KPRI 102.1 FM moves tower today

[SDRadio]

Mount Soledad at noon.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

What a farce. I saw that press release quote from the KRPI guy who said:

“KPRI’s transmitter site improvement does not change the fact that we continue to be licensed to the City of Encinitas. We’re not changing our city of license, nor our commitment to Encinitas,” said Schwartz, adding: “In fact, by moving our antenna we are making KPRI’s signal more competitive. Starting now, we’re serving an estimated 2.4 million people, many of whom have not been able to hear us they way they would like. We are sure that this enhancement will allow us to even better serve the City of Encinitas and our surrounding service area.”

What a load that is.

This of course was an Oceanside station, then allegedly Encinitas, but this station no more provides a "commitment to Encinitas" than does Jammin' Z-90.

KPRI was one of the rare FM stations you could listen to without constant fading in and out while driving around North County. But KPRI's management doesn't give a damn about that: they just want to chase the San Diego ad dollars.

KPRI has just provided North County listeners one more reason to get XM or an iPod in the car.

And they wonder why radio is a dying medium.

The FCC has facilitated it with its nationwide blanket approval of requests by '"suburban" radio stations to move their antennas "closer to town."

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Geeez Bob, dude, why the hostility towards KPRI? Was your experience at a different station with the same call letters unhappy? I would think that their signal will be just fine in North SD County, and now they will be heard a little better in south Orange County. That's a bad thing?

 

[doublecashkgb]

The station sucks basically. That owner who does possibly the worse voic-tracking
in the world and that stagnant granola grinder mix of Clapton, Bonnie Raitt and
Fleetwood Mac. Music for burnouts.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

Geeez Bob, dude, why the hostility towards KPRI? Was your experience at a different station with the same call letters unhappy? I would think that their signal will be just fine in North SD County, and now they will be heard a little better in south Orange County. That's a bad thing?

No I had a helluva good time at the real KPRI and only left there because KCBQ offered me a gig for twice as much money.

Try listening to just one FM station driving from Oceanside to Escondido on Highway 78. Moving stations further south will not improve that.

I'd give KPRI credit if they'd just admit the obvious: they've long had studios in San Diego and moving the transmitter to Mount Soledad makes them a full-fledged San Diego radio station with no ties to the North County. Instead they put out that BS about serving Encinitas. They could care less about that.

They sort of snuck the thing down the coast by first getting the city of license changed from Oceanside to Encinitas - see http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Orders/1999/da991837.txt - which was predicated on the fact the transmitter would not be moved and that Oceanside would continue to be served by KKSM (AM 1320).

Once that seemingly innocuous change was approved they just had to wait a few years and then file to move the transmitter further south so they could better serve their beloved Encinitas.

Really it's hypocrisy for them to pretend the are doing anything other getting the hell out of North County in an attempt to make more money as a San Diego radio station: none of their changes have been in the public interest, yet the FCC goes along with the game and rubberstamps these types of moves.

We can only hope that someday the federal government starts charging realistic fees to companies such as Compass for their use and abuse of the alleged "public airwaves."

 

[jprg]

I used to listen to KPRI when it was Sets 102. A great station then. They had a similar format to that of KFOG in San Francisco like "The 5:01 Blues". They also played a lot of local music and played songs that were not mainstream. Now they sound like any other Adult AC around. I'm really bummed about that but thank God I have an IPOD. Over 3,000 songs with no DJ and no commericals.

 

[Bob_Hudson]

I used to listen to KPRI when it was Sets 102. A great station then. They had a similar format to that of KFOG in San Francisco like "The 5:01 Blues". They also played a lot of local music and played songs that were not mainstream. Now they sound like any other Adult AC around. I'm really bummed about that but thank God I have an IPOD. Over 3,000 songs with no DJ and no commericals.

Yes, their format may be mediocre but don't forget that it's independent, locally-owned mediocrity.

 

[jprg]

Crusty Bob, I'll give you that! Yes it's locally owned and operated which is good but they really should make it local with local artists and live jocks. I came to San Diego in 1996 so I wasn't here when the original KPRI was here.