Costa-Eagle buying translator from WGBH

[MarcB]

Radio Insight reports that Costa-Eagle is buying 96.3 W242AA a 3 watt translator that simulcasts 99.5 WCRB for $80,000. It states the translator will be paired with 1570 WUBG, which is leased out to K-LOVE.

Station Sales Week Of 9/3: Family Life Ministries Buys Two & Sells One - RadioInsight (Scroll down to Translator Sales).

 

[Deleted User]

I'm still trying to figure out the legalities of "Valley 98.9" translator being on the air without an AM or other legal broadcast station feeding it.

Last I heard a translator could not originate programming

 

[Wimmmex]

It states the translator will be paired with 1570 WUBG, which is leased out to K-LOVE.

I was thinking that K-Love would drop the 1570 SImulcast...since it now has massive coverage from 107.3, and 100.7 HD-2, etc.

 

[Least]

I was questioning why K-Love would need translators or AMs anymore. I get the WZLX HD-2 signal, as 107.3 isn't strong in parts of Boston. They still operate on the 99.9 translator on the MA/NH boarder.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Radio Insight reports that Costa-Eagle is buying 96.3 W242AA a 3 watt translator that simulcasts 99.5 WCRB for $80,000. It states the translator will be paired with 1570 WUBG, which is leased out to K-LOVE.

Station Sales Week Of 9/3: Family Life Ministries Buys Two & Sells One - RadioInsight (Scroll down to Translator Sales).

Costa-Eagle already has 1570 airing on their 105.3 FM translator in Medford. Is this new acquisition because the 105.3 translator is so directionally nulled to the south that it doesn’t reach Boston a few miles away?

Also, there is a CP to move this translator, which transmits from the WMBR (MIT radio) location on a tall building in Kendall Sq. Cambridge, from 96.3 to 97.3 FM and raise its power to 25 watts.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I was questioning why K-Love would need translators or AMs anymore. I get the WZLX HD-2 signal, as 107.3 isn't strong in parts of Boston. They still operate on the 99.9 translator on the MA/NH boarder.

Very few people have HD radios. I have several, but only because I’m a radio geek.

Also, K-Love is on the WZLX HD-3 signal, not HD-2 which is a simulcast of WRKO.

 

[ZantennaG1]

I always thought it was unusual to have K-Love on AM, given that they're mostly and FM network, and everything. Despite most of us here feeling like AM is on "life-support" (thanks a lot, FCC ),more folks have AM radio than IBOC HD, so it makes more sense to me, at least for the time being. Perhaps it would be better if EMF plopped the AM signal somewhere in the open plains (Nebraska, Kansas, the Dakotas) where the Ground Conductivity would save them from having to put a dozen FMs in? E.g... KMMJ Grand Island (religious) has been off the air forever, so that could work. Anyone else?

 

[ZantennaG1]

I have several, but only because I’m a radio geek.

In that case, I must be a radio nerd!

 

[Wimmmex]

Very few people have HD radios. I have several, but only because I’m a radio geek.

I always thought that there are certain formats that people would seek out even if it was a bit inconvenient because they have die hard fans. I thought CCM was one of those formats.

So, if you had a bit of trouble getting 107.3, it might cause you the inconvenience of seeking out the HD signal. More non-radio-geeks have HD in their cars in recent years, although most don't know they have it, or what it is. ;-)

 

[ZantennaG1]

More non-radio-geeks have HD in their cars in recent years, although most don't know they have it, or what it is. ;-)

This is my thought process entirely; HD is available in most Fords, Jeeps, Mitsubishis, etc., but they failed to advertise themselves (when was the last time you saw an ad for HD radio?).

 

[Retro]

I was questioning why K-Love would need translators or AMs anymore. I get the WZLX HD-2 signal, as 107.3 isn't strong in parts of Boston. They still operate on the 99.9 translator on the MA/NH boarder.

96.3 will continue K-Love's reach into Boston Proper.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Klove simply wants that fm translator tied to 1570 ,and i think its tied there.. was moved or field for solely for 1570 so it cant be shuffled off to something else

As for the valley 98.9 translator, allegedly the 102.9 translator is running HD with sub channels on it.

 

[ZantennaG1]

So K-Love just gave away that 105.3 Translator... I wonder how WLVO will play into this. Much like WKVB and the xlator, it rimshots Boston.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

So K-Love just gave away that 105.3 Translator... I wonder how WLVO will play into this. Much like WKVB and the xlator, it rimshots Boston.

Klove isnt giving away anything

And what does W242AA, which is nowhere near in frequency to WLVO and WKVB have to do with the stations?

 

[ZantennaG1]

Oh, right. I meant sell it to Costa-Eagle (Family Life Radio). I think I got a little off topic from the point of Marc's post, which is that there's three parties here: FLR, WGBH, and K-love. FLR, who already purchased a K-love translator, also puchased a WGBH translator, which puts them all in a precarious position. My take is that despite Boston being New England's largest market (Maaah-ket if I may ), K-Love is using rimshots and translators to serve the city, which makes them seem out of place here.

As for 96.3, it will likely convert to FLR unless something else comes along

 

[Wimmmex]

This is my thought process entirely; HD is available in most Fords, Jeeps, Mitsubishis, etc., but they failed to advertise themselves (when was the last time you saw an ad for HD radio?).

I notice that Bloomberg has promos on air onhow to find their HD signal on your car radio. ("Check if you have HD, how to access the HD stations, and how to 'lock it in'.") In case people were listening/liking, but not getting a reliable signal on 106.1 or 1330AM.

 

[ZantennaG1]

I notice that Bloomberg has promos on air onhow to find their HD signal on your car radio. ("Check if you have HD, how to access the HD stations, and how to 'lock it in'.") In case people were listening/liking, but not getting a reliable signal on 106.1 or 1330AM.

Well that's cool, and that's how it should be!

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Oh, right. I meant sell it to Costa-Eagle (Family Life Radio). I think I got a little off topic from the point of Marc's post, which is that there's three parties here: FLR, WGBH, and K-love. FLR, who already purchased a K-love translator, also puchased a WGBH translator, which puts them all in a precarious position. My take is that despite Boston being New England's largest market (Maaah-ket if I may ), K-Love is using rimshots and translators to serve the city, which makes them seem out of place here.

As for 96.3, it will likely convert to FLR unless something else comes along

Costa Eagle has nothing to do with Family Life Radio.. and Costa Eagle is the one who owns 1570- and 105.3... they are leasing it to Klove!

 

[jlehmann]

This is very odd, as that translator currently covers very little. I can’t imagine it’s had more than a handful of listeners. If they try moving to 97.3, WJFD will fight it tooth and nail like they have with a couple other translators that have tried to move in on 97.3.

I have to wonder if Costa-Eagle’s contract is up soon with EMF and maybe they’ll move this translator more up into their primary coverage area with a new format on this translator (whatever freq it ends up on), 105.3, and 1570.

 

[Least]

Very few people have HD radios. I have several, but only because I’m a radio geek.

Also, K-Love is on the WZLX HD-3 signal, not HD-2 which is a simulcast of WRKO.

I stand corrected about the HD signal it's on. The post above mine stated "HD-2" and I went with that. I agree about the low number of radios out there. Many car manufacturers still don't provide it in base models. With that, the answer specifically for 107.3, when it was WAAF, was to use multiple HD-2 stations to cover the area where 107.3 was weak. That was following the flip of 97.7 to "The New 97.7." I know that K-Love has been on the translators for a while, long before they had 107.3. The translators' coverage areas are even weaker than that of an HD-2 or an HD-3. Seems like a bit of a money vacuum to keep them going, while they have a main signal (which they improved) and the HD-3 signal.