• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

New station in Palmer?

P

PAJake

Guest
What's the deal with the new station Morris Communications wants to start up? I think they wanted a tower built on a mountain in Palmer? Anything ever come of that? I can't believe anyone thinks we need yet another station on the overcrowded Alaskan dial.
 
Last I had heard was that a public hearing was taking place regarding the new tower site. I never heard of the outcome, as far as a new station goes - it will be a Valley station, I don't believe there's any interest in shooting this station into Anchorage. KMBQ could use some competition for the title of the 'Valley' station, I'm curious to see what the format would be. Wait and see I suppose.
 
Planning Commission hearing scheduled for January 21 has been delayed until February 4.

Strong anti-tower group is trying hard to prevent it from happening.

At a recent community meeting Morris Communications made a bad mistake. They mentioned that they have only a few more months to get the station on the air or lose the construction permit. Armed with that information the anti-group is waging a delaying campaign in hopes the station will just go away.

Morris people say they want to build studios and offices in Wasilla (the city of license) and run the new station as primarily serving The Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Valley. Signal into Anchorage would be marginal, even at 50 kW, so a rim-shot attempt is highly unlikely.

I hope they can do it; maybe I can get a job closer to my family.
 
People are fickle, everyone wants good radio, good stores, and such services, but no one wants them right next to where they live. The trouble is they usually have to be next to someone. Sort of like a Wal Mart- everyone goes to them, but would hate to live next to one. I think a radio tower up on the side of Lazy Mtn would have a great reach, perhaps even into Anchorage. Think about it, you can get Anchorage radio stations that broadcast from the bowl in Anchorage in Palmer, so why not vice versa? A rimshot ? Perhaps, but KMBQ comes in fairly well in most areas of Anchorage, and it isnt nearly as high in elevation as the new Palmer tower will be. Good luck, the Valley is growing and needs more competition and broadcast services.
 
I checked with Mom who lives near Sutton, across the river from where they want to put that tower. She says it is pretty low on the hillside because the power lines don't go up very far. And the top is lower than 200-feet so they don't have to paint it. With the other hills around and stations close to where it would be on the dial I don't think it would do too good in Anchorage but maybe.
 
The site where they want to put it, on Lazy Mtn (if only on the side of it) is about 900 feet above sea level. If the stick is less than 200 feet in height, it will still be over 1000 feet above sea level, and may well reach the Anchorage bowl. It should have a great westward shot of the Valley , clear to Big lake tho. KMBQ in Wasilla is lower in elevation , but has a clearer shot to Anchorage. Should be interesting if the new station can get the go ahead, great reception for Sutton ;D .
 
Wow!

Mom says it's like somebody stuck a firecracker up a hornet nest!

Lots of phone calls wanting folks to go to the planning meeting monday night to protest the tower.

Says she told one man she can't go because her driveway is snowed in. He asked where she lived so he could send his boy with a plow and shovel. She told him she'd go but I think she lied. Just wanted to be dug out. Mom's old; not stupid.
 
First of all, VelvetR, your mom is awesome.

Second, based on my admittedly limited knowledge of the situation I gotta side with those people against this new station. I suppose Morris has some kind of business plan they're following, based on expensive market research they feel is valuable. But the residents of the surrounding area, who for the most part have been living there many years and choose to stay there due largely to its natural beauty and uninterupted landscapes, find themselves facing an out-of-state radio corporation which wants to build a tower directly within the view of the residents, claiming the station is needed in that market, although they haven't yet decided on a format, signal strength, footprint, etc, for the station (or if they have settled on a format, they haven't said so publically). Speaking as someone in the PR/marketing biz, I can't see how introducing an unknown product with no expressed need to a public which clearly doesn't want it regardless is any kind of recipe for success. If its signal is to reach only the surrounding areas, what local businesses would want to advertise on a station which has pissed off most of the market before it's even built? If its signal is to reach Anchorage, I think it's safe to say that market is rather saturated now. I just don't see how this entire endeavour is anything close to smart business. Radio more than most other media depends on a very supportive local customer base, one that's quite fickle to begin with and is often distracted by TV, internet, sat radio, etc. This just doesn't make much sense to me, from a business standpoint anyway.
 
I think part of the reason for wanting a new station to be in the Valley, is that currently it has only 1 full power/wide covering local signal. Pretty pathetic for having 85,000 people. I do not see what is wrong with this large of a population base wanting and needing a second signal. Sure they may not want it where they are talking about, but I doubt seriously, that most people are opposed to having another radio outlet in the Valley. Sure they can pick up most Anchorage signals, and do they really serve the Valley whole heartedly? I think not. Over-saturation in Anchorage? Possibly, but for the fast growing Valley, nope!!!
 
After much stewing...the tower will probably get built where Morris wants to build it. B-T-W - look for a new FM in Anchorage at 104.9.
 
Mom's driveway got shovelled!

She wasn't going to the meeting but got trapped into it. She called today and says the guy who plowed her out sent his wife to pick her up so she'd be sure to be there. Says there were lots of people and the tower got turned down but they talked and talked until almost midnight. She feels like there'll be an appeal; maybe goes to court. They said at the meeting that somebody wants to put a cell antenna on the tower and something for wireless internet, too. She wants that to happen so she can get rid of the dial-up. I don't like using the web when I'm at her house. It's 'way 'way too slow.
 
AZJoe said:
People are fickle, everyone wants good radio, good stores, and such services, but no one wants them right next to where they live. The trouble is they usually have to be next to someone. Sort of like a Wal Mart- everyone goes to them, but would hate to live next to one.
Click to expand...

Actually I would not mind a radio station being right next door to me. Then I wouldn't have far to for work. and it would be better than my upstair's neighbor making all sorts of drilling noises and stompings or the squeaky lock on my neighbors across from me who goes in and out at all hours.
 
Checked with Mom this morning about the new station.

Nothing new since they got turned down for the tower site. She thinks there's one more step with local government then it goes to court. Going to be a big hurry to get it up before the CP goes away!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom