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KRTY-FM Los Gatos has been sold

I don't see why not, but the HD question, as always, is how many people use it or even know what it is, even after 15+ years. After all, a leased format on a station's HD2 or HD3 can't be relayed by an FM translator.
Sure it can. There are plenty of examples out there, like "105.5 the Beat" here in Rochester, which is a translator fed from an HD2 leased from another operator.

And the sales agreement with EMF covered only the license for the 95.3 signal. There would be no reason for it to include anything about eventual developments with the IP that EMF didn't buy.
 
If so, it should have been identified in the sales agreement with EMF.
The programming would be piggybacking on another station's signal. How would EMF have a say in that? EMF wasn't interested in running a country station. Why would the possibility of some of the personalities of the station EMF was buying setting up shop on another frequency's HD sideband be problematic to, or even addressed by, the sales agreement?
 
In order to lease an HD channel to a commercial operation, the main station will need to be commercial. EMF usually converts all the commercial station they acquire to non commercial educational.
Of course, that does not preclude the "new" KRTY from leasing a subchannel of a commercial FM and arranging for a translator to rebroadcast that HD subchannel. I think there was an unfair presumption in the discussion that EMF would be the lessor.
 
I don't see why not, but the HD question, as always, is how many people use it or even know what it is, even after 15+ years. After all, a leased format on a station's HD2 or HD3 can't be relayed by an FM translator.
Not only can it but it's just about the only thing keeping the concept alive!
 
EMF is so greedy they’re the Elvis Presley of corporate broadcasters.
I wouldn't call it "greed", exactly ... but it's close.

EMF is aggressive about fulfilling their perceived mission to spread Christianity and because they are non-profit and actively solicit listener "donations", as well as having a near-zero cost of operating their stations* they are sitting on a pile of cash and literally are able to outbid any commercial interest for a station they want.

(* - As I mentioned in an earlier post, or perhaps in a different thread -- I'm not sure at the moment -- when EMF acquires a station they close down the local studios and offices and just install a satellite or internet feed of the nationwide programming at the transmitter site, meaning that literally their only ongoing expense is the electric bill at the transmitter, plus whatever minimal engineering may be needed.)

As someone who identifies as non-denominational Christian (raised Catholic, left that organization well over 30 years ago) but nowhere near a zealot, I believe that people either find their faith by their own experiences or do not. I also believe that there is a higher power but that said higher power does not interfere with one's free will and only intervenes when the person calls out for help. (Some call that prayer ... I call it an ongoing dialogue which largely consists of leaving messages on some divine voicemail.)

Based on that, I do not believe that God -- however you perceive him to be ... hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin** -- needs all these transmitters, on top of all the ones operated by the other religious broadcasters. In fact, about the only company among those that I respect is Salem, which operates on a for-profit basis, pays taxes, and does not solicit funds from the audience.

(** - With apologies to the National Lampoon.)

I think religious broadcasters, if not an actual religious denomination with brick-and-mortar churches, ministers, et al, should have their non-profit status removed and level the playing field. (Of course, reinstating the old "main studio rule" would also help.)
 
That doesn't seem fair, that a non-commercial station can lease an HD channel from a commercial operator....but not the other way around?
 
EMF did or does have a deal in place with iHeart with translators. They cannot put commercial programming on their HD subs since all of their stations are licensed non commercial. However this does not always apply to their translators. The deal they have with iHeart is allowing iHeart to use some of their translators and program them with commercial formats via iHeart HD2 subs. In exchange, iHeart provides them with HD subs to feed EMF programming to EMF translators in other markets.

Since 97.7 already has K-LOVE programming, I'm going to guess Air1 will eventually transition to 97.7 from 87.7, and K-LOVE will remain on 95.3. At that point EMF can either put something else on 87.7 or allow it to be leased to another company.

As for local offices, yes they have them. They're not widely advertised but they have local and regional offices and studios. Promotions and some public affairs originate from those offices. They don't have many employees at the local offices but every so often they will hire. Here is an example of one of those positions:
 
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EMF did or does have a deal in place with iHeart with translators. They cannot put commercial programming on their HD subs since all of their stations are licensed non commercial. However this does not always apply to their translators.
This is true. When I started The Eighties Channel in 2014 with KRKE in Albuquerque, the translator (K233CG) that made us "94.5" instead of "1550" was owned by EMF and leased by Vanguard Media. Of course, it helped that Vanguard's owner had helped EMF put that translator on the air in the first place ...
 
I really hope San Francisco gets Air1 on FM soon!
Man, have I scared some people for going to church with Air1 blasting in my car! :p
 
I keep looking at the signal maps provided by fccdata.org and on the K Love website and trying to figure out the signal advantages of 95.3 over 97.7 and even with both being class A and I can see that 95.3 may reach more areas and fill in some gaps in K love coverage in the southern bay area.
 
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