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Montgomery Cumulus AMs to HD

S

StrayKats

Effective immediately, two Cumulus AMs are being cobroadcast on HD FM.

Sports Radio 740 (WMSP) will be on WXFX-HD2 and News Radio 1440 (WLWI) will be on WXFX-HD3.

WXFX is the exclusive HD FM station in Montgomery proper (albeit licensed to Prattville).

This should help especially the dubious night signal of WMSP, which even on the Eastern Bypass overnight can be drowned out by either the Houston or Tulsa stations on 740 - sometimes both in the overnight hours
 
Hotseat said:
That will help, but why did they put it on their weakest-powered FM?
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That's a good question. 100 kW is about the only way for HD to half work in most markets. Although in my minor experience passing through on I-65, WXFX's HD has worked reliably in Montgomery County and up to about Autauga County. But 90.7 and Troy State's HDs are far more robust overall.
 
They would be better off putting these AM's on a translator. Few HD radios are sold, and HD3 is a very weak signal ,if you can pick them up at all. Promoting the AM on FM will in most cases only get the listener to the main programming not the HD2 or HD3.
 
John Gault said:
Hotseat said:
That will help, but why did they put it on their weakest-powered FM?
Click to expand...

Did anyone mention to you, that you must have an HD radio to hear it. Raise your hand if you have one?
Click to expand...

And if you don't happen to own an HD radio, raise your hand if you want one... :D
 
busterluck said:
They would be better off putting these AM's on a translator. Few HD radios are sold, and HD3 is a very weak signal ,if you can pick them up at all. Promoting the AM on FM will in most cases only get the listener to the main programming not the HD2 or HD3.
Click to expand...

I agree!
 
busterluck said:
They would be better off putting these AM's on a translator. Few HD radios are sold, and HD3 is a very weak signal ,if you can pick them up at all. Promoting the AM on FM will in most cases only get the listener to the main programming not the HD2 or HD3.
Click to expand...

I wonder if they are going to do the FM "HD" translator deal like they have in Atlanta? Some of these translators can be on very tall towers and have coverage better than some short sticked Class A's. check out:

http://www.radio-locator.com/info/W250BC-FX

Which is better 250 watts at 900 + ft. or 6kw @ 300 ft? Cumulus has a signal that shows up in the #7 market (WWWQ HD2) for less than a Million $$.

http://www.radio-info.com/markets/atlanta

They are a little busy with the Citidel deal right now. Just give them a little time.
 
The problem is acquiring the translators. They have to be "existing" as of first quarter of 2010 or something like that. To my knowledge, Cumulus has no translators in Montgomery.
 
Mr Gower said:
The problem is acquiring the translators. They have to be "existing" as of first quarter of 2010 or something like that. To my knowledge, Cumulus has no translators in Montgomery.
Click to expand...

They could always buy them from someone else. I believe that has happened recently in Birmingham, where there are three commercial stations on translators — one for a Cox station, one for Clear Channel and one for local Richardson Broadcasting, if I'm not mistaken. They all bought from religious orgs, too, I believe.

W244CN (96.7) has a permit for 250 watts from a site near Wetumpka that would cover a lot of the northern suburbs. It started off as a religious translator down near Enterprise and has slowly worked its way north. WTBF is currently listed as the parent. There's a W263BX (100.5) listed as a CP with just 38 watts but right smack el dab-o in the middle of town. It's showing WDJR out of Dothan as the parent. Those are no doubt just placeholders till a real signal can be found.

Where it gets interesting is a CP for W218BG (91.5). It's currently relaying WAY-FM but there's a CP for it to move to 102.3, with the full 250 watts. The new parent? WXFX-FM. The site they have shown in the permit is right off I-65 near Prattville, after the big climb up the hill, if I remember my geography correctly.
 
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