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Authorization Granted For 99 Watt Signal on 106.3 From 4 Times Square

B

Barry

The F.C.C. has approved the application for W293BU, rebroadcasting WLTW HD2 from Union City NJ with 1 watt on 106.5, to move to midtown Manhattan. From there, it would put out 99 watts on 106.3 FM.
According to Radio Insight, it would continue simulcasting the HD country station, but might eventually switch to a rebroadcast of the smooth jazz from WRXP HD2 on 101.9. That has been the continuation of CD 101.9, once it left the analog FM dial. It is basing this prediction on websites that have been registered.
In any case, since so few people listen to HD radio, this would amount to a new radio station for much of Manhattan, and the nearby surrounding area.
The Radio Insight article states: "The format will help flank top ranked 106.7 Lite FM from a full powered competitor." I do not understand that.

F.C.C. Construction Permit granted to Apple 107.1: http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1417608.pdf
 
That last sentence doesn't make sense to me either. It's a rebroadcast of WLTW HD2, and what's more, as a country station, seems hardly likely to cannibalize much of Lite FM's regular audience.
 
I'm thinking that since 106.3 was an open freq, there was a chance that somebody might try to shoehorn in a more powerful signal next to WLTW.
 
There's a reason to keep it under 99 watts, makes all of the filing and the "radiation hazard" calculations go away.

And 99 watts from that height and location will get out VERY well. Look at WQXR, with only 610 watts from Empire and how well that covers the area.
 
BMR said:
Ironically on the same frequency as WKMK.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is a real kick in the teeth for anyone in the NYC area that wanted to listen to country. We finally get a country station that reaches at least part of the area and someone goes and puts up a translator to knock it out. From where I live in western Essex County I bet I'll be able to pick up both stations on 106.3 depending on how I position my dipole. I get a stereo signal from WKMK now. Not sure if it's just coincidence, but when I was listening to WKMK last night, they did not do their usual "From Atlantic City to New York City" moniker after the top of the hour id...
 
As the translator 's owners will probably use it to rebroadcast whichever station offers them the best deal, there is an intriguing range of possibilities. Apparently they will start out by simulcasting WLTW HD2 country, but are free to change that if there is no long term contract with Clear Channel.
Since most current HD2/3 stations in the area have few if any commercials, would it be worth it to their owners to lease this translator? As it should be receivable by well over a million people, perhaps it could provide an HD 2 or 3 station with enough listeners to begin carrying a reasonable amount of ads, putting it on the path to profitability.
There is even the possibility that a broadcaster with no presence in New York could lease an existing HD2 or HD3 channel, and then lease the translator. They then would have a station that can be heard on ordinary radios in a good chunk of the New York area.
Or perhaps the rumor from Radio Insight that it would eventually carry smooth jazz CD 101.9 makes sense. I believe there is a smooth jazz station that is doing fairly well on 87.7 TV channel 6 in Chicago. A smooth jazz station could be used by offices that find such stations as WLTW or Fresh 102.7 not mellow enough.
 
Barry said:
Since most current HD2/3 stations in the area have few if any commercials, would it be worth it to their owners to lease this translator? As it should be receivable by well over a million people, perhaps it could provide an HD 2 or 3 station with enough listeners to begin carrying a reasonable amount of ads, putting it on the path to profitability.
Click to expand...

I bet even money this translator ends up in the hands of some religious group. That seems to be the trend in NY radio.
 
ansky212 said:
I bet even money this translator ends up in the hands of some religious group. That seems to be the trend in NY radio.
Click to expand...
It's not just the trend in NY radio, it's everywhere. The whole translator shell game is ridiculous.
 
Scott Fybush had mentioned in his website Northeast Radio Watch that it may make sense for K-Love to use the translator to augment the signal from 96.7, once they take it over from WCTZ and start transmitting from New Rochelle.
 
ansky212 said:
BMR said:
Ironically on the same frequency as WKMK.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is a real kick in the teeth for anyone in the NYC area that wanted to listen to country. We finally get a country station that reaches at least part of the area and someone goes and puts up a translator to knock it out. From where I live in western Essex County I bet I'll be able to pick up both stations on 106.3 depending on how I position my dipole. I get a stereo signal from WKMK now. Not sure if it's just coincidence, but when I was listening to WKMK last night, they did not do their usual "From Atlantic City to New York City" moniker after the top of the hour id...
Click to expand...

WKMK is not really audible in Manhattan so this will not affect any listeners.
 
Jeffrey said:
WKMK is not really audible in Manhattan so this will not affect any listeners.
Click to expand...

I was referring to the suburban areas of NJ where WKMK is audible and this translator will interfere with that. For example, where I live in NJ I'll be around the 50db contour of the translator since I'm up on a mountain facing east. I believe I'm in a similar contour of WKMK because of elevation.
 
Since the rumor is that the new translator will ultimately carry a smooth jazz format, a new setup in Detroit may be of interest. A translator that was moved into that city has just begun rebroadcasting an HD2 carrying a smooth jazz network provided by Broadcast Architecture. Called The Oasis, it has radio personalities, including several prominent jazz musicians.
The company that owns the translator has another one that has begun broadcasting a modern rock format into the Motor City, of course from another HD2.
They are trying to move translators into a number of other cities. The increasingly popular arrangement of rebroadcasting HD2 stations on translators may be a big help to HD radio.

The Oasis, in Detroit- http://1047theoasis.com/index.html
 
Barry said:
They are trying to move translators into a number of other cities. The increasingly popular arrangement of rebroadcasting HD2 stations on translators may be a big help to HD radio.
Click to expand...

But, if they are moving HD stations to analog translators, there won't be a need for people to go out and buy an HD radio.
 
ansky212 said:
But, if they are moving HD stations to analog translators, there won't be a need for people to go out and buy an HD radio.
Click to expand...

Here's what I could reasonably see happening: people get hooked on the baby 99 watt translator signals, then find out that they could get the same content on a much bigger signal with an HD radio. Then, those people may be more likely to purchase HD Radios. Not directly related to this, but I think the success of HD is going to come down to it being a standard feature in most cars. I think radio will have more success if there's no direct investment by the listener. People love free radio, and they want it for free. Once it's in every car, it'll take off.
 
If only the HD2 worked as well as the 99 watt translators. I have a client with an HD2 and since there's no fall back to analog on an HD2, when the signal drops out, it just goes silent. VERY annoying to listen to in a moving vehicle unless you're inside the 70dBu contour and have somewhat of a line of sight to the TX. Get some multipath or someone on an adjacent channel (something that's common in the reserved band) and it really falls apart, since now you only have one set of sidebands to work with.

The translator will get some static, blend to mono but be otherwise listenable.
 
The home page of Radio-Info has a report that a two month old translator simulcast of all comedy KCMO HD2 ("Funny 102.5") in Kansas City is now rated an astonishing 4.0 in that market.
Perhaps with this weak economy, many folks are looking for something to laugh about.
While it seems highly unlikely that 4.0 rating is sustainable, this may be an indication that many people are willing to put up with a weak analog signal to get something significantly different that is not being offered by the conventional stations.
 
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