New Skykomish/Monroe Apps 10,000 watts ERP

[FMSteve]

Guys (& Gals), get a load of these provocative new apps for 89.1 Mhz in the North Cascades. One covers "Monroe" and the other covers "Skykomish." They're both C1's and will encroach upon mostly KNHC's service. Maybe a little on KPLU's back side and a tiny bit with KMIH. Nathan Hale has until December 14th to file something if they would like to.

Here's the Spirit Communications' Monroe app:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=570835
It's 10,000 watts @404 m HAAT.

We note that the entire board of directors of Spirit and all of their stations resides in.............uh huh......Ohio.

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=570831

 

[radioplayer]

Hey Steve,

Don't know if you had a moment to look at the proposed antenna pattern for these two apps, but they are bizzare! I've never seen anything like it before. Maybe one of the more technical folks on this board can comment further, but I can't see any public interest for either of these apps, nor can I see any use of the KPLU app at Sedro on 88.9 or the one in Aberdeen on 89.1....looks to me like the same proliferation and shoo-ins from the commercial bad boys has transcended into the non-comm band. The religious folks are at it again everyone.....along with a few others. A poor use of valuable spectrum if you ask me. When will the LPFM's get their chance to put in true, LOCAL programming in these communities? Come on, Mr Martin! The FCC as a whole is a total joke at this point.....when will these guys get back to their true mandate that Congress gave them? One has to wonder......

 

[FMSteve]

Yeah.....that's a crazy antenna pattern, for sure. But presumably they are all legally and technically correct. Now getting them on the air, and making them financially viable, well, that's the challenge, unless of course they're going to "flip" them to a new owner in the near future.

 

[Bongwater]

Thought KNHC was 89.5...unless they have some translator up there...

As far as I am concerned, the FM band in the Puget Sound is RIDICULOUSLY overcrowded. The AM band at least has some halfway decent openings still. If too many FM stations get packed in the band, it's going to negate every benefit it has (including HD.) Enough is enough.

I say it's time to expand the FM band to 128 MHz at LEAST. You just can't keep shoehorning in these new stations this way. There comes a time where you have to get more real estate than what is here already with as many people/organizations wanting to go FM....

Let's be REAL about this. The aviation band won't suffer that much. You can drive 10 Mack trucks through the gaps I hear between the sporadic transmissons. It makes more sense than expanding the AM band did in the late '80s.....

Sorry KNDD, but you'll have to jump to 127.7 MHz at least if this pans out to STAY "The End".....

 

[w9wi]

Yeah.....that's a crazy antenna pattern, for sure. But presumably they are all legally and technically correct. Now getting them on the air, and making them financially viable, well, that's the challenge, unless of course they're going to "flip" them to a new owner in the near future.

Haven't reviewed these specific applications, but I wouldn't necessarily count on everything being legally & technically correct. I've found quite a few applications elsewhere with obvious problems. Like a 70,000-watt Class B station near Milwaukee. (the power limit for Class B stations is 50,000 watts) Heck, there were two applications for 3,000,000-watt Class A stations! (I think they meant to apply for 3,000 watts but somehow entered 3,000 *kilo*watts on the forms...)

The FCC is already dismissing applications, and I expect them to continue to do so even before they start looking at points.