Changing patterns?

[schmave]

We've heard in other places where stations stay on daytime patterns at night during storms to increase their coverage area. Will the Houston AM stations, many of which are directional at all hours, do this as well? I just heard Deborah Duncan mention how strong KTRH's signal is to many inland areas. Well, not to the north at night, which is where many Houstonians (my family included) are headed.

 

[MikeFromIndiana]

> We've heard in other places where stations stay on daytime
> patterns at night during storms to increase their coverage
> area. Will the Houston AM stations, many of which are
> directional at all hours, do this as well? I just heard
> Deborah Duncan mention how strong KTRH's signal is to many
> inland areas. Well, not to the north at night, which is
> where many Houstonians (my family included) are headed.
>
During emergancies like hurricanes AM stations can stay on Daytime power through the duration of the emergiancy so it wouldnt shock me for KTRH to stay on its daytime pattern for the next couple days like most of New Orleans's stations did till getting knocked off the air during katrina and most FL's Stations did last year and during Dennis this year

 

[CW]

> We've heard in other places where stations stay on daytime
> patterns at night during storms to increase their coverage
> area. Will the Houston AM stations, many of which are
> directional at all hours, do this as well? I just heard
> Deborah Duncan mention how strong KTRH's signal is to many
> inland areas. Well, not to the north at night, which is
> where many Houstonians (my family included) are headed.

Unless Houston took a direct hit like NO did, I think it is unlikely KTRH will stay with its daytime pattern at night....It has to protect Canadian allocations at night as well as some US stations on 740 and the FCC and Canada would have to agree to it...CC has announced that KTRH's audio will be carried on its FMs as well so I doubt they plan to keep KTRH on day pattern at night..WWL in New Orleans may have operated at a different pattern than normal BUT they did drop power from 50KW to around 27KW...and they did suffer damage at the studios, etc and not have remote control over the xmtr site..(I am not sure if their directional array suffered damage or not)
KTRH's site is just SW of Dayton and wont be in a major damage area so I doubt they will run day pattern at night (UNLESS they get an emergency STA from the FCC to do so). Anything IS possible....but the situation is different than what happened in NO.....

I suspect the rimshots on the South and MAYBE East side of Houston will likely go dark depending on the electrical service to their towers...

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Emergency Operation needs no approval

> > We've heard in other places where stations stay on daytime
>
> > patterns at night during storms to increase their coverage
>
> > area. Will the Houston AM stations, many of which are
> > directional at all hours, do this as well? I just heard
> > Deborah Duncan mention how strong KTRH's signal is to many
>
> > inland areas. Well, not to the north at night, which is
> > where many Houstonians (my family included) are headed.
>
> Unless Houston took a direct hit like NO did, I think it is
> unlikely KTRH will stay with its daytime pattern at
> night....It has to protect Canadian allocations at night as
> well as some US stations on 740 and the FCC and Canada would
> have to agree to it...

FCC allows emergency operations with day or non-DA facilities in case of emergency, with no authorization required. In this mode, it is not permitted to run commercials, though.

 

[w9wi]

> unlikely KTRH will stay with its daytime pattern at
> night....It has to protect Canadian allocations at night as
> well as some US stations on 740 and the FCC and Canada would
> have to agree to it...

FCC regulations allow AM stations to use day facilities at night in an emergency without previous approval. The FCC and Canada don't have to agree to it in advance.

> keep KTRH on day pattern at night..WWL in New Orleans may
> have operated at a different pattern than normal BUT they
> did drop power from 50KW to around 27KW...and they did

WWL's directional pattern and power are the same day and night. (they are not directional for interference reasons -- they're directional to avoid wasting power over unpopulated areas of the Gulf) It was my understanding the transmitter didn't suffer any damage, they reduced power solely to conserve fuel for their backup generator. (as it would have been impossible to refuel for several days after the storm)

 

[Ai4i]

Here is a good question to ponder:
If I remember correctly, an AM can transmit with daytime facilities or non-DA any time during the experimental or maintenance period after midnight, so long as commercial messages are not transmitted.
What if I had a non-directional fifty kilowatt daytimer and wanted to relay international broadcasters or praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster between midnight and whenever?

 

[OldChicago]

> We've heard in other places where stations stay on daytime
> patterns at night during storms to increase their coverage
> area. Will the Houston AM stations, many of which are
> directional at all hours, do this as well? I just heard
> Deborah Duncan mention how strong KTRH's signal is to many
> inland areas. Well, not to the north at night, which is
> where many Houstonians (my family included) are headed.

Unless Houston took a direct hit like NO did, I think it is unlikely KTRH will stay with its daytime pattern at night....It has to protect Canadian allocations at night as well as some US stations on 740 and the FCC and Canada would have to agree to it...CC has announced that KTRH's audio will be carried on its FMs as well so I doubt they plan to keep KTRH on day pattern at night..WWL in New Orleans may have operated at a different pattern than normal BUT they did drop power from 50KW to around 27KW...and they did suffer damage at the studios, etc and not have remote control over the xmtr site..(I am not sure if their directional array suffered damage or not)
KTRH's site is just SW of Dayton and wont be in a major damage area so I doubt they will run day pattern at night (UNLESS they get an emergency STA from the FCC to do so). Anything IS possible....but the situation is different than what happened in NO.....

I suspect the rimshots on the South and MAYBE East side of Houston will likely go dark depending on the electrical service to their towers...

There is a station in Texarcana on 740. I think they would have a problem with this.

Old Chicago

 

[BarryATL]

The letter of the law states that you can broadcast with day power/pattern at night if there is an "emergency" to the community. Also, the broadcaster has to notify the FCC in writing after the fact what happened.

 

[w9wi]

The letter of the law states that you can broadcast with day power/pattern at night if there is an "emergency" to the community. Also, the broadcaster has to notify the FCC in writing after the fact what happened.

There are two different regulations that cover this kind of thing. (WARNING: I'm a TV guy, not an AM guy, and I'm not a lawyer in either service!)

73.1250 states in part:

(a) Emergency situations in which the broadcasting of information is considered as furthering the safety of life and property include, but are not limited to the following: Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tidal waves, earthquakes, icing conditions, heavy snows, widespread fires, discharge of toxic gasses, widspread power failures, industrial explosions, civil disorders and school closing and changes in school bus schedules resulting from such conditions.

and

(e) Immediately upon cessation of an emergency during which ... daytime facilities were used during nighttime hours by an AM station ... a report in letter form shall be forwarded to the FCC in Washington, DC, setting forth the nature of the emergency, the dates and hours of the broadcasting of emergency information, and a brief description of the material carried during the emergency. A certification of compliance with the noncommercialization provision of paragraph (f) of this section must accompany the report where daytime facilities are used during nighttime hours by an AM station, ...

_________________________________________________

73.72 states in part:

(a) An AM station may operate during the experimental period (the time between midnight and sunrise, local time) on its assigned frequency and with its authorized power for the routine testing and maintenance of its transmitting system, and for conducting experimentation under an experimental authorization, provided no interference is caused to other stations maintaining a regular operating schedule within such period.
(b) No station licensed for “daytime” or “specified hours” of operation may broadcast any regular or scheduled program during this period.

 

[schmave]

Talk about a blast from the past with this thread ...

 

[BarryATL]

w9wi, thanks for finding that. There is more commentary in the rules that states music can be played to help fill the time, but no commercials during the "emergency" broadcast.

I have operated a station a couple of times under that provision of the rules. Both times it was snow, ice, and school closings.