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97.3 WKBC Modification

Here's how complicated these rules are, and why an expert consultant is worth every penny:

Even if WKBC could have found a site closer to Charlotte, there's another FCC rule that comes into play, and that's the "rural radio" policy.

After so many stations were moved into urban areas from rural areas, the FCC closed that barn door a decade or so ago. If you're proposing a move like this now, you have submit a showing that your new 70 dBu (very strong city-grade) signal will not cover more than 50 percent of the urbanized area you're moving into.

Not only that, you have to show that there is no other usable tower site where your proposed station would meet all the spacing rules AND would cover more than 50 percent of the urbanized area.

WKBC's application includes that showing, and it's well done. (It was actually the first thing I looked at in their filing because I knew it would be the hardest thing for them to show )
 
fybush said:
the "rural radio" policy...70 dBu (very strong city-grade) signal will not cover more than 50 percent of the urbanized area you're moving into.

Not only that, you have to show that there is no other usable tower site where your proposed station would meet all the spacing rules AND would cover more than 50 percent of the urbanized area.
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i'm not understanding this part. is that a typo? did you mean in the 2nd sentence would not cover? because if it did cover more than 50% it would trigger UASP. right?
 
amos1001 said:
i'm not understanding this part. is that a typo? did you mean in the 2nd sentence would not cover? because if it did cover more than 50% it would trigger UASP. right?
Click to expand...

No, I meant "would" cover for the exact reason you state - what the FCC is trying to prevent is a double-hop move where a station initially moves in with a showing that it's not reaching more than 50% of an urbanized area, then moves again so it DOES cover more than 50% of the UA.

So you have to show that the COL you're proposing cannot be used at any existing site for a theoretical better facility than what's actually being proposed.

Does that make sense?
 
fybush said:
No, I meant "would" cover for the exact reason you state - what the FCC is trying to prevent is a double-hop move where a station initially moves in with a showing that it's not reaching more than 50% of an urbanized area, then moves again so it DOES cover more than 50% of the UA.
So you have to show that the COL you're proposing cannot be used at any existing site for a theoretical better facility than what's actually being proposed.
Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
Ahh, I see. I had considered a "double hop" but I didn't think of it that way. So that brings another question: what's to prevent a hop in the future to a better Charlotte metro tower and a completely new COL? For instance, like 100.9 did with Albemarle>Indian Trail>Weddington? Do the "rural radio" rules prevent that into the future?
 
amos1001 said:
Ahh, I see. I had considered a "double hop" but I didn't think of it that way. So that brings another question: what's to prevent a hop in the future to a better Charlotte metro tower and a completely new COL? For instance, like 100.9 did with Albemarle>Indian Trail>Weddington? Do the "rural radio" rules prevent that into the future?
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We are approaching the edge of my knowledge base with this one!

The rural radio rules would certainly play a role here. If the second hop were to put 70 dBu over 50 percent or more of the urbanized area, it would trigger Rural Radio scrutiny for certain. I'm not sure if that becomes a complete impossibility or just a high barrier to overcome for a showing that the move is in the public interest.

Realistically, I don't think there's much more that could be done to push 97.3 closer in to Charlotte, mostly because of WCOS-FM to the south. So what we see here is probably the best a buyer is going to get.
 
To add to Scott's answer...

One of the "Rural Radio" tools the Commission uses is seeing that the proposed community of license is "truly independent of the urbanized area," if the proposed TX site does violate the 50% coverage rule Scott mentioned above.

One of my former employers tried to move one of their stations from one rural town (population ~3000) to a tower in the nearest large city (population ~180k) but the proposed CoL was a small suburb, which would receive "first local service" on the edge of the 70 dBu contour.

I'm not sure of all the details, but the Commission required a showing that the proposed new CoL was "independent", and the licensee and their consultant decided they could not make such a showing, so they allowed the application to expire.
 
When I moved here about 20 years ago, I remember 105.7 was still a Charlotte area Station (with a Country Format) with similar coverage as WEND or WKKT, and that station also had secondary coverage in the Triad ..

It was WFMX, a hertitage station in the Statesville area, but it was moved to the Triad soon after (now WVBZ).
I think this eventually made it possible for 105.3 WAGI to move further east toward Charlotte.
 
My favorite example of 2 stations too close together:

95.1 W236CQ ..&.. 95.3 WHMA

Both these stations serve the same area, overlaping in coverage Near Anniston & Oxford in Eastern Alabama.

Also, Both of these stations broadcast from towers that are only about 1 mile apart, and yet only had little to no interference between each other.

I'm not sure of the story or history behind them. 🤔
 
KyleSmith1988 said:
When I moved here about 20 years ago, I remember 105.7 was still a Charlotte area Station (with a Country Format) with similar coverage as WEND or WKKT, and that station also had secondary coverage in the Triad ..

It was WFMX, a hertitage station in the Statesville area, but it was moved to the Triad soon after (now WVBZ).
I think this eventually made it possible for 105.3 WAGI to move further east toward Charlotte.
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WFMX had a tower much farther north than the other stations. But then by reducing their coverage area, they were able to move to Greensboro. The really tall tower is gone.
 
KyleSmith1988 said:
My favorite example of 2 stations too close together:

95.1 W236CQ ..&.. 95.3 WHMA

Both these stations serve the same area, overlaping in coverage Near Anniston & Oxford in Eastern Alabama.

Also, Both of these stations broadcast from towers that are only about 1 mile apart, and yet only had little to no interference between each other.

I'm not sure of the story or history behind them. 🤔
Click to expand...
There's a better example. In Asheville, there was a dispute between two companies over who would get 96.5 FM. After WZLS was awarded the frequency, the other applicants sued and won. Briefly, two stations were both on 96.5 FM using separate towers.

 
tylerSC said:
Wonder why they didn't want to make WFMX more of a Charotte station, since Iredell County is part of the Charlotte media market?
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I think its because WFMX was sold to CC/Iheart, which already owns Country 96.9 WKKT Charlotte and 104.1 WTQR Greensboro, so perhaps it was moved (or divested) as to not compete with themselves in format and coverage, which was/is very similar to 96.9 Kat.
 
tylerSC said:
Wonder why they didn't want to make WFMX more of a Charotte station?
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I don't know the details but at the time I heard they were buying another Charlotte FM, which would put them over the limit. They chose to move to Clemmons (Greensboro market) rather than sell and face competition in the Charlotte market. Maybe someone can share details..
 
fybush said:
We are approaching the edge of my knowledge base with this one!

The rural radio rules would certainly play a role here. If the second hop were to put 70 dBu over 50 percent or more of the urbanized area, it would trigger Rural Radio scrutiny for certain. I'm not sure if that becomes a complete impossibility or just a high barrier to overcome for a showing that the move is in the public interest.

Realistically, I don't think there's much more that could be done to push 97.3 closer in to Charlotte, mostly because of WCOS-FM to the south. So what we see here is probably the best a buyer is going to get.
Click to expand...


Good points, Scott. Hey, weren't you involved with a weekly, hour-long broadcast about radio, back in the late '80s-early '90s, which was aired on shortwave or am I barking up the wrong tree? I do remember you from my DXAS days sometime later, but I seem to remember you from the aforementioned show, which included The M Street Journal feature, which comes to mind as well. I think another feature on the show, was The Birdwatchers Report, dealing with Satellite channels, etc.
 


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