It looks like Charlotte has a Spanish FM

[danimal]

WRML is 102.3 FM

From the Charlotte Business Journal....

Spanish format expanded to FM
The Charlotte region has gained its first Spanish-language FM radio station.

Norsan Broadcasting of Atlanta, which broadcasts its La Tremenda format on WGSP-AM in Charlotte, has begun simulcasting the programming on WRML-FM after buying the Pageland, S.C., station.

Norberto Sanchez, president and chief executive, says new equipment is on the way to broaden WRML-FM's reach throughout Charlotte. At present, the signal reaches the south side of the Charlotte area.

"By the end of this year, we expect to have an excellent signal in the entire metro as we will be constructing new transmitter and tower facilities closer to Charlotte," Sanchez says.

Norsan, which also owns WXNC-AM in Monroe, bought the Pageland station from Robert Broadcasting Inc.

------

I always thought this station would probably be a possible candidate for Spanish and be a rimshot into all of Charlotte. We'll have to see see if they can really get their signal strong enough.

 

[Matt]

> "By the end of this year, we expect to have an excellent
> signal in the entire metro as we will be constructing new
> transmitter and tower facilities closer to Charlotte,"
> Sanchez says.

Their obstacles will be (2nd adjacent @ 101.9) WBAV and (3rd adjacent @ 102.9) WLYT. Since both signals are full power and broadcasting from Gaston County, I doubt that WRML will be able to put more than 6kw toward Charlotte.

They are likely to be restricted on tower location to somewhere south or east of Monroe...perhaps Lancaster County SC. Due to the adjacencies, I doubt if they will ever be able to put a listenable signal as far as Davidson, Lincolnton or Mooresville.

But then, WPZS 100.9 has well proven what can be accomplished in this market with 6kw.

Later...
Matt Smith

 

[Mr_Winston-Salem]

Signals from the south are always weak into Charlotte. 88.9 should be a local in Charlotte, but sounds like it is from out-of-market. On the north side, you need a good antenna to listen. You almost need to be in Union County to listen to 102.3. They will have to work hard to get a good signal in Charlotte. It should be fun to see how they do it.<P ID="signature">______________
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com>http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com</a></P>

 

[moedog1]

> Signals from the south are always weak into Charlotte. 88.9
> should be a local in Charlotte, but sounds like it is from
> out-of-market. On the north side, you need a good antenna to
> listen. You almost need to be in Union County to listen to
> 102.3. They will have to work hard to get a good signal in
> Charlotte. It should be fun to see how they do it.
>
I don't understand how, but all of the sudden I'm recieving a strong, clean signal on WRML in the Fort Mill area. There are no CPs for changes that I can see. Good luck to Charlotte's first Spanish FM!

 

[djjim6629]

> I don't understand how, but all of the sudden I'm recieving
> a strong, clean signal on WRML in the Fort Mill area. There
> are no CPs for changes that I can see. Good luck to
> Charlotte's first Spanish FM!

I once worked for a small class a in New England. For years we were only broadcasting at about 3,000 watts because we could not afford to repair our transmitter. We were bought out by Sconnix Broadcasting and they fixed the problem at once...Hmmmm
>

 

[moedog1]

> > I don't understand how, but all of the sudden I'm
> recieving
> > a strong, clean signal on WRML in the Fort Mill area.
> There
> > are no CPs for changes that I can see. Good luck to
> > Charlotte's first Spanish FM!
>
> I once worked for a small class a in New England. For years
> we were only broadcasting at about 3,000 watts because we
> could not afford to repair our transmitter. We were bought
> out by Sconnix Broadcasting and they fixed the problem at
> once...Hmmmm
> >
>
THat might be it---WRML was certainly a scruffy operation and I would not doubt that their equipment was not in the best condition.

 

[NC-RadioEng]

> > > I don't understand how, but all of the sudden I'm
> > recieving
> > > a strong, clean signal on WRML in the Fort Mill area.
> > There
> > > are no CPs for changes that I can see. Good luck to
> > > Charlotte's first Spanish FM!
> >
> > I once worked for a small class a in New England. For
> years
> > we were only broadcasting at about 3,000 watts because we
> > could not afford to repair our transmitter. We were
> bought
> > out by Sconnix Broadcasting and they fixed the problem at
> > once...Hmmmm
> > >
> >
> THat might be it---WRML was certainly a scruffy operation
> and I would not doubt that their equipment was not in the
> best condition.
>

I know who did the engineering for them and while WRML was a cheap operation their transmitter is relatively new and was working at full authorized power as of last month. If they have turned it up then they are running it illegally.

 

[Mr_Winston-Salem]

Yeah, I can remember an AM that was like that several years ago. They didn't have the money for anything. It only served one county, even though it was 50k (daytime). It never operated at 50k. Once a larger competitior bought it, moved it and replaced everything, it covered about half the state it was in.

So how does WRML sound in Charlotte? Can anyone tell a difference? There are terrain issues in SC that do cause problems. WRML's location could be far enough from those ridges to have signal over Charlotte, even if it is a weak one? This is why I like the Longley-Rice models.<P ID="signature">______________
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com>http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com</a></P>

 

[BrotherDave]

> WRML is 102.3 FM
>
> From the Charlotte Business Journal....
>
> Spanish format expanded to FM
> The Charlotte region has gained its first Spanish-language
> FM radio station.
>
> Norsan Broadcasting of Atlanta, which broadcasts its La
> Tremenda format on WGSP-AM in Charlotte, has begun
> simulcasting the programming on WRML-FM after buying the
> Pageland, S.C., station.
>
> Norberto Sanchez, president and chief executive, says new
> equipment is on the way to broaden WRML-FM's reach
> throughout Charlotte. At present, the signal reaches the
> south side of the Charlotte area.
>
> "By the end of this year, we expect to have an excellent
> signal in the entire metro as we will be constructing new
> transmitter and tower facilities closer to Charlotte,"
> Sanchez says.
>
> Norsan, which also owns WXNC-AM in Monroe, bought the
> Pageland station from Robert Broadcasting Inc.
>
> ------
>
> I always thought this station would probably be a possible
> candidate for Spanish and be a rimshot into all of
> Charlotte. We'll have to see see if they can really get
> their signal strong enough.
>
Don't eat that brown stuff grandma...it ain't apple butter!!
A class A @ 6kw cannot penetrate buildings much farther than 10 miles. Because of 101.9 in Gastonia WRML will NEVER be a Charlotte station...if it was represented to Norsan that it could be then somebody has pulled a Brooklyn bridge deal fer sure. To have effective coverage over CLT the antenna would
have to be no more than 10 miles from Independence Square. That will NEVER happen, even if 101.9 is downgraded to a C0. Sometimes people want a radio station so badly that they make one up!