FCC approves KTRB's daytime move to the KFAX site

[DanStrassberg]

This was reported in today's (8/5/2009) Radio Journal. Media Bureau Engineering had raised an issue of adequacy of the ground system at KTRB's lower frequency (the radials are sized for 1100) but the engineers apparently satisfied the commish that, since the ground systems of the three towers (of the four at the site) that KTRB will not use are bonded to the ground system of the tower that KTRB will use, the 1100 ground system would be way more than adequate to achieve minimum Class B efficiency for a single tower at 860.

There will be no change in KTRB's night operation from a four-tower array near Livermore.

As a practical matter, however, KTRB's move will make it impossible for Salem to diplex KDOW with KFAX--at least during daylight hours.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Any idea how long it will take for KTRB to transition to Hayward?

 

[DanStrassberg]

Any idea how long it will take for KTRB to transition to Hayward?

If they pulled out all of the stops, it would be possible to do in 90-120 days. Is it likely to be done that fast? I'd say, "no." KTRB has an incentive to act quickly, though. Trucking propane to Livermove every 24 hours is an expensive proposition. Using a daytime site where ac power is available will cut down on the use of propane, albeit less in the winter, when daylight hours are shorter, than in the summer. Also, if the ac power at the KFAX site is not adequate to power a second 50 kW AM, the power company will have to upgrade the ac service, which could take months. Other time-consuming activities might include enlarging the transmitter building or putting up an additional building, although the work-around for that is using a large truck trailer to house the transmitter while the building construction goes on, which is what Salem did in New York when its WNYM upgraded to 50 kW. Best not to hold your breath.

 

[e-dawg]

What about KDOW, any suggestions where can KDOW be relocate since they cannot move to a wetlands area because of the Hayward city council rejected the proposal.

 

[DanStrassberg]

What about KDOW, any suggestions where can KDOW be relocate since they cannot move to a wetlands area because of the Hayward city council rejected the proposal.

Good question! The 1050 site is a possibility, although it is not clear what changes to that site are in the works. The station (officially KTCT, I believe) has had a number of CPs to increase night power to 50 kW. All of them seem to have lapsed unbuilt although one of them may have been tolled, which would explain why the records haven't been purged from CDBS. The tower configurations appear similar to that in the application that KDOW recently filed for the Hayward site that the City refused to lease to KDOW--even after Salem offered a $5 million gift to the City. But with AM DAs, tower configurations that are merely close to what's needed can't always be made to work.

KDOW might still be able to use the KFAX site at night, while continuing to run 5 kW-D from its existing site. KFAX would then be diplexed with KTRB by day and with KDOW by night. The KFAX towers are not in positions similar to those in KDOW's Hayward app, however, so night operation from the KFAX site would almost surely require operating at a lot less than 50 kW. Could KDOW then cover its CoL (Palo Alto) well enough at night to be licensed to Palo Alto as a Class B AM? Another good question for which I have no answers.

Other possibilities involve a different new day site for KTRB. Potential ND sites would seem to abound. KNBR might be a possibility as would KSFB (1260). However, Salem's willingness to allow KTRB to use one tower at the KFAX site by day certainly suggests that the company's engineering consultants didn't see much promise in trying to diplex the KFAX array full-time with KDOW.