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Possible VOA coverage for storm areas

E

ElmoreGantry

Guest
In a situation of this magnitude, couldnt VOA provide some coverage to that area(Louisiana, Miss. etc.)? I mean I realize that they are a government run operation, but wouldnt they fall under fema in some way? Devils advocate....Why are they not providing coverage on some FM or satellite services? Or are they restricted in their mode of operations to overseas listeners only? If any engineer knows the answer, please help me out with the possibilities.

Here are a list of stations that are off the air or are on low power.

From the louisiana page"

AM

600 WVOG: off air
690 WTIX: off air, most staff safe in Houston
730 WASO: broadcasting information for St. Tammany Parish
750 KKNO: off air
800 WSHO: URBNO
830 WFNO: normal programming
870 WWL : flagship for United Radio Broadcasters of New Orleans
940 WYLD: off air
990 WGSO: off air
1010 WCKW: normal programming
1060 WLNO: normal programming
1230 WBOK: off air***
1280 WODT: URBNO
1350 WSMB: URBNO
1450 WBYU: normal programming
1540 KGLA: broadcasting Spanish-language information
1560 WSLA: off air

FM

88.3 WRBH: off air
89.1 WBSN: off air
89.9 WWNO: off air, hopes to find new offices soon to share with WWOZ and get back on real soon
90.7 WWOZ: see 89.9
91.5 WTUL: off air
92.3 WDVW: simulcasting Diva 103.3 from Baton Rouge
93.3 WQUE: URBNO
94.3 WTIX: on air at low power? normal programming?
94.7 WOPR: silent, but still pick up carrier
94.9 WPRF: normal programming
95.7 WTKL: URBNO
97.1 WEZB: URBNO
98.5 WYLD: URBNO
99.5 WRNO: off air
101.1 WNOE: off air
101.9 WLMG: URBNO****
102.9 KMEZ: off air
104.1 KHEV: URBNO
104.5 KNOU: on air at low power, regular programming*****
105.3 WKBU: off air
106.1 WKSY: simulcasting with other Northshore Broadcasting stations, doing Northshore news and playing a weird mix of music
106.7 KKND: off air
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by ElmoreGantry on 09/20/05 08:16 PM.</FONT></P>
 
> In a situation of this magnitude, couldnt VOA provide some
> coverage to that area(Louisiana, Miss. etc.)? I mean I
> realize that they are a government run operation, but
> wouldnt they fall under fema in some way? Devils
> advocate....Why are they not providing coverage on some FM
> or satellite services? Or are they restricted in their mode
> of operations to overseas listeners only? If any engineer
> knows the answer, please help me out with the possibilities.

Yes, VOA's mission is a very limited one. They are on-air as the foreign service of the US government. Many are reticent -- for good reason -- to have the government in the business of transmitting news and information to Americans.

In fact, all HF broadcast stations are really intended by the FCC for foreign consumption and SHOULD be engineered that way. That is not how it always works out, though.

COULD VOA's signal cover a storm-ravaged area? Sure. But, one wonders how many folks have shorwave radios. VOA also operates a very large AM station in Marathon Key, FL on 1180 pointed at Cuba. Could that array be turned? It would be tough, I suppose.

Satellite has the same problem as shortwave... not enough receivers. Running enough power off a satellite to open an FM receiver, besides being a logistical issue, would be hard, indeed.

But, we're thinking creatively. It's a good exercise.

DE
 
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