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KZQ
- Thread starter D-Oradio
- Start date
i wonder if they're gonna do any kind of big thing for a switch? like they do with format changes?
-anyone in the MYB area to record it OTA? i wonder if the stream is gonna be effected at the moment of frequency flip
-anyone in the MYB area to record it OTA? i wonder if the stream is gonna be effected at the moment of frequency flip
Im sure they have the new van, new stickers, new t shirts...there will be a buzz around town. Good timing for kzq, looks like they had a bit of a spike in the #s...the 12+ at least. Im sure it worked all the way around for the
This is what is happening at WKZQ: For more than 20 years WKZQ has transmitted from a tower in the center of Horry County, 8.75 miles northeast of downtown Conway. The top of the tower is 607 feet above sea level, and the signal strength is 37,000 watts. There was only one other station in the Carolinas at 101.7, WMGL Charleston, which transmitted a 5,300-watt signal from a 400-ft tall tower 12 miles west of downtown Charleston. WMGL understandably wanted a higher tower and more power. Early in December 2007 they switched to 107.3 and, mission accomplished. Since then, 101.7 has been a crystal-clear frequency for WKZQ, it being the only station in the Carolinas at 101.7. With the nearest station on 101.7 a 3,000-watt one 30 miles west of Augusta, Georgia, WKZQ could have - at 101.7 - increased its power to 100,000 watts and could have transmitted that stronger signal from a much taller tower. But Apex Broadcasting, owner of 96.1 WAVF Charleston, wanted to move WAVF to 101.7. In response to an e-mail inquiry I made during March 2008, an engineer at Next Media headquarters in Colorado told me that Apex offered Colorado-based Next Media a payment for a frequency swap between WAVF and WKZQ. (Next Media has owned WKZQ since 2000.) Next Media accepted. At 96.1, WKZQ will transmit from a tower approximately 1.5 miles west of Inlet Square Mall in Garden City. The 96.1 WKZQ tower height will be 871 feet above sea level. WKZQ's 96.1 signal strength will be 8,500 watts, 23% of its 101.7 signal strength. WKZQ at 96.1 has to be so weak to avoid interfering with the southernmost signal of 96.1 WBBB Raleigh, a 100,000-watt station that transmits from a 984-foot tall tower well south of Raleigh. At 96.1, WKZQ's coverage area will be smaller than at 101.7. Also, more of its signal will be wasted over the ocean, since its 96.1 tower is far closer to the ocean than its 101.7 tower in central Horry County, and both signals are non-directional. If you are in Georgetown County, you will get a stronger signal from WKZQ at 96.1 than you did at 101.7. If you are in Garden City, Surfside Beach or southwestern Myrtle Beach, you will receive a stronger signal at 96.1 than you did at 101.7. In central Myrtle Beach you may get a slightly stronger signal at 96.1. Within Myrtle Beach as you travel northeastward (up the coast), the 96.1 signal will be weaker than the old 101.7 signal from approximately 40th Avenue North onward. So, if you are in northeastern Myrtle Beach, the Restaurant Row area, Briarcliffe, NMB or Little River you will receive a weaker signal at 96.1 than 101.7 - substantially weaker in Ocean Drive, Cherry Grove and Little River. If you are in Conway, Longs, Aynor or Loris you will get a weaker signal at 96.1 than 101.7. Listeners in Marion County get a strong signal at 101.7 but will get a very weak signal at 96.1. Listeners in Florence County, Dillon County and adjacent inland NC counties get a good, listenable signal at 101.7 – but once the switch to 96.1 is made, those listeners will have to say bye-bye to WKZQ. So, money flowed from Apex Broadcasting to WKZQ's distant owner in Colorado. Consequently, instead of WKZQ's local listeners getting the 100,000-watt signal they could have gotten at 101.7 (without the expense to Next Media of a taller tower), a signal that would have made KZQ a blowtorch, they will get a new, degraded WKZQ, with a signal less than 1/4 its 101.7 strength.
On the night of August 14th, listening to WKZQ down here in the northwestern suburbs of Charleston where I live (listening over the air, not online), I heard the announcement of the frequency change. I heard it being said that WKZQ would be stronger and "louder". Knowing what I know, I had to chuckle at that untrue hype. I too will lose WKZQ's signal.
On the night of August 14th, listening to WKZQ down here in the northwestern suburbs of Charleston where I live (listening over the air, not online), I heard the announcement of the frequency change. I heard it being said that WKZQ would be stronger and "louder". Knowing what I know, I had to chuckle at that untrue hype. I too will lose WKZQ's signal.
Ok what about the signal that 101.7 will have at their new location in Hanahan 239 meters above sea level and 100,000 watts they should really light up the dial. The only thing I don't like is their signal is a circle patteren with a lot of signal wasted in the ocean, but other than that they should be very strong.
rls97600 said:
This statement is a little misleading. Yes, the power output of WKZQ 96.1 will be less than WKZQ at 101.7. However, power is only part of the equation. The other is height. 96.1 will have a taller tower (more than 300 feet taller) than 101.7. 101.7 is a class C2 station and operates at the technical equivalent of 50,000 watts when determined by measuring height against power. 96.1 will also be a class C2 and the technical equivalent of 50,000 watts. So, they are essentially trading one 50,000 watt signal for another at a different location.
Untrue. 96.1 is no weaker than 101.7 from a technical standpoint. It could operate at 50,000 watts at 96.1 from the new transmitter site if it were to lower its tower height to approximately 492 feet. It does, however, have to be located well south of its current transmitter site and farther away from its target listening area to avoid interfering with WBBB. It likely will be perceived as weaker to some of its present audience due to tower location.
The total coverage area of 96.1 will be the same as 101.7. However, it will cover less land area because, like you said, it will put more of its signal out over the ocean.
While it's true that NextMedia passed on a chance to make 'KZQ a blowtorch, it's not true that the new WKZQ will have a signal strength less than 1/4 of what it is presently. It will have an output power of less than 1/4 of its current signal strength, but it will be the same signal, just from a different location. The present 'KZQ is 558 feet above average terrain while the new signal will be 871 feet. The height difference is the reason for the lower power. You will cover the same area at 8,500 watts and 871 feet as you will at 37,000 watts and 558 feet.
As with any transmitter move (which is really all this is), some people will get the signal stronger and louder while others will lose out. That claim is always untrue to some people as it's a marketing ploy and nothing else. It's not a marketing ploy I like either as I find it to be misleading. By the way, you may not lose the 'KZQ signal in the northwestern suburbs of Charleston. The transmitter will actually be about 20 miles closer to you. However, you're presently outside of any usable signal contour of 'KZQ, and you will remain outside of any usable signal contour. So, it's impossible to predict what will happen with your reception.
WKZQ's coverage area will in fact be smaller at 96.1 than at 101.7. I verified this by measuring the 60-decibel signal coverage radii at 96.1 and at 101.7. I found these at fcc.gov. (See WKZQ for the 101.7 contour, and WAVF - 8.5kw - for the 96.1 contour.) For WKZQ's 101.7 signal, the 60-dB point is reached approximately 34.5 miles from their central Horry tower. For their soon-to-be 96.1 signal, the 60-dB point is reached approximately 28 miles from their Garden City tower. Thus the 60-dB-plus area of WKZQ's 101.7 signal is approximately 217 square miles, and at 96.1 will be approximately 176 square miles. Additionally, as we understand, a bigger portion of that 176 square miles will be over the ocean. The central Horry tower height and 37,000 watts, and the Garden City tower height and 8,500 watts, are not exactly equivalent. Yes, the added approximately 265 feet of height at Garden City gives an advantage over the central Horry tower, but it does not completely make up for the power reduction from 37,000 to 8,500 watts, as the contour maps at fcc.gov show.
To see what could have been had NextMedia been willing to let WKZQ stay at 101.7, see (at fcc.gov) WYAV's signal contour.
Esau sold his birthright (short-term gain, long-term loss);
Imperial Russia sold Alaska to the US (short-term gain, long-term loss);
NextMedia sold WKZQ's unbeatably clear 101.7 frequency.
To see what could have been had NextMedia been willing to let WKZQ stay at 101.7, see (at fcc.gov) WYAV's signal contour.
Esau sold his birthright (short-term gain, long-term loss);
Imperial Russia sold Alaska to the US (short-term gain, long-term loss);
NextMedia sold WKZQ's unbeatably clear 101.7 frequency.
I put the wrong HAAT (double-converted it to meters) in when I calculated 96.1's signal contour. It would be approximately 16.3 kw to reach the same 60 dBu as 101.7 has. However, the 60 dBu signal contour is meaningless as 95% of all listening occurs within the 64 dBu signal contour, and the 70 dBu signal contour defines a citygrade signal for a commercial FM station. 101.7 should put a citygrade signal approximately 2 miles further from the transmitter than 96.1 will.
So, yes, you're correct that they're not 100% equivalent. They are, however, very close, and the biggest obstacle to the new 'KZQ signal will be tower location, not power. North Myrtle Beach will be outside the 64 dBu signal contour, which means they'll likely lose almost all of their listeners in that area and further north along the coast.
As I said before, don't take it as a foregone conclusion that you'll lose the station when it moves. It will be moving much closer to you.
So, yes, you're correct that they're not 100% equivalent. They are, however, very close, and the biggest obstacle to the new 'KZQ signal will be tower location, not power. North Myrtle Beach will be outside the 64 dBu signal contour, which means they'll likely lose almost all of their listeners in that area and further north along the coast.
As I said before, don't take it as a foregone conclusion that you'll lose the station when it moves. It will be moving much closer to you.
all this. for money.
what a freaking waste
what a freaking waste
I have lived in NMB since 1985 and came down here as a kid 3 or 4 times a year before that and I listened to KZQ alot. Next Mediocre is run by a bunch of morons! The good ol' days of MB radio is over! What a damn shame!carlosswicegood said:all this. for money.
what a freaking waste
Myrtle Beach Radio has changed. This year the most. Cumulus changed their stations. Country from 103.1 to 106.5, Sunny to 103.1 from 106.5. So KZQ going to a different signal isn't nothing.
Kent said:
I predict once 95.9 comes on, 96.1 will be totally unlistenable from this location.
G
Has anyone went on Radio-Locator? The area of the new 96.1 will cover looks greater then the area of the current 101.7. Sure I know Radio-Locator just estimates that. But if anyone wants to check it out go here http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WAVF&service=FM&status=C&hours=U .
As for when 96.1 what will happen to 96.3 W242AJ which broadcasts Q 107.1 for people who can't get 107.1 clear in Pawleys and Lichfield Beach. Anyone know?
As for when 96.1 what will happen to 96.3 W242AJ which broadcasts Q 107.1 for people who can't get 107.1 clear in Pawleys and Lichfield Beach. Anyone know?
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