Mediafrog+ said:
According to David Barron in today's Chronicle, 1560 will relaunch as KGOW "The Game" on August 20.
Guess they will go without nighttime programming for a while. Any updates on either of the proposed night facilities?
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/barron/5004258.html KGOW...doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? It's interesting that they're talking about the evening and overnight programming, when the nighttime operation issue is still up in the air. Some things are happening, but not nearly fast enough, and other problems have come along as well.
Some of this has been covered before, but hopefully I can add some perspective. Currently KILE actually has no nighttime operation authority in the true sense, because their construction permit for 1,000 watts was only recently approved. Construction and testing must be completed before a license can be issued. They're still officially a daytime-only station and the 50,000-watt rig has to be shut down at 8:30PM in July. In August, it's 8PM, but from 8-9PM 1560 can operate under "post-sunset authority" with a maximum of 33 watts from the daytime site, down in Brazoria County about five miles west of Rosharon. From 9-10PM the maximum allowed power is reduced to 29 watts, and at 10:00PM they are required to sign off. That two hour nighttime operation window is moved earlier with each succeeding month through December, when the power reduction must happen in the middle of afternoon drive (at 5:30) and sign-off must occur at 7:30. KILE does have a "pre-sunrise" authority which allows operation beginning at 6AM with a maximum of 149 watts (again, from the daytime site) but in November and December that level is reduced to just 29 watts.
Until the 1,000-watt nighttime transmitter north of I-10 near Eldridge actually begins licensed operation there can't legally be any "overnight" programming on 1560. A more powerful (19,000 watt) facility north of Katy exists only on paper awaiting FCC approval. What's more, Radio Disney (owner of KMIC 1590) apparently is serious about not wanting it built. They've filed another informal objection over the issue of interference from a higher powered 1560. That obstacle, along with other issues like protection to stations in Mexico make FCC approval of the current application far from certain. Even if everything about it is fixed, approval could still take many months.
Also awaiting approval from the FCC are three separate applications from KILE asking for auxiliary (back-up) operation from just south of the old Astrodome site. Those applications are for reduced power for daytime, critical hours and nighttime operation in case of main transmitter failure or other reasons. In actuality, however, the "nighttime auxiliary" permit isn't going to be approved until the 1,000-watt Eldridge site is actually operational and the "real" nighttime license is granted.
I really hope KGOW has a successful launch and gets the nighttime issues straightened out, but with each passing day the situation isn't getting any prettier.
