• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

102.9 Translator

R

RoddyFreeman

Radio One has owned the 102.9 translator for some time now. It of course had been operating for a while under Steve Hegwood's ownership.

I've been wondering why it's not on the air after all this time. Also, I'm curious to know what Radio One will do with it. I don't see a simulcast helping any of the company's Atlanta FM's; it would be redundant.
 
Hmm, good point Roddy. I just read up on it and didn't even know Radio One owned it. I saw an application to raise the height on the tower. Wonder if they would ever bring a black talk format to that signal or even a deep classic soul format?
 
RoddyFreeman said:
Radio One has owned the 102.9 translator for some time now. It of course had been operating for a while under Steve Hegwood's ownership.

I've been wondering why it's not on the air after all this time. Also, I'm curious to know what Radio One will do with it. I don't see a simulcast helping any of the company's Atlanta FM's; it would be redundant.
Click to expand...
Funny you bring this up today...it sounded like R1 was simuling Hot 107.9 on it this evening. Of course, that keeps me from picking up Majic 102.9 :mad:
 
HOT 107.9 is now heard on 102.9. The top of the hour ID on HOT 107.9 is now WHTA/Hampton-Atlanta/W275BK. However, I don't think they'll rebrand to HOT 107.9/102.9
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
HOT 107.9 is now heard on 102.9. The top of the hour ID on HOT 107.9 is now WHTA/Hampton-Atlanta/W275BK. However, I don't think they'll rebrand to HOT 107.9/102.9
Click to expand...

Will that be permanent though? What does that translator add to the 107.9 signal? 107.9 comes in well everywhere the translator comes in well.
 
RoddyFreeman said:
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
HOT 107.9 is now heard on 102.9. The top of the hour ID on HOT 107.9 is now WHTA/Hampton-Atlanta/W275BK. However, I don't think they'll rebrand to HOT 107.9/102.9
Click to expand...

Will that be permanent though? What does that translator add to the 107.9 signal? 107.9 comes in well everywhere the translator comes in well.
Click to expand...
Did R1 have to "use it or lose it"?
 
I was always told that V-103 was the only Urban station that came in well in Downtown buildings. Maybe this is an attempt to cover the inner city limits? It doen't make sense, but like Jabba17 said, it may be use it or loose it. If this is temporary, I can see R1 going classic soul, old school hip-hop or bringing jazz back.
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
I was always told that V-103 was the only Urban station that came in well in Downtown buildings. Maybe this is an attempt to cover the inner city limits? It doen't make sense, but like Jabba17 said, it may be use it or loose it. If this is temporary, I can see R1 going classic soul, old school hip-hop or bringing jazz back.
Click to expand...

It is true that Radio One Regional VP Bruce Demps has always been obsessed with getting Hot 107.9's ratings close to V-103's (which won't happen for a number of reasons) so you could be right. I suspect, however, that R1 has something else in mind for 102.9, especially since Hot has a CP to increase power.
 
UPDATE: HOT 107.9's top of the hour ID is now... WHTA Hampton/Atlanta, WAMJ HD-2 Roswell, W275BK Decatur, HOT 107.9, 102.9 The simulcast heard on 102.9 is about 7 seconds ahead of 107.9.
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
The simulcast heard on 102.9 is about 7 seconds ahead of 107.9.
Click to expand...
Would that be because of HD Radio encoding on 107.9? I know the Tech football games on 106.7 are about an entire play behind TV, but since that's live there's probably also a dump delay too.
 
I'm surprised Radio One is using it to simulcast Hot 107.9. With the company's corporate money woes, I'd have figured they'd have tried to capitalize on gaining translator 102.9, noting how they got it for almost nothing, save for some lawyers' fees. Wouldn't some money have been made selling or LMA'ing use of it to non-format competitors on AM (say, WGST, WQXI, WCNN, etc)?
 
Nate Wesley said:
I'm surprised Radio One is using it to simulcast Hot 107.9. With the company's corporate money woes, I'd have figured they'd have tried to capitalize on gaining translator 102.9, noting how they got it for almost nothing, save for some lawyers' fees. Wouldn't some money have been made selling or LMA'ing use of it to non-format competitors on AM (say, WGST, WQXI, WCNN, etc)?
Click to expand...
They may just be parking 107.9 on it until they figure all that out. Other possibilities for a non-format competitor, this time on FM, would be WWLG Legend 96.7 (how's that for being a noncompetitor) or La Raza.

The problem with a high-powered (daytime) AM station is that you don't get any bang during the day in terms of coverage, and only somewhat more at night. WCNN has decent (10k, very directional) night coverage in metro ATL except primarily in parts of Cobb (which 102.9 wouldn't help at all) and Gwinnett (which 102.9 wouldn't help much, plus you have to deal with the interference from WMJE once you get north of Peachtree Ridge). WCNN also already has an FM partner with WNNX Rock 100.5 for the Braves. WQXI--whose night coverage is much worse than WCNN's--or WGST would be a better fit.

One of Salem's AMs (WGKA, WNIV, WLTA, WAFS) would be better still in terms of benefit, but I don't think Salem would bring the bucks, except maybe for WGKA. WAOK would also be a good fit and CBS would bring the money, but now you're getting into Radio One's target demos.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom