Another AM signal on the way

[jd]

Taking advantage of changes in FCC rules, KBRZ 1460 has received approval to relocate from Freeport to Missouri City. This will be the first AM station in the area to take advantage of a ruling that allows a community of license relocation well outside a station's coverage area to be considered a "minor" change. The move of KRCM 1380 from Beaumont to Shenandoah, first proposed during the filing window in 2004, was classified as a major change. Mainly due to the large amount of applications that were filed at the time, the KRCM proposal took more than three years to be approved. The KBRZ application, however, had a relatively short turnaround time. It was filed in December 2006.

KBRZ currently runs 500 watts from Freeport, but when construction is completed they'll be operating with 5,000 watts day and 125 watts at night non-directional from a site along the Brazos near Greatwood, off 59 and Grand Parkway.

 

[purpledevil]

...and KLVL had nothing to say about this move-in? A little surprised....

 

[jd]

...and KLVL had nothing to say about this move-in? A little surprised....

I agree. No protests noted from either KLVL or KCOH. It's kind of amazing since KBRZ didn't go for a directional antenna to afford protection to adjacent stations, opting for spacing by distance instead. So somehow they showed it would fit, at least on paper. The site is probably not a bad choice at all, considering the continuing population growth in Fort Bend County.

 

[hrhwebmaster]

K-Breeze becomes K-Braz?

Are there changes in programming planned - targeted at Greatwood, New Territory and First Colony?

I guess I'm going to be able to listen to KBRZ daily, something I haven't done in decades.

 

[snoman]

Any word on what format it will be? We sure could use a 5th Sports station!

 

[purpledevil]

Yes we could, snoman...yes we could. ;D

 

[Mediafrog+]

but when construction is completed they'll be operating with 5,000 watts day and 125 watts at night non-directional from a site along the Brazos near Greatwood, off 59 and Grand Parkway.

Pretty decent daytime coverage, but the map I see on Radio-Locator for nighttime is pretty generous. Power is only half of what the old Class IV graveyarders were, so I would think ten miles max for useable reception--basically NE Fort Bend County, south of I-10 and outside the Beltway.

 

[jd]

Pretty decent daytime coverage, but the map I see on Radio-Locator for nighttime is pretty generous. Power is only half of what the old Class IV graveyarders were, so I would think ten miles max for useable reception--basically NE Fort Bend County, south of I-10 and outside the Beltway.

Since the night maps on that site essentially use daytime predicted contours your estimates are probably correct, like you say for "usable" nighttime reception. For the interference-free contour, a couple of co-channel stations could really do damage, like KHFX Burleson/Fort Worth (which has a southeasterly lobe) and WXOK in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana station will soon be going basically non-directional at night, replacing a pattern that has somewhat of a null toward Houston. Throw some other more distant stations into the mix and it might result in a really unimpressive nighttime signal.

 

[purpledevil]

Yep, 1460 KHFX/Burleson is a regular DX catch for me in Austin Co. Audible into Houston frequently. I figure they are going to have about the same issue with nighttime coverage that KCHN 1050 will, once they go nighttime.