Over the 4th of July weekend I had the chance to visit the Highland Lakes area. I'd been told KXMP 88.9 had been on the air since around April. At 125 watts with some decent height, I wanted to see how well they came in. I cruised from Llano to Burnet and down to Marble Falls over to Kingsland. Unless I was blocked by a tall hill, I received them all along Highway 29 running from Burnet to Llano.
Reception was fine Marble Falls to Burnet and Marble Falls to Kingsland. Pretty darn good coverage for 125 watts at 135 meters.
Programming was non-stop music. No IDs or anything else. I never heard a Legal ID on the hour. One person I know says they have heard a 'public radio type' show once on the station. The music mix is mostly unknown songs. About once a quarter hour you hear an artist you recognize but not the song. Few songs were songs I had heard before. The music mix was extremely varied. I heard a polka, for example and Richie Haven's Freedom from Woodstock, the 60s classic Tequila, a Johnny Cash song and even something that sounded like a tune from the 'Roaring '20s'.
To describe the format recipe as food, take one part Cherry Jello, add 4 ounces of hamburger meat and toss with fresh lettuce, combine ingredients together in a bowl and you have the idea: music styles so varied they would never be combined but not quite AC/DC and Beethoven but almost.
It seems that although they are operating under a construction permit, they are not IDing or even promoting any sort of plan for the station. I asked some folks that had heard the station and most thought it was a pirate or run by, their quote, 'a trust fund baby', that wanted to share the music on their Ipod and had no need for a return on their cash outlay. Since the station has been operating for over 3 months, one would expect something other than non-stop music and no IDs.
Blowout will not appear on maps. I've been down the road (a washboard dirt road) that goes through Blowout, that I suspect might be where a couple of ranch gates are located. The tower is along the highway going toward Willow Springs. It seems the licensee is in Stonewall.
One person suggested that the licensee also holds two translators (that seems to be correct) that might be leased and pondered if these dollars were funding KXMP. I've been told there was a CP filed to increase power to 4,500 watts. I haven't seen that application on the FCC site but haven't checked lately. The frequency originally was applied for by a Spanish language Church in San Antonio that 'traded' it to another Spanish language ministry and they sold the station to Jonah Creek, the current owner, for $25,000. If a true 'trust fund baby', why not pay the full amount versus making payments for the station as indicated by the Purchase Agreement.
At any rate, a very odd station with amazing coverage assuming they're really running at 125 watts.
Reception was fine Marble Falls to Burnet and Marble Falls to Kingsland. Pretty darn good coverage for 125 watts at 135 meters.
Programming was non-stop music. No IDs or anything else. I never heard a Legal ID on the hour. One person I know says they have heard a 'public radio type' show once on the station. The music mix is mostly unknown songs. About once a quarter hour you hear an artist you recognize but not the song. Few songs were songs I had heard before. The music mix was extremely varied. I heard a polka, for example and Richie Haven's Freedom from Woodstock, the 60s classic Tequila, a Johnny Cash song and even something that sounded like a tune from the 'Roaring '20s'.
To describe the format recipe as food, take one part Cherry Jello, add 4 ounces of hamburger meat and toss with fresh lettuce, combine ingredients together in a bowl and you have the idea: music styles so varied they would never be combined but not quite AC/DC and Beethoven but almost.
It seems that although they are operating under a construction permit, they are not IDing or even promoting any sort of plan for the station. I asked some folks that had heard the station and most thought it was a pirate or run by, their quote, 'a trust fund baby', that wanted to share the music on their Ipod and had no need for a return on their cash outlay. Since the station has been operating for over 3 months, one would expect something other than non-stop music and no IDs.
Blowout will not appear on maps. I've been down the road (a washboard dirt road) that goes through Blowout, that I suspect might be where a couple of ranch gates are located. The tower is along the highway going toward Willow Springs. It seems the licensee is in Stonewall.
One person suggested that the licensee also holds two translators (that seems to be correct) that might be leased and pondered if these dollars were funding KXMP. I've been told there was a CP filed to increase power to 4,500 watts. I haven't seen that application on the FCC site but haven't checked lately. The frequency originally was applied for by a Spanish language Church in San Antonio that 'traded' it to another Spanish language ministry and they sold the station to Jonah Creek, the current owner, for $25,000. If a true 'trust fund baby', why not pay the full amount versus making payments for the station as indicated by the Purchase Agreement.
At any rate, a very odd station with amazing coverage assuming they're really running at 125 watts.