ESPN 1070 To FM

[KR4BD]

Emmis is paying Vern Kasper $375,000 for the 107.5 translator. How old is Kasper these days?

I worked at Vern's WILO in 1970. He was 48 at that time (same age as my late mother...that's how I know). He's still quite active at WILO and WSHW in Frankfort, from what I hear. So, he's 90-ish...

 

[BobOnTheJob]

because iBiquity and broadcasters didn't think HD would be approved if it didn't also include AM.

Allow me to translate : it wouldn't be allowed to interfere with neighboring FM signals unless it was also allowed to interfere with neighboring AM signals as well.

 

[Hoosierky]

While reading the app for transfer from Kasper to Emmis, the primary station for the 107.5 translator is listed at WIBC-FM.
After seeing where the transmitter is for 93.1 (FARRRR eastside) does this mean the FM is being boosted and not the AM (WFNI)?

 

[Potts]

Hey, what do I know? I was in the business for over 30 years, but have retired & been away for quite awhile now, so many of you probably know better than I. What's wrong with 10-7-0 being known as WIBC-AM? I don't think I will EVER get used to that station being known as WFNI (unless they want to make it all comedy and call it FUNNY 1070 what with those call letters). The heritage call letters of WIBC belong on 1070. Let tradition prevail on this one. Since the younger set doesn't listen to AM away, how about further building the WIBC brand by putting them on AM, too, where they rightfully belong? Afterall, us oldies but goodies still listen to AM. Merry Christmas to one and all.

 

[Potts]

By the way, call it RADIO INDIANAPOLIS just to be different from the FM and turn the reverb back on.

 

[Kent]

While reading the app for transfer from Kasper to Emmis, the primary station for the 107.5 translator is listed at WIBC-FM.
After seeing where the transmitter is for 93.1 (FARRRR eastside) does this mean the FM is being boosted and not the AM (WFNI)?

No. The translator will relay an HD subchannel of 93.1. Said subchannel will simulcast 1070.

 

[radioguy2013]

I agree with Potts, WIBC calls should have stayed on 1070 as WIBC AM. While the FM 93.1 should have been branded "Indy's Newscenter 93.1 WIBC FM.

 

[flip23]

It wouldn't have hurt to keep it wibc-am since they do cross-promotion anyway, and have Jersey Johnny, Big Joe, JMV etc. appearing on both stations. The FM also carries sports at times. Nobody knows the wfni calls. Arbitron no longer requires people to write anything down, so any call letter confusion with the am and fm wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Roberta X]

WFNI's night time highly directional signal is 10kw pointed to the southeast toward Cincinnati. Therefore, virtually no transmitted power goes to the north and west at night. That’s why WIBC went to FM, to provide more even metro coverage 24/7.[...]

An engineering quibble: the direction of the nulls in an AM directional array is the critical thing, that and getting a major lobe (a maximum) over the city served. The nulls prevent having a large area of mutual interference. (Also, they let consulting engineers earn the big bucks) Back in the dim, dark ages, WIBC 1070 laid a pretty good signal over Indy metro's center of population at night; these days, not so much. And it's pricey and tricky to relocate a DA array, so they're out of practical options.

FM is a better bet: you get a spot on a tall tower near the center of population and you're done. (Is 93.1 still out on the East side?)

My favorite "oops" is 1260, stuck on the site of a non-directional 1937 tower (honest, check out the straight-leg Ideco oil-derrick at the S. end, it's not even squared up to the line of the other two towers: it was there first). They have a sharp night time null on some station to the southwest that is coincidentally aimed right at Speedway!

 

[secondchoice]

My favorite "oops" is 1260, stuck on the site of a non-directional 1937 tower (honest, check out the straight-leg Ideco oil-derrick at the S. end, it's not even squared up to the line of the other two towers: it was there first). They have a sharp night time null on some station to the southwest that is coincidentally aimed right at Speedway!

That tower that seems "out of line" was done so on purpose. All three towers are in the nighttime pattern:

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=59591

A directional station with a simple "broadside" array only has to have 2 towers most of the time.

 

[Roberta X]

[That tower that seems "out of line" was done so on purpose. All three towers are in the nighttime pattern:

It's in line with the array, it's just not square to it: the South tower went up in 1937, the other two after WW II -- part of the ~1946 realignment of frequency assignments, IIRC. It's only "on purpose" because it was already there. (I think the array is on on a line at 351 degrees and South tower was on 0 degrees, so the difference is subtle.)

All three are in the night pattern, center tower was the only one fed for the ND-Day pattern (at least until Taft killed the old one by neglect). Since day detuning was already in place for N and S, one assumes they went back to driving the center stick during daylight after putting the new one up. The nulls were nasty but it was a pretty good array. The place looks like a used-tower lot now.

I worked there, way back when. The proofs and plans for the array were filed in my office. Ft. Ben MPs used to ask me why the devil I was waving a field strength meter around in the parking lot of the Adjutant General's School.