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101.1 off the air

AMRocks

AMRocks

RBR reporting this. https://www.rbr.com/fcc-orders-davis-to-kill-wjzas-atlanta-fm-translator/

I don't subscribe, but here's the basics about W266BW, Winder:

With pioneering Smooth Jazz consultant, programmer and air personality Allen Kepler in morning drive, former KKSF/San Francisco host Miranda Wilson in middays, and veteran Atlanta radio talent Rene Miller in afternoon drive, “Atlanta’s Smooth Jazz” soothes listeners by way of an FM translator at 101.1 MHz and its primary home, a Class D AM licensed to Decatur, Ga., east of downtown. Since its October 2017 debut, the AM facility has played second fiddle to the translator, with the station branded as “Smooth Jazz 101.1.” Effective immediately, thanks to the FCC, the lone home for Miller, Kepler and everything WJZA offers is that AM radio station at 1310 kHz.

Can anyone verify that it's off?
 
There is a letter in the translator FCC file dated 2-1-19 that says the translator must cease operation due to interference complaints to WJLA in Ellijay. WJLA supposedly has 20 listener complaints and filed an objection to the translator's continued operation. Stay tuned....
 
I certainly would not be surprised if it were true that interference existed. I'm pretty sure I heard W266BW driving down I-75 near Lake Alatoona during my travels last year. I wouldn't swear to the exact location, but I remember looking at the tuner in the car and wondering why I wasn't hearing bluegrass gospel.
 
Are we really surprised? I liked the fact that someone tried to put a limp signal on a translator licensed for WINDER-BARROW on the air from ATLANTA and caused interference to a full service in ELLIJAY. What a shocker. Not.
There are plenty of full service FM toilet bowls playing the same lame songs over and over, most of which will be up for sale in coming months and years. Hey Alan Kepler, start making your bids! Got Jazz? WCLK has nothing to worry about, listener supported radio is still here to stay.
 
To make matters worse for the translator W266BW, WLJA might be able to move farther south, increase power or antennal height or a combination of all three with a directional antenna. There isn’t any on channel station on 101.1 between Ellijay and Atlanta that has to be protected.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/l...&format=&dx=3&radius=200&freq=101.1&sort=freq

Adjacent channel WJES 100.9 in Maysville might require some protection because they have some signal in the northeast part of the market.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WJES&service=FM

101.3 is clear due to 101.5. I am not to sure about 2nd adjacent channel protection but the FCC has allowed very close on channel, and adjacent channel translators. I know the translators can accept interference but I don’t think they can give a “real” FM station interference.
 
secondchoice said:
To make matters worse for the translator W266BW, WLJA might be able to move farther south, increase power or antennal height or a combination of all three with a directional antenna. There isn’t any on channel station on 101.1 between Ellijay and Atlanta that has to be protected.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/l...&format=&dx=3&radius=200&freq=101.1&sort=freq

Adjacent channel WJES 100.9 in Maysville might require some protection because they have some signal in the northeast part of the market.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WJES&service=FM

101.3 is clear due to 101.5. I am not to sure about 2nd adjacent channel protection but the FCC has allowed very close on channel, and adjacent channel translators. I know the translators can accept interference but I don’t think they can give a “real” FM station interference.
Click to expand...

Second-adjacents have to be protected, but they can get pretty close (see 105.3 and 105.7 and 106.1--interestingly, both 105.3 and 105.7 were both originally on 105.5). There is still some protection for third-adjacents, but some of those are grandfathered (e.g., 94.9/95.5/96.1) where they don't have to protect.
 
I bet its multipath causing the problem. Moving further south might not help. If you like to DX a little bit, their sister station 100.1 is still on the air (as of yesterday afternoon).
 
This is what happens when you do business with Vic Michael and his cronies. The guy openly brags about his ability to build stations "cheap and dirty". Caveat Emptor.
 
So they got 20 listener complaints. What locations? I'd like to see them. Bet some are bogus. Hope the FCC studies them.
Does WLJA want to get into the Atlanta market? They'd probably like to get into the lucrative north Atlanta area.
It will be interesting how this turns out.
 
kf4rca said:
So they got 20 listener complaints. What locations? I'd like to see them. Bet some are bogus. Hope the FCC studies them.
Does WLJA want to get into the Atlanta market? They'd probably like to get into the lucrative north Atlanta area.
It will be interesting how this turns out.
Click to expand...

Under the interference rules that is enough to silence a translator. It is up to the translator, not the FCC to verify and discredit any invalid claims.

WLJA is simply protecting itself from fringe interference as well as they can. There is no reason to want to serve a tiny slice of the Atlanta market as there is no money in that.
 
DavidEduardo said:


Under the interference rules that is enough to silence a translator. It is up to the translator, not the FCC to verify and discredit any invalid claims.

WLJA is simply protecting itself from fringe interference as well as they can. There is no reason to want to serve a tiny slice of the Atlanta market as there is no money in that.
Click to expand...

Byron Dodds former owner of 105.7 owns half of this station. He did OK selling 105.7 to Clear Channel now iHeart. I wouldn't be surprised if he financially scores big with 101.1 in someway. Either selling WLJA to someone who wants to make the 101.1 translator viable in Atlanta of just move WLJA south somehow. They own 1580 in Ellijay so the city of license is not an issue. IIRC 101.1 was 93.5 until 93.5 was shoehorned into the Chattanooga market. I personally thought 93.5 was a candidate to move into the Atlanta market 10 or 20 years ago.
 
You mean move WLJA north. Moving them south would complicate the issue. The translator would have to move south. (Ellijay is north of Atlanta.)
I thought the interference issue was resolved. Its been a year since they went on.
Modern antenna modeling software would have shown any issues- except for multipath which no one can predict.
So they got 20 complaints in one year. I'd say thats typical. WSB-FM probably gets that many.
Thats probably not really a problem unless that's all your total listenership. Yikes!
 
kf4rca said:
So they got 20 complaints in one year. I'd say thats typical. WSB-FM probably gets that many.
Click to expand...

If two regular stations interfere with each other, it all comes down to where the interference is and in whose protected contour.

I'm not sure if regular stations can complain about translator interference outside of their contour, but they sure can within it. And they can make the translator shut down in that case. Translators operate at the mercy of regular stations.
 
kf4rca said:
You mean move WLJA north. Moving them south would complicate the issue. The translator would have to move south. (Ellijay is north of Atlanta.)
I thought the interference issue was resolved. Its been a year since they went on.
Modern antenna modeling software would have shown any issues- except for multipath which no one can predict.
So they got 20 complaints in one year. I'd say thats typical. WSB-FM probably gets that many.
Thats probably not really a problem unless that's all your total listenership. Yikes!
Click to expand...

Jabba is correct. If WLJA moves south (which there is a chance they could) or upgrades with a directional antenna this translator is toast. IMHO the only way the 101.1 channel has a chance to make any impact in the Atlanta market is for the ownership of WLJA and the translator be the same.
 
secondchoice said:
Jabba is correct. If WLJA moves south (which there is a chance they could) or upgrades with a directional antenna this translator is toast. IMHO the only way the 101.1 channel has a chance to make any impact in the Atlanta market is for the ownership of WLJA and the translator be the same.
Click to expand...

Why doesn't Davis trade their 100.1 station for WLJA 101.1 station. The guy with Streets 94.5 didn't even have that option. He went to Calhoun and bought the FM on 94.5 which was filing complaints on him then went down to Warm Springs and did the same with the 94.5 FM there. Davis could just swap signals.

Even a translator in Atlanta with a decent signal and niche format can so some strong billing. Sounds like someone can't see the forest for the trees. WLJA programming ain't my cup of tea but with the translator off I can hear them loud and clear along 400 from Alpharetta up to Dawsonville. I don't blame them I would fight it, too.
 
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