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Most wasted signal in the Houston area

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purpledevil

Guest
Thought this would spark some discussion after reading about Dallas' issues with their once "Mighty 1190" over on the D/FW board. What one station in Houston, or one of the suburbs in close proximity to Houston, do you see as the biggest waste of a signal? To get the discussion going, I will nominate 1180 KGOL/Humble. With a 50kw daytime signal, they resort to virtually the same brokered programming that can be found on several other AM stations in the area. I noticed they have recently turned to broadcasting "Hum Tum City" which has already aired its programming at 880 KJOJ and 1540 KGBC previously. Granted, I'm not of the ethnicity that would get something out of the programming, but surely the owners (Is it still Entravision?) could do something more with the blowtorch daytime signal, even though it is handicapped at night.
 
I won't argue your choices they do have merit. My selectiion in THE 950. Why? They took a station that had listeners and destroyed it. They destroyed it and it is going to be forever now a nothing factor. Even if Walton & Johnson work 24 hours a day.
 
Imy opinion for latin station would be 920 am! They have a good day time signal but no good programing
 
purpledevil said:
Thought this would spark some discussion after reading about Dallas' issues with their once "Mighty 1190" over on the D/FW board. What one station in Houston, or one of the suburbs in close proximity to Houston, do you see as the biggest waste of a signal? To get the discussion going, I will nominate 1180 KGOL/Humble. With a 50kw daytime signal, they resort to virtually the same brokered programming that can be found on several other AM stations in the area. I noticed they have recently turned to broadcasting "Hum Tum City" which has already aired its programming at 880 KJOJ and 1540 KGBC previously. Granted, I'm not of the ethnicity that would get something out of the programming, but surely the owners (Is it still Entravision?) could do something more with the blowtorch daytime signal, even though it is handicapped at night.
Click to expand...

Even though 1180 may be 50KW, its pattern is NOT what the license says it is....From what I heard from reliable sources, the pattern was drawn up over drinks at a hotel in Humble one night....and that was submitted to the FCC....as to whether it meets what the REAL pattern is or should be, HA!!! I have driven past the site many times.....there is a 3 phase 35KV line that was there before that station went in (the line is owned by Entergy and was put up by the predecessor, Gulf States Utilities DECADES before 1180 showed up)...NONE of the poles have detuning ckts on them and there are at least a dozen poles in the "main lobe" of the site (the towers are maybe 100ft or so from the line)...that line HAS to be distoring the pattern (especially since every pole has a ground static down to earth!)...the FCC has never ran a pattern check on that site and I know from driving around it, it does NOT radiate as it should (toward Houston/Humble)........I agree though, it is a waste....so is 850 in my opinion.....it could be updated and upgraded but Liberman will not spend money on it...the towers are in poor shape and the phasor is a piece of JUNK.....If they were smart, they would file for an upgrade of the night operation.....but CC will bitch about that...though what does CC's 850 need listeners this far east of Denver??????
 
1180's night signal is awful. I recall that it is pretty lousy in the Deerbrook Mall parking lot, where it should boom in. It is also a cursed frequency, as it is a battleground between the Radio Marti transmitter in Marathon, Florida, and the various Cuban stations that try to block it.

The daytime signal does get out pretty well during critical hours. A few years ago I heard it blasting into Fort Stockton a little after 8pm in June.
 
I am going out on a log and saying the HD signal on 96.9 and 101.7 in Bay city. Not really to do with Houston radio, but they do simulcast Houston stations.
What good will that HD signal do it wont even make it to the Victoria area.
 
"Jack" has been awful the past couple of days, just plain unlistenable in the Beaumont area. Are they at reduced power?

However, I've been able to listen to Cumulus 103.3 Jack out of Lake Charles. My guess is the atmosphere has something to do with that, but the other Houston area FMs come in fine, just no 103.7.
 
Most wasted signal? I go with 740 and 950 in that order. Houston is too large a city not to have an around-the-clock LOCAL news station a la WCBS and WBBM. KTRH has the daytime signal to do that. At least go all-news during the day and switch to sports, national talk, etc. after 6 or 7.
Meanwhile, push 950 back to its old format and GET RID OF THE IBOC!!!! It is unlistenable; it just sounds horrible.
 
schmave said:
Meanwhile, push 950 back to its old format and GET RID OF THE IBOC!!!! It is unlistenable; it just sounds horrible.
Click to expand...

Funny, sounds fine in my car and every vehicle I've ever been in.
 
stan said:
"Jack" has been awful the past couple of days, just plain unlistenable in the Beaumont area. Are they at reduced power?

However, I've been able to listen to Cumulus 103.3 Jack out of Lake Charles. My guess is the atmosphere has something to do with that, but the other Houston area FMs come in fine, just no 103.7.
Click to expand...

Running on their AUX in Baytown.....probably doing some work on the main 2000ft site...the AUX site is shorter and less power (so the 1mV contour of the main is not exceeded)
 
CW said:
stan said:
"Jack" has been awful the past couple of days, just plain unlistenable in the Beaumont area. Are they at reduced power?

However, I've been able to listen to Cumulus 103.3 Jack out of Lake Charles. My guess is the atmosphere has something to do with that, but the other Houston area FMs come in fine, just no 103.7.
Click to expand...

Running on their AUX in Baytown.....probably doing some work on the main 2000ft site...the AUX site is shorter and less power (so the 1mV contour of the main is not exceeded)
Click to expand...

At a 1:00am check Saturday morning I am hearing KOUL booming in at my Cy-Fair location. No sign of Jack, which appears to be completely off the air, or the AUX site is getting completely swamped by tropo from Corpus Christi.
 
The last couple of days, South Texas has been coming into Houston. I heard KBTQ, KKPS, and KVMV from the valley most of this week. With Jack having Xmitter problems, it is no surprise that you are receiving KOUL. Hell, you may catch KOUL during the day if Jack FM is still in their AUX tommorrow.
 
Jack 103.7 is coming in as usual at my place out in Katy. 104.1 HD-2 is how I normally listen at home & work. I only listen to the 103.7 signal in the car since no manufacturer has stepped up to create an aftermarket installation kit for my car.
 
ilistentotheradio said:
schmave said:
Meanwhile, push 950 back to its old format and GET RID OF THE IBOC!!!! It is unlistenable; it just sounds horrible.
Click to expand...

Funny, sounds fine in my car and every vehicle I've ever been in.
Click to expand...

Hmm. In all my experience, 950's sound is flat and quite honestly just amateurish. Again, though, that's just my perception.
 
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