Asheville's Rock 104.9 WQNS is changing to 105.1

[pccrw]

The talk is Asheville is the move in of WQNS Rock 104.9. WQNS is to change Frequencies to 105.1 MHz, at 62 meters with 5.3Kw of power and COL change to Woodfin (why Woodfin) a suburb of Asheville. There is a list of other changes that have to take place before this can happen. This is one of the last WNC FM move in's to Asheville. I believe WNCC in Franklin and WMNC in Morganton are the last two left, please correct me if I am wrong. I wonder if the format will change, there direct competition is WTMT 105.9 The Mountain which was also a move in from Tennessee. Any comments?

 

[Rick Rose 2.0]

Its in the application stage and no CP has been issued so this move is not guaranteed

 

[vchimpanzee]

Here's a complication: I don't have the link, and the Citizen-Times charges if you look at too many articles, but MAIN-FM wants to move to 105.3. They had to leave 103.5 because WIMZ complained.

 

[Steve.Gates]

Here's a complication: I don't have the link, and the Citizen-Times charges if you look at too many articles, but MAIN-FM wants to move to 105.3. They had to leave 103.5 because WIMZ complained.

Article is here, assuming cut-and-paste works properly:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012308130019&nclick_check=1

 

[djjim6629]

I am not sure why they can't just stay on 104.9??

 

[pccrw]

Construction permit has been granted, seemed fast. But I guess money talks. I wonder if the format and calls will change. I see WWNC-FM news talk 105.1 and 570AM or maybe Asheville's New Rock 105.1 or Hot AC mix 105.1. Time will tell.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

Construction permit has been granted, seemed fast. But I guess money talks. I wonder if the format and calls will change. I see WWNC-FM news talk 105.1 and 570AM or maybe Asheville's New Rock 105.1 or Hot AC mix 105.1. Time will tell.

Theres 2 rock stations covering Asheville (The Mountain, The Planet)
and 3 AC stations (Mix, Magic, MY)
and 2 Top 40 stations (Star, B).

We'll see what Clear Channel does with this station,
perhaps 570 can move since Clear Channel also owns them.
I say try Urban, thats a format hole in Asheville.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I am not sure why they can't just stay on 104.9??

I see no one ever responded to your post.

Do you use Radio-Locator? Look the station up and look at the coverage maps. I haven't pulled up the application to see what other stations figure in the interference calculations, but this is more than just changing frequency. The transmitter moves much closer to town. There is probably a station (or sations - plural) to the east that made it impossible to stay on the same frequency and move. From what other posted here earlier, moving the new frequency apparently requires some agreements by other stations to move or change so that the new frequency will work at the new location.

The dial is so full of stations today that it is almost impossible to move and existing station, or the squeeze a new station in, unless neighboring stations do like people in a crowded elevator do... to make room for one per person to crowd into the elevator.

 

[pccrw]

Does anyone have a list of all the changes, downgrades that had to happen. Now the only problem that I see is WCQS-FM translator W286CF-FM 105.1 MHz in Brevard, NC.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

Does anyone have a list of all the changes, downgrades that had to happen.
Now the only problem that I see is WCQS-FM translator W286CF-FM 105.1 MHz in Brevard, NC.

Translators are a secondary service, so if a translator causes interference
it has to change channels or go off the air.

In this case, it looks like the translator would cause interference
from Hendersonville and going west towards Brevard.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WQNS&service=FM&status=C&hours=U

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=W286CF&service=FX&status=L&hours=U

 

[Kent]

I am not sure why they can't just stay on 104.9??

They can't stay on 104.9 because there's a station in Greenville, SC on 104.9 that would block their move. To complicate things further, Clear Channel is proposing to move that station (I think WCCP) to 105.5 and move its WROO 96.7 to 104.9 with a slight increase in power and non-directional antenna.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

There's already a CP to move WROO from 96.7 to 104.9 using the same transmitter.
Also an increase in wattage from the current 700, upgrading to 720 watts.

I wonder what would happen to the 96.7 allocation...

It'd be interesting to see if a new station emerged entirely,
simulcasting 104.9 Greenville & 105.1 in Asheville. :

"Power 105" (like the one they own in NYC)...Who knows

 

[djjim6629]

You would have to be crazy to put urban on in Asheville. It's the whitest city in North Carolina. I don't think it'll ever happen.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

Maybe not full-on Urban but something like a Rhythmic CHR/Rhythmic AC hybrid.
Perhaps try something new, but I hope something can be simulcasted on both 104.9 & 105.1.
Since the freqs are adjacent it could help both rather than running them independent.

Since WROO & WQNS are both Classic Rock they can simulcast that too.

 

[Kent]

There's already a CP to move WROO from 96.7 to 104.9 using the same transmitter.

It was filed at the same time as the application to move WQNS to 105.1. So, it makes sense that it could have already been granted. Thanks for the info!

Also an increase in wattage from the current 700, upgrading to 720 watts.

The wattage will increase ever-so-slightly, though I believe WROO gets a little more out of being able to get rid of the directional antenna.

I wonder what would happen to the 96.7 allocation...

104.9 replaces it. Standard procedure at the FCC is to delete the existing allocation and replace it with the new one when the license to cover for the new facility is granted. There have been a few cases where this hasn't happened as planned, though. One example is 106.3 Ankeny, IA, which is now KPTL. When KJJY filed to move from 106.3 A to 92.5 C2, the FCC forgot to delete 106.3 A. A local engineer noticed this, filed for 106.3, was granted the license and eventually sold it to Jacor for big money. 92.5 changed its COL from Ankeny to West Des Moines several years ago. So, you wouldn't know this ever happened if you didn't know the history.

It'd be interesting to see if a new station emerged entirely,
simulcasting 104.9 Greenville & 105.1 in Asheville. :
"Power 105" (like the one they own in NYC)...Who knows

I doubt that would happen. Asheville area's African American population is 5%, and a straight-ahead urban would get most of the male part of that audience. Urban also usually cumes 40-50% white, but, estimating 50% of the African American population is male, you're still looking at a station that could never grow much beyond a 5 share without a major demographic change. If you were to see a superstation on the two sticks, it would probably be a combining of the classic rock format both have today. It's hard to find anything else Clear Channel could do without cannibalizing one of their other sticks in one or both markets.

 

[w00t]

What's going on with WCCP in Clemson? They are also still listed as 104.9 with no applications or permits.

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=wccp

 

[KyleSmith1988]

What's going on with WCCP in Clemson? They are also still listed as 104.9 with no applications or permits.

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=wccp

According to this, there is a reserved space for a 105.5 in Clemson:

http://fccinfo.com/CMDProEngine.php?sCurrentService=FM&tabSearchType=Appl&sAppIDNumber=1512557

104.9 replaces it. Standard procedure at the FCC is to delete the existing allocation
and replace it with the new one when the license to cover for the new facility is granted.

If you were to see a superstation on the two sticks, it would probably be a combining
of the classic rock format both have today. It's hard to find anything else Clear Channel
could do without cannibalizing one of their other sticks in one or both markets.

Perhaps WGOG in Walhalla can move to Greenville like they wanted to a few years ago,
since 96.7's spectrum will be available after moving to 104.9.
That station had a CP for 105.5 in Powdersville but it never happened.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

Perhaps WGOG in Walhalla can move to Greenville like they wanted to a few years ago,
since 96.7's spectrum will be available after moving to 104.9.
That station had a CP for 105.5 in Powdersville but it never happened.

I take that last part back, I see WGOG now has a CP to move to 101.7 from the same location.
Perhaps they changed their mind about moving closer to Greenville...

 

[Kent]

What's going on with WCCP in Clemson? They are also still listed as 104.9 with no applications or permits.

To elaborate on what Kyle said, if WROO is granted the CP to move to 104.9 (which it apparently has been), the authorization allowing WROO's move specifically requires WCCP to move as well. This has been a longstanding practice at the FCC in cases that involved a frequency change only. As there is no change in facilities, WCCP doesn't need to make any filings.

 

[vchimpanzee]

You would have to be crazy to put urban on in Asheville. It's the whitest city in North Carolina. I don't think it'll ever happen.

Actually, there is a low-power black station, if I'm not mistaken. Not urban, but full-service.