Just wondering if anyone has been in the loop or further out and heard the translator [W248BB 97.5 FM] that was supposedly moved from Hillside to the Aon Center. It looks like it's owned by EMF and that probably means it's Air1 or K-Love. According to the FCC database and radio-locator.com, it appears that this translator is licensed. Has anyone heard it yet? (It packs a mighty 3 watts @ 1145' - the coverage map is about the same as for the 100.7 translator)
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Has anyone heard translator W248BB 97.5 FM from the Aon Center?
- Thread starter stormy01
- Start date
stormy01 said:
Oh no! Are you kidding me? ANOTHER zombie translator of that damn EMF - this one cutting a hole in the signal of WZOK. Honestly, someone at the FCC needs to rethink this entire concept. The frequency pollution has totally gotten out of hand. We don't need translators of satellite religious broadcasts from California!!!!
Anyone ever wonder why the former 9FM (99.9/92.7/92.5) or its current incarnation as Progressive Talk never got a translator in the city?
If any station needed it, it's them. And that includes 820 AM which is daytime-limited only; the night signal, if ever built, won't help much in the Loop!
If any station needed it, it's them. And that includes 820 AM which is daytime-limited only; the night signal, if ever built, won't help much in the Loop!
That and considering you can hear the exact same thing on 94.3! Speaking of which, do they not have a CP to moveBRNout said:
onto the the tallest building in Oak Brook
? If you look at the radio-locator map, they will have city grade coverageof Chicago. Why are they issued a license for a translator? IMHO this is being done firstly, to block out any clear frequency
in which to tune your I Pod, and secondly to stop anyone who is interested in LPFM. With the stricter rules on LPFM vs. translators,
there is virtually no chance for any group that would like to use these frequencies for real community broadcasting.
Another one of these that really irritates me is the one on The Sears Tower on 100.7 with it's 2 watts. Here on the
southwest side I use to get a listenable signal from WRXQ in Coal City, now it is almost exclusively the translator.
This 2 watts interferes with RXQ all the way to the Orland Park-Mokena area, where WRXQ had a very clean signal.
I've often wondered that also, In the situation you mentioned this would be a great help to them in terms of filling thestormy01 said:
gaps. Why do these stations or very few others ever apply for translators? If you go to the FCC site it is loaded with APP's,
sometimes 4 or 5 per frequency, in the same geographic area, for translator licenses for out of town, mostly religious
broadcaster's. I am not against religious stations, so please don't take this wrong. They for the most part have no connection
to the community of license, and half of them don't even cover most of the COL.
There are many other local station's that could benefit from these stations as well, WVON, WRTO, WSRB, WYCA just to name
a few. I don't really listen to any of these stations, but; I think the intent of translators was to help locals fill in gaps in their
coverage, not to pipe in stations from 100's of miles away. I know it wasn't until very recently that the FCC "officially" allowed
the use of translators for AM's, but that would be a much better use for these.
A simple FCC change requiring translators to relay over the air product would thwart EMF to a degree. At least it would be a start in fighting these frequency hogs. Based on the database, they're relaying some class A signal from Louisiana!
And yes, 94.3 comes in quite well - well enough to do fine without "help." But that's the MO of these religious broadcasters. Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy! We've discussed this before......
And yes, 94.3 comes in quite well - well enough to do fine without "help." But that's the MO of these religious broadcasters. Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy! We've discussed this before......
My understanding is that when translators were originally created, the translators were to fill in coverage gaps like where a mountain blocked a signal. Over time, the original intent has of course been bent, twisted, and yes, abused. There must be some way of getting the FCC to enforce localism once again, the idea of serving a community. Stations ought to be locally owned, with local content whenever possible. Too bad we don't have something like Europe and the UK has where networks are relayed on digital multiplexes. The out of town content could go there, and those who want that content badly enough would obtain the necessary receiving equipment. That is so much more efficient that the current arrangement. As for the AM daytimers getting a translator, that is a much better use of a translator because at least there's local content. Or a station like WBT in Charlotte that had serious coverage problems at night in their market.
As for EMF/K-Love, they ought to relinquish that 97.5 translator when 94.3 becomes active from Oak Brook. But they also have the Air1 network, so they'll probably switch it to that. The commercial broadcasters are partly to blame also, some did something about it: WLEY 107.9, when it started out in Aurora, got a booster transmitter in the loop on the same frequency, 107.9. But when WLEY moved to the WSCR tower in Glendale Heights, they turned off the booster downtown.
As for EMF/K-Love, they ought to relinquish that 97.5 translator when 94.3 becomes active from Oak Brook. But they also have the Air1 network, so they'll probably switch it to that. The commercial broadcasters are partly to blame also, some did something about it: WLEY 107.9, when it started out in Aurora, got a booster transmitter in the loop on the same frequency, 107.9. But when WLEY moved to the WSCR tower in Glendale Heights, they turned off the booster downtown.
I never knew that 107.9 had a booster in the loop. Do you remember where it was located, and how much powerstormy01 said:
they used? When did they start using it? Your right, that would be the proper use for these.
Thanks,
TR
Only for a short while around 2000-2001. 80 watts @ 70 meters (west side of the loop according to map - what building is unclear) This is all I could find for facility ID#93967 - http://www.recnet.com/cdbs/fmq.php?facid=93697&arch=Y&jaws=0 also see http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/286113.pdfTR1992 said:
I remember driving through the loop, and it was the only distant suburban signal that I could still hear, and it came in surprisingly strong, while all the other suburban stations were snuffed out by the "white noise" of the transmitters on the Pru, Amoco, Sears & Hancock. I have no idea why WLEY stopped using the booster.
Thanks, stormy01, I wondered why 107.9 always came in better in the loop area than any other suburban FM. I alsostormy01 said:
wonder why they would shut this off, all though their signal is much better now on the WSCR stick, this would still help them
downtown, where their signal strength is still nowhere as strong as the downtown FM's. It would definitely help with office
reception and walkman listening.
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BRNout said:
I remember having this same discussion in another forum about the pollution from another spectrum hog in Indiana (WFRN). I can hear this drivel (albeit with some static) on 97.5 at 20 miles (DuPage County) on an Insignia HD Portable. Used to be able to catch WZOK great out here. Now it's all K-LOVE, all the time.
The translators are doing more to destroy the FM band than HD is. Way more. If these were local LPFMs, fine. But please, no more EMF or WFRN translators. I'm surprised WFRN hasn't found a way to get a "translator" downtown somewhere. Oops, I probably just gave them an idea. But this is totally unacceptable that the FCC is allowing this, unless they are actively trying to destroy FM just like they did to AM.
There are strong differences of opinion. To me K-Love is the ONLY station I like to listen to in Chicago so I am very glad it is there. Before K-Love on 94.3 would not come in downtown. So having 97.5 is very very good. I look forward to the 94.3 upgrade as well. K-Love is the only 24 hour christian music available in Chicago. However if WFRN found a way into Chicago that would be good too.
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brian.marchand said:
It's not the content that I have a problem with. It's the fact that these "do-gooders" are playing fast and loose with FCC regulations under the guise of "spreading the word".
Maybe you are not familiar, but a translator is to be used to supplement the licensed coverage of an existing station (ie: challenging or difficult terrain) within its licensed area, or to provide radio service to an area where little/none exists. Trust me, downtown Chicago meets neither of these criteria. And if WFRN is ever heard in Chicago, I might start beating on the FCC's door myself to find out just exactly how they are meeting the criteria of a translator.
Not that it'll do any good, but there shouldn't be any "difference of opinion" as you said, as the rules are the rules. Just because the FCC is choosing not to enforce the rules doesn't make it right. And, it doesn't seem very Christian of them to skirt the regulations just to expand their reach and make more money (what it's really about, FYI).
I do not feel like getting into a debate so I doubt if I say much else but the 97.5 is providing service to downtown Chicago where 94.3 has trouble because of the tall buildings. It is not against the law. Non-commercial broadcasters have different rules than commercial broadcasters. You must not be aware of that. Commercial stations have to be a fill-in translator within the primary coverage area of the main station but non-commercial does not. For non-commericial they can have a translator anywhere they can get the signal too. 91.9 and below can be off sat but 92.1 and up it like 97.5 has to be received over-the-air but that is the only requirement it does not have to be in the primary coverage area. Downtown Chicago is just outside of 94.3 primary coverage area http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WJKL&service=FM&status=L&hours=U. Their CP will change that http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WJKL&service=FM&status=L&hours=U and they will have primary coverage downtown.
It sounds like to me you have a problem with the current laws. But they are not doing anything against the law as it currently is which is what you are implying. WFRN is a commercial station and could not feed Chicago on a translator they owned but someone else could. On the other hand K-Love on 94.3 is non-commercial. And every operator would expand their coverage if they could and it was legal as this is. The tone of you writing suggests you have a big problem with religious content on the radio as opposed to secular operations. You have a right to your opinion but its hard to have a good discussion when one party is biased. Most countries of the world limit religious broadcasting but in America we do not. I think you have some bitterness with that issue.
It sounds like to me you have a problem with the current laws. But they are not doing anything against the law as it currently is which is what you are implying. WFRN is a commercial station and could not feed Chicago on a translator they owned but someone else could. On the other hand K-Love on 94.3 is non-commercial. And every operator would expand their coverage if they could and it was legal as this is. The tone of you writing suggests you have a big problem with religious content on the radio as opposed to secular operations. You have a right to your opinion but its hard to have a good discussion when one party is biased. Most countries of the world limit religious broadcasting but in America we do not. I think you have some bitterness with that issue.
I share the view that many of these translators hog up the spectrum and make a mess of other wise decent signals, regardless of content. It just so happens that many of these translators program religious content.
Before I am automatically cast off as a bigot, please understand that I have programmed a religious station. I am not a zealot but a business man. Religion worked for us with my station. That's all.
I think it would be appropriate to entertain an idea that some, not all, religious operations have some financial drivers and that these "non-profit" financially driven enterprises take advantage of rules that ethically shouldn't apply to them. One of those beneficial rules is the use of translators that wreck the airwaves for others.
Before I am automatically cast off as a bigot, please understand that I have programmed a religious station. I am not a zealot but a business man. Religion worked for us with my station. That's all.
I think it would be appropriate to entertain an idea that some, not all, religious operations have some financial drivers and that these "non-profit" financially driven enterprises take advantage of rules that ethically shouldn't apply to them. One of those beneficial rules is the use of translators that wreck the airwaves for others.
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b344077 said:
Thank You.
From: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/translator.html
"Non-fill-in noncommercial educational translators on Channels 221 through 300 are prohibited from any alternative methods of signal delivery, including programming feeds by satellite."
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/info?call=WNKV&service=FM
WJKL is not the licensed parent station of translator W248BB (97.5).
WNKV must really cover!
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