Cox seeking to modify 95.5

[RickRose]

I expected that Cox was going to apply to move 95.5 closer to the city when they went to the trouble to change the city of license to Doraville. In May cox filed that application. I assume more work needs to be done to make that work so Cox just filed for a slight modification of their current license this week. This will raise the transmitter up to 432m HAAT and drop the power down to 40kw which will keep the station at maximum C1 facilities from the same location. This will offer better coverage because of the height advantages.

 

[OnTheAir123]

If 95.7 in Trion and 95.3 in Coosa were not in place, 95.5 might be wide open to do a REAL move to Atlanta. I have not seen any studies so I'm not sure what other stations might be in the way but I'm sure that the two listed above would be a problem since they are 1st ajacent. :-\

 

[OnTheAir123]

WATG - Trion Ga - Class A - 95.7 Mhz

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WATG&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

WSRM - Coosa Ga - Class A - 95.3 Mhz

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WSRM&service=FM&status=C&hours=U

 

[Art Sutton]

I expected that Cox was going to apply to move 95.5 closer to the city when they went to the trouble to change the city of license to Doraville. In May cox filed that application. I assume more work needs to be done to make that work so Cox just filed for a slight modification of their current license this week. This will raise the transmitter up to 432m HAAT and drop the power down to 40kw which will keep the station at maximum C1 facilities from the same location. This will offer better coverage because of the height advantages.

The big news is the application filed to downgrade WSRV to a C0 and move the transmitter to just south of Buford. It was filed the same day as the WBTS proposal. This puts a lot more city grade over Atlanta. Smart move.

 

[ssnake]

The big news is the application filed to downgrade WSRV to a C0 and move the transmitter to just south of Buford. It was filed the same day as the WBTS proposal. This puts a lot more city grade over Atlanta. Smart move.

That's disappointing. 97.1 is the biggest signal in the region, isn't it? Seems like they are going to deservice a lot of area in north Georgia for only a marginal benefit in Atlanta. Given the drastic decrease in height, it might even be worse west of Atlanta.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

That's disappointing. 97.1 is the biggest signal in the region, isn't it?

It's tied with WYAY.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

If 95.7 in Trion and 95.3 in Coosa were not in place, 95.5 might be wide open to do a REAL move to Atlanta. I have not seen any studies so I'm not sure what other stations might be in the way but I'm sure that the two listed above would be a problem since they are 1st ajacent.

That might not be an issue since the FCC's short-spacing rules do not apply to 95.5. The station was grandfathered under the old rules because it was on the air (in Athens) before the current rules went into effect in the mid-1960's. I'm sure the move into Atlanta will happen.

 

[littlejohn]

Actually, originally, WYAY was a bit lower on the tower than then WFOX. But put a better signal into atlanta for two reasons - one was the mounting of the antenna which, even after optimizing it for better circularity had a lobe towards Atlanta; and the fact that 106.7 was away from the local Atlanta stations in frequency, and thus didn't suffer as much from intermod problems at the receiver. The end result was, Y did a better job of being received in Atlanta than Fox most places.

Now, as to moving 97.1 closer, I wonder if the site chosen is what was the original 106.7 (Wide 107) tower on Friendship Road. The tower it was on when Katz bought it from Jacobs and decided to make an Atlanta station out of it. It's on Friendship Road, just East of Buford. There existed at one time a Determination of No Hazard from the FCC to increase the tower height by 200 feet, which would at the time have preserved the full Class C status of the station. This upgrade was not done because it would have been frighteningly expensive at the time (Another story entirely), and Shamrock, who owned WFOX, decided that they would allow Katz as a tenant on the tall tower. Although it was about 5 miles farther from Atlanta, the height increase (1500' AGL roughly vs 1167' AGL roughly) meant that the contour over Atlanta fell in the same place. Thus 106.7 was colocated with 97.1, and the Friendship Road tower was vacated except for 2 - way tenants. It still stands, and has a number of tenants, none broadcasters. WLKQ would fit on it, and was offered the option at one point, but the family who owned it at the time (the Josephs) declined.

 

[Art Sutton]

If 95.7 in Trion and 95.3 in Coosa were not in place, 95.5 might be wide open to do a REAL move to Atlanta. I have not seen any studies so I'm not sure what other stations might be in the way but I'm sure that the two listed above would be a problem since they are 1st ajacent.

That might not be an issue since the FCC's short-spacing rules do not apply to 95.5. The station was grandfathered under the old rules because it was on the air (in Athens) before the current rules went into effect in the mid-1960's. I'm sure the move into Atlanta will happen.

95.5 is grandfathered to 94.9 and 96.1 and that's all. 106.1 and 106.7 are grandfathered to each other.

95.5 has to protect Trion and Coosa and any other stations near their channel.

 

[Art Sutton]

According to the FCC website which has a section on tower registrations, I don't see there is a tower at this location which is south, southwest of downtown Buford.

The application does not show that FAA approval has been provided. Simply that it is being requested.

Actually, originally, WYAY was a bit lower on the tower than then WFOX. But put a better signal into atlanta for two reasons - one was the mounting of the antenna which, even after optimizing it for better circularity had a lobe towards Atlanta; and the fact that 106.7 was away from the local Atlanta stations in frequency, and thus didn't suffer as much from intermod problems at the receiver. The end result was, Y did a better job of being received in Atlanta than Fox most places.

Now, as to moving 97.1 closer, I wonder if the site chosen is what was the original 106.7 (Wide 107) tower on Friendship Road. The tower it was on when Katz bought it from Jacobs and decided to make an Atlanta station out of it. It's on Friendship Road, just East of Buford. There existed at one time a Determination of No Hazard from the FCC to increase the tower height by 200 feet, which would at the time have preserved the full Class C status of the station. This upgrade was not done because it would have been frighteningly expensive at the time (Another story entirely), and Shamrock, who owned WFOX, decided that they would allow Katz as a tenant on the tall tower. Although it was about 5 miles farther from Atlanta, the height increase (1500' AGL roughly vs 1167' AGL roughly) meant that the contour over Atlanta fell in the same place. Thus 106.7 was colocated with 97.1, and the Friendship Road tower was vacated except for 2 - way tenants. It still stands, and has a number of tenants, none broadcasters. WLKQ would fit on it, and was offered the option at one point, but the family who owned it at the time (the Josephs) declined.

 

[TJB]

Since Wide 107's original tower was mentioned. Does anyone know where the original WFOX tower was before building the current tower (chateau Elan)?

 

[littlejohn]

You should ask Randy Mullinax with Clear Channel. He supervised that construction and moved the station to the site. It actually abuts Eagle Ranch in an unincorporated area of Hall County - I never heard 'Chateau Elan' as a location before this thread, although it's not far from there. 106.7 was originally on the AM tower on Thompson Bridge Road, using a 'bazooka' feed system. WBCX now occupies the space.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I refer to it as Chateau Elan because you can see it from there and CE is a landmark that people know. I did drive up to it once on the Eagle Ranch, a home for boys from broken families. I actually got lost on the ranch and had to ask for directions to the exit. I was hoping the man I asked wouldn't ask me what I was doing there--and he didn't.