Now that KMCQ is on Cougar, KFNK 104.9 can move up towards Seattle

[FMSteve]

So I got to thinking about KFNK aka "The Funky Monkey" at 104.9 in Eatonville. It appears that they can also move up North towards Seattle. I looked up the rules and with a C2 to a C3 relationship, 2 channels away just needs 56 kilometers clearance between stations, and currently the distance is 78.990 km. You probably are wondering if KFNK could simply move to the old KMCQ tower site in Enumclaw (Radio Hill), but that location is short by 14 kilometers.

I then realized that KDUX in Aberdeen is not going to be a problem as you're actually moving away from them, and then I checked KKRV, Wenatchee, 104.7, that clears just fine as there is excess space in that allocation. Going North is fixed as KAFE is off to an adjacent channel at 104.1, and to the South is no problem since you're moving away from those allocations in the Portland area.

KFNK can still cover their City of License (Eatonville) with a 70 dbu signal, but move North to capture more population in the Seattle area. In fact, KFNK can move North approximately 24 kilometers (15.34 miles) to the Goldspar Communications' facility on Spar Pole Hill, here:

http://www.goldspar.com/sph.html

By doing so, The Ackerleys (owners of KFNK) can move their 60 dbu protected service contour up about 15 miles from the edge of Kent, WA. Northbound to an arc encompassing most of all of West Seattle, Seward Park, slicing through Mercer Island, and finishing up around Newcastle-Renton-Maple Valley area to the East.

I figure KFNK could pick up an additional 300,000 to 400,000 net persons in this move.

I am hoping somebody could check my math and confirm this. OMG, they should pay me for this. Or perhaps that was the plan all along. 8)

 

[FMSteve]

There could be an issue with KCMS, as they are a C1, on 105.3. I guess an enginner could check this out pretty easily.

 

[jensenbay]

I don't know about all the technical issues, but a better signal in the seattle area from KFNK would be nice.

 

[fybush]

There could be an issue with KCMS, as they are a C1, on 105.3. I guess an enginner could check this out pretty easily.

KFNK is barely fully spaced from KCMS right now. It's 79.2 km from KFNK to KCMS, and the rules require 76 km spacing between a C3 and a second-adjacent C1. Even using the more lenient 73.215 short-spacing rules, Spar Pole Hill wouldn't work (55 km against a minimum 70) - and even if it did, I'm not convinced you could deliver 70 dBu over Eatonville with a C3 from that site.

It's possible in theory to drop KFNK to an A and move it closer to Tacoma - except that it isn't possible in practice, because you'd have to change city of license, and KFNK is the only station licensed to Eatonville.

(And "the Ackerleys" don't own KFNK. Clear Channel does; "Ackerley Broadcasting" is simply a corporate shell that was purchased by CC.)

 

[FMSteve]

Thanks, Scott. Suppose KFNK upgraded where they are currently from C3 to C2, then the relationship would be C2 to C1 with respect to KCMS, and the spacing would be 79 km, with nearly 1 km extra to spare. You wouldn't need to change antenna locations. I haven't checked KDUX milage though but maybe that would work.

 

[FMSteve]

May I correct myself: The milage separation is 78.990 from Cougar to KFNK, with nothing to spare. But using 73.215 (short-spacing) perhaps this could work out, without even moving the tower.

 

[FMSteve]

Hmm. Apparently the KDUX site is too close with respect to KFNK, so Scott is right. They would wave to downgrade to an A and change their city of license.

 

[fybush]

Hmm. Apparently the KDUX site is too close with respect to KFNK, so Scott is right. They would wave to downgrade to an A and change their city of license.

Which they can't do so long as they're the only station licensed to Eatonville.

Game, set, match.

 

[Seattleradiodude]

(And "the Ackerleys" don't own KFNK. Clear Channel does; "Ackerley Broadcasting" is simply a corporate shell that was purchased by CC.)

Can we PLEASE put a end to the "Ackerley" issue already?! Scott nailed it!

KUBE, KJR-FM, KJR-AM, KHHO, and KFNK are all CLEAR CHANNEL. Thats it!

 

[Bongwater]

Hmm. Apparently the KDUX site is too close with respect to KFNK, so Scott is right. They would wave to downgrade to an A and change their city of license.

Which they can't do so long as they're the only station licensed to Eatonville.

Game, set, match.

Which I don't get. Maybe they are licensed to Eatonville, but in programming, they are to Eatonville what KMCQ is to Covington proper - a mere top of the hour technicality.....

Second, don't forget CFUN-FM (the former CKCL on 104.9 out of Vancouver), there's border restrictions on stations on the same channel as a Canadian station.

Yet then again, what KAFE and CHHR did would have been unthinkable 20 years ago.

But I also don't see Clear Channel going to the same lengths as First Broadcasting did for KMCQ.

But I could be wrong. When KMCQ merely announced they were moving to Seattle, I thought somebody had eaten a super-potent space cookie and wrote a press release intended for The Onion. Nobody thought such a move was possible with the corn maze-like obstacles they would have to endure to get it up here. They HAD to be joking...Right?

But THIS was a TRULY HISTORICAL moment in radio. Four radio stations, three American, KMIH, KAFE and KBDB and one Canadian, CHHR had to switch places to make room for this thing from The Dalles. I don't think there's ever been such a massive effort to get one station up here in the history of radio.

Now First has to unload this pig on somebody. Quick. And somehow recoup the losses (which, if they didn't have any tax deductions or other major financial help would require a government bailout in itself. There are civilized nations with defense budgets smaller than what they spent to get KMCQ up here.)

And if First is forced to sell KMCQ as a massive loss, I wouldn't want to be at the next board of directors meeting without a LOT of cookies......

If they sell it at any kind of profit, I think First Broadcasting ought to get out of radio station brokering and start making gravity-defying shoes. Because that would be a name I could TRUST......

 

[w9wi]

Which I don't get. Maybe they are licensed to Eatonville, but in programming, they are to Eatonville what KMCQ is to Covington proper - a mere top of the hour technicality.....

Strange as they seem, technicalities count...

Second, don't forget CFUN-FM (the former CKCL on 104.9 out of Vancouver), there's border restrictions on stations on the same channel as a Canadian station.

Yet then again, what KAFE and CHHR did would have been unthinkable 20 years ago.

Interference to Canadian stations doesn't count if all the interference happens in the U.S.. I've not run the numbers so I don't know if a C3 or C2 down there would put enough across the border to be an issue. Probably not.

But I also don't see Clear Channel going to the same lengths as First Broadcasting did for KMCQ.

They could potentially overcome the "KFNK is the only station in Eatonville" issue by relicensing some other station that already has city-grade coverage of Eatonville. Looking at the map I doubt they have many choices! - KXXO & KNBQ maybe the only two? Don't know if either one is CC-owned but for enough money, might they be convinced to make the change anyway? In both cases the stations' cities-of-license have other FMs licensed.

Something similar happened in Wisconsin last year. WIBA-FM was relicensed from Madison to Sauk City, to allow WMAD to move to a tower closer to Madison from which it could no longer reach its original city-of-license Sauk City. WIBA's existing Class B facility already covered both cities -- WMAD had to downgrade from B1 to A to make the move.

It did help that WIBA and WMAD are co-owned. (and IIRC, by Clear Channel)