Charlotte Radio Gets Even MORE Populous...

[Steve.Gates]

The Charlotte, NC Airwaves are getting even more Populous as time goes by. Either in August or September I discovered a Translator FM Station Operating on 107.50 MHz. I had heard it "beta-testing" during the Month of July 2017, so it was not a major surprise to me. It then went OTA and was off for awhile. I did not post about this because I was hoping someone else would (once it came back on). This is a FM Translator for AM-1310 in Charlotte. It is a Spanish Radio Station.

Roughly 24 Hours ago I found yet another FM Translator Station --- this one on 100.50 MHz. Apparently this is a Radio Station License that was *bought/sold* and moved to the Queen City. It originally hails from Conway, S.C. So what does the new owner do with it once they take Ownership of it??? **RE-Broadcast AM 1370**, which is [already] Re-Transmitting on 103.3 MHz as "Streetz FM". Now out of Pineville, NC.... It is WGIV.

So... why does WGIV feel the need to have **(2) Translator** FM Radio Stations in the Charlotte Metro? Does 103.3 MHz not get out well enough to the East of the Charlotte Metro, that they feel the need to have a 2nd Translator?

Either way, there goes Reception of: ****(a) WKZL - 107.5 MHz for the entire Charlotte area. And (b) WSSL - 100.5 MHz --- Whistle 100.5 --- for the entire Charlotte area*****.

{{{Way to go FCC}}} for..... making an already serious problem even more serious !!!!!

Obviously, it's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$. The FCC only wants to continue to collect more $$$$$.

-Steve.

 

[tylerSC]

The Charlotte, NC Airwaves are getting even more Populous as time goes by. Either in August or September I discovered a Translator FM Station Operating on 107.50 MHz. I had heard it "beta-testing" during the Month of July 2017, so it was not a major surprise to me. It then went OTA and was off for awhile. I did not post about this because I was hoping someone else would (once it came back on). This is a FM Translator for AM-1310 in Charlotte. It is a Spanish Radio Station.

Roughly 24 Hours ago I found yet another FM Translator Station --- this one on 100.50 MHz. Apparently this is a Radio Station License that was *bought/sold* and moved to the Queen City. It originally hails from Conway, S.C. So what does the new owner do with it once they take Ownership of it??? **RE-Broadcast AM 1370**, which is [already] Re-Transmitting on 103.3 MHz as "Streetz FM". Now out of Pineville, NC.... It is WGIV.

So... why does WGIV feel the need to have **(2) Translator** FM Radio Stations in the Charlotte Metro? Does 103.3 MHz not get out well enough to the East of the Charlotte Metro, that they feel the need to have a 2nd Translator?

Either way, there goes Reception of: ****(a) WKZL - 107.5 MHz for the entire Charlotte area. And (b) WSSL - 100.5 MHz --- Whistle 100.5 --- for the entire Charlotte area*****.

{{{Way to go FCC}}} for..... making an already serious problem even more serious !!!!!

Obviously, it's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$. The FCC only wants to continue to collect more $$$$$.

-Steve.

Yes unfortunately the radio airwaves are now a big cluttered mess, full of RF noise and interference. Makes it very difficult to listen to full power distant stations which used to come in clear. At least my home radio with rabbit ears or attic antenna can still receive most Charlotte channels clearly, but get in the car it is full of static or 2 stations on top of each other. Here in Greenville, SC I used to get 95.1, 96.1, 107.9, 101.9, 102.9, 97.9, and 105.3 clear in the car. Now there is static or interference on all of them due to all these new translators or LPFMs. 107.9-WLNK and Kiss 95.1 were always strongest, but now they are problematic. The FCC should not have allowed a LPFM on the same channel as WLNK, as there is nothing but noise and static in most parts of Greenville County. And local engineering sources have said the LPFM is way beyond the legal limit power level. This has gotten out of control, but apparently the broadcasting companies themselves don't care as much about preserving their clear signal in the fringe areas which may be out of market. Not like they used to. I remember back when both 95.1 and 107.9 promoted on air they could be heard in distant areas such as Winston-Salem and Greenville, SC. But apparently that no longer satisfies their current business model, but it is nevertheless aggravating to distant listeners who enjoy a greater variety of choices. And it doesn't help with HD Radio reception, as those signals are very subject to noise and interference. But fortunately I can still get WLNK-HD on my bedroom radio connected to rabbit ears antenna. I can listen to Bob and Sheri, as well as the WBT simulcast on 107.9-HD2.

 

[tylerSC]

Interference problem

The Charlotte, NC Airwaves are getting even more Populous as time goes by. Either in August or September I discovered a Translator FM Station Operating on 107.50 MHz. I had heard it "beta-testing" during the Month of July 2017, so it was not a major surprise to me. It then went OTA and was off for awhile. I did not post about this because I was hoping someone else would (once it came back on). This is a FM Translator for AM-1310 in Charlotte. It is a Spanish Radio Station.

Roughly 24 Hours ago I found yet another FM Translator Station --- this one on 100.50 MHz. Apparently this is a Radio Station License that was *bought/sold* and moved to the Queen City. It originally hails from Conway, S.C. So what does the new owner do with it once they take Ownership of it??? **RE-Broadcast AM 1370**, which is [already] Re-Transmitting on 103.3 MHz as "Streetz FM". Now out of Pineville, NC.... It is WGIV.

So... why does WGIV feel the need to have **(2) Translator** FM Radio Stations in the Charlotte Metro? Does 103.3 MHz not get out well enough to the East of the Charlotte Metro, that they feel the need to have a 2nd Translator?

Either way, there goes Reception of: ****(a) WKZL - 107.5 MHz for the entire Charlotte area. And (b) WSSL - 100.5 MHz --- Whistle 100.5 --- for the entire Charlotte area*****.

{{{Way to go FCC}}} for..... making an already serious problem even more serious !!!!!

Obviously, it's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$. The FCC only wants to continue to collect more $$$$$.

-Steve.

Yes unfortunately the radio airwaves are now a big cluttered mess, full of RF noise and interference. Makes it very difficult to listen to full power distant stations which used to come in clear. At least my home radio with rabbit ears or attic antenna can still receive most Charlotte channels clearly, but get in the car it is full of static or 2 stations on top of each other. Here in Greenville, SC I used to get 95.1, 96.1, 107.9, 101.9, 102.9, 97.9, and 105.3 clear in the car. Now there is static or interference on all of them due to all these new translators or LPFMs. 107.9-WLNK and Kiss 95.1 were always strongest, but now they are problematic. The FCC should not have allowed a LPFM on the same channel as WLNK, as there is nothing but noise and static in most parts of Greenville County. And local engineering sources have said the LPFM is way beyond the legal limit power level. This has gotten out of control, but apparently the broadcasting companies themselves don't care as much about preserving their clear signal in the fringe areas which may be out of market. Not like they used to. I remember back when both 95.1 and 107.9 promoted on air they could be heard in distant areas such as Winston-Salem and Greenville, SC. But apparently that no longer satisfies their current business model, but it is nevertheless aggravating to distant listeners who enjoy a greater variety of choices. And it doesn't help with HD Radio reception, as those signals are very subject to noise and interference. But fortunately I can still get WLNK-HD on my bedroom radio connected to rabbit ears antenna. I can listen to Bob and Sheri, as well as the WBT simulcast on 107.9-HD2.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Difficult to watch the devaluation of radio in my lifetime. Yes it's all about $$$ for the FCC. Imagine what it will be like when we have one of those spring or fall band openings when the more distant FM stations come plowing in. Talk about a mess!

Radio is a cake that continues to have frosting added until the frosting gets so heavy the cake collapses.

 

[TheBigA]

Either way, there goes Reception of: ****(a) WKZL - 107.5 MHz for the entire Charlotte area. And (b) WSSL - 100.5 MHz --- Whistle 100.5 --- for the entire Charlotte area*****.

Neither of those stations are licensed to Charlotte. It's kind of hard to complain about move-in translators affecting reception of out-of-market stations.

 

[tylerSC]

Neither of those stations are licensed to Charlotte. It's kind of hard to complain about move-in translators affecting reception of out-of-market stations.

But many full power stations can reach a much wider area beyond those arbitrary market boundaries. A full power station can be received clearly up to 75 or 80 miles, or even up to 100 miles depending upon terrain and if there is no localized interference. These stations should be protected from interfering translators at least 75 miles rather than 60 miles as seems to be the case currently. I have visited family or lived in Greenville, SC since 1982 and the Charlotte signals broadcast from Gaston County always came in clear at about 75 miles. They should be protected, but now there is translator interference affecting 95.1 and especially 102.9 and 107.9. And back in the day these stations used to promote their wide coverage areas and long distance listeners. Now the dial is a cluttered overcrowded mess of interference. Most of these new translators I don't care to listen to, and there is no need to have 2 stations drowning each other out. WLNK used to be very strong and clear. But at least I can still get it on the home radio with rabbit ears, including HD. But the car reception is a mess, and the LPFM has a lousy signal also, so there really is no point. Just poor planning and regulation by the FCC. The authorized full power signal of WLNK will reach Greenville County with a clear signal, and that should be recognized and protected, rather than allowing some random LPFM generating noise and interference on the same frequency.

 

[tylerSC]

Difficult to watch the devaluation of radio in my lifetime. Yes it's all about $$$ for the FCC. Imagine what it will be like when we have one of those spring or fall band openings when the more distant FM stations come plowing in. Talk about a mess!

Radio is a cake that continues to have frosting added until the frosting gets so heavy the cake collapses.

The fall bands have been bad the past few weeks. Very much RF noise and interference, and some normally received stations have been wiped out by distant stations. And add in the translator interference and it has been a big mess. On 107.9, I have been getting WLNK from Charlotte, Hot 107.9 from Atlanta, a Gator 107.9 from the coast, and the local interfering LPFM station. Mostly noise and static and multiple stations. Although interesting the WLNK-HD signal will often pop in with a clear signal then back to the big mess. The home radio remains clear with WLNK unless I move the rabbit ears and some of the interfering stations will come in.

 

[TheBigA]

But many full power stations can reach a much wider area beyond those arbitrary market boundaries.

That may have been the case at one time, but radio stations are licensed by those "arbitrary market boundaries." That's all they're protected for. Beyond that, listen online.