I noticed some interference on 97.3MHz in the Matthews-Mint Hill area recently on HWY 51. It's a battle between W247CV 97.3 out of Monroe, which broadcasts Spanish and 97.3 WKBC (Hot AC). I used to pick 97.3 WKBC clear out of Matthews and Mint Hill until this aggrivating interference began about 3 weeks ago. Fortunely I can still pick up 97.3 WKBC on my radio in my bedroom. If you listen to 97.3 WKBC regularly then you can contact the station and report the inference.
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97.3 WKBC is Rap for Matthews-Mint Hill Listeners
- Thread starter Paul1033
- Start date
Unfortunately, it won't get Solved. The FCC has deaf ears when it comes to this. They ultimately don't care what happens, as long as they can bring yet another "Station" on the Air (the FCC makes $$$ for each License that gets generated/updated and goes on to be On The Air). A lot of People have protested this in the last few Years, and ultimately no resolution comes. Contacting WKBC directly will likely yield no solution either, as they are not part of the Charlotte Market technically and are not guaranteed unconditional coverage in the Charlotte Metro Area. Steve.
You can file a complaint to translator owner and/or the FCC, but the longer you wait the less likely something will be done about it.
https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/fm-translators-and-boosters#block-menu-block-4
Interference caused. A translator or booster may not cause predicted or actual interference. If any actual interference is created, the Commission requires the permittee or licensee to resolve all interference complaints by appropriate means. If the interference cannot be resolved, the Commission will require the FM translator or booster station to discontinue operations. See 47 CFR Section 74.1203. A translator construction permit application will not be granted if an objecting party provides convincing evidence that the proposed translator station would likely interfere with off the air reception of a full service FM station, even if there is no predicted prohibited contour overlap.
https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/fm-translators-and-boosters#block-menu-block-4
Interference caused. A translator or booster may not cause predicted or actual interference. If any actual interference is created, the Commission requires the permittee or licensee to resolve all interference complaints by appropriate means. If the interference cannot be resolved, the Commission will require the FM translator or booster station to discontinue operations. See 47 CFR Section 74.1203. A translator construction permit application will not be granted if an objecting party provides convincing evidence that the proposed translator station would likely interfere with off the air reception of a full service FM station, even if there is no predicted prohibited contour overlap.
There is also a problem in recent years with interference caused by LPFM stations. Here in Greenville, SC 107.9-WLNK from Charlotte always came in clear. Now there is an annoying LPFM on the same channel that causes bad interference. Should not have been allowed. Fortunately I get WLNK with rabbit ears in the house, and the HD will lock on. But bad reception in the car, although I can still park the car at various locations and WLNK will come in, and the HD will lock on. But will not remain clear while driving. And more ridiculous, the offending LPFM station also has bad interference until you get into a limited area of Anderson and Pickens counties. They should focus their signal towards Anderson and stop trying to reach Greenville where WLNK otherwise comes in clear. And worse the LPFM is apparently overpowering their legal limit of 100 watts. I keep hoping that Entercom would protest and do something about this, or put Bob and Sheri on one of their Upstate signals.
I just took a look at the 60dBu map for WLNK and the 100W LPFM on 107.7 licensed to Greenville SC on FCC.gov. Neither one of those 60dBu curves get even remotely close to each other. WLNK's curve covers just to the Southwest of Spartanburg SC. In addition, WLNK is licensed to serve the Charlotte NC market, not Spartanburg, Greenville whereas the LPFM IS licensed to Greenville SC. The LPFM seems to be centered around Simpsonville, SC and doesn't even get into downtown Greenville. You can make a complaint to the FCC if you like, but I would not consider the issues you're having as "interference". It just sucks that the FCC in their attempt to salvage AM radio has allowed so many LPFMs to crop up all over the country, thus crowding the markets and causing the interference you're experiencing from Class C FMs in adjacent markets that used to clearly broadcast in
these adjacent markets.
Sure sounds like rap to me and I don't even live in that area.
Actually, I suppose a lot of Hot AC sounds that way these days. I was setting a button on my car radio for Asheville's new oldies station. I had to choose something to delete too, and unfortunately I discovered a whole new classic country station which I now don't have a button for. But for that station and the other one I had a button for, it's either Rush in my area and then press the right button twice, or Rush on the way to the beach and press the left button twice.
Actually, I suppose a lot of Hot AC sounds that way these days. I was setting a button on my car radio for Asheville's new oldies station. I had to choose something to delete too, and unfortunately I discovered a whole new classic country station which I now don't have a button for. But for that station and the other one I had a button for, it's either Rush in my area and then press the right button twice, or Rush on the way to the beach and press the left button twice.
I remember when this station was soft rock. It was pretty good. It must have been the mid 90s because I was looking for a new station I knew was signing on in Asheville and I thought I had found it. There was no digital display saying what frequency I was on in the car I was in. So I had to guess. The signal stayed good even farther east and at some point I must have heard a station ID.
I think 99.9 Kiss FM was also soft rock around that time.
I think 99.9 Kiss FM was also soft rock around that time.
Last time I heard this station it was a poorly automated satellite feed hot AC station. has anything changed? otherwise, why not listen to 107.9 the Link?
I have been listening to 97.3 WKBC since 2014, and I don't recall it being a poorly automated satellite feed Hot AC when I started listening in 2014. I personly think 97.3 WKBC is a station worth listening to since they play a different trending song around the 30 minute mark every hour, give weather updates once or twice an hour for the whole listening area, don't have a morning show, and also play more music and fewer commercials every hour and every day (including in the mornings).
WKBC-FM has been running Jones/Dial Global/WestwoodOne Hot AC satellite format as long as I can remember.
t123
I remember the station playing soft rock in the 90s. The radio in the car I was in didn't have a display showing what station I was on, and I thought it might have been the new (at the time) station on 96.5 in Asheville. Sounded pretty good.
Here is the link to my petition to get the (Spanish) W247CV 97.3 translator out of Monroe, NC off the air and to pick up the once strong fringe signal of (Hot AC) 97.3 WKBC out of North Wilkesboro, NC clear again in the areas affected by the interference. Sign if you live or work in the areas affected by the translator interference. Together we can work to get the interfering translator off the air and get the once strong signal of (Hot AC) 97.3 WKBC clear again in Mint Hill, NC and the other areas affected by interference.
https://www.change.org/p/the-fcc-no...-of-north-wilkesboro-clear-again-in-mint-hill
https://www.change.org/p/the-fcc-no...-of-north-wilkesboro-clear-again-in-mint-hill
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