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Hats Off to Univision for filing to Upgrade KOVE to full Class C

M

Mike_O

Guest
Univision Radio has filed an Application to upgrade KOVE-FM 106.5 to a full Class C with 100,000 watts at 598 meters HAAT, BPH-20060322AEQ from the current 100,000 watts at 403 meters and keep KOVE-FM from being downgraded to a Class C0 {Zero}.

Too many Class C stations have not filed to upgrade their facilities to a Class C status {100kW at 451 meters, minimum} and have been downgraded to a Class C0{Zero} for a new station in some town of 500 people. Hardly enough of a population to sustain a station and usually a Class A station that will serve under 5000 people.

I have read in several publications that a station needs to be located in a town of at least 10,000 population to be viable. KZRC 92.5 Markham, which has been for sale for years is a prime example of one of these stations and it covers Bay City with a population of nearly 20,000. I can not see how a town of a few thousand people can support a station and the allocation is in the public interest.

Univision upgrading KOVE-FM will stop the applications by Katherine Pyeatte to construct a Class C3 on 106.1 in Matagorda, TX (population 1752) and Charles Crawford to construct a Class A on 106.5 in Iowa, LA (population 2663). Both had requested the FCC to have Univision downgrade KOVE-FM to a C0 in a Show Cause Order. Hopefully the FCC will grant Univision's Application and stop two more unneeded stations on an already crowded FM band. Both the above people file numberous applications for stations in towns as small as a few hundred people in the name of serving the public interest. I personally find their applications BS when Houston suburbs like The Woodlands, population 115,509 per CNN Money Magazine in 2005, can not fit a station into the FM dial under current spacing requirements. Some other cities near Houston that are deserving of first service would be Spring {230,781 pop.); Friendswood {42,577}; Katy {135,912}; Sugar Land {134,670}; Pearland {71,315}; Richmond {52,290} and the list could go on, but 2663 population, get real. I would like to know how that station would ever make any money. I don't understand the FCC even approving these applications in the first place, other than greed from the auction of the allocation. /Soap Box Off/

An interesting fact is that KHPT 106.9 Conroe is short spaced to KOVE-FM by 1.8km under an agreement and Waiver of 73.207 rules on July 18, 1995 when the then KKHT 106.9 could not find a suitable site to upgrade that wasn't short spaced to then KQQK 106.5. The original application was filed June 13, 1989 by then KJOJ 106.9 for the short spacing of the two stations. The FCC by granting the Waiver to KJOJ/KKHT/KHPT allowed 106.9 to increase their coverage by 7,304 sq. km. and a population of 684,099, which is now likely over a million people.

KOVE-FM will remain at the same location and increase the height of the tower and increase the 60dbu {1mV/m} contour about 12 kilometers further out. This will add Spring, Kingwood, Liberty, Winnie, Jersey Village and Katy inside of the 60dbu contour.

Now if the FCC could see fit to grant waiverS to KTWL and allow the station to move to The Woodlands and provide City Grade service to nearly 500,000 people instead of the small population of Hempstead. It would take waiverS though to move 105.3 from it's current location to The Woodlands as it would be severely short spaced to KHCB 105.7 and short spaced to KYKS 105.1 Lufkin, and KPTI 105.3 if it moves off the sand dune to Winnie as a C2. Unfortunately Hempsteads KTWL is stuck right where it is and no where to move without being short spaced to at least one station and often two or more stations.

Thank You Univision for preserving KOVE's Class C status and increasing the coverage area to the maximum.

Mike O
 
Ain't gonna happen. I'll bet

This type of Phantom Upgrade" happens all the time. In fact it just happened in Corpus Christi with KZFM and KLEY in San Antonio. Here's how it goes...

KLEY in San Antonio wants to upgrade but to do so, needs KZFM to change their license from a full C to a C0. Nochange in facilities, just a pererwork change at the FCC. KLEY files to have KZFM downgraded since it is only built as a C0 (Actually only 3 meters over a C-1.)

KZFM thinks there is cash in this so they file a quickie app to build another 297 meters on their tower. Something that makes no sense as they would gain about 10-15 miles of cows and cactus coverage. CP is granted. KLEY is screwed til at least when the CP runs out (3 Years.)

KZFM call up KLEY (Or maybe the other way around.) KLEY writes a check to KZFM. KZFM Withdraws their CP and agrees to be downgraded to C0. They get to keep using their exsting facilities.

KLEY gets their upgrade. KZFM gets the KLEY payoff.

Everybody is happy - More or less.

Betcha never see it.


> Univision Radio has filed an Application to upgrade KOVE-FM
> 106.5 to a full Class C with 100,000 watts at 598 meters
> HAAT, BPH-20060322AEQ from the current 100,000 watts at 403
> meters and keep KOVE-FM from being downgraded to a Class C0
> {Zero}.
>
> Too many Class C stations have not filed to upgrade their
> facilities to a Class C status {100kW at 451 meters,
> minimum} and have been downgraded to a Class C0{Zero} for a
> new station in some town of 500 people. Hardly enough of a
> population to sustain a station and usually a Class A
> station that will serve under 5000 people.
>
> I have read in several publications that a station needs to
> be located in a town of at least 10,000 population to be
> viable. KZRC 92.5 Markham, which has been for sale for
> years is a prime example of one of these stations and it
> covers Bay City with a population of nearly 20,000. I can
> not see how a town of a few thousand people can support a
> station and the allocation is in the public interest.
>
> Univision upgrading KOVE-FM will stop the applications by
> Katherine Pyeatte to construct a Class C3 on 106.1 in
> Matagorda, TX (population 1752) and Charles Crawford to
> construct a Class A on 106.5 in Iowa, LA (population 2663).
> Both had requested the FCC to have Univision downgrade
> KOVE-FM to a C0 in a Show Cause Order. Hopefully the FCC
> will grant Univision's Application and stop two more
> unneeded stations on an already crowded FM band. Both the
> above people file numberous applications for stations in
> towns as small as a few hundred people in the name of
> serving the public interest. I personally find their
> applications BS when Houston suburbs like The Woodlands,
> population 115,509 per CNN Money Magazine in 2005, can not
> fit a station into the FM dial under current spacing
> requirements. Some other cities near Houston that are
> deserving of first service would be Spring {230,781 pop.);
> Friendswood {42,577}; Katy {135,912}; Sugar Land {134,670};
> Pearland {71,315}; Richmond {52,290} and the list could go
> on, but 2663 population, get real. I would like to know how
> that station would ever make any money. I don't understand
> the FCC even approving these applications in the first
> place, other than greed from the auction of the allocation.
> /Soap Box Off/
>
> An interesting fact is that KHPT 106.9 Conroe is short
> spaced to KOVE-FM by 1.8km under an agreement and Waiver of
> 73.207 rules on July 18, 1995 when the then KKHT 106.9 could
> not find a suitable site to upgrade that wasn't short spaced
> to then KQQK 106.5. The original application was filed June
> 13, 1989 by then KJOJ 106.9 for the short spacing of the two
> stations. The FCC by granting the Waiver to KJOJ/KKHT/KHPT
> allowed 106.9 to increase their coverage by 7,304 sq. km.
> and a population of 684,099, which is now likely over a
> million people.
>
> KOVE-FM will remain at the same location and increase the
> height of the tower and increase the 60dbu {1mV/m} contour
> about 12 kilometers further out. This will add Spring,
> Kingwood, Liberty, Winnie, Jersey Village and Katy inside of
> the 60dbu contour.
>
> Now if the FCC could see fit to grant waiverS to KTWL and
> allow the station to move to The Woodlands and provide City
> Grade service to nearly 500,000 people instead of the small
> population of Hempstead. It would take waiverS though to
> move 105.3 from it's current location to The Woodlands as it
> would be severely short spaced to KHCB 105.7 and short
> spaced to KYKS 105.1 Lufkin, and KPTI 105.3 if it moves off
> the sand dune to Winnie as a C2. Unfortunately Hempsteads
> KTWL is stuck right where it is and no where to move without
> being short spaced to at least one station and often two or
> more stations.
>
> Thank You Univision for preserving KOVE's Class C status and
> increasing the coverage area to the maximum.
>
> Mike O
>
 
> Now if the FCC could see fit to grant waiverS to KTWL and
> allow the station to move to The Woodlands and provide City
> Grade service to nearly 500,000 people instead of the small
> population of Hempstead. It would take waiverS though to
> move 105.3 from it's current location to The Woodlands as it
> would be severely short spaced to KHCB 105.7 and short
> spaced to KYKS 105.1 Lufkin, and KPTI 105.3 if it moves off
> the sand dune to Winnie as a C2. Unfortunately Hempsteads
> KTWL is stuck right where it is and no where to move without
> being short spaced to at least one station and often two or
> more stations.

Anything to keep KPTI on the sand dune and broadcasting out to sea rather than towards Beaumont is fine with me.
 
Re: Ain't gonna happen. I'll bet

> This type of Phantom Upgrade" happens all the time. In fact
> it just happened in Corpus Christi with KZFM and KLEY in San
> Antonio. Here's how it goes...
>
> KLEY in San Antonio wants to upgrade but to do so, needs
> KZFM to change their license from a full C to a C0.
> Nochange in facilities, just a pererwork change at the FCC.
> KLEY files to have KZFM downgraded since it is only built as
> a C0 (Actually only 3 meters over a C-1.)
>
> KZFM thinks there is cash in this so they file a quickie app
> to build another 297 meters on their tower. Something that
> makes no sense as they would gain about 10-15 miles of cows
> and cactus coverage. CP is granted. KLEY is screwed til at
> least when the CP runs out (3 Years.)
>
> KZFM call up KLEY (Or maybe the other way around.) KLEY
> writes a check to KZFM. KZFM Withdraws their CP and agrees
> to be downgraded to C0. They get to keep using their
> exsting facilities.
>
> KLEY gets their upgrade. KZFM gets the KLEY payoff.
>
> Everybody is happy - More or less.
>
> Betcha never see it.
>
I think you will see Univision upgrade KOVE-FM to a full C. Actually I'm surprised that 106.5 didn't get on a nearly 600 meter tower years ago. With the tower in Hitchcock and a good sized Hispanic population in northern Harris County and Montgomery County the additional ten to fifteen kilometers that the taller tower pushes out the signal translates into many more people in an urban area like Houston. KOVE will place nearly 500,000 more people in the new 60dbu signal contour and damn near as many fish. With the antenna up that high KOVE should provide a better signal for a good thirty or fourty miles to the north.

107.5 KLDE at 601 meters on many nights would provide a good signal to nearly Dallas before KOAI 107.5 in Fort Worth and the Smooth Jazz Oasis would start to become a problem, usually around I-20. More than one Sunday night (actually more like 3am Monday morning) I had the old Z-Rock right into downtown Dallas on 106.9 on KKZR, so I believe this was before 106.9 built the tower they are on today.

It's not so easy anymore with so many stations that have been crammed in the FM Band that kill off the signal long before it would be lost on it's own. The 104.1 in Tyler causes KRBE grief long before the signal is too weak to listen to. I'm just using the stock radio that came with my pickup, nothing fancy.

Back to KOVE-FM, the station is worth more as Class C than a C0 and Univision doesn't want to lose that value. Admittedly 106.5 does just fine at the height it is at now, if the station is downgraded new stations will pop up closer to Houston and KOVE could lose coverage that it already has. Back in '85 when the station was KQQK it was easy to pick up in Austin and I listened to KQQK many times while exiled there on a project for a year. I doubt that you can even pickup Galveston's 106.5 in Austin today with all the stations that have been added to the Austin area in the last twenty years. I haven't been to Austin in years so don't really know. Univision may not be in any hurry to increase the height of the tower, but my money is on a 600 meter tower within the three year limit a CP will give them.

Mike
 
> I have read in several publications that a station needs to
> be located in a town of at least 10,000 population to be
> viable. KZRC 92.5 Markham, which has been for sale for
> years is a prime example of one of these stations and it
> covers Bay City with a population of nearly 20,000. I can
> not see how a town of a few thousand people can support a
> station and the allocation is in the public interest.
>
> Univision upgrading KOVE-FM will stop the applications by
> Katherine Pyeatte to construct a Class C3 on 106.1 in
> Matagorda, TX (population 1752) and Charles Crawford to
> construct a Class A on 106.5 in Iowa, LA (population 2663).
> Both had requested the FCC to have Univision downgrade
> KOVE-FM to a C0 in a Show Cause Order. Hopefully the FCC
> will grant Univision's Application and stop two more
> unneeded stations on an already crowded FM band. Both the
> above people file numberous applications for stations in
> towns as small as a few hundred people in the name of
> serving the public interest. I personally find their
> applications BS when Houston suburbs like The Woodlands,
> population 115,509 per CNN Money Magazine in 2005, can not
> fit a station into the FM dial under current spacing
> requirements. Some other cities near Houston that are
> deserving of first service would be Spring {230,781 pop.);
> Friendswood {42,577}; Katy {135,912}; Sugar Land {134,670};
> Pearland {71,315}; Richmond {52,290} and the list could go
> on, but 2663 population, get real. I would like to know how
> that station would ever make any money. I don't understand
> the FCC even approving these applications in the first
> place, other than greed from the auction of the allocation.

Mike,
you have to forget the COL these days...look at the overall market..
for a station licensed to Iowa, LA, it has the Lake Charles/Sulphur market to draw on...not JUST Iowa...150,000+ is more than enough to justify an A there..
(heck two of the LCH FMs are licensed to Jennings and Lake Arthur...hardly worth a station by themselves)

As for Woodlands, etc, remember when the FM rules in place now were drawn up, the Woodlands was nothing more than a collection of sand hills and marshland..
(I expect the sinkholes to start anyday now ;)..you cannot look at the communities as they have GROWN over the years...but the allocations were done when such areas were nothing and only the major areas like Houston proper were allocated service. And as for Public Interest?? Thats a joke!! When the FCC allocated the last rimshot in DFW to Azle, reading the petition was a laugh a minute...for those of us familiar with the area, we knew the FM would NEVER program for Azle but DFW...Dallas in particular...and sure enough, thats what they are doing...forget the FCC official word on public interest and COL..its all a matter of formality and consultants know this..which is why they will try to license a station to anything worth a first aural service..just to get it licensed...but it will serve the larger area next door.
 
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