Let me evaluate the San Antonio & Austin TX markets.

[Kent]

Non-comms are allowed to feed out-of-market translators and full power stations. Without that loophole we wouldn't have CSN, K-Love and Family Radio nationwide.

However, the rule allowing satellite or internet feeds to supply a translator only applies to translators in the non-commercial band. Those in the commercial band are expected to get their parent station off-air. Of course, an AM signal can provide a translator with a direct feed, but the translator must lie wholly within the AM's primary signal contour. I don't think 102.3 is within KROB's 0.5 mV contour.

 

[fredcantu]

Are you sure? Because I remember hearing Family Radio on 99.7 in Austin for years before they sold the translator to Emmis. And K-love currently operates an Air 1 translator on 103.1 in San Marcos.

 

[Kent]

Yes. Here's what the FCC has to say about it: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/translator.html#NONFILLIN. It specifically says:

"Signal Delivery. Non-fill-in translators relaying commercial FM stations must receive the signal off-the-air, unless a waiver has been granted to feed a "white area" translator by other terrestrial means. A showing of the "white area" must be presented in the application requesting waiver of the signal delivery requirement.

Noncommercial educational non-fill-in translators operating on Channels 201 through 220 which are owned by the licensee of the primary noncommercial educational FM translator station may use alternate means to receive the primary FM station's signal. Non-fill-in noncommercial educational translators on Channels 221 through 300 are prohibited from any alternative methods of signal delivery, including programming feeds by satellite. See 47 CFR Section 74.1231(b). "

My guess is that 103.1 out of San Marcos translates KZAR 88.1 out of Gonzales. That's an Air 1 affiliate, and it would be feasible for them to pick up that station off-air, especially if they ran the antenna up the translator's tower.

As for 99.7, FCC records don't indicate they aired programming from Family Radio. According to the FCC, it aired programming from BBN, which would have probably been a relay of KYFS. Again, picking up KYFS off-air would be feasible in Austin if you run the antenna up the tower.

 

[1st of 5]

They must still be testing. I remember when KSMG 105.3 first signed on (late 84 or early 85?) they played a loop of about 5 or 6 songs over and over again, with plenty of promos about '105.3 magic fm'.

 

[Anonymouse]

It sounds like K272EK's audio is around 64KBPS at best. I guess they're feeding over a direct feed, probably a crappy one.

 

[1st of 5]

So sorry, wrong post. The previous post was meant for the new 90.3 FM topic.

 

[fredcantu]

...which are owned by the licensee of the primary noncommercial educational FM translator station...

The rule seems to be specific to translators owned by the same licensee as the primary station. A station can always create a different entity to carry the license of the translator.

The orginating station for 102.3 in SA is probably KROB's translator in Corpus Christi, K232DE 94.3 FM. In any case all 3 have different licensees in the eyes of the FCC.

KROB Licensee: B COMMUNICATIONS JOINT VENTURE
94.3 Licensee: CLARO COMMUNICATIONS, LTD.
102.3 Licensee: ALICIA BENAVIDES

BTW-- San Marcos has a KHCB repeater on 88.1 (K203CX) which nixes your theory that 103.1 San Marcos picks up 88.1 Gonzales off the air.

 

[Kent]

The rule seems to be specific to translators owned by the same licensee as the primary station. A station can always create a different entity to carry the license of the translator.

It's a two part rule. The first part of the rule applies specifically to translators in the non-commercial band and has an exemption specific to translators owned by the same licensee of the primary station. The licensee of the non-commercial primary station, and only that licensee, may use an alternate means to feed a co-owned translator in the reserved non-commercial band. The second part of the rule is that educational translators in the commercial band must be fed over-the-air and does not have exemptions for the same licensee of the primary station.

BTW-- San Marcos has a KHCB repeater on 88.1 (K203CX) which nixes your theory that 103.1 San Marcos picks up 88.1 Gonzales off the air.

Not necessarily. I've been told you can directionalize your reception of radio stations, even atop a high tower. I've been told of at least one situation where that happened. There was a longtime translator in the Huntsville, AL area that relayed the rock format of WKDF. When it flipped to country, it began relaying Nashville's 102.9, which picked up the old 'KDF rock format. There was, however, a Huntsville area translator of WEUP on 102.9. I was told the translator received WZPC's signal off-air and never had any problems with WEUP's translator.

I suppose it's possible my source of this information about the Huntsville translator wasn't telling the truth. It's also possible EMF has petitioned for a waiver of the requirement for 103.1 to feed its signal off-air. The FCC doesn't always list these applications on its site. I suppose it's even possible EMF isn't following the rules on the 103.1 translator, though a friend of mine who does mock inspections has said the EMF sites he's inspected are pristine and done to the letter of the requirements, including its main studio waiver.