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Central Coast KMBY Monterey

Mark Roberts

Mark Roberts

I know the FCC keeps lowering its standards as far as LPFMs and translators are concerned, so I want to make sure I’m not going crazy regarding something I’m hearing in Santa Cruz at the very moment I’m typing this (and have been hearing since I picked up on this just before 9 pm).

Monterey’s KMBY (1240) is running play-by-play of a Monterey high-school football game while its FM translator, K240EV (95.9) continues with music. I thought FM translators could not originate programming separately from their parent AM stations.

An odd note: there’s reverb under the PBP but not under the FM programming.
 
A translator is not a LPFM. A Translator is a 250 watt or less repeater of an AM or FM broadcast station. An LPFM station is 100 watts at an antenna height above average terrain not to exceed 100 feet (adjusted as needed on power and height to provide a coverage area of 100 watts at 100 feet). LPFMs can only be owner by non-profit entities that have no other FCC licensed facility such as radio station or TV station. If anything, LPFM Rules have become a bit more strict in my opinion.
 
Translators can't legally split programming from their AM parent station.

Which doesn't mean it doesn't happen, of course.
 
RF101 said:
K240EV has a monster signal. I can hear it north of Gilroy.
Click to expand...

Looks like the signal is targeted toward Salinas, directional toward that city from a mountain east of there. Santa Cruz is barely in the coverage area; the signal seems really “thin” here. By “thin” I mean that it can be fairly decent in one location but move the radio, or yourself, in a slightly different place and reception starts fizzling out.

fybush said:
Translators can't legally split programming from their AM parent station.

Which doesn't mean it doesn't happen, of course.
Click to expand...

Thank you; that’s what I thought.

The FM was doing some sort of R&B oldies show that was also syndicated to other stations; the AM was high school football PBP of Monterey vs. Palma (Salinas). The FM legal ID still included the AM.

It was a weird situation.
 
fybush said:
Translators can't legally split programming from their AM parent station.

Which doesn't mean it doesn't happen, of course.
Click to expand...

I'll just put this into context.

KMBY is owned by Verne White, who, when he launched a low-power "resurrection" of KYA in 2006 (ish), masqueraded as Chris Edwards, a longtime KYA jock:


That blew up so good that Ben Fong-Torres wrote a column about it for the SF Chronicle:

www.sfgate.com

RADIO WAVES

www.sfgate.com www.sfgate.com

@BossRadioDJ will be shocked---shocked, I tell you---to learn that KMBY might have done something in violation of FCC rules.
 
michael hagerty said:
I'll just put this into context.

KMBY is owned by Verne White, who, when he launched a low-power "resurrection" of KYA in 2006 (ish), masqueraded as Chris Edwards, a longtime KYA jock:


That blew up so good that Ben Fong-Torres wrote a column about it for the SF Chronicle:

www.sfgate.com

RADIO WAVES

www.sfgate.com www.sfgate.com

@BossRadioDJ will be shocked---shocked, I tell you---to learn that KMBY might have done something in violation of FCC rules.
Click to expand...
Michael, I've been waiting for you to show up to bring up the infamous 'Verne White'! 😀
 
I went to 1240 KMBY years ago, in the 70's, got a nice tour, we were in Monterey for lunch.
I remember the transmission line went from the studio building over the street to the tower right at the waters edge, on Canary Row.
They were Top 40 then and sounded good.
 
KMBY's engineer is the former engineer and PD of KION 1460/101.1 Salinas, he should know better
 
alok said:
... I remember the transmission line went from the studio building over the street to the tower right at the waters edge, on Canary Row.
They were Top 40 then and sounded good.
Click to expand...
Off topic... I usually try to ignore typos and misspellings, but in this case...

It's CANNERY Row. So named because the history of Monterey includes a number of fish and fruit and vegetable canneries. Del Monte, for example.
 
The stations IT guy is claiming a computer failure of some sort that they weren’t aware of
 
fybush said:
Translators can't legally split programming from their AM parent station.

Which doesn't mean it doesn't happen, of course.
Click to expand...
I think it's technically called the "high school football game exception" to the rule. It's pretty common in the South, I didn't know it also applied in California. :)
 
RadioGuy1864 said:
I think it's technically called the "high school football game exception" to the rule. It's pretty common in the South, I didn't know it also applied in California. :)
Click to expand...
Much utilized in the 50's and 60's by the new flock of daytime only stations to stay on the air after sunset to broadcast those High School football games (Basketball in Indiana, void where prohibited).
 
You can add to that “the Wolfman Jack exception” because at 9:30 pm that’s what 1240 KMBY is airing tonight, presumably some archival show, while 95.9 K240EV is airing a local host with entirely different music. Earlier today the AM station and its translator were broadcasting the same programming as they are supposed to do.

“Computer problems,” my foot.

Edit: On FM, the programming is “The Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” with “Chris Edwards”, at least until 10 pm. There is a photo of the program’s host on the KMBY website as well.
 
Mark Roberts said:
You can add to that “the Wolfman Jack exception” because at 9:30 pm that’s what 1240 KMBY is airing tonight, presumably some archival show, while 95.9 K240EV is airing a local host with entirely different music. Earlier today the AM station and its translator were broadcasting the same programming as they are supposed to do.

“Computer problems,” my foot.

Edit: On FM, the programming is “The Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” with “Chris Edwards”, at least until 10 pm. There is a photo of the program’s host on the KMBY website as well.
Click to expand...
The photo is Verne. So he's back to just being "Chris Edwards". The original's dead now and can't sue.

This guy (two-thirds of the phrase I have in mind).

kmbyradio.com

KMBY Radio | 1240 AM & 95.9 FM | Monterey Bay, CA

kmbyradio.com kmbyradio.com

If you go to the website, you'll see a row of tabs across the top right---including "AM Shows" and FM Shows"---he splits the FM from the AM every Friday night from 8 to midnight for "Funked Up Fridays with Markalicious" on the FM, and it appears also on Wednesdays from 9-10 AM, where the AM carries "The Cyber Guys Fred and Chris" while the usual 6-10 AM morning show continues on the FM.

Both of those smack of barter shows---what are the rules, given that Verne holds the license via a non-profit?


Oh, and he carries the late (and in California) legendary Art Laboe---which he misspells "Leboe" on the website.




@BossRadioDJ (in the words of Conway Twitty), where are ya, son?
 
Weiserguy said:
Off topic... I usually try to ignore typos and misspellings, but in this case...

It's CANNERY Row. So named because the history of Monterey includes a number of fish and fruit and vegetable canneries. Del Monte, for example.
Click to expand...
You won a prize, but our prize staff member lost it, so this is all you get . . . YOU ARE CORRECT on the word, CANNERY!!!
 
Mark Roberts said:
To be candid, based on what I heard and recorded, I have a lot of difficulty believing that.
Click to expand...
I agree, especially when they show different programming links for the AM and FM on the website. Wed. AM and Fri. night., NASCAR on Sunday have separate programming. So, the engineer has been roped into lying as well?
 
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