107.3 Knoxville?

[jaytam]

Hit on this last week while driving around Knoxville, signal was bad...anybody got a clue?

Station ID said Knoxville and the music was all over the spectrum

 

[thebroker]

The closest thing I can think of on 107.3 is Corbin, KY, which has a pretty large signal. Too large, I'd imagine, for anybody on that frequency to be ID'ing as Knoxville. Pirate maybe?

 

[JKersting1]

Hmmm...second adjacency to WIVK? I think Tim Berry, Citadel Knoxville Chief Engineer, would hunt down and castrate in a very painful way anyone putting a pirate up there. Ha ha ha....

But, that is just my guess from here in Mid-Missouri.

 

[RMarino]

I think I know exactly what you heard. There seems to be a repeater for 105.7 WLSQ on 107.3 in Knoxville. The signal seems to peak near Broadway & 640, so my guess is that its on one of the many towers on those hills there.

107.3 had been simulcasting 92.7 WBZH until a few weeks ago. I guess since that company announced they were trying to sell 92.7, they shifted the simulcast over to WLSQ.

 

[JKersting1]

A lower power repeater makes sense. Otherwise, I think you would see the Wrath of Citadel come down on them.

Correct me if I am wrong, you can't have a station on a first or second ajacency, right? Got to be a third? But with LPFM and LP repeaters, the rules are different?

 

[tnlucky13]

A search of the FCC database reveals 107.3 is a 10 watt translator licensed to Dwight Magnuson. It is located on Sharp's Ridge, presumably on the tower he owns. He had one on 96.7, which was bumped off when WMYL was relocated from Harrogate to Halls Cross Roads.

 

[Kent]

Correct me if I am wrong, you can't have a station on a first or second ajacency, right? Got to be a third? But with LPFM and LP repeaters, the rules are different?

LPFM has one set of rules regarding the protection of licensed stations while FM translators have a different set of rules for spacing. In the case of FM translators, separation requirements are based on signal contours rather than tower distance. Also, remember FM translators are considered a "secondary service," meaning they can be ordered off-air should they cause interference. I believe they also have to accept the interference of any full power station. This particular translator is only 10 watts, and the filing with the FCC indicates it is only out of compliance with FCC spacing requirements with respect to WIVK over an unpopulated area. Should WIVK find out any differently, they can do something about it very easily.

 

[gcc5582]

It is WSLQ..105.7 from Crossville

 

[BRH]

Yes, it's a translator for WLSQ Rockwood (Crossville). I've noticed it for the past few weeks as well. At first it was simulcasting 92.7, and then switched to 105.7 a few weeks back. My first impression is that it is either broadcasting with more power than allowed, or it has a very good transmitter placement. I bring this up because it has a much stronger and farther reach than most any other low power translator I've heard. I've picked up the 107.3 signal all the way down into Loudon county (and even the north edge of Monroe in certain areas). It almost seems to be more along the lines of a small class A signal than a translator. Anyway, maybe it's just really good transmitter placement on Sharp's Ridge, but I'm thinking they may be running a few extra watts over the limit on 107.3.

And as far as WLSQ goes; It's an interesting station. I like the personality and vibe and the 70s Top 40 imaging, but I wish the music mix was a little better. Maybe it's just me, but a lot of what they play on WLSQ during the day is really unfamliar and not what I would consider to be the "big" hits of that time period. I think they could do a better job picking bigger and more familiar hits that are less obscure. I really like the music mix on the syndicated nightime show they carry ("Classic Top 40 with Tom Kent"), much more than their local music. I think they should make the local stuff more hit based and venture more into the late 60s and the 80s as well (like Tom Kent's show does).

 

[AlbumOldies]

This "new" station in town is music to my ears. From what I've heard so far, they must have a great library of Top 40 songs. I've lived in Knoxville since 2001, and listened to oldies stations on 93.1 and 95.7, and have to say while they were generally the stations I listened to the most, they did have a tendency to sound repetitive. When 95.7 picked up the Tom Kent syndicated oldies show, I was very pleased. Unfortunately, we lost 95.7 and Tom Kent to Jack FM. While Jack FM is ok for the most part, I really don't like the wide swings in the time line. I used to listen to WIMZ, but the disgustingly short play list finally drove me to delete them from the car radio push buttons. I found it amusing they brag about having Knoxville's largest on air library. If they've got it they sure don't make good use of it. When they did the first A to Z thing, I was listening to a good bit of it, and noticed "She's A Rainbow" by the Rolling Stones was not played. I've always liked that song, and called and suggested they add it to the next A to Z, which, to my surprise, they did. However, the last time they did A to Z, they did not play the song - wonder what happened there?. I get tired of constant ZZ Top, Bad Company, Aerosmith......
And as if they don't play enough of some groups during the week, we get blessed with an "AC DC Weekend!" Now don't get me wrong, I do like ZZ Top and Bad Company. But I don't need to hear "Sharp Dressed Man" 10 times before I hear ANYTHING by Joe Cocker, Steely Dan, and other groups.

Anyway, I have digressed from the original topic but I do want to wish much success to WLSQ. 60's and 70's Top 40 ought to have a place in Knoxville other than weak daytime AM stations.

SHF

 

[knoxbob]

It is definately a welcome change to the "cookiie cutter" type stations that are on the air around Knoxille at the present time. The audio processing is done well also. The 10 watt translater has a louder or hotter sound that most of the local's. The 105.7 freq. is listenable in Knoxville but fades in and out. I listen to the 107.3 freq most of the time. Add some promotions nothing big but giving away t-shirts or something every few hours will help with their idenity.

 

[jwk1979]

And as far as WLSQ goes; It's an interesting station. I like the personality and vibe and the 70s Top 40 imaging, but I wish the music mix was a little better. Maybe it's just me, but a lot of what they play on WLSQ during the day is really unfamliar and not what I would consider to be the "big" hits of that time period. I think they could do a better job picking bigger and more familiar hits that are less obscure.

I heard the station for the first time while I was visiting the Knoxville area for Mother's Day and I liked what I heard. Every song that was played may not have been a "HUGE" Top 40 hit, but they were Top 40 hits at one time. Also, every song that I heard over the weekend, I had heard before, maybe not in the last ten years, but I had heard them at least a few times before. I would rather hear these "OBSCURE" songs that weren't huge hits than to hear "My Girl" by the Temptations five or six times in a week.

 

[AlbumOldies]

JWK 1979, you are right on about the playlist. I agree with you, let's hear the OTHER Top 40 songs that get omitted from too many oldies stations - the songs that people say "Hey I remember that one!" Today I heard "The Show Must Go On" by Three Dog Night - great tune, and I can't remember the last time I heard it on the radio. Much better than "Joy To The World" for the millionth time. Also heard "Jimmy Loves Mary Anne" by The Looking Glass on Sunday. Hearing this once in a while is a lot better than hearing "Brandy" over and over again. I was an avid radio listener throughout the 70's (both album rock and Top 40 stations) and appreciate variety, one thing that makes this station such a welcome addition to the Knox airwaves.

SHF