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Eshom Point
- Thread starter radiotwit
- Start date
So far only the iHeart stations are affected.
92.9 KFSO
94.9 KBOS
98.9 KSOF
On Saturday night all three went to low power; they were difficult to receive in Hanford.
As of Monday morning, the iHeart stations still are low power. All others are normal, for now.
91.5 KSJV
97.1 KSEQ
104.1 KFRR
107.5 KOND
The Drew Show on 104.1 was advising listeners to use the app or streaming if they go off air.
Same situation today - iHeart at low power and no HD, everyone else still normal.
Maybe because their generator is split between three stations?
Is there any update on the fire?
Here in Hanford, 92.9 94.9 and 98.9 are all spotty at best. KXTT from Taft and KHHT from Mettler often cut in especially when driving north/south.
Maybe because their generator is split between three stations?
Is there any update on the fire?
Here in Hanford, 92.9 94.9 and 98.9 are all spotty at best. KXTT from Taft and KHHT from Mettler often cut in especially when driving north/south.
Last edited:
Ohhh!! I mean OH!Oh!!
The Fresno Business Journal wrote an extensive piece on the incident, posting the some of the earlier photos and KSJV's press release:
Headline: "KNP COMPLEX FIRE BURNS DOWN, CONTINUES TO THREATEN RADIO STATION TRANSMITTERS"
Published On October 8, 2021 - 2:36 PM
Written By Breanna Hardy
The KNP Complex Fire in Sequoia National Forest has already burned tens of thousands of acres, but this past week has been especially devastating for local radio stations whose transmission equipment has been damaged by the fire, resulting in a loss of signal power.
B95, Soft Rock 98.9, New Rock 104.1, Radio Bilingue on 91.5 and KARM on 89.7 have all been threatened by the wildfire.
John Ostlund, owner of One Putt Broadcasting with several Fresno radio stations, described the fire on Eshom Point, a mountain which hosts several radio stations’ signals. The transmitter for one of his stations, New Rock 104.1, is at Eshom Point, and barely missed the flames this past week. He has been monitoring the fire’s progress multiple times a day since it was five miles away from the transmitter towers about 10 days ago.
While it didn’t take a direct hit, he said they’re not out of the woods yet.
“When the fire started, we knew that it potentially could reach Eshom Point, so we watched it when it was five miles away, then three miles away and then a half-mile away,” said Ostlund.
“Our transmitter site was just 50 feet from the B95 site that went up in smoke,” he said Friday. “We thought, ‘There’s no way it’s going to spread that far.’”
He said that B95 and Soft Rock 98.9 have both been burned to the ground and are operating off of standby transmitters at a weaker signal on a nearby hilltop.
Rychard Withers, general manager at KFCF 88.1 FM in Fresno and member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, said that it’s been pretty quiet in the radio community as people scramble to figure out their next steps.
“With the FM, height is your favorite friend,” Withers said.
Ostlund described the high towers being near the trees where fires rage.
“That fire is pretty devastating,” Ostlund said.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ordered PG&E to shut off power near the area
“That was the first big warning that the fire was within striking distance,” Ostlund said.
Everyone scrambled to make sure standby generators were operating and the fuel tanks were at capacity. The generators conserve the use of fuel, but the signal takes a hit because the radio can’t broadcast as far without full power.
When replacing transmitters, it requires engineers, consultants and contractors — but even then it could take two to three months to get the stations off of the standby transmitters, Ostlund said.
“This is a problem we’re going to be dealing with for many months,” Ostlund said. “It’s devastating to those of us in this industry.”
A huge factor in the cost and speed of the recovery depends on insurance. The deductible on Eshom Point is $50,000, which will be expensive for everybody involved, Ostlund said.
“The insurance industry, ever since we’ve been having multiple wildfires in the mountains… the insurance industry has tried to protect itself,” he said.
He’s hopeful that the insurance will cover anything beyond the deductible but insurance companies have a way of defining what is coverable, he said.
While Ostlund’s transmitter towers are safe for the time being, he said they could be off air at any moment.
For its 350,000 weekly listeners that tune into One Putt’s five stations, they depend on radio coverage for sports, music and companionship, Ostlund said.
With weaker broadcasting strength on generators, listenership will be affected, and in turn the ratings book — which comes out in the fall — could potentially affect future advertising revenue.
Withers suspects that the three iHeart Radio stations, KSOF, B95 and KFSO, will need to rebuild the facility that houses several pieces of broadcasting equipment. But with the snow in the winter, it could be months before that happens.
“We are a part of the everyday lifestyle of hundreds of thousands of people,” Ostlund said.
Headline: "KNP COMPLEX FIRE BURNS DOWN, CONTINUES TO THREATEN RADIO STATION TRANSMITTERS"
Published On October 8, 2021 - 2:36 PM
Written By Breanna Hardy
The KNP Complex Fire in Sequoia National Forest has already burned tens of thousands of acres, but this past week has been especially devastating for local radio stations whose transmission equipment has been damaged by the fire, resulting in a loss of signal power.
B95, Soft Rock 98.9, New Rock 104.1, Radio Bilingue on 91.5 and KARM on 89.7 have all been threatened by the wildfire.
John Ostlund, owner of One Putt Broadcasting with several Fresno radio stations, described the fire on Eshom Point, a mountain which hosts several radio stations’ signals. The transmitter for one of his stations, New Rock 104.1, is at Eshom Point, and barely missed the flames this past week. He has been monitoring the fire’s progress multiple times a day since it was five miles away from the transmitter towers about 10 days ago.
While it didn’t take a direct hit, he said they’re not out of the woods yet.
“When the fire started, we knew that it potentially could reach Eshom Point, so we watched it when it was five miles away, then three miles away and then a half-mile away,” said Ostlund.
“Our transmitter site was just 50 feet from the B95 site that went up in smoke,” he said Friday. “We thought, ‘There’s no way it’s going to spread that far.’”
He said that B95 and Soft Rock 98.9 have both been burned to the ground and are operating off of standby transmitters at a weaker signal on a nearby hilltop.
Rychard Withers, general manager at KFCF 88.1 FM in Fresno and member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, said that it’s been pretty quiet in the radio community as people scramble to figure out their next steps.
“With the FM, height is your favorite friend,” Withers said.
Ostlund described the high towers being near the trees where fires rage.
“That fire is pretty devastating,” Ostlund said.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ordered PG&E to shut off power near the area
“That was the first big warning that the fire was within striking distance,” Ostlund said.
Everyone scrambled to make sure standby generators were operating and the fuel tanks were at capacity. The generators conserve the use of fuel, but the signal takes a hit because the radio can’t broadcast as far without full power.
When replacing transmitters, it requires engineers, consultants and contractors — but even then it could take two to three months to get the stations off of the standby transmitters, Ostlund said.
“This is a problem we’re going to be dealing with for many months,” Ostlund said. “It’s devastating to those of us in this industry.”
A huge factor in the cost and speed of the recovery depends on insurance. The deductible on Eshom Point is $50,000, which will be expensive for everybody involved, Ostlund said.
“The insurance industry, ever since we’ve been having multiple wildfires in the mountains… the insurance industry has tried to protect itself,” he said.
He’s hopeful that the insurance will cover anything beyond the deductible but insurance companies have a way of defining what is coverable, he said.
While Ostlund’s transmitter towers are safe for the time being, he said they could be off air at any moment.
For its 350,000 weekly listeners that tune into One Putt’s five stations, they depend on radio coverage for sports, music and companionship, Ostlund said.
With weaker broadcasting strength on generators, listenership will be affected, and in turn the ratings book — which comes out in the fall — could potentially affect future advertising revenue.
Withers suspects that the three iHeart Radio stations, KSOF, B95 and KFSO, will need to rebuild the facility that houses several pieces of broadcasting equipment. But with the snow in the winter, it could be months before that happens.
“We are a part of the everyday lifestyle of hundreds of thousands of people,” Ostlund said.
Over the past week, the signals for the three iHeart stations have improved dramatically.
First with better signal strength (no more co-channel interference), and now improved sound with the addition of stereo and audio processing (was mono and flat before).
I guess at first the temporary transmitters were only running at a couple hundred watts, then increasing to the 2.5kW specified in the STA as everything was fine tuned.
First with better signal strength (no more co-channel interference), and now improved sound with the addition of stereo and audio processing (was mono and flat before).
I guess at first the temporary transmitters were only running at a couple hundred watts, then increasing to the 2.5kW specified in the STA as everything was fine tuned.
Maybe one of the other broadcasters at Eshom point that didnt burn let them use their tower for the 1.5 kw temp transmitters either that or at Blue Ridge where KBOS was at in the 70s.
KSOF/KBOS-FM have filed a STA to operate at Eshom Point on a different tower.
This Technical Statement was prepared on behalf of IHM Licenses, LLC, licensee of FM Broadcast Station KSOF, Dinuba, California, in support of a request for Special Temporary Authority (STA). In early October 2021, the “KNP Complex” wildfire destroyed the KSOF transmitter site at the “Eshom Point Communications Site,” which is located in the Sierra National Forest approximately 75 km east of Fresno, CA. The KSOF transmitter building and equipment were destroyed. The nearby tower of sister station, KSFO-FM, remained standing and in a condition to permit usage. This tower will be used to support the temporary antenna of KSOF. The KSOF STA facility will employ a Bext model TFL3Y transmitting antenna, with a maximum directional effective radiated power of 7.5 kW (vertical polarization only). The antenna will be mounted on the KSOF tower at a height of 20 m AGL. As indicated in the accompanying Predicted Coverage Contours exhibit, the predicted 60 dBu service contour of the KSOF STA facility will not exceed that of the KSOF main facility in any direction. STA operations are expected to continue for at least six months until the facility can be re-built and restored to full operational capacity.
KFSO-FM has filed a request for Special Temporary Authority (STA). STA is requested for operation of the KFSO-FM licensed main transmitting antenna at a reduced power level of 46%, which is equivalent to a nominal non-directional effective radiated power of 8 kW (H & V). In early October 2021, the “KNP Complex” wildfire destroyed the KFSO-FM transmitter site at the “Eshom Point Communications Site,” which is located in the Sierra National Forest approximately 75 km east of Fresno, CA. While the KFSO-FM transmitter building and equipment were destroyed, the KSFO-FM tower and main transmitting antenna, remained standing and in a condition to permit usage.
This Technical Statement was prepared on behalf of IHM Licenses, LLC, licensee of FM Broadcast Station KSOF, Dinuba, California, in support of a request for Special Temporary Authority (STA). In early October 2021, the “KNP Complex” wildfire destroyed the KSOF transmitter site at the “Eshom Point Communications Site,” which is located in the Sierra National Forest approximately 75 km east of Fresno, CA. The KSOF transmitter building and equipment were destroyed. The nearby tower of sister station, KSFO-FM, remained standing and in a condition to permit usage. This tower will be used to support the temporary antenna of KSOF. The KSOF STA facility will employ a Bext model TFL3Y transmitting antenna, with a maximum directional effective radiated power of 7.5 kW (vertical polarization only). The antenna will be mounted on the KSOF tower at a height of 20 m AGL. As indicated in the accompanying Predicted Coverage Contours exhibit, the predicted 60 dBu service contour of the KSOF STA facility will not exceed that of the KSOF main facility in any direction. STA operations are expected to continue for at least six months until the facility can be re-built and restored to full operational capacity.
KFSO-FM has filed a request for Special Temporary Authority (STA). STA is requested for operation of the KFSO-FM licensed main transmitting antenna at a reduced power level of 46%, which is equivalent to a nominal non-directional effective radiated power of 8 kW (H & V). In early October 2021, the “KNP Complex” wildfire destroyed the KFSO-FM transmitter site at the “Eshom Point Communications Site,” which is located in the Sierra National Forest approximately 75 km east of Fresno, CA. While the KFSO-FM transmitter building and equipment were destroyed, the KSFO-FM tower and main transmitting antenna, remained standing and in a condition to permit usage.
KOND 107.5 HAAT is 705 ft., Sea level 5,194 ft. and KBOS 94.9 HAAT is 863 ft., Sea level 5,298 ft., so yes it's just the HAAT, no other reason.
KSJV finally got back on the air earlier today.
I wonder what took so long? Generator problems? Smoke damage in their building?
Between 90.1 KTQX from Bakersfield and 88.7 KMPO Modesto, its absence wasn't too bad.
Earlier this week the paperwork was submitted for the combined KFSO, KSOF and KBOS transmission system. It will be a half-spaced, eight-bay array allowing each station to transmit with 17kw ERP, covering the same contour as before the fire.
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