860 The Loop

[oldiesfan6479]

Having heard the usual promo loop running on Sports Siberia 860
earlier this afternoon, I tuned it in about 6:10pm and to my great
surprise there was actually a real program on--some sports
yakker show that was being simulcast with KT'R S-P-L 620.

Does anyone have data on how many hours a day 860 The Loop
runs real programming (solo or simulcast) and how many hours
a day it is loop-de-loop?

There was one very peculiar thing about this simulcast during the
five or so minutes I listened--with one radio on 860, one on 620
(KT'R did not have their IBOC on as there was no hash on 600 and
640, unlike the 55/FYI hash on 530/570).

At first, 860 was 6 seconds behind 620. Then they were three
seconds behind, then two, one, and finally became synched up.

End of story, right? Wrong.

860 then proceeded to move ahead of 620. (Unless it was 620's
turn to play the delay game by starting to drag behind 860.)

Is this some fake out ploy by TMISU to log each station as airing
separate programming and not a simulcast? Well they certainly do
a bang-up job on separate programming running that @#$% loop! :

Just how is the loop running for hours on end serving the public interest?

 

[rockjock420]

As far as I can tell, KMVP simulcasts the drive time shows, and carries the really important play by play (ASU womens special-ed archery, etc.). The interesting thing is, in drive time, either 860 has no delay, or 620 has a much longer delay.

 

[SDmbbrdm]

Congratulations, your 1 of 5 people who listen to 860am.

KTAR can only have local programming on and some left over games such as ASU womens hoops.

If your hearing the loop then ESPN is probably on.

 

[94117]

There was one very peculiar thing about this simulcast during the
five or so minutes I listened--with one radio on 860, one on 620
(KT'R did not have their IBOC on as there was no hash on 600 and
640, unlike the 55/FYI hash on 530/570).

At first, 860 was 6 seconds behind 620. Then they were three
seconds behind, then two, one, and finally became synched up.

..and i thought that i had no life.

i think you're on to something with 860 the loop...

all traffic, all the time. 860 the loop.

i bet 860 will carry lds programming with byu pbp.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

KMVP...carries the really important play by play (ASU womens special-ed archery, etc.).

Ohhhhhhh! You may have Imused with that one.

Better start preparing an apology for Rutg--, er, ASU.

And we hope you're not employed by CBS. ;D

 

[j henry waugh]

They should have their license revoked for the blatant disregard and abuse of the public interest.

 

[brian4]

I'll admit: 860 the Loop is addictive. It's almost like Giant Voice Guy is talking to ME AND ONLY ME.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Unlike certain other stations that forget to ID, or else ID incorrectly,
860 The Loop wins the FCC Legal ID Award hands down.

They do it every thirty seconds.

Currently running--other than during any "real programming"--is a :28
promo loop for Sports Parking Lot 620 KT'R and Snooze 92/3 KT'R-FM,
and in between each play of the loop the Giant Voice Guy intones
"KMVP Phoenix."

Now if he could only lend out his talents to "KAZG Scottsdale" at sign-on
and sign-off...and "KSLX-FM Scottsdale"...and "KYOT-FM Phoenix"...
and "KMXZ-FM Tucson"... ;D

 

[KMGX]

Unlike certain other stations that forget to ID, or else ID incorrectly,
860 The Loop wins the FCC Legal ID Award hands down.

They do it every thirty seconds.

Currently running--other than during any "real programming"--is a :28
promo loop for Sports Parking Lot 620 KT'R and Snooze 92/3 KT'R-FM,
and in between each play of the loop the Giant Voice Guy intones
"KMVP Phoenix."

Now if he could only lend out his talents to "KAZG Scottsdale" at sign-on
and sign-off...and "KSLX-FM Scottsdale"...and "KYOT-FM Phoenix"...
and "KMXZ-FM Tucson"... ;D

Well, last Thursday morning at 1:30am (5/10/2007) I heard the entire replay of Gambo and Ash (including the Bob Melvin show). I don't know if this is a regular occurrence as I am not typically up at that hour--but I have heard other shows played at odd hours on the weekends and such.

 

[tfg46]

Speaking of legal ID's... occasionally, at the top of the hour on KTAR AM, they still run the ID from when they were simulcasting on 620/860. I happened to catch it at 11:00, "KTAR-AM Glendale, Phoenix, KMVP Phoenix", but the one at noon was just "KTAR, Glendale, Phoenix." (Voice Man may have said "KTAR-AM" at noon... I wasn't listening terribly closely.)

I don't know how often they run the wrong one. I flipped over to 860 to see if they were simulcasting at that point (11:00 AM), which they were not.

--CG

 

[KCIR]

Any word from TMISU on what ultimately they will do with this station??

How long can they do the loop??

How long do they do the FM experiment?? Would they ultimately still need it as a sports outlet or is the signal to poor??

Could they go back to the simulcast of 92.3 FM and 620 AM or is it too late for that ???

 

[KeithE4]

Any word from TMISU on what ultimately they will do with this station??

How long can they do the loop??

I guess as long as they want to pay the electric bill for a transmitter that isn't generating a dime of revenue.

How long do they do the FM experiment?? Would they ultimately still need it as a sports outlet or is the signal to poor??

1 kW doesn't cut it as a metro signal even in the daytime, and the nighttime directional pattern was designed to cover the west and south sides of the city, which was OK when it was KIFN & KVVA and the Spanish-speaking community was concentrated in those areas. But this is 2007, not 1977, and that power/pattern won't even work for a Spanish-language format anymore. It certainly won't work for a sports station, who's revenue depends on reaching the more affluent areas of the valley, most of which are way north or east of their transmitter site in Laveen.

Plus, since they have to move the 860 transmitter in the next couple of years, it just may not be worth it to continue keeping it on the air at all. That frequency needs to be at least 10 kW days and 5 kW nights with a pattern favoring the city & points north and east, while still nulling to the southwest to protect Tijuana - which also probably rules out sharing a tower with KTAR.

Could they go back to the simulcast of 92.3 FM and 620 AM or is it too late for that ???

Too late for that. I still think moving the talk to FM was a good idea, but keeping the geezers (McBland & Paul Harrrrrveyyyyyy) around was a monumental ****up. We've gone over that a thousand times already, though. TMISU won't change until they have to.

 

[KCIR]

Thanks Keith, and needless to say it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes a new PD might bring to KT'R FM.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I was punching through the AM and FM dials this (Sunday) midday
and one of my stops was 860 The Loop.

Same :28 "turn the dial now to 620 or 92.3" promo with a legal ID
between each loop-de-loop.

But more surprising was that their I-CRAP, er, IBOC, was turned on,
as evident by the hash on 840 and 880.

TMISU are wasting energy by operating 860 when there's no real
programming--and I'm no Spotted Al Gore tree-hugger--plus it seems
like an even bigger waste of (Bonneville's engineering) resources
broadcasting the looped promo in digital audio for the 26 people in
the metro with HD radios, with none of them likely listening to KMVP
anyway.

OTOH, I noticed that Sports Parking Lot 620 KT'R was IBOC-less
today during the D'backs (road) game. Is that SOP so that when
there is a home day game, one can bring a radio to the BOB and
listen without KT'R being 8-9 seconds behind live action on the field?

In that particular scenario one might say IBOC's a good thing--
D'back hits a homer and you can quickly shut off the radio to avoid
having to hear "warning track, wall...touch 'em all!" KT'R could even
market it as the Puker Stopper. ;D

But back to the comment on their engineering resources which could
be better put to use cleaning up the (IBOC-induced?) digital and
other splatter that typically spreads further to the left of 600, which
is just not there when, as today, IBOC is off, and one can listen to
the Giant 580 without it being "stepped on."