I'm currently visiting Albuquerque and was listening to K298BY ("KANW-2") this morning and decided to cross-reference it with the station it's relaying, KANW-HD-2. I noticed that the HD-2 channel actually was off the air at the time (9 am). HD-1 was active. The HD-2 channel returned later in the morning. But it still leads me to a question: can a translator that's repeating an HD subchannel stay on the air even when that subchannel is not active? Obviously, K298BY is not picking up its feed off the air, probably due to the hourly fundraising announcement specific to the translator, but I'm wondering whether this was something not compliant with regulations. This is not an AM revitalization translator or a translator for an AM station at all, but I don't know how the rules apply to translators of an FM HD channel.
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HD-2 stations and translators (KANW/K298BY)
- Thread starter Mark Roberts
- Start date
Its considered a fill in, so it doesnt have to pick up KANW off the air.. its probably fed via an internet appliance like a Barix box, using a private translator only stream.
There are ways to interrupt a translators program feed to air something just on the translator, which is allowed, up to 60 seconds an hour. (something you dont want airing on the main signal)
Translators are supposed to go off if the "parent" signal does, but i dont know if theres allowances for technical mishaps/fixes/problems with the main signal
Clearly it's not picking it up off the air. Doing more listening, here's the general framework that KANW appears to follows:
1) KANW-HD2 plays one minute of music. No announcing.
2) K298BY superimposes its fundraising announcement.
3) KANW-HD2 legal IDs the subchannel + the Grants station that airs the same programming
Which is the question that I have. Clearly there was a glitch this morning, and all is now working again (though the KANW-HD2 audio sounds horribly compressed and K298BY audio is sometimes a bit distorted). After all, this is a radio station that's been on the air since 1950 with the original licensee so I tend to believe they know what they're doing. But mistakes can happen when things go wrong. I'm not interested in busting them; they're doing good work. It was just a curious situation.
I should also note that, while KANW-HD2 was not on for a while this morning, the main channel was on. Possibly that's good enough to count.
The FCC database does not appear to have much info on any stations' HD digital broadcasts, so it looks like this kind of action is mostly exploiting loopholes in rules set during the analog era. As far as they know K298BY is a repeater for KANW 89.1 without having to state specifically what part of the signal is being relayed. On a technicality it is in fact using KANW as a program source but from a signal most radios can't pick up. KANW did file digital notifications in 2008 and 2014. The iHeart stations only filed experimental permits in 2006. KABG now claims to have an HD broadcast, but no notification filed yet. Is that still required today?
Of course, the AM stations that feed FM translators are sometimes off the air so perhaps if the HD2 signal is down for a while it won't be any major violation of any rules. Now if the HD signal goes out entirely while the analog signal is still up then maybe that could be a problem.
Similar loopholes might also apply to television. KRQE is affiliated with CBS which is listed as the network affiliation on the FCC database, but it also has Fox on 13.2 after it was moved from its' longtime (but not original) home at KASA channel 2 in 2017 since the four major network affiliates supposedly must have different owners in a market. Two major networks on a single station may bypass that rule since it wasn't possible in the analog days.
Of course, the AM stations that feed FM translators are sometimes off the air so perhaps if the HD2 signal is down for a while it won't be any major violation of any rules. Now if the HD signal goes out entirely while the analog signal is still up then maybe that could be a problem.
Similar loopholes might also apply to television. KRQE is affiliated with CBS which is listed as the network affiliation on the FCC database, but it also has Fox on 13.2 after it was moved from its' longtime (but not original) home at KASA channel 2 in 2017 since the four major network affiliates supposedly must have different owners in a market. Two major networks on a single station may bypass that rule since it wasn't possible in the analog days.
KABG has a Spanish-language format on HD-2 and simulcasts KHFM on HD-3. I haven't identified the HD-2 but will try to do it while I'm still in Rio Rancho before going into the city proper. My HDR-14 simply identifies it as "Spanish Music", which here could well be a distinct category (similar to KANW in afternoons and evenings) and not just an umbrella term.
I haven't paid much attention to digital notifications. It seems some of that information is out of date and, as far as I can tell, there's no procedure for "de-notifying".
In Alpena, MI, there's all four majors on one RF signal spread between subchannels: WBKB-TV - Wikipedia
AFAIK. Licensees just need to notify the FCC when turning on Digital, beyond that the digital signal is authorized for life. KABG does not seem to have the notification on file.
It is KJFA, 840 and the 102.9 Albuquerque translator.
I wouldn't call it a loophole anymore. It started out that way, but the FCC has since clarified that relaying a digital subchannel on an analog translator is legal so long as it follows the standard relay rules for translators. If the FCC has acknowledged it's permitted, there's no gray area or loophole any longer.
I've seen a few FCC filings that specifically mention using an HD subchannel, but, to the best of my knowledge, specifying which channel is not required.
Not sure if it's still required or not, but the FCC website has a reputation for being out of date on updating things like that.
While one could maybe argue moving a network affiliation to a digital subchannel violates the spirit of the FCC's prohibition against common ownership of the top four stations in a market, the FCC has always allowed an operator to have multiple big four affiliations in a market. I can remember almost 30 years ago in college when KODE 12 in Joplin, MO had a secondary Fox affiliation. It would tell the viewers to set their VCR's for various times in the overnight hours to watch Fox programming. After Fox got the NFC package of NFL rights from CBS, it did the opposite on Sundays during football season and suggested setting your VCR for ABC programming. KTEN in the Sherman/Denison, TX market used to have ABC, NBC, and Fox programming at various times of the day, too. I follow TV less than I do radio. So, this may have changed, but, last I'd heard, digital subchannels didn't have must-carry rights. So, moving Fox from KASA 2 to KRQE 13.2 is a theoretical disadvantage. Getting KRQE 13.2 on cable and satellite could, in theory, provide more of a bargaining chip to the provider and result in reduced compensation to carry the main channel of KRQE. That might not, however, happen in practice.
They have 10 days to notify.
Digital Radio
The FCC has approved In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) digital radio operation for AM (daytime and nighttime) and FM broadcast stations.
"An AM or FM licensee is required to provide written notification to the FCC within 10 days of commencing digital/analog hybrid operation"
The reality of the situation is that big four affiliates rarely if ever invoke must carry. Much of their revenue stream comes from instead invoking retransmission consent and getting paid by cable/satellite operators. So there's no particular disadvantage to having big 4 affiliation on a .2 - it's still programming the cable operator needs to be able to offer customers and so they'll negotiate just the same regardless of which subchannel it's on.
KABG-HD2 is now the program source for K275AO 102.9 so it should not be down for long. But does AGM need to report the change for K275AO to the FCC? So far it does not look like they have filed anything so as far as they know 102.9 is still relaying what is now KDNF 840. If Neilsen still has 840 as the source for 102.9 then future reports could have a station playing Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Dolly Parton doing well with a young Hispanic audience! 
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