Austin move-ins scorecard

[jd]

Roy Henderson's attempt to move KNVR 105.1 Cameron closer to Austin has been turned down by the FCC. KNVR would have been relicensed to Thrall as a Class C3 (10,000 watts at 328 feet), providing coverage to the northeast side of Austin. A number of problems with short-spacing were addressed in the application, involving stations in Harker Heights, Seguin (KSMG) and Dripping Springs. The last one was the major issue. Through a competing application BMP's KXXS 104.9 wanted to relicense to Bee Cave and move closer to Austin. In the end KNVR lost out and will stay in Cameron. KXXS will get slightly improved coverage over Austin by using a directional antenna that affords protection toward KNVR.

 

[jras20]

That would of also effected K286AK right? I wouldnt think 105.1 would of been a smart frequency to try to move into Austin.

 

[jd]

That would of also effected K286AK right? I wouldnt think 105.1 would of been a smart frequency to try to move into Austin.

Yes, it would have definitely been affected. Had the KNVR application been approved the little translator up in Round Rock would have been knocked out of the way and would have had to find another frequency.

The KNVR move might have been okay if 104.9 hadn't been around, but still nothing really impressive due to the other stations on adjacent channels.

 

[rrgroup]

The move of KNVR to Thrall is not quite over yet.
The decision should go to the full Commission for review of the "initial" staff decision.

 

[jd]

The move of KNVR to Thrall is not quite over yet.
The decision should go to the full Commission for review of the "initial" staff decision.

Never say never where the Commission is concerned, right? On that point I'd agree, but I view this as more than a bump in the road. Sorry if I implied that it was over and done, but in my opinion there are way too many overlap issues in your application. While I have no dog in this fight, I didn't like your chances when the proposal was made. Considering the competition and the latest turn of events, I especially don't like them now.

 

[captex]

i wonder why don't 105.1 change frequency number to avoid a conflict with another station that is close in austin anyway.

 

[slim101]

What frequency would you suggest?

 

[captex]

the only one i can think of is 94.3.

 

[War Of Attrition]

the only one i can think of is 94.3.

Umm... that's the frequency KNVR used to be on in Cameron before switching to 105.1.

There would also be a little second-adjacent problem called KAMX.

 

[captex]

the other one i do see, but emmis owns the low power station on 99.7 and it's too close to 99.3 klgo thorndale. 95.1 kcor is probably upgrading from san antonio. kaja 97.3 from san antonio conflict, 95.7 kbgo waco, maybe a conflict.

95.9 99.7 97.1, i don't really know for sure. there's probably go to the full fcc process, i don't know all the fcc processes. this is kinda fun guessing. i not in the radio business, i a fan of it and would like to know more about the fcc procedures in radio and television. i understand there's a space limit between stations and a distance from other stations. class a is 8 miles from the license of town, class c3, i believe is 15 miles from loc,and then theres class c2 , i believe the transmitter can be about 15 or 30 miles away from the city of license and that the city has to be coverage about 30 miles around it. hopefully i not asking too many questionsor on the wrong board to ask these questions, i just curious. thanks .

 

[War Of Attrition]

the other one i do see, but emmis owns the low power station on 99.7 and it's too close to 99.3 klgo thorndale. 95.1 kcor is probably upgrading from san antonio. kaja 97.3 from san antonio conflict, 95.7 kbgo waco, maybe a conflict.

99.7 (k259aj) is a translator and doesn't have protection. The problem with that frequency is that it is impossible to squeeze in a full-power station (even a class a) because of spacing problems with 99.5 KISS in San Antonio and 99.9 WACO.

95.9 99.7 97.1, i don't really know for sure. there's probably go to the full fcc process, i don't know all the fcc processes.

95.9 is out because there is soon to be a signal with that frequency in Giddings (the allotment has already been made), not to mention KKMJ. 97.1 is not in the running because of the proposed mega-deal to move 97.5 KWTX in Waco to 97.3 in Lakeway. That proposed station is to be a C1 and the spacing is way too close. I haven't heard much of that deal in a while and it could be that it never ends up happening. Even so, KHFI is too close as well.

See, part of the problem with move-ins in Austin, besides the close distance to the larger and older San Antonio market, is that Austin's antenna farm is right in the middle of the market. Cedar Hill in Dallas or Senior Road in Houston are situated squarely on one side of the market which opens the opportunity for decent move-ins on the opposite side. Austin towers are only a short distance from the very center of town, so any possible move-ins have to be way out and only hit a little piece of one of the suburbs.

There actually is one more great possible move-in that hasn't been mentioned. Anyone have a guess?

this is kinda fun guessing. i not in the radio business, i a fan of it and would like to know more about the fcc procedures in radio and television. i understand there's a space limit between stations and a distance from other stations. class a is 8 miles from the license of town, class c3, i believe is 15 miles from loc,and then theres class c2 , i believe the transmitter can be about 15 or 30 miles away from the city of license and that the city has to be coverage about 30 miles around it. hopefully i not asking too many questionsor on the wrong board to ask these questions, i just curious. thanks .

There isn't really a miles rule per se. A station has to keep a certain dbu level over the city-of-license (called city-grade coverage). The class determines the station's power and height maximums, which in turn determine how far the signal reaches. Other factors do come into play such as terrain.

You've got mostly the right idea. If you want to see more about the rules on spacing check out: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/spacing/index.html.

 

[captex]

thanks for the information, war of attrition.

 

[rrgroup]

"War of Attrition" asks:

There actually is one more great possible move-in that hasn't been mentioned. Anyone have a guess?

I believe that would be anything involving Clear Channel's WACO in Waco, TX.
Not happening, though, as they are already max'ed out in Austin and do not need or want the additional competition.

 

[AndyWaldrop]

rrgroup,

Haven't heard from you for quite a while. When you get a chance...shoot me an E-mail.

Andy

 

[saradio1]

Posted by: War Of Attrition -95.9 is out because there is soon to be a signal with that frequency in Giddings (the allotment has already been made), not to mention KKMJ. 97.1 is not in the running because of the proposed mega-deal to move 97.5 KWTX in Waco to 97.3 in Lakeway. That proposed station is to be a C1 and the spacing is way too close. I haven't heard much of that deal in a while and it could be that it never ends up happening. Even so, KHFI is too close as well.

Is this also the same alignment that would move Mix 96.1 to 96.5 and KJ 97.3 to 96.9? I thought that proposal was dead.

 

[jd]

Is this also the same alignment that would move Mix 96.1 to 96.5 and KJ 97.3 to 96.9? I thought that proposal was dead.

Some parts of the original plan were altered and some hit major roadblocks. We've talked about it in detail a couple of times here in the last couple of years.
First, from 2005:
www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,4915.msg66185.html#msg66185
And here's another round from last year:
www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,53185.msg375372.html#msg375372

Since the relatively recent move of a station in Durant OK, KLAK 97.5, to Tom Bean TX there has been little activity in the "master plan." KLAK was to have been either a Class C or C0 licensed to Keller, a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Instead it's a C2 rim-shot two counties north of Dallas. Here's a link showing that reallocation, with an important footnote which refers to the demise of the original "master plan" reallocation proposed in Docket 00-148: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6516882318

Here's what is not mentioned, though. The failure of the "northern" part of the plan to this point hinged largely on what was happening in the little town of Archer City, up near Wichita Falls. A CP was issued to KRZB 97.5 there, which was mutually exclusive with the KLAK upgrade for Keller. Another factor (related to Archer City) was the granting of a D/FW move-in application on 93.7, which conflicted with a part of the original plan. With KLAK settling in as a lesser class C2, fully spaced with Waco there's no need to relocate KWTX down to Lakeway on 97.3. That is, unless something else happens.

So Docket 00-148, subject of the original major reallocation plan, is effectively dead, but it was replaced to some degree by Docket 05-112. That came into being as a result of a petition for a new allocation in Fredericksburg, which had a major bearing on the "southern" part of the plan. The common thread between the parts (the 97.5 to 97.3 Waco move) was still there in the newer proceeding.

Although the original petitioner's interest in the Fredericksburg petition was withdrawn in August, 2005 and there has been no recent activity in that proceeding, it's not officially over. I personally consider it a dead horse, but somehow it might happen. It depends on who has the deepest pockets and the will to resurrect what's left of a basically flawed, wholesale re-allocation involving about two dozen stations or allocations.

Link to proceedings in Docket 00-148:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/...t=Retrieve+Document+List&id_proceeding=00-148
Link to proceedings in Docket 05-112:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/...proceeding=05-112&start=1&end=15&first_time=N

 

[War Of Attrition]

"War of Attrition" asks:

There actually is one more great possible move-in that hasn't been mentioned. Anyone have a guess?

I believe that would be anything involving Clear Channel's WACO in Waco, TX.
Not happening, though, as they are already max'ed out in Austin and do not need or want the additional competition.

Congratulations Roy! You are our winner.

Besides the cap problem, WACO bills amazingly well for being up in such a small market. Even last year it out-billed several of the Mount Bonnell FM stations.

It's a cash cow.

 

[jd]

Besides the cap problem, WACO bills amazingly well for being up in such a small market. Even last year it out-billed several of the Mount Bonnell FM stations.

It's a cash cow.

You got that right. It's an amazing station with a loyal following and huge shares, year after year. If they ever moved "WACO-100" out of Waco, there would be rioting in the streets!

 

[Mediafrog+]

You got that right. It's an amazing station with a loyal following and huge shares, year after year. If they ever moved "WACO-100" out of Waco, there would be rioting in the streets!

WACO-FM is a Texas sized success story. Kick-butt signal combined with giving the greatest number of people exactly what they want. Double the 12+ numbers of their nearest competitor.

Has to be a dream market for Clear Channel, whose stations there can claim around 45% of the total radio audience.

 

[Kent]

Although the original petitioner's interest in the Fredericksburg petition was withdrawn in August, 2005 and there has been no recent activity in that proceeding, it's not officially over. I personally consider it a dead horse, but somehow it might happen. It depends on who has the deepest pockets and the will to resurrect what's left of a basically flawed, wholesale re-allocation involving about two dozen stations or allocations.

As I recall, the northern and southern tiers of the proposal could have been executed independently of one another, but, like you said, it seems to be a dead horse. The defect was in the northern part of the proposal, and no one has bothered to push for the southern part. Also, do you know if the FCC has decided on making proposals involving more than a set amount of stations major modifications? I know they were considering requiring major modifications for city of license changes involving more than 5 or 7 stations, but it seems like much of the FCC has gone the other way by allowing stations to one-step into new communities.