K-SOUL to get a boost

[jd]

The FCC has approved the application for a booster station for KSOC 94.5 which was filed back in July. KSOC-FM1 will have an ERP of 9,800 watts from a tower just under 450 feet, located off Highway 121 east of Lewisville. Predicted coverage ("service area," 60dBu) map is at: www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FB1141305.html The map showing the existing coverage for the main station is here: www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM1103521.html

It looks like we have a trend here, in that the FCC also recently approved an on-channel booster for a Houston rimshot, KQBU 93.3, and a booster for KRIO, a San Antonio rimshot, has been on the air for quite a while. There are also boosters on the air for two stations in San Angelo and a construction permit for one in Victoria.

 

[TexasTom]

I'm surprised that the owners of 94.1 and 94.9 aren't complaining about this, because the booster *will* cause second adjacent interference to both frequencies for at least a small distance around the Lewisville tower.

In any event, funny how interference from a 9,800 watt second adjacent booster isn't worth complaining about, but the NAB gets up in arms about the interference from 100 watt third adjacent LPFMs...

 

[Kent]

There's not much 94.1 and 94.9 can do about KSOC's booster. In order to legally operate a booster, its entire city grade signal must lie within the primary station's city grade signal contour. Since 94.5 is just augmenting its signal within its own city grade contour, 94.1 and 94.9 can't shout interference.

 

[jd]

There's not much 94.1 and 94.9 can do about KSOC's booster. In order to legally operate a booster, its entire city grade signal must lie within the primary station's city grade signal contour. Since 94.5 is just augmenting its signal within its own city grade contour, 94.1 and 94.9 can't shout interference.

Exactly right about that, although it's going a pretty healthy booster in a somewhat unique situation. Many boosters run around 100 watts (or much less) in places like San Diego, where KPRI has seven of them scattered around to fill in the gaps in their coverage because of the hilly terrain. Compare that with the flat land of Houston, where KQBU 93.3's booster in the northeast part of town will be delivering 20,000 watts ERP. (Just a few other boosters run that much power, one near San Antonio and the rest in places like Colorado and Nevada.) It's a fairly similar situation with KSOC-FM1, which will probably help in penetrating buildings, but it may create a whole new set of multipath problems. Couple that with the collision of the main signal and the on-channel booster, and it might be messy in a lot of places.

 

[CW]

There's not much 94.1 and 94.9 can do about KSOC's booster. In order to legally operate a booster, its entire city grade signal must lie within the primary station's city grade signal contour. Since 94.5 is just augmenting its signal within its own city grade contour, 94.1 and 94.9 can't shout interference.

Exactly right about that, although it's going a pretty healthy booster in a somewhat unique situation. Many boosters run around 100 watts (or much less) in places like San Diego, where KPRI has seven of them scattered around to fill in the gaps in their coverage because of the hilly terrain. Compare that with the flat land of Houston, where KQBU 93.3's booster in the northeast part of town will be delivering 20,000 watts ERP. (Just a few other boosters run that much power, one near San Antonio and the rest in places like Colorado and Nevada.) It's a fairly similar situation with KSOC-FM1, which will probably help in penetrating buildings, but it may create a whole new set of multipath problems. Couple that with the collision of the main signal and the on-channel booster, and it might be messy in a lot of places.

And even though the 3.16mV signal wont extend beyond the main's 3.16mV signal (thats the idea anyway , back up toward the tower (isnt that the AUX site as well for 94.5?) and you get overload from the higher level there...which is MUCH more than the main's in that area...they COULD complain about interference AFTER it goes on and they can prove its causing such but I bet the booster wont last long anyway......FM Boosters are a PITA and dont work well except in mountainous, etc areas where the geography can block the main signal and allow a booster to work properly...previous times with boosters in flat terrain have been a big mess...even with GPS or similar time synching, there will be problems...(Rimshots are still rimshots).

 

[MikeShannon914]

The 94.5 frequency should get an award for the littlest signal that could...n't. Gainesville's KGAF failed with it, trying to aim towards DFW and the bigger ad bucks. Then they pawned it off in a trade with KDNT-Denton for 106.1. Then KDNT choked with 94.5, then choked with Z-Rock, then Ginsburg's The Edge choked there, and now it's K-Sock's turn. 94.5 just wasn't made to be a DFW station or even a rimshot. There was no foresight in 1958 that the station could ever be a contender in DFW...and owner Joe Leonard apparently didn't challenge KCLE/KFAD 94.9 when they moved into Arlington from Cleburne. Where the mistake really showed up was in 1984 when KTKS-Kiss FM became successful with the full stick at 106.1...and the KDNT folks knew then that they'd made a BIG mistake in trading (and especially after ABC/Cap Cities paid something obscene to get the station.)

And if hindsight and history weren't enough, Clear Channel sticks it to Radio One years later, trading 94.5 for 102.1. The Edge instantly zooms from the mid 20s into the Top 10 for the first time ever in the next book while at 102.1, and KTXQ/Jammin' Oldies settles for a 1.5 or lower at 94.5.

HELLO???? 94.5 is poison, OK? Stay away from it! No one has been able to fix it yet. Even with Scott Ginsburg's money and a promise to make The Edge a true DFW station back in 1989, it never happened. There was no technological way to do it. And KSOC moved from Collinsville to the new tower in Ethel last year, right? No change. Best bet there is to make 94.5 the very best community-based station that GAINESVILLE, TEXAS has ever seen. Forget DFW. Shoot, make it a Denton station. They don't even have a station serving them anymore (even KNTU is licensed to McKinney now.)

 

[TheLaffer]

There's not much 94.1 and 94.9 can do about KSOC's booster. In order to legally operate a booster, its entire city grade signal must lie within the primary station's city grade signal contour. Since 94.5 is just augmenting its signal within its own city grade contour, 94.1 and 94.9 can't shout interference.

Exactly right about that, although it's going a pretty healthy booster in a somewhat unique situation. Many boosters run around 100 watts (or much less) in places like San Diego, where KPRI has seven of them scattered around to fill in the gaps in their coverage because of the hilly terrain. Compare that with the flat land of Houston, where KQBU 93.3's booster in the northeast part of town will be delivering 20,000 watts ERP. (Just a few other boosters run that much power, one near San Antonio and the rest in places like Colorado and Nevada.) It's a fairly similar situation with KSOC-FM1, which will probably help in penetrating buildings, but it may create a whole new set of multipath problems. Couple that with the collision of the main signal and the on-channel booster, and it might be messy in a lot of places.

Many boosters you say? I can't imagine the average listener hopping around to seek out the next translater.

 

[jd]

Many boosters you say? I can't imagine the average listener hopping around to seek out the next translater.

They don't have to, because all of KPRI 102.1 San Diego's boosters are on 102.1. With the rugged terrain their pattern has many gaps ("shadow" areas) where listening is difficult or often next to impossible. (Think a big circle of Swiss cheese, sorta.) All those boosters are there to fill in the holes, and some work better than others. Click on www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=kpri&x=0&y=0&sr=Y&s=C
and check the booster list at the bottom of the page.

Booster = synchronized rebroadcast of main station on the same frequency. Translator = rebroadcasts main station on a different frequency (may or may not be synchronized).

 

[TheLaffer]

Many boosters you say? I can't imagine the average listener hopping around to seek out the next translater.

They don't have to, because all of KPRI 102.1 San Diego's boosters are on 102.1. With the rugged terrain their pattern has many gaps ("shadow" areas) where listening is difficult or often next to impossible. (Think a big circle of Swiss cheese, sorta.) All those boosters are there to fill in the holes, and some work better than others. Click on www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=kpri&x=0&y=0&sr=Y&s=C
and check the booster list at the bottom of the page.

Booster = synchronized rebroadcast of main station on the same frequency. Translator = rebroadcasts main station on a different frequency (may or may not be synchronized).

Well in that case i'm wit'cha bro.

 

[Huff]

The 94.5 frequency should get an award for the littlest signal that could...n't.

And if hindsight and history weren't enough, Clear Channel sticks it to Radio One years later, trading 94.5 for 102.1. The Edge instantly zooms from the mid 20s into the Top 10 for the first time ever in the next book while at 102.1, and KTXQ/Jammin' Oldies settles for a 1.5 or lower at 94.5.

Sorry, but that's not entirely true. KDGE was very successful during the height of the mid-90s alternative/grunge boom. The station on the 'poison signal' did manage to crack the top 10 in the meaningless P12+ rankings - peaking at a 4.6 in the spring of '95. More importantly, The Edge was #1 among its target P18-34 demo in that book, and was consistantly in the top 5 demo-wise.

Even after moving to 102.1, KDGE has not surpassed the 18-34 numbers it posted on 94.5. Granted, the marketplace, the music, and an infinite number of other variables have all changed since then - but the point is that a properly executed and targeted niche station can perform very well, even on a sub-par signal, IF there is high demand for that product and it cannot be found anywhere else. It takes patience and dedication though - KDGE did struggle for years before the factors that led to its success came together. Unfortunately, in the immediate gratification post-consolidation world, such dedication is highly unlikely, and rimshots will continue to serve simply as "add-ons" that contribute "value added" numbers to their main clustermates.