FCC Happenings in Central VA

[Radio-X]

A lot of stuff has happened as of late:

- WNRS has a CP to move to 89.5 as a class B station. Radio-locator gives the station city-grade coverage from Lynchburg to Farmville

- There are a boatload of applications for 90.7 in Chesterfield. Among the applicants: Liberty University, Pensacola Christian College, Educational Media Foundation (Air1), and Virginia Tech. I for one hope Tech gets the application as it sounds like they will expand RadioIQ to Richmond on 90.7 and finally give the town some NPR talk (did you know Richmond is now the only major city in the state without a predominantly NPR talk station?)

- Commonwealth Public Broadcasting has also applied for a 90.7 in Dinwiddie. They say it will be a repeater for WCVE-FM (No idea why they need that when WCVE almost puts a city-grade signal in Dinwiddie)

- FCC has approved a 90.1 to broadcast in Colonial heights for 500 watts at 298'. Sounds like a religious format.

- Several religious broadcasters are vying for 88.5 in or around Williamsburg. Will be a class A or B1.

- 91.5 in/around Buckingham is being sought after by Liberty University, Virginia Organizing Project, and JMU (owners of WMRA).

- 91.7 has a lot of people vying for it in Spotsylvania. Interested parties include: WCVE (CPB), Virginia Tech, Educational Media Foundation, A similar application wants to move KDRH-FM from King City, CA to Powhatan on 91.7.

What do you all think?

Radio-X

 

[tripinva]

I hadn't noticed the WNRS application being granted. WNRS has an interesting signal, 30 watts from the top of a mountain. FCC maps claimed the station would make it out 10 miles, station actually carries something like 50 miles!

The B-class signal will be from a much lower point and that contour will likely be a lot more accurate. I think the goal is to get the signal into Farmville where Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney are located, in addition to the current coverage of Lynchburg and Sweet Briar. Can't wait for it!

- Trip

 

[dxho]

A lot of stuff has happened as of late:

- WNRS has a CP to move to 89.5 as a class B station. Radio-locator gives the station city-grade coverage from Lynchburg to Farmville

At 20kw, that'll be nice. Always up for another college station I can get in Richmond.

- There are a boatload of applications for 90.7 in Chesterfield. Among the applicants: Liberty University, Pensacola Christian College, Educational Media Foundation (Air1), and Virginia Tech. I for one hope Tech gets the application as it sounds like they will expand RadioIQ to Richmond on 90.7 and finally give the town some NPR talk (did you know Richmond is now the only major city in the state without a predominantly NPR talk station?)

- Commonwealth Public Broadcasting has also applied for a 90.7 in Dinwiddie. They say it will be a repeater for WCVE-FM (No idea why they need that when WCVE almost puts a city-grade signal in Dinwiddie)

- FCC has approved a 90.1 to broadcast in Colonial heights for 500 watts at 298'. Sounds like a religious format.

There's a 100w college station there in Richmond.

- Several religious broadcasters are vying for 88.5 in or around Williamsburg. Will be a class A or B1.

And there's a 1200w station there in Va Beach. That ought to be interesting.

- 91.5 in/around Buckingham is being sought after by Liberty University, Virginia Organizing Project, and JMU (owners of WMRA).

- 91.7 has a lot of people vying for it in Spotsylvania. Interested parties include: WCVE (CPB), Virginia Tech, Educational Media Foundation, A similar application wants to move KDRH-FM from King City, CA to Powhatan on 91.7.

What do you all think?

I think the FCC is determined to stuff the band(s).

And I guess NCE and religious radio must not be doing all that bad, even in this economy.

Radio-X

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I used to live in Richmond and it has been a real disapointment as to how AFR got two stations when the FM band opened up a few years ago. WCVE is the only non=commercial FM with decent power that is not owned by extreme right-wing conservative groups like AFR who seem to have an agenda . True 97.3 came on, but even here in conservative Florida , Tampa has two. Pittsburgh has 4. I just pray to the just God that the FCC will give Richmond another intelligent voice. Times have changed and AFR is out of the saddle. The U of R station is not city grade by a long shot. Lets get radio license awards in the lower band out of the pockets of AFR or (cringe) Liberty Baptist.

 

[fortmill]

Yeah, the public radio band in Richmond is a disgrace. Part of the problem is WTVR/6 has limited the number of channels available (even though WPVI/6 in Philly doesn't seem to have been a huge obstacle there). That problem will go away Feb 17. Worse, I don't think WCVE has ever been interested in NPR talk--did they ever apply for either of the two AFR frequencies? Hopefully Virginia Tech will get the Chesterfield frequency and put their IQ service there. Please, no Liberty U or EMH there! BTW, hasn't AFR gotten a CP for a big increase in power for their 88.1( probably due to the inpending demise of channel 6)? I'd love to see Virginia State University get their 91.5 on a full-market station----either let the Henrico Public School's 91.3 go silent so 91.5 can expand, or develop 91.3 to serve the entire community better.....

 

[Radio-X]

I think the FCC is determined to stuff the band(s).

And I guess NCE and religious radio must not be doing all that bad, even in this economy.

Religion will be the last thing in this country to go bankrupt. I know scores of people who would rather put their last bit of cash in the collection plate then pay the mortgage.

Yeah, the public radio band in Richmond is a disgrace. Part of the problem is WTVR/6 has limited the number of channels available (even though WPVI/6 in Philly doesn't seem to have been a huge obstacle there). That problem will go away Feb 17. Worse, I don't think WCVE has ever been interested in NPR talk--did they ever apply for either of the two AFR frequencies? Hopefully Virginia Tech will get the Chesterfield frequency and put their IQ service there. Please, no Liberty U or EMH there! BTW, hasn't AFR gotten a CP for a big increase in power for their 88.1( probably due to the inpending demise of channel 6)? I'd love to see Virginia State University get their 91.5 on a full-market station----either let the Henrico Public School's 91.3 go silent so 91.5 can expand, or develop 91.3 to serve the entire community better.....

The problem with WTVR/6 has mostly been solved. Basically, FCC rules required a station within 12mHz of an active full-powered channel 6 to co-locate on the same channel to prevent interference. So, that's why WCVE was originally on a rinky-dink class A signal on 101.1 while Park Broadcasting's engineers and CVET's staff collaborated on getting a new antenna on the channel 6 tower to prevent interference. Oddly enough, I think channel 6's new digital signal is on the CVET tower in Bon Air.

I have to say, I have always scratched my head as to why WCVE doesn't add more NPR Talk. Even stations in smaller markets break from classical music programming at about 1pm to air "Talk of the Nation". If the FCC has any sense of sanity, they will give the license to VT for "the public interest" rather than "saving people from hell, one listener-less station at a time"

Only bad thing about 90.7/Chesterfield is that even though it is a B1 station, the tower most of these applications use is out near Skinquarter in the boonies and might be a tough catch for people NE of Downtown.

Still, I wonder whose great idea it is to keep what could be one of the best NPR networks in the state from little more than a classical music station? I mean, even when NPR reports on a national story from RICHMOND, they get WVTF or (sometimes) WMRA to produce it. Unreal!!!

Radio-X

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Is Richmond the biggest market with only one station below 92.1 that is not religious ( not counting Henrico Schools and Va Tech who really barely cover more than their campuses)

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Is Richmond the biggest market with only one station below 92.1 that is not religious ( not counting Henrico Schools and Va Tech who really barely cover more than their campuses)

With 3KW/105 feet, WHCE 91.1 "Mix 91" certainly doesn't have the best signal.. but it covers way more then "just it's campus"

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I meant WDCE. But still, is this the best use of a 3,000 watt station.??????????

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

I meant WDCE. But still, is this the best use of a 3,000 watt station.??????????

I think a college, university, trade school or high school.. whoever it is, having a radio station be it 100W, 1000W or 3000W is a wonderful hands on learning tool for anyone wanting an expierience in radio to decide if its for them or not for a future career.... or to gain some practical expierience.

 

[fortmill]

Now I see AFR is selling their powerhouse 88.1 in Richmond to......another "religious" broadcaster! Speculation is the new owner will be EMF, but I wonder if the buyer might be BBN. The Cp for the new 88.1 facilities is very close to the 100.1 TX in Hanover County. Either way, its a loss for non-comercial radio in Richmond......

 

[dxho]

I see a 50kw day/10 kw nites station has been approved for 1200 khz. Any other information on this? If AM is dying, why is there still so much interest in new allocations? Somebody must be making money...

 

[blue67ccm]

The only reason I could see BBN buying 88.1 would be in preparation to sell 100.1 if they are in need of some $$$ from the company level.

Get ready for K-Love in 2009. For those of us who do like GOOD, LOCAL Christian radio with an AC or hot AC format (and no preachers/talking heads), our chances of ever having a local station again (at least the former WDYL played music for about 17 hours a day.....) are slim and none if EMF comes in. Who would want to spend the $$$ to go against them?

And for the sake of the NPR fans, I do hope you get a second signal. Though I don't listen to CVE at all, I'd love for a broadcasting need to be filled in the community; after all, that's why radio's here, right?

PS-----ANYONE KNOW CITY OF LICENSE FOR THAT 1200 APPROVAL??

 

[MsMusicRadio]

That is just a rotten shame that 88.1 can't go to WCVE or a university. There is so much that can be done with news, jazz, public affairs, etc to waste it on a format that is already far overepresented in the market. I see no distinction between the so-called religious formats. They all focus on one segment of fundamentalism.

 

[dxho]

PS-----ANYONE KNOW CITY OF LICENSE FOR THAT 1200 APPROVAL??

Bon Air (southside Richmond, for those who don't know the geography).

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Given that most major stations are either automated, VT'ed, or using feeds like Tesh, Delilah,and Seacrest, maybe a high school station is a good plan to train people and be live and local. Now you have announcers that sound high school grade on major market stations and not just overnights. Go listen to WPOI in Tampa ( it streams) and except for morning drive, the rest of the day sounds like beginners.

 

[Radio-X]

That is just a rotten shame that 88.1 can't go to WCVE or a university. There is so much that can be done with news, jazz, public affairs, etc to waste it on a format that is already far overepresented in the market. I see no distinction between the so-called religious formats. They all focus on one segment of fundamentalism.

Well, we can hope VA Tech gets the new Chesterfield frequency.

They have competition like Liberty University, all the sat-casters, and a few other churches, but we can hope that the FCC will award it to VT (since the applications are mutually exclusive and I think have to be awarded on the points system)

Radio-X

 

[Radio-X]

Worse, I don't think WCVE has ever been interested in NPR talk--did they ever apply for either of the two AFR frequencies?

No. They have been very interested in their vast classical music library - some of which was donated from WRFK. I'm not sure if any of the original staff is there from 106.5, but I'm sure they want to keep it that way. Actually, the current WCVE schedule doesn't deviate much from the WRFK schedule published in the Times-Dispatch in the mid-80's. Short of signing off at midnight and a few more NPR programs, its almost a match.

A story goes that the guy who started up 97.3 offered a sum of money (like $1000) and asked WCVE to continue carrying "Talk of the Nation" after the Gulf War ended in 1991. The G.M. laughed at him and his money and told him to start his own station. 10 years later, he did.

So that being said, it is doubtful WCVE even applied for 89.7 or 88.1. They were more interested in expanding out to the northern neck and Southside VA. So if NPR talk comes to Richmond, its courtesy of Radio IQ.

Radio-X

 

[krisalyx]

oh god YES please i really hope va tech will get it so we can FINALLY listen to radio IQ here, i mean i listen to it all the time when i go to roanoke, or when i'm in the west end.

 

[upstate29651]

I see no distinction between the so-called religious formats. They all focus on one segment of fundamentalism.

Just as most of your posts in this thread have focused on your apparent hatred of Christianity?

Those bad jeebus people bought the frequencies, meaning, someone else (maybe a more secular company) didn't want to pay as much. That's how it works. Deal with it.

G