Classical Is Back!

[strangelove]

And it's about damn time! ;D

Classical radio on the way

BY LAWRENCE A. JOHNSON
[email protected]

Classical music will soon return to South Florida's airwaves.

The American Public Media Group, parent corporation of Minnesota Public Radio, announced Tuesday that it has purchased WMCU-89.7 FM in Pompano Beach with the aim of switching the station from its decades-long Christian format to a full-time, classical-music outlet. Pending final approval of the Federal Communication Commission, the station could start broadcasting Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as early as mid-October, said Bill Kling, president and CEO.

[EDIT]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/250341.html

[EDIT-post truncated because originating material is copyrighted. Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is in violation of Radio-Info's TOS. URL provided by Radio-Info as a courtesy for other users.]

 

[Groove1670]

I feel bad for the staff. Were they given notice. I hope they were informed. The positive thing is the format is not going to be some useless, consulted format. I am not a classical music fan, but I am glad those fans now have a station of their own. The area has several choices for religious programming, and most are quite good.

 

[jcolletta275]

Wow... I can't believe it! I spent many hours in the former MCC studios. On one hand, Miami's losing a longtime friend. On the other hand, the market's gaining a much-needed classical outlet.

I'm glad for the return, but surprised and saddened by the loss of WMCU.

 

[Ai4i]

And just a few months ago, Marlin Broadcasting in Hartford CT surrendered the callsign, WTMI...hint hint

 

[strangelove]

They went to dead air just after midnight tonight, the transmitter is still on but there's no audio.

 

[strangelove]

whoops, transmitter is now off. i think this is the longest time i've ever spend listening to this particular station.

 

[Radio-X]

I was listening to it via internet from up here in Hilton Head, SC. Right after the TOH ID this evening, they had an announcement basically explaining what was about to occur and that the "new" station will come on the air in two weeks. They also said that the sale is still pending with the FCC and it will take a few months to complete, which makes me assume that they have a LMA or the non-comm equivalent set up with MPR.

I had to run to Publix for a B-double-e-double-r-u-n around midnight, so stupid me didn't get to record the sign off.

So I guess on October 14-15, we will see "Classical 89.7 WTMI". I wonder if it will be live and local 24/7 or if they will lean heavy on MPR's "Classical 24" service?

Radio-X

 

[jcolletta275]

From what I understand from the Herald article, they do intend to go live and local eventually, but will be working toward that from a straight satellite feed at first.

 

[Ai4i]

Would be nice if after WTVJ goes strictly digital on their new UHF channel, 89.7 (what ever the calls) could move up to the top of the tower with 98.3. I think, if the commission still protects second adjacencies, WRMB precludes their moving further north.

 

[jaybird100]

And it's about damn time! ;D

Classical radio on the way

BY LAWRENCE A. JOHNSON
[email protected]

Classical music will soon return to South Florida's airwaves.

The American Public Media Group, parent corporation of Minnesota Public Radio, announced Tuesday that it has purchased WMCU-89.7 FM in Pompano Beach with the aim of switching the station from its decades-long Christian format to a full-time, classical-music outlet. Pending final approval of the Federal Communication Commission, the station could start broadcasting Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as early as mid-October, said Bill Kling, president and CEO.

[EDIT]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/250341.html

[EDIT-post truncated because originating material is copyrighted. Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is in violation of Radio-Info's TOS. URL provided by Radio-Info as a courtesy for other users.]

Classical music has been available on two outlets, WLRN-HD2 and WLVE-HD2 for over a year now. It takes an HD Radio receiver to hear them, but they're there, and they sound great. I still welcome WMCU, or whatever its new calls will be, to the format. But isn't the station located in Miami, not Pompano Beach?

 

[strangelove]

And it's about damn time! ;D

Classical radio on the way

BY LAWRENCE A. JOHNSON
[email protected]

Classical music will soon return to South Florida's airwaves.

The American Public Media Group, parent corporation of Minnesota Public Radio, announced Tuesday that it has purchased WMCU-89.7 FM in Pompano Beach with the aim of switching the station from its decades-long Christian format to a full-time, classical-music outlet. Pending final approval of the Federal Communication Commission, the station could start broadcasting Bach, Mozart and Beethoven as early as mid-October, said Bill Kling, president and CEO.

[EDIT]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_dade/story/250341.html

[EDIT-post truncated because originating material is copyrighted. Unauthorized use of copyrighted content is in violation of Radio-Info's TOS. URL provided by Radio-Info as a courtesy for other users.]

Classical music has been available on two outlets, WLRN-HD2 and WLVE-HD2 for over a year now. It takes an HD Radio receiver to hear them, but they're there, and they sound great. I still welcome WMCU, or whatever its new calls will be, to the format. But isn't the station located in Miami, not Pompano Beach?

I listen to WLRN's HD-2 all the time but I find Clear Channel's attempt at programming classical on WLVE to be something akin to a McDonald's attempting to offer prime rib on the menu. Is that snobby? Good, I'm glad we agree!
WMCU's transmitter is at the NBC-6 tower in Princeton, they must have had a waiver to the FCC's main studio requirement to broadcast from Pompano Beach.

 

[jcolletta275]

What became of their studios in One Biscayne?

And yes, as the city of license is technically the location of the station, WMCU is located in Miami, with studios in Pompano Beach.

 

[Ai4i]

What became of their studios in One Biscayne?

I don't think there ever were any.

...the city of license is...the location of the station...

The transmitter can be anywhere. The studio can be anywhere.
The station must produce 3.16mv/m (70dbu) throughout the (primary) city of license.

 

[jcolletta275]

Oh yes there were... I was in them several times. They moved there from their older studios on the former Miami Christian College campus.

 

[strangelove]

What became of their studios in One Biscayne?

I don't think there ever were any.

...the city of license is...the location of the station...

The transmitter can be anywhere. The studio can be anywhere.
The station must produce 3.16mv/m (70dbu) throughout the (primary) city of license.

Not just anywhere... a waiver may not have been needed in WMCU's case but one of the following criteria must be met to be in compliance with the Rules. You can check out the application for WREH and you'll see where they requested a waiver to locate their studios in north Broward.

USC Title 47, Part 73, Sec. 1125

(a) Except for those stations described in paragraph (b) of this
section, each AM, FM, and TV broadcast station shall maintain a main
studio at one of the following locations:

(1) Within the station's community of license;

(2) At any location within the principal community contour of any
AM, FM, or TV broadcast station licensed to the station's community of
license; or

(3) Within twenty-five miles from the reference coordinates of the
center of its community of license as described in Sec. 73.208(a)(1).

 

[Radio-X]

The transmitter can be anywhere. The studio can be anywhere.
The station must produce 3.16mv/m (70dbu) throughout the (primary) city of license.

Close...but no cigar... ;D

The transmitter can be anywhere that doesn't overlap with another station's protected contour. If the transmitter is in the protected contour, it either has to have a directional antenna towards the overlapping contour's tx site or they have to reduce power. So, WMCU is on the WTVJ mast in Homestead/Princeton/Bumfark, FL as a lower-powered class C. If they moved to downtown Miami on a mast, they'd have to cut down to a directional class C1. If they moved to the towers with the rest of the FM stations, they'd probably have to go directional C2. This is all courtesy of WRMB 89.3 which is a C1. WRMB basically prohibits WMCU from having a good signal in the northern part of Broward. They might be able to work with WRMB to downgrade to a C2 then go as a full-powered C or C1.

Basically, the WTVJ tower is down as far south as it is to allow rimshots the chance to get to the Dade area. WTVJ is short-spaced by WKMG/Orlando, WRTO is short-spaced by WKGR and (primarily) WRMF.

Radio-X

 

[Ai4i]

WMCU is on the WTVJ mast in Homestead/Princeton/Bumfark, FL as a lower-powered class C...WRMB basically prohibits WMCU from having a good signal in the northern part of Broward.

WMCU came on in 1970 as a full class C located to prevent interferrence to channel six's audio;
WRMB came on nearly a decade later in 1979.

Basically, the WTVJ tower is down as far south as it is to allow rimshots the chance to get to the Dade area. WTVJ is short-spaced by WKMG/Orlando

WTVJ and the former WCIX never cared one way or the other about FM stations wanting to cover Miami, although they have always had an issue with WKPX on 88.5 and fought on the side of WEDR for the later to move to the antenna farm, short spacing the 88.5 with the 99.1 (10.6MHz IF spacing).
WTVJ is shortspaced with WPTV, channel five. Orlando is not a serious issue.
Then there are the conspiracy theorists who would suggest that before satellite TV became a reality, WCIX (channel six) was located there to prevent Cuban Americans from watching Havana's channel six in the same direction!

WRTO is short-spaced by WKGR and (primarily) WRMF.

Maybe, but over the years all three of these stations have been increasing their facilities.

 

[jaybird100]

Back to the topic of WMCU, does anyone have information, more up-to-date, as to when the new owners are going to start broadcasting? There's still just a dead carrier there. I thought transmitting a dead carrier, without some kind of ID at the top of each hour, was illegal. Guess not...

 

[strangelove]

The word from MPR is they will be on the air no later than Oct. 30. As for the dead carrier with no ID I have no answer other than no one probably cares enough to consider it a problem or turn them in because of it. WKPX/WNSU goes to a dead carrier each night at 1 AM and doesn't ID until Piper signs on at 7 AM. Just remember, the M.O. at the FCC is: if the inspectors didn't see it, it didn't happen.

 

[jaybird100]

The music is now playing on 89.7. I still haven't heard the new calls (the WMCU calls are now at 1080
AM), so I'll keep listening to hear them. Could they have done the right thing and resurrected the WTMI calls? We'll see.