KCLE Cleburne gets okay for power increase

[jd]

And it's a pretty healthy increase, too. The FCC has approved the application for KCLE 1140 to up their daytime power from 850 to 5,000 watts, but with a directional pattern that's severely limited to the north, due to a co-channel station in Oklahoma City and second adjacent protection for KVCE 1160. Although KCLE will be somewhat stronger in Fort Worth the pattern is spread out into more of an east-west configuration, providing better coverage of Johnson and Hood County. Don't look for much of a difference in Dallas County.

Still before the FCC is an application for co-owned KJSA 1120 Mineral Wells to switch to 1110 and boost their power from 250 to 30,000 watts with an eastward oriented pattern. With the relocation of their transmitter site to the Weatherford area, that would give KJSA city-grade coverage all the way to downtown Dallas. The KJSA and KCLE applications were intertwined, so I'd expect more from the FCC shortly.

In another unrelated action the FCC denied an application from KZEE 1220 Weatherford which would have increased their daytime power considerably and given them some meaningful nighttime coverage (with 1,600 watts day/300 night). So for now they're stuck with their present levels of 490 watts daytime and just eight watts at night.

 

[MikeShannon914]

Re: KCLE...That was probably all originally contingent on KVCE's move to 1160 to even be possible. The old KVIL-1150 kept KCLE locked out of the metro area for years. Wonder why George Marti even allowed 1150 to exist in the first place? I would have fought it myself. Oh, sorry, George is old school and probably wanted his KCLE to actually serve the community it was licensed to, with no aspirations for the major market "big bucks."

 

[Mediafrog+]

Re: KCLE...That was probably all originally contingent on KVCE's move to 1160 to even be possible. The old KVIL-1150 kept KCLE locked out of the metro area for years. Wonder why George Marti even allowed 1150 to exist in the first place?

KCLE was on 1120 for decades, so 1150 was not an issue. And the old 1150 signal was very sharply directional to the NNE--virtually no signal whatsoever in western Tarrant County.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Still before the FCC is an application for co-owned KJSA 1120 Mineral Wells to switch to 1110 and boost their power from 250 to 30,000 watts with an eastward oriented pattern. With the relocation of their transmitter site to the Weatherford area, that would give KJSA city-grade coverage all the way to downtown Dallas. The KJSA and KCLE applications were intertwined, so I'd expect more from the FCC shortly.

Also intertwined is the switch of KEOR 1110 in Atoka, OK to 1120, along with a geographical move into the Tulsa market. The KEOR move is in the CP stage, while the KJSA proposal is an application awaiting action.

 

[jd]

Re: KCLE...That was probably all originally contingent on KVCE's move to 1160 to even be possible. The old KVIL-1150 kept KCLE locked out of the metro area for years. Wonder why George Marti even allowed 1150 to exist in the first place?

KCLE was on 1120 for decades, so 1150 was not an issue. And the old 1150 signal was very sharply directional to the NNE--virtually no signal whatsoever in western Tarrant County.

You're right, KCLE was not a concern. Just a little correction in the direction: 1150, the old KVIL (AM), had a narrow lobe running ESE from their site near Royal Lane and Luna Road pointed right over Highland Park. Co-channel protection was afforded to McAlester OK, Quanah and College Station TX; first adjacent (1140) protection was given to Mineral Wells and Oklahoma City. As a result their signal was stronger in Mesquite than in some parts of north Irving, where you could actually see the towers!

 

[jd]

Also intertwined is the switch of KEOR 1110 in Atoka, OK to 1120, along with a geographical move into the Tulsa market. The KEOR move is in the CP stage, while
the KJSA proposal is an application awaiting action.

Right. That was the other part of the puzzle. Based on approval of KEOR's move to Catoosa and the FCC granting a CP to KCLE I'd say the okay for KJSA's application may be pretty much a done deal.

 

[spinderella]

Re: KCLE...That was probably all originally contingent on KVCE's move to 1160 to even be possible. The old KVIL-1150 kept KCLE locked out of the metro area for years. Wonder why George Marti even allowed 1150 to exist in the first place?

KCLE was on 1120 for decades, so 1150 was not an issue. And the old 1150 signal was very sharply directional to the NNE--virtually no signal whatsoever in western Tarrant County.

KCLE's problems on 1120 included being kept a daytimer because of clear channel KMOX on 1120 out of St. Louis.

 

[MikeShannon914]

Oops, whip me with a wet guy wire...I should know my radio history better than that. I'd forgotten that KCLE was at 1120 once upon a time. Interesting sequence of events, however...wonder what new formats we're talking about here...something NEW and EXCITING that might possibly involve the use of English?

Is there still a plan to move KJSA-1120 to Oak Grove, MN? Or is this an outdated rumor?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Just a little correction in the direction: 1150, the old KVIL (AM), had a narrow lobe running ESE from their site near Royal Lane and Luna Road pointed right over Highland Park. City.

You are right, brain fade on my part (and I was actually thinking ENE, because the signal along I-30 east of DFW was incredible!)

 

[jd]

Is there still a plan to move KJSA-1120 to Oak Grove, MN? Or is this an outdated rumor?

It's out. That was proposed when they were talking about switching KCLE to 1110 and upping their power substantially (18,000 watts, IIRC), forcing KJSA to get out of Dodge (so to speak). I wondered why they couldn't just move KJSA back to 1140, instead of exiling it to suburban Minneapolis. I suspect the real issue may have been the grandfathered overlap existing between KCLE and KRMP Oklahoma City; chances of getting KCLE the upgrade were better if they stayed on 1140 and dealt with it, instead of switching KJSA to 1140 and opening a whole new can of worms. Mercifully the applications filed simultaneously last year by KCLE and KJSA nixed that idea and apparently will result in healthy upgrades for both stations.

 

[jd]

Following up on the KJSA part of this story, they've filed an engineering amendment to their application. They would still be operating with 30,000 watts but instead of using a transmitter site near Weatherford the amendment specifies a location up in Wise County about 10 miles northwest of Decatur. Coverage from the new site would afford generous protection to KCLE, with a sharp null in that direction.

The proposed pattern has a significant lobe toward Mineral Wells but the major lobe would be in the direction of downtown Dallas. Additionally the Wise County site has excellent ground conductivity; if it's approved KJSA would have great daytime signal over virtually all of the D/FW area. During critical hours, however, the power would be reduced all the way down to 2,000 watts, a very significant reduction considering that co-channel KFAB Omaha will give them a run for the money.

Not easy viewing, but the latest coverage map is here (on page 3): http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=480067

 

[Mediafrog+]

During critical hours, however, the power would be reduced all the way down to 2,000 watts, a very significant reduction considering that co-channel KFAB Omaha will give them a run for the money.

Since the main lobe of the latest proposal now goes SE, the critical hours power cut is probably due to co-channel KTEK in the Houston market.