters. The suburbs are not a factor in those markets.

Mobile is a different situation, with a large majority of the population living outside the metro. Plus, a lot of businesses are in Daphne and Fairhope, and many advertisers want to reach Pensacola.



Multiple translators for religious broadcasters works well, not so much for commercial. You can't pitch a single format on three different frequencies to an agency for buying purposes.

 

[Poledo]

Alternative was a huge hit in Pensacola.

One-Zero-Seven was beating heratige TK101. The problem came up when 107.3 and 101.5 were both purchased by Paxson (iHeart). Under common ownership they killed off One-Zero-Seven because it was hurting heratige TK101. TKs format was morphed to Active rock just like it still runs with today. 107.3 never recovered.

Now back in the day (1994?), over in Mobile, 92Zew decided it would be smart to flip from AAA to Alternative. That was a miserable failure. Flipped to classic rock and then back to AAA within a couple years.

 

[Groove1670]

Yes that was back then. The market has changed. WRRX tried to go up against TK101 and it didn't work.

 

[tomservo]

Birmingham is also the central location for workers, and commuters. The suburbs are not a factor in those markets.

I have to respectfully disagree with this part of your assessment. Unless you're referring to urban formats on translators (Hallelujah, B 106.5, WAGG, The Beat) then the money (a/k/a suburban white people) is in the far suburbs due to white flight. How else was The Peach able to carve itself out such a decent niche targeting the areas south of Pelham? Summit obviously saw some money there since they snatched it up. As far as I can tell, the only non-urban format on a translator to make the ratings so far has been The Vulcan and it's probably the biggest translator signal of them all. And I know from personal experience that it does not reach all the people who want to listen, as I've fielded questions from friends and family asking why it works fine in a car for 25-30 miles but at home or at places of work, the little tabletop radios can't get it at all, even in parts of Hoover.

Now, I know the counter argument here will be "most listening is done in the car" but that doesn't mean that every car has a perfectly sensitive receiver to hear these weak signals. There's just no getting around the physics of the matter, a 250 watt signal at any height is never going to have the reach and penetration ability of the class Cs it's up against.

 

[Groove1670]

There are many factors that determine the viability of a format. Signal reach is not one of them. I have seen class A stations in some markets beat class C stations. (The old WDLT in Mobile was a good example - originally a A), and WRRX (a class A) is in the top 3 in Pensacola. Listeners will seek out a viable format regardless of of power and or class. Demographics rule.

The Peach is no more part of the Birmingham market, as my station would be part of the Tuscaloosa market.

 

[Poledo]

Yes that was back then. The market has changed. WRRX tried to go up against TK101 and it didn't work.

Rock 106 was rock. TK always played more Alt rock than WRRX.

Rock 106 was beating TK in the ratings for a bit. TK fired their local morning show and poached Alex & Terry from Rock 106. Shot strait back to the top. Now we are probably the biggest market still stuck with Lex & Terry in the mornings.

 

[R.D.P.]

Back in the 1990s, I remember Birmingham getting it's first Active/Alternative Rock station, at 105.9. It was a weak 1450 watt signal (I believe) named the bear. Although most of Birmingham was unable to receive it, that audience was excited and tuned in. Now for those who remember, Mr. Shawn Ryan (Birmingham News Fame) was stoked to have this station. It was something he really wanted on the dial. I remember reading his weekly Friday columns and he was telling everyone why they should check out this Bear 105.9 FM start up. Word of mouth, from that writer, helped put them on the map. Later on, they relocated to a more powerful signal. After the move, success followed them even more.

Now a true story, from me. When I have a real need for some good music, I tend to listen to the out of town stations. Especially when I need my daily dose for all things CCM. Signal be darned.

Now for another story. Let's play along shall we. I know Groove1670 will support me on this. Since Selma has no full time CCM radio station now, I see mine having major success, once I sign on. I know 100 watts won't go out far but if there's an audience, the signal issue won't matter. That fan base will tune in, enjoy the songs and help me stay on. So what if the signal will cover a 5 to 10 mile radius.

And yes...I'm still working on getting it going. Hope to begin broadcasting, sometime between December 2015 and March 2016.

Dan <><

 

[R.D.P.]

There are many factors that determine the viability of a format. Signal reach is not one of them. I have seen class A stations in some markets beat class C stations. (The old WDLT in Mobile was a good example - originally a A), and WRRX (a class A) is in the top 3 in Pensacola. Listeners will seek out a viable format regardless of of power and or class. Demographics rule.

The Peach is no more part of the Birmingham market, as my station would be part of the Tuscaloosa market.

I liked your post.

It was well thought out.

I see WPJB-LP doing very well, once I sign on. Unlike The Bear, I won't have a Shawn Ryan person to write a weekly column and tell everyone why they should listen. For my broadcast to succeed, I'll have to spread the word and let the people know about it. Just like The Bear, my signal will be crappy but if CCM has an audience here, I know this broadcast will take off and have major success.

I know for a fact that if someone wants to hear their favorite songs, they'll go to great lengths to hear them. Signal be darned. Montgomery and myself are fine examples of that. The low powered repeaters are doing better than some of the full power sticks. The Gump, WAY FM, The River, WMGY, WRBZ, Roscoe Miller, The Vault and The Possum come to mind. Those stations are having success because there's an audience for them. Now in my case, since I love CCM and can't live without it, I'm still going to great lengths to hear these wonderful tunes. I know that WDJC Birmingham and K-Love Montgomery are hard to catch most days but I don't mind the static. Listening to my favorite songs, on the radio, brings a wonderful joy to this 43 year old something.

Now to have our own voice for CCM, in Selma, will be a big time thrill for this same person. Signal be danged.

Dan <><

 

[Poledo]

Heard a TOH Legal ID for the first time today. "WMXC-HD2 W262BL Mobile". It was adjacent to an ID for the "Oldies Channel" but I'm not reading anything into that. This translator ain't gonna play oldies.

 

[Groove1670]

I've heard W262BL Mobile Id several times during the last few weeks on my commute back to Baldwin County. Translators are only required to ID certain times a day or with a FSK (morse code) identifier).

R.D.P your success will be based on a solid core audience. You will need to promote your station to your target audience.

LOCAL is going to be the key. Church announcements, community events, a swap shop, lost pets. This will make you stand out.

Also a quality product (tight presentation, no dead air).

Promotion will also be important. Visit the local churches, and make sure you don't drift to far away from music that is currently on the CCM charts. If you say that the big guys don't boom into your market, use a CCM mainstream format that will make CCM fans seek you out.

If this is true, a niche or unfamiliar format (obscure music/programming) will turn off listeners.