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KMCQ
- Thread starter ty
- Start date
KMCQ is slated to close escrow tomorrow (Friday) (4/30). They have an "upside participation" agreement that stipulates an additional sum is due if First Broadcasting is successful in going to Cougar Mountain. To accomplish this, SAGA's KAFE must move to 104.1, and First Broadcasting's FM in Forks will move to something like 103.3 (or thereabouts).
HOWEVER..........
.........a "little" problem has just occured in Canada that could put a stop to this master plan. Industry Canada has just accepted an application for a new station in Nanimo on 104.1 Mhz. That is the frequency KAFE would move to. I have the paperwork in my car, but I think the Nanimo facility calls for 7,000 watts ERP at 187 meters HAAT. In otherwords, lots of interference caused and received. I think KAFE would just clobber this new facility if permited to go to 104.1 Mhz. It's possible Canada will seek to put a stop to this. And SAGA would not want a second-rate facility, for any amount of money. Let's monitor this situation. I fully expect First Broadcasting and SAGA to file a minor change on Friday March 30th. Does anybody know the treaty regs for allocations between the two countries? The temperature just went up a notch.
HOWEVER..........
.........a "little" problem has just occured in Canada that could put a stop to this master plan. Industry Canada has just accepted an application for a new station in Nanimo on 104.1 Mhz. That is the frequency KAFE would move to. I have the paperwork in my car, but I think the Nanimo facility calls for 7,000 watts ERP at 187 meters HAAT. In otherwords, lots of interference caused and received. I think KAFE would just clobber this new facility if permited to go to 104.1 Mhz. It's possible Canada will seek to put a stop to this. And SAGA would not want a second-rate facility, for any amount of money. Let's monitor this situation. I fully expect First Broadcasting and SAGA to file a minor change on Friday March 30th. Does anybody know the treaty regs for allocations between the two countries? The temperature just went up a notch.Let's assume this station eventually becomes a full-market signal. What format hole in Seattle will it fill? I have heard that Bonneville, Fisher, Clear Channel, Bustos and Salem are the leading contenders to buy the signal from First Media. Bustos would be Spanish language programming and Salem would bring in the Christian Fish programming.
What would Bonneville or Fisher do? I have heard speculation that whichever company gets the frequency will simulcast their AM News station and put an end to the KIRO/KOMO war. Clear Channel is rumored to take the station Sports in a simulcast with KJR-AM.
This seems a waste of an FM dial or is this the future? I know Bonneville does this simulcast thing in multiple markets as do other broadcasters. Does it really work to bring in younger news listeners?
What other big format holes are out there? ROCK, gold based SOFT AC, a true hip hop station? Who do you think will end up with the frequency?
What would Bonneville or Fisher do? I have heard speculation that whichever company gets the frequency will simulcast their AM News station and put an end to the KIRO/KOMO war. Clear Channel is rumored to take the station Sports in a simulcast with KJR-AM.
This seems a waste of an FM dial or is this the future? I know Bonneville does this simulcast thing in multiple markets as do other broadcasters. Does it really work to bring in younger news listeners?
What other big format holes are out there? ROCK, gold based SOFT AC, a true hip hop station? Who do you think will end up with the frequency?
I
IndigoCoyote
Guest
DJDan, I suspect you know better than most where the station is going, because it's going to follow the money. What are you hearing from the agencies?
My cuz in White Salmon listened to (but didn't record!) the signoff last night in The Dalles. Last song was "The Last DJ" by Tom Petty. Pretty appropriate. GM gets on in a choked up voice, give the legals at 700pm, "that's all folks, thank you and good night..." Carrier off at 707.
Buh bye.
This is wrong wrong wrong. First FM in Central Oregon. LIVE and LOCAL. Powerful signal in a part of the world that needs one. It clearly serves the public interest to move it from there to simulcast a 50KW AM in Seattle, which is clearly bereft of local signals.
Crap. We need the FCC for what again? Please refresh my memory.
My cuz in White Salmon listened to (but didn't record!) the signoff last night in The Dalles. Last song was "The Last DJ" by Tom Petty. Pretty appropriate. GM gets on in a choked up voice, give the legals at 700pm, "that's all folks, thank you and good night..." Carrier off at 707.
Buh bye.
This is wrong wrong wrong. First FM in Central Oregon. LIVE and LOCAL. Powerful signal in a part of the world that needs one. It clearly serves the public interest to move it from there to simulcast a 50KW AM in Seattle, which is clearly bereft of local signals.
Crap. We need the FCC for what again? Please refresh my memory.
IndigoCoyote said:
Wow ... couldn't agree more. Clinton attended an R&R a few years ago and said had he known up front what Telecomm '96 would do to radio he NEVER would have let it pass. Now we have an FCC that has seen MANY of these prior failures and not only refuses to learn from them, but INVENTS new ones. Their absolute disinterest in supporting the Copps/Adelstein tour to "gather info" (even if MOST people speaking at those hearings are somewhere to the left of Ted Kennedy), their transparent enthusiasm to kiss Clear Channel's @$$ (lesseee...Lowry's from Texas ... W's from Texas), etc. is just at the point where they no longer even PRETEND it's about "public interest". I was on here months ago bashing FCC for this "Covington, WA" license --- and for the exact reason you raise. Let's Blow up a local OR community station, kick some education stations in gonads, move a Bellingham signal ... so one of the big players in the Sea market can end up with another FM acquisition and First Media gets a boatload of bucks for a signal they never even put a CARRIER on up here.
Oh...this get's better. Class C1 FM station, KHAL, Condon, Oregon has a construction permit to cover the vacated space left in the wake of the KMCQ move. Condon has a population of 759 persons, including a few head of cattle. That facility is authorized for 100,000 watts erp @288 HAAT. Something like this might cost about $700,000 to $1,000,000 to construct. I am taking bets that KHAL does not and will not exist, with the CP returned to the Commission in the very near future.
So now, take a big, wild guess who owns KHAL.......................Yes, you win a prize........it's...........
.....First Broadcasting Investment Partners, LLC. I'm going to barf now.
See for yourself, I am not making this up:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=164221
So now, take a big, wild guess who owns KHAL.......................Yes, you win a prize........it's...........
.....First Broadcasting Investment Partners, LLC. I'm going to barf now.
See for yourself, I am not making this up:
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=164221
I
IndigoCoyote
Guest
Ooh! I get it, even better. Now they file a notice to vacate as this is deemed economically unfeasible. Then they file for a move to Hood River for a short spaced at...wait for it...104.5. Voila, instant FM in Seattle, created from thin air. That'll be 20 million, please.
Good watchdog, here's a treat.
Good watchdog, here's a treat.
Ever since ps (that stands for Public Service) got dropped at the FCC, there's no reason for the "new owners" (guess who) needs to keep the station on-air and run regular operations, nor put any money out whatsoever before the big moving van comes and moves the whole station out of The Dalles permanently.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: the FCC is simply a branch of the IRS! The goal off 12th Street NW is revenue enhancement, pure and simple. Anything getting in the way of maximum profit for the general fund is a determent to the mission at hand. That's why the small towns and the non-comm's get treated so poorly and are ignored at the FCC whenever this type of stuff starts going on around the county. Non-comm's don't pay into the IRS slush money!
I predict that KMCQ will be quickly forgotten, then KHAL will come on the air at a "later date" and re-assign themselves to Hood River or something else nearby. First will sell that property as well for a few mil; just enough to recoup their "investment" in downgrading a former very good C station to C1 or 2.
As for the new Seattle (oops, I meant "Covington") station, it will bring the company a wonderful check for at least 40-50 Mil, especially if they can pull off the Tower site at Cougar Mtn. A easy "Minor Mod" and 60 days at the FCC (after a few more $$ to the jihad at the FCC/IRS for filing fees)
I see no issue with Canada; they'll re-shuffle the deck just like we do down here. Money talks and works miracles in this business. It doesn't matter which side of the border you're on. First has plenty of $$ to go around. Everything they've done to broadcasting in just the past 2 years proves it.
I've said this before and I'll say it again: the FCC is simply a branch of the IRS! The goal off 12th Street NW is revenue enhancement, pure and simple. Anything getting in the way of maximum profit for the general fund is a determent to the mission at hand. That's why the small towns and the non-comm's get treated so poorly and are ignored at the FCC whenever this type of stuff starts going on around the county. Non-comm's don't pay into the IRS slush money!
I predict that KMCQ will be quickly forgotten, then KHAL will come on the air at a "later date" and re-assign themselves to Hood River or something else nearby. First will sell that property as well for a few mil; just enough to recoup their "investment" in downgrading a former very good C station to C1 or 2.
As for the new Seattle (oops, I meant "Covington") station, it will bring the company a wonderful check for at least 40-50 Mil, especially if they can pull off the Tower site at Cougar Mtn. A easy "Minor Mod" and 60 days at the FCC (after a few more $$ to the jihad at the FCC/IRS for filing fees)
I see no issue with Canada; they'll re-shuffle the deck just like we do down here. Money talks and works miracles in this business. It doesn't matter which side of the border you're on. First has plenty of $$ to go around. Everything they've done to broadcasting in just the past 2 years proves it.
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