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87.7 MeTV FM Future

P

PhilJSmith67

Any analog TV stations on Channel 6, which masquerade as FM 87.7, got a "stay of execution" last year when the FCC decided against shutting down the last remaining analog TV stations.

Is there a new date when these stations will be forced to go digital? I doubt the FCC will add 87.7 (actually 87.75 MHz) to the FM broadcast band as a permanent analog frequency.
 
I honestly never heard of this, and catch the station on the actual radio even through some cable companies might have it on tv.
 
Comcast carries it on channel 877; the video portion of the channel shows Chicago traffic maps, and the station's logo -- but their main purpose is to use that audio channel as if it's part of the FM band. Even though Ch 6 is lower power, the audio signal gets out about 40 or so miles. Cleveland and New York have stations operating this way, too.
 
How many of these Franken FMs are there nationwide? How much does the FCC rake in in license fees from these "TV" stations annually? Given the probability that many of them will just go dark rather than continue broadcasting in a digital format that most existing radios cannot receive, what possible incentive does the FCC have to ever make a decision on this -- other than granting them a permanent exemption from the rules all other TV and FM broadcasters have to obey?
 
Once the TV repack auction concludes, I think the FCC will reach a decision.

1. If most of the lesser UHFs take the buyout and go dark, analog LPTVs on 6 will be given the option to become an -LD, or trade for an FM radio license on 87.7. That assumes that there is little or no interest in TV broadcasters choosing to move to the VHF low band, and a subsequent opening of 82 to 88 MHz exclusively for FM broadcast. 87.5, 87.7 and 87.9 would likely become home for displaced D's, whether translator or LPFM. (other than the grandfathered former LPTVs on ch. 6 which would receive a full-power license for 87.7) The rest of channel 6 would become a permanent home for simulcast AM stations, which would surrender their AM license and any FM translator in the current 88 - 108 MHz band after ten years.

2. If channels 2 - 6 end up being home to more displaced TVs post-auction, then the Franken-FM is likely toast and it becomes an -LD on channel 6 or turns in its license. I doubt that we would see a scenario where 82 - 88 MHz is allocated on a shared basis between DTV and 87.5 - 87.9 for FM radio. If so, it would still be for D use only.
 
[FONT=&quot]These are the current analog low power TVs on 6. I would assume the stations with four letter calls are likely Franken FM:

K06LG 6 TX LIC CHUATHBALUK AK US BLTVL-19851021IF - 62827 0.052 kW DA 0. m 32. m 0. m N 61 34 51.00 W 159 14 37.00 - STATE OF ALASKA
K06LP 6 TX LIC CIRCLE HOT SPRINGS AK US BLTVL-19861008IF - 62529 0.548 kW DA 0. m 232. m 6. m N 65 34 16.00 W 144 48 58.00 - STATE OF ALASKA
KNIK-LP 6 TX LIC ANCHORAGE AK US BLTVL-19990914AAI - 21492 0.92 kW DA 0. m 449. m 15. m N 61 7 34.00 W 149 42 50.00 - FIREWEED COMMUNICATIONS LLC
K06MF 6 TX LIC KENAI, ETC. AK US BLTVL-20020903ACL - 21490 1.44 kW 0. m 147. m 97.6 m N 60 31 56.00 W 151 5 0.00 1005575 GRAY TELEVISION LICENSEE, LLC
W06BH 6 TX LIC PHENIX CITY, ETC. AL US BLTVL-19931124IB - 25207 0.06 kW DA 0. m 265. m 91. m N 32 27 48.00 W 85 2 27.00 - GREENE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
KNNN-LP 6 TX LIC REDDING CA US BLTVL-20060918ACG - 129249 1.5 kW DA 0. m 1001.4 m 33. m N 40 39 15.00 W 122 31 13.00 1029990 VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC
KLOA-LP 6 TX LIC INYOKERN, ETC. CA US BLTVL-20080516ABV - 28583 3. kW DA 0. m 1528. m 10. m N 35 26 10.00 W 117 48 56.00 - ROBERT D. ADELMAN
KCIO-LP 6 TX LIC VICTORVILLE CA US BLTVL-20090306ACH - 11529 0.99 kW DA 0. m 1418. m 28. m N 34 40 10.00 W 116 55 50.50 - OBIDIA PORRAS
KUHD-LD 6 TX LIC VENTURA CA US BLTVL-20100402ABY - 67963 0.999 kW DA 0. m 642. m 8. m N 34 20 57.00 W 119 20 7.00 - OBIDIA PORRAS
KBKF-LP 6 TX LIC SAN JOSE CA US BLTVL-20100818AAH - 127882 0.6 kW DA 0. m 1184.1 m 38.1 m N 37 6 39.10 W 121 50 37.00 1056768 VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC
KEFM-LP 6 TX LIC SACRAMENTO CA US BLTVL-20120410AEA - 127996 3. kW DA 0. m 687.3 m 47.2 m N 39 12 21.10 W 121 49 9.70 1265776 VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC
KRPE-LP 6 TX LIC BANNING CA US BLTVL-20141113AGL - 129651 1. kW DA 0. m 474.6 m 22.9 m N 33 41 14.40 W 117 4 39.90 - VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC
KXDP-LP 6 TX LIC DENVER CO US BLTVL-20100716ABT - 67552 3. kW DA 0. m 2536. m 6. m N 39 54 48.00 W 105 17 33.00 - SYNCOM MEDIA GROUP, INC.
WHDY-LP 6 TX LIC PANAMA CITY FL US BLTVL-20070502AGY - 130063 1. kW DA 0. m 21. m 5. m N 30 19 42.00 W 85 41 22.00 1026396 HISPANIC FAMILY CHRISTIAN NETWORK, INC
WEYS-LP 6 TX LIC MIAMI FL US BLTVL-20090910AAQ - 6035 3. kW 0. m 247. m 245. m N 25 58 15.00 W 80 12 32.00 1027529 ALMAVISION HISPANIC NETWORK
WDDA-LP 6 TX LIC DALTON GA US BLTVL-20070122AAY - 131127 2.5 kW DA 0. m 269. m 55. m N 34 47 21.00 W 84 57 35.00 1202352 WORD OF GOD FELLOWSHIP, INC.
WRME-LP 6 TX LIC CHICAGO IL US BLTVL-20100111AIE - 128239 3. kW DA 0. m 565.6 m 384.9 m N 41 53 56.00 W 87 37 23.00 1009013 WLFM, LLC
WDCO-LP 6 TX LIC SALISBURY MD US BLTVL-20090326ADA - 130439 1. kW 0. m 142.1 m 133. m N 38 23 11.50 W 75 17 26.30 1053208 SIGNAL ABOVE LLC
WJMF-LP 6 TX LIC JACKSON MS US BLTVL-20110314ADE - 26253 2. kW 0. m 350. m 214. m N 32 16 41.00 W 90 17 40.00 1038230 KID'S TELEVISION, LLC
KGHD-LP 6 TX LIC LAS VEGAS NV US BLTVL-20130904ABP - 130027 0.999 kW DA 0. m 1355. m 38. m N 35 56 46.00 W 115 2 34.00 1020486 OBIDIA PORRAS
WXXW-LP 6 TX LIC BINGHAMTON NY US BLTVL-20060515AAC - 129224 0.016 kW 0. m 324. m 50. m N 42 6 0.00 W 75 54 32.00 - JOHNSON BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.
WNYZ-LP 6 TX LIC NEW YORK NY US BLTVL-20080128ACC - 56043 3. kW DA 0. m 213. m 208.1 m N 40 44 50.00 W 73 56 38.00 - ISLAND BROADCASTING LLC
WVOA-LP 6 TX LIC WESTVALE NY US BLTVL-20090622AAX - 14319 0.3 kW DA 0. m 219.5 m 105.2 m N 43 3 30.00 W 76 10 0.00 1007737 METRO TV, INC.
WMBO-LP 6 TX LIC AUBURN NY US BLTVL-20120312AAI - 41364 1.45 kW DA 0. m 185. m 14.3 m N 42 57 7.00 W 76 35 12.00 - RENARD COMMUNICATIONS CORP.
WLFM-LP 6 TX LIC CLEVELAND OH US BLTVL-20120613AAZ - 6699 3. kW 0. m 505.7 m 195.1 m N 41 22 58.00 W 81 42 7.00 1012992 MURRAY HILL BROADCASTING, LLC
K06NI 6 TX LIC THE DALLES OR US BLTVL-20050309ACR - 129153 0.25 kW 0. m 977. m 13. m N 45 42 43.00 W 121 6 58.00 - MICHAEL MATTSON
WRTN-LP 6 TX LIC ALEXANDRIA TN US BLTVL-20080530AAC - 125858 2. kW DA 0. m 322. m 70. m N 36 9 0.00 W 86 23 13.00 1049365 RICHARD C & LISA A. GOETZ
WPGF-LP 6 TX LIC MEMPHIS TN US BLTVL-20100512AGJ - 23848 3. kW 0. m 296.4 m 212. m N 35 12 34.00 W 89 49 1.00 1249321 GEORGE S. FLINN,
KRGT-LP 6 TX LIC RIO GRANDE CITY TX US BLTVL-20000202ABD - 57999 0.04 kW DA 0. m 101. m 21.3 m N 26 24 22.00 W 98 55 2.00 - CTV BROADCASTING, LLC
KBEX-LP 6 TX LIC AMARILLO TX US BLTVL-20071219ABH - 130089 3. kW 0. m 1135. m 23. m N 35 12 25.00 W 101 50 18.00 - VIVA MEDIA, LLC
KBFW-LP 6 TX LIC ARLINGTON TX US BLTVL-20080811AAM - 127887 3. kW DA 0. m 361. m 174. m N 32 45 1.00 W 97 20 3.00 1052655 GERALD BENAVIDES
KZFW-LP 6 TX LIC DALLAS TX US BLTVL-20080902AEH - 5316 3. kW DA 0. m 684. m 440. m N 32 35 19.50 W 96 58 5.00 1045531 CENTRAL PARK CHURCH OF GOD, INC.
KFMP-LP 6 TX LIC LUBBOCK TX US BLTVL-20130313ADG - 129734 3. kW 0. m 1183. m 200. m N 33 31 33.00 W 101 52 7.00 1054347 VENTURE TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, LLC
WDCN-LP 6 TX LIC FAIRFAX VA US BLTVL-20070410ACR - 20450 3. kW DA 0. m 198.4 m 76.2 m N 38 53 45.00 W 77 8 8.00 1049508 SIGNAL ABOVE LLC
KSHW-LP 6 TX LIC SHERIDAN WY US BLTVL-20120913AAX - 60161 3. kW DA 0. m 2357. m 15. m N 44 37 20.00 W 107 6 57.00 - LOVCOM, INC.





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PhilJSmith67 said:
Comcast carries it on channel 877; the video portion of the channel shows Chicago traffic maps, and the station's logo -- but their main purpose is to use that audio channel as if it's part of the FM band. Even though Ch 6 is lower power, the audio signal gets out about 40 or so miles.
Click to expand...

Reception report.... I'm 43 miles on a straight line from downtown Chicago. The signal is noise-free listenable on a good FM portable/table radio or a stereo with a decent antenna. On the SRF-37 Walkman it's listenable, but very "finicky".

In the car it's just fine. Continuing northwest away from the city (along U.S. 14), it's good pretty much all the way to the Wisconsin state line. Which would be about 65 miles. I have to go to Sycamore, IL a couple of times a month for business. That's about 60 miles away from downtown. Primarily to the west. The signal in the car is pretty good out there too...minimal "picket fencing".

Bottom line for my experience is that the WWME signal definitely isn't as good as the full powered Chicago FMs, but in the real world it doesn't seem to be all that far off. The fact that some radios can't correctly tune 87.7 is another matter.

Personally, I'd like to see them stream, but I'm not holding my breath!
 
Well it is a good thing that you are not holding your breath as I doubt that they will ever stream online viva their website or any other websites as well.
 
staggmovie said:
Well it is a good thing that you are not holding your breath as I doubt that they will ever stream online viva their website or any other websites as well.
Click to expand...

Why do you believe they would not stream. I understand why Jerry Lee did not want to stream for a while, but I do not see why a station that can't be heard on many radios and which has somewhat less building penetration than the other major players would not want to stream.
 
cyberdad said:
Bottom line for my experience is that the WWME signal definitely isn't as good as the full powered Chicago FMs, but in the real world it doesn't seem to be all that far off. The fact that some radios can't correctly tune 87.7 is another matter.
Click to expand...

Other than the frequency, that is not a bad signal. It is 3 kw at 1250 feet. The Hancock stations are about 6 kw at just under 1400 feet, so this one is nearly as good and better than the ones that are neither on Hancock nor Willis.
 
The stations has been around for over a year and in all this time they have never streamed online where if people would like to listen live they would click on listen live and it would get them to their own live stream or from another radio website like http://www.radio.com and listen that way or even go to tune in and listen there. But more of a good question is why should I not doubt they will stream anytime soon?
 
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