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Another Danville AM to soon join the move to FM...via translator

R

RadioDaze

Danville's first radio station, 82-year-old WBTM (1330 kHz 5kw day/1kw night), a long-time holdout on the AM dial, is joining the FM bandwagon. Owner Piedmont Broadcasting has purchased the Westover Hills-licensed translator that was owned by Bible Broadcasting Network (formerly at 92.7--same as their nearby Danville-licensed W224AF which rebroadcasts High Point, NC's WHPE--later relicensed as W275BR at 102.9), and has a CP to move the COL to Danville and the frequency to 102.5 MHz with 140 watts from Tower #3 of the WBTM array just outside the City by the Dan's NW city limits. Two of the city's other AM stations--WILA (1580 kHz, 1kW daytime, now WWDN) and WVOV (970 kHz, 1kw day/54w night, now WMPW)-- "moved" to FM via this method aftr being purchased by Lakes Media and have, no doubt, changed the competitive radio landscape.
 
Maybe they looked at this and rejected it, but it seems to me they ought to put the transmitter on the WAKG tower and raise the ERP to the 250 watt maximum for FM translators. When your company has the stick, why not use it?

Later.....
 
I'm wondering, also, if 102.5 MHz is the best frequency, as there is now a class A co-channel--WPLW--licensed to Hillsborough, NC, just 45 minutes down Highway 86 (it moved west from Louisburg, NC, a year or two ago). Though Danville's just out of their predicted fringe, I could see lots of interference given the right time of day or right weather conditions. I listen to WBTM's sister station, WAKG, a lot here in Durham and co-channel WMGV in Newport, NC (over 100 miles away, freqently causes significant interference. Of course, with three significant radio markets nearby, Danville's not in the best spot for available FM frequencies either.
 
None of these AM / Translator schemes in Danville have enough juice to be meaningful. There is no terrain to assist and they are to close to co and adjacent channels.
 
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