Most powerful FMs in Mississippi

[the golden boy]

As far as signal reach is concerned, my top 5 (though not necessarily in this order):

1. WFCA French Camp
2. WSYE Tupelo
3. WZKX Gulfport
4. WUSW Hattiesburg
5. WNSL Laurel

I also want to give an honorable mention to Jack FM. They're usually one of the first Jackson stations I can pick up when traveling back home from out of town.

 

[Doctor_Technical]

Gotta give a hat-tip to those two monster Jackson (Raymond) signals at 1886': WSTZ and that station formerly known as WZZQ.

Plus most all of the MPB signals do quite well: many are at or above 1000' with 100KW, all have new transmitters and antennas. Before Plaquemine's 88.1 AFR signal signed on, I used to regularly copy Meridian's WMAW here in Baton Rouge.

 

[Sam The Record Man]

Jack definitely deserves an honorable mention. I was surprised to see it wasn't anything special in the spec department after I was able to pick it up pretty solidly up in Greenville a few months back.

WYMX in Greenwood should get an honorable mention, too, I think. Not for tower height or anything, but that flat Delta terrain sure helps the signals carry.

That French Camp station, though. Wow. It's impressive, Sunny too. And the two aforementioned Jackson stations. WMAV in Oxford used to be a big performer, but I hear they got a new antenna and things haven't been the same.

 

[the golden boy]

I almost forgot about WQST Forest. They can get rather deep into the Delta.

I was able to get a signal for WYMX (albeit scratchy) in Forrest City, AR, about 40 miles west of Memphis.

 

[DeadElvis]

WSYE/Houston.

I can carry them, almost all the way, from my home in Germantown to Birmingham. Height rules.

DE

 

[mikl73]

I agree about WSYE.

I used to listen to WMAV pretty far into the Arkansas delta.

 

[Sam The Record Man]

I agree about WSYE.

I used to listen to WMAV pretty far into the Arkansas delta.

Maybe it's just the way time works on old minds, but I could have sworn their (WMAV) coverage area was worse than it used to be. I remember hearing well all along the Mississippi River from places like Rosedale to Walls and even in to Memphis, but it seems a little weaker now.

As someone who's been all over the country and listened to all kinds of radio, though, I'll give MPB credit for having a really good network on their FMs.

 

[MN Maniac]

Unfortunately, no FM station has the coverage they used to, regardless of power output and tower height. The reason is because of all the drop-ins and especially because the FCC now allows religious translators on EVERY "open" frequency. As a result, the noise floor on the band is much worse than it used to be.

 

[richllewis]

Another reason is that the MPB radio is running 2 channels doing HD radio at all their stations

 

[Sam The Record Man]

Another reason is that the MPB radio is running 2 channels doing HD radio at all their stations

A source in the area says that the FM antennas were replaced at some of the MPB stations, and that they were running HD on the old system when the coverage was still good.

So, I dunno. Why would an antenna upgrade cause a loss of coverage?

 

[jboyd]

Antennas are sort of "black magic" I think...but some antennas are noticably better
in coverage..I have noticed this on several occasions on my own stations when I changed from one type to another, I now only buy one type.

 

[TheDingo]

Last year when i was on the Alabama gulf coast, i noticed a strong presence of WZNF Z 95.3 in Orange Beach AL, On the way back home i kept it on all the way until mile marker 114 on I-65 (Georgiana) before WXFX out of Montgomery began drowning it out. This year when i was on the way home from Destin FL, i was still able to hear it in Georgiana AL.