DALLAS RADIO > HOUSTON RADIO

[KTN Corp]

That's great and all, but it doesn't make them any more relevant today. You know, XEROX invented the mouse and graphical user interface, but I don't know anyone using a XEROX computer or operating system.

Xerox proved that GUIs are technologically possible. Apple proved that GUIs were profitable.

At the time Pacifica was founded, NPR was 20 years into the future and post-war FM radio remained to be seen as financially viable. Without that advance pioneered by Lew Hill, public radio may not have proven to be viable outside of government and university ownership (and funding; e.g. Rice). NPR stations are the biggest beneficiary of the Lew Hill method (and the history of pledging is always never brought up during an NPR station fund drive).

Any upgrade isn't going to happen unless some other puzzle pieces move around. KTSU is currently treed in by co-channel KAMU in College Station, and the coverage maps already show a surprising amount of overlap. There are also first adjacents KYBJ 91.1 in Lake Jackson and the new KQLC 90.7 in Sealy to deal with (anyone heard this on the air?)

Also, a roughly 40% increase in power won't make a huge difference unless 90.9 gets on a taller tower.

I've heard KQLC in Katy. I can't remember if I heard Christian religious programming or country music.

Here's my take on how Houston Public Radio could get the second Class C on the air. UH would have to acquire TSU and combine KTSU's operations with the KUHA (the old KTRU) and figure out a way to snuffle the Third Ward's objections. One way is to add in Jazz for some dayparts to keep the station interesting so that the classical doesn't get monotonous. I believe that 91.3 would be a good frequency to alleviate interference with KROI because it is half way between 90.9 and 91.7 and also the historic connection as KUHF's old frequency.

They would have to make a deal with KPVU and KVLU to move to different frequencies. KPVU would be moved to 91.7 while KVLU would be moved to 90.9 to space out with KAMU-FM. Perhaps KPVU could operate at 50 kW at 91.7 from the current transmitter site. To get rid of first-adjacent KYBJ, they would have to figure out how to get KSBJ 89.3 on a Missouri City stick to eliminate the translators and simulcasts throughout the Houston region.

And if they wanted to, HPR could move KUHF back to the newly vacated 91.3 frequency after a 40 year hiatus and move KUHA to 88.7.

 

[jd]

There are any number of reasons why your grand re-shuffling plan wouldn't work. Here are two of them, starting with KSBJ moving to Missouri City. That's a no-go because of 3rd channel adjacent spacing requirements between them and KUHF; the two stations are basically as close apart as the rules allow. Secondly, moving KUHF to 91.3 for the sake of heritage is, well, kind of ridiculous since very few people remember them ever being there. I'm guessing that you might recall that the University of Houston was paid to vacate that frequency more than 40 years ago when the forerunner of KMJQ upgraded to 100kW. It seems that IF spacing requirements were involved (and still would be) since 91.3 is 10.8mHz removed from 102.1. Besides, KPVU and KVLU aren't likely to be interested in changing frequencies, if in fact alternate channels could be found, and that might involve moving a dozen or two other stations around.