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GPB Translators??

R

Radio-X

Guest
I'm wondering why GPB have 2 translators in Savannah! I lived in (the equivalent of) a brick bomb shelter in downtown Savannah and picked up 91.1 perfect. So why the WSVH translator, and why the one on 104.3 for WMUM? Also, GPB has a functioning translator on Hilton Head on 104.3 and other new CPs in Beaufort and Charleston!

Is GPB planning on splitting up its NPR network in the same way SCETV did in 2003? If not, why the heck do they need these translators ???

Radio-X
 
radiodxrichmond said:
I'm wondering why GPB have 2 translators in Savannah! I lived in (the equivalent of) a brick bomb shelter in downtown Savannah and picked up 91.1 perfect. So why the WSVH translator, and why the one on 104.3 for WMUM? Also, GPB has a functioning translator on Hilton Head on 104.3 and other new CPs in Beaufort and Charleston!

Is GPB planning on splitting up its NPR network in the same way SCETV did in 2003? If not, why the heck do they need these translators ???

Radio-X
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The best guess for having multiple translators would be to reach those areas where the full-power signals don't reach. In Albany, for example, 94.3 and 97.7 recently signed on as translators. Even more recently, GPB added translators in Thomasville (103.7), Pelham (94.3), and Bainbridge (99.9), which makes good common sense, since the FCC is unlikely to allocate any new full-power FM signals to those communities in the foreseeable future.

As for GPB splitting up its NPR network, it's anybody's guess as to if or when that could happen. With the way radio is these days, you never know. In fact, it wouldn't be a big surprise if GPB did add more FM translators to cover the whole state.
 
Could an FM translator be used to broadcast an HD-2 channel in analog in one of the areas where there is 100% overlap with the originating station?
 
If you go to radio-locator.com & search Savannah, you will see the two translators cover a small area that's already covered by 91.1's 100k signal. As a local, i can also tell you the areas these two translators are located in areas where people may tend to listen to rap & soul music, not GPB (catch my drift). They also appear to be on the same stick. So there's no reason for them in Savannah.

Also odd....why would GPB place 3 translators in SC, especially in Charleston?

I think that somehow, the info received by radio-locator.com is simply not correct.

G
 
I think GPB has a CP for a translator in Jacksonville, FL. They also have WJWV-FM, a station on the Alabama/Georgia state line that covers Dothan, Alabama and Eufaula, Alabama but only farms and timberland in Georgia.

GPB's TV station covering Albany, WABW, will be putting up their Digital transmitter in Tallahassee, FL.

Unlike most state run PBS/NPR networks, GPB doesn't see the state line.
 
Before everyone gets too excited about these translators, you should look at the FCC records and see who has actually licensed them. In most cases it is Radio Assist Ministries and Edgewater Broadcasting. These are the folks who filed for thousands of translators back in 2003. Since neither group owned stations they could legally translate on a commercial FM translator, they had to find someone who was willing to allow them to rebroadcast, and around here that was GPB. As soon as these guys can either establish their stations or sell the permits (I bet they love the prospect of AM translators!), GPB will be gone. Also, telling is that GPB lists none of them on their web site. I have e-mailed them asking about their arrangments on these, but no answer.

A lot of these translators are redundant to GPB, including a translator for the Tifton station on the same tower. But some do actually serve areas that don't have GPB. Maybe GPB will buy them, but if not, there may be some unhappy listeners, when NPR gives way to fire and brimstone preaching or a simulcast of the local AM station.

The translator on 99.9 is licensed to Camilla, rather than Bainbridge. It's location was originally the WABW tower, but it has been moved to a tower in northern Grady County. There was a Radio Assist translator slated for 98.1 in Bainbridge (WJWV was the primary), but it expired unbuilt.

Also, GPB has changed their plans for the WABW digital signal, and it will be on the Pelham tower, rather than the WCTV tower in Metcalf.
 
I was shocked that GPB didn't try to get a translator for Bainbridge.

I realize that religious groups own many of the translators relaying GPB, but GPB owns quite a few. In a previous post I mentioned WJWV FM targeting Dothan. One of the few towns in Georgia covered by this station is Cuthbert. Why would GPB own CPs for 4 translators for WJWV in Cuthbert?

I think FSU did the same thing. When the list of new translator applications came out several years ago, WFSU had applied for dozens of channels. Some of the applications would have put 2 or 3 translators on the same tower. They used WFSU, WFSQ, WFSW, WKGC, and WVFS as the stations they planned on relaying.

Who is Grady Moates? He applied for 5 translators for FSU stations in the Lake Talquin area.

I don't know how many of these translators were won by WFSU, but they did manage to get 94.5 in Fort Walton, FL on the air relaying WFSW. I know they also had an application for 97.(3?) in Fort Walton with WKGC listed as the originating station. I can't find any info on that application now.

This takes me back to my first post in this thread. Could GPB be planning on launching a statewide HD-2 channel and use some of these redundant analog translators to promote it?
 
Actually, the only FM translator that is owned by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission is one in downtown Athens for WUGA. They used to have one for WJSP in Atlanta, but it was bumped by the 100.5 move-in.

FSU actually did apply for their own translators, and besides the 94.5 in Ft. Walton, they also got 91.1 in Port St. Joe and 97.1 in Carrabelle. I don't know why WKGC is listed for a couple of their outstanding apps, but maybe they plan to do some trading if any of the apps come to fruition.

Grady Moates in a broadcast engineer in the Boston area (http://www.loudandclean.com). I don't know what his Tallahassee connection is, but maybe he or somone he knows has a place out by Talquin. A lot of consulting engineers applied for translators on a speculative basis figuring they might be able to sell them off.

It wouldn't suprise me if GPB didn't do something with HD subchannels once they get the stations converted, but I doubt the translators are a part of it. While I'd love to see them acquire some of the more beneficial ones, I suspect they will either eventually translate the networks Radio Assist is creating, be sold off, or be deleted.
 
Neil Griffin said:
Actually, the only FM translator that is owned by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission is one in downtown Athens for WUGA. They used to have one for WJSP in Atlanta, but it was bumped by the 100.5 move-in.
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Yes, you're right. I was going by the info on Radio-Locator. A quick check of fcc.com does show radio-assist as the owner of the translators.

Neil Griffin said:
Grady Moates in a broadcast engineer in the Boston area (http://www.loudandclean.com). I don't know what his Tallahassee connection is, but maybe he or somone he knows has a place out by Talquin. A lot of consulting engineers applied for translators on a speculative basis figuring they might be able to sell them off.
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Do you have any information to suggest that this is the same Grady Moates applying for the translators at Lake Talquin?

Neil, are you related to the late Governor Marvin Griffin?
 
Do you have any information to suggest that this is the same Grady Moates applying for the translators at Lake Talquin?
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The e-mail listed on the applications is [email protected].

Neil, are you related to the late Governor Marvin Griffin?
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No, I'm not originally from this area, and not related to any of the other Griffins in the area. It was quite a suprise to discover the name was so common when I moved here. About my only connection is that my wife worked for the Bainbridge Post-Searchlight a few years ago (owned by the late governor's son, Sam).
 
An update regarding GPB translators. The Camilla translator mentioned above now has a construction permit to move to a tower north of Climax and change city of license to Bainbridge. I also see where GPB shows it on their stations map. FCC records still show Edgewater Broadcasting as the owner and WAYT as the input station. I e-mailed GPB to see what was going on.
 
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