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New translator in Tyler

J

jd

I've been following this one for a while now and I'm wondering about the status. K236BG 95.1 is one of those E-String Wireless (Bret Huggins) translators, and recently completed a move from Quitman to downtown Tyler, on the same rooftop as KERA's 100.1 translator. The station to be relayed is listed KBJS 90.3 from Jacksonville and a license to cover was granted the first week of February, but the last time I checked it wasn't on the air. Has anyone heard it?
 
I Googled, and E-String's from San Antonio? Do they have any local stations?

And what format is 90.3?
 
Kevan said:
I Googled, and E-String's from San Antonio? Do they have any local stations?

And what format is 90.3?
Click to expand...

KBGS is religious. E-String applied for (and got) quite a few translator CP's. I know he has sold some. I'm pretty sure that KWRD's (Henderson) translator came from E-String. I think he recently sold one in Canton as well.
 
He puts other stations call letters on the CPs for the translators, but never intends to broadcast their audio on them. I don't know that he has ever put a translator on the air.
 
600kogo said:
He puts other stations call letters on the CPs for the translators, but never intends to broadcast their audio on them. I don't know that he has ever put a translator on the air.
Click to expand...

What is he doing then?
 
For what it's worth I never heard them on the air from Quitman. I also have doubts about KBJS being relayed, since I'm assuming the translator will be (or already has been) "shopped around." There are three Tyler AM's, any of which could be interested in having a "fill-in" FM translator.
 
What he does is get the CP for litterally nothing but a small filing fee. Finds a buyer within the 2 year limit of the CP and sells them for 25-50k each. And the FCC and the community is the loser as we end up listening to NPR out of Dallas or Churches out of Houston that absolutely no one has any interest in whatsoever!
 
Hmm, pretty smart on his part, but I'm not sure I'd want to buy something from him if I were looking for a station. I'd just file the CP myself - makes more sense.

Isn't the guy running 103.7 in SA affiliated with him too?
 
Anonymouse said:
Hmm, pretty smart on his part, but I'm not sure I'd want to buy something from him if I were looking for a station. I'd just file the CP myself - makes more sense.
Click to expand...

The problem is you'd have to wait for a translator filing window. That may be years away. At very best, it will be after the next LPFM filing window, whenever that is. The FCC hasn't settled the last round of translator applications, which happened many years ago. You might have a very long wait if you apply for one today. Therefore, existing translators do have value. How much they are worth, and whether they should be trafficked is another discussion.
 
Anonymouse said:
Hmm, pretty smart on his part, but I'm not sure I'd want to buy something from him if I were looking for a station. I'd just file the CP myself - makes more sense.

Isn't the guy running 103.7 in SA affiliated with him too?
Click to expand...

I think you might be confusing that John Barger purchased K279AB from Wildcatter Wireless. That's a guy named Kevin Butler out of Midland, TX.

And Chuck is right. It's not that easy getting a translator. We haven't had a filing window since 2003. Even if another filing window opens up in a couple of years one would still have to contend with finding a frequency that would fit (LPFM will use up the remaining few that are still left), you have to deal with getting MX'd with other people filing for the same frequency or close to yours, you have to be able to know how and understand what's involved with applying for one (engineering wise) or you will have to hire a consulting engineer to work up the applications and file for you. You could apply for 20 translators and spend well over $40K in fees and engineering cost and only end up with 2 or 3 CP's. There were a lot of individuals and bigger groups such as Radio Assist Ministry that applied for translators for the sole intent to sale the CP's once they were granted. Translators have become very valuable lately. When you can move a $20K translator in Pleasanton into San Antonio you now have a $250K translator. That's what a lot of the bigger radio groups are doing now. They are purchasing translators from individuals or what I call translator brokers (Radio Assist/Edgewater) in smaller neighboring communities and moving them into these larger markets turning them into very valuable translators that will either feed one of their AM's or a HD 2 or 3 feed.
 
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