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Predictions for 2006

hello there im not sure if anyone on this board does this but i would like to know what everyone thinks will happen with Houston Radio in 2006 i know it seems kinda late to be posting this but if anyone has any predictions let us know.
 
> hello there im not sure if anyone on this board does this
> but i would like to know what everyone thinks will happen
> with Houston Radio in 2006 i know it seems kinda late to be
> posting this but if anyone has any predictions let us know.
>


I predict more people will move to Satellite Radio. Local Radio blows!
 
> > hello there im not sure if anyone on this board does this
> > but i would like to know what everyone thinks will happen
> > with Houston Radio in 2006 i know it seems kinda late to
> be
> > posting this but if anyone has any predictions let us
> know.
> >
>
>
> I predict more people will move to Satellite Radio. Local
> Radio blows!
>

I concur. I also predict that my XM and Sirius stock will do better than CC stock. We'll see.
 
> > I predict more people will move to Satellite Radio.
> Local
> > Radio blows!
> >
>
> I concur. I also predict that my XM and Sirius stock will
> do better than CC stock. We'll see.

That would make your desired point, but just is not true.

Clear Channel stock has as many by recommendations on it as XM nnd far more than Sirius. Clear also has cash flow, somehting that is still years away for the satcasters.
 
> > > I predict more people will move to Satellite Radio.
> > Local
> > > Radio blows!
> > >
> >
> > I concur. I also predict that my XM and Sirius stock will
>
> > do better than CC stock. We'll see.
>
> That would make your desired point, but just is not true.
>
> Clear Channel stock has as many by recommendations on it as
> XM nnd far more than Sirius. Clear also has cash flow,
> somehting that is still years away for the satcasters.
>
The Point finally goes away (that's bold), Sam Malone fails to pull ratings for The Mix, but hangs on in the morning as long as he wants to. CC pulls the plug on sports by the beginning of next football season. Dan Patrick and his group abandon Liberman and purchase their own signal. In what will be a weird and wacky year, some station will lose its license and there will be a scramble for the signal. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
 
740 ktrh will ditch the news & be all talk radio ratins will drop station might be sold. 104 will be sold new djs station will basicly have the same format. 96.5 & 99.1 will be sold & formats will change ratins for these two stations suck now. Satellite radio gets 1 to 3 million more subscribers 2006 will be the first year that regular radio really start to hurt to get listeners becasue of sattellite radio & the soon to be dead regular radio in 10 years of so. I also see internet radio for your car radio out & ready to go by years end or ealry next year.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by DJboutit2 on 01/02/06 04:12 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> 740 ktrh will ditch the news & be all talk radio ratins will
> drop station might be sold. 104 will be sold new djs
> station will basicly have the same format. 96.5 & 99.1 will
> be sold & formats will change ratins for these two stations
> suck now. Satellite radio gets 1 to 3 million more
> subscribers 2006 will be the first year that regular radio
> really start to hurt to get listeners becasue of sattellite
> radio & the soon to be dead regular radio in 10 years of so.
> I also see internet radio for your car radio out & ready to
> go by years end or ealry next year.
>
That made my head hurt. Here's mine.

KHPT- Gone. Cox rocks. Or at least they try to. If it happens, goodbye KIOL.
KLDE- Drops the 107, the five, and the calls, and becomes "Nada Radio".
KRBE- Introduces their new morning show, Grego and the Outlaw.
KIOL/KFNC- In a surprise move, Cumulus Media Partners, sells KIOL and KFNC to Clear Channel for an undisclosed amount of cash and two properties in return. KLOL and KTRH. Cumulus then puts KIOL's format back on KLOL, KFNC's format on KTRH and effectively puts rock and news back to where they belong on the Houston radio dial. (Musta been a lot of cash, and I mean a LOT.)
KHMX- Maybe Maria was the answer?
KKRW- Dean and Rog out...Lex and Terry in.
KTBZ- The Buzz name is now on borrowed time. Maybe Z94.5?
KROI- Leaving the Mexican formats to the big boys. Hallelujah, 92.1.
KKBQ- Since Cox blows up the Point, 93Q goes back to what it did best. Play corny 80's music with even cornier djs. Complete with the $1000 a day, birthday give away. "What's the phrase that pays? 93Q means more money and more music." I wonder if John Lander is still available?
KIKK- Gone is Howard Stern...gone is CNN radio news...gone is KIKK.
KBME- Looks like KILT has bigger balls than you. Swingin' 790 anyone?
KXYZ- Would you like a fortune cookie with that? MRBI goes all Asian after the fall of Biz Radio 1320.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by osr on 01/02/06 04:30 PM.</FONT></P>
 
> KHPT- Gone. Cox rocks. Or at least they try to. If it
> happens, goodbye KIOL.
Someone needs to either wake up the PD over there or give him a clue that we were listening to other stuff in the 80s too. I've tried emailing him.. nothing...

> KLDE- Drops the 107, the five, and the calls, and becomes
> "Nada Radio".
Haha!

> KRBE- Introduces their new morning show, Grego and the
> Outlaw.
God no!

> KTBZ- The Buzz name is now on borrowed time. Maybe Z94.5?
Wonder how long it will be before CC drops the "Buzz" monkier or do you think they'll pay to keep it?

> KROI- Leaving the Mexican formats to the big boys.
> Hallelujah, 92.1.
Amen brotha!

> KKBQ- Since Cox blows up the Point, 93Q goes back to what it
> did best. Play corny 80's music with even cornier djs.
> Complete with the $1000 a day, birthday give away. "What's
> the phrase that pays? 93Q means more money and more music."
> I wonder if John Lander is still available?

Man I would LOVE to see KKBQ go back to top 40 (as 93Q)... but how likely is that?
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by rageradio on 01/03/06 01:54 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> Man I would LOVE to see KKBQ go back to top 40 (as 93Q)...
> but how likely is that?

I doubt that Cox would even consider it. But you know, it would IMO do better as an 80's station than the Point does. Even with Cox at the helm. Houstonians have known KKBQ for the last 25 years. As listeners, we relate certain stations with certain formats. KKBQ with Top 40, KIKK with country, KILT with rock and country, KLOL with rock, KQUE with standards, and so on. I am willing to bet that KKBQ as an "80's station" would be a full point higher in ratings than KHPT is. It sure couldn't hurt the station, I mean 93Q is doing a pretty poor job of trying to be a country station, so why not?
 
>
> That made my head hurt.
>

LOL! No truer words have been spoken. For some reason, that boy just cannot communicate through the written word.
 
> > Man I would LOVE to see KKBQ go back to top 40 (as 93Q)...
> > but how likely is that?
>
> I doubt that Cox would even consider it. But you know, it
> would IMO do better as an 80's station than the Point does.
> Even with Cox at the helm. Houstonians have known KKBQ for
> the last 25 years. As listeners, we relate certain stations
> with certain formats. KKBQ with Top 40, KIKK with country,
> KILT with rock and country, KLOL with rock, KQUE with
> standards, and so on. I am willing to bet that KKBQ as an
> "80's station" would be a full point higher in ratings than
> KHPT is. It sure couldn't hurt the station, I mean 93Q is
> doing a pretty poor job of trying to be a country station,
> so why not?
>
Prediction for KKBQ: no changes, except the ratings, which will drop. KHPT: Still cranking out the same '80's music this time next year. KTHT: Country Legends will still be Tubby and automation the rest of the time, but ratings will remain strong, unless someone who wants to put a real Classic Country station on the air with a full staff, then Legends is ratings history; and KLDE still hanging in there this year with the surprise that Cox made some changes to KLDE and they were good changes.

The only three major changes I see to FM this year is KROI going to Urban Gospel no later than 2Q, maybe sooner. KHJZ switching formats by summer if ratings don't improve by Spring book. I think the Smooth Jazz format has played itself out. While good background music it is even more boring than Sunny and has less music to pull from than Sunny. Sunny should be extremely greatful for Christmas and the Holiday Season, I think KODA would not even be a top ten station if it weren't for the month of Christmas music and the unusually large amount of medical facilites in Houston. KFNC goes to AM radio and Cumulus takes a chance on either all Vietnamese or a mixture of Asian formats on the crippled 97.5 frequency.

Multcultural {MRBI} sells off KCHN 1050 and KXYZ 1320 and Cumulus snaps up both stations. In an unusual move Liberman {LBI} sells KSEV 700 to Cumulus in exchange for an uncertain at this point cash payment and the 1050 signal. Cumulus sick of signal challanged stations will fast track an upgrade to 700 with 50kw days and 25kW nights to cover metro Houston without being walked all over by WLW. KFNC moves to 700 as KNWS NEWS 700 with all News and 97.5 tries for the growing Asian community in Houston-Galveston and the coast. The heritage KXYZ calls go to 97.5 and 1320 becomes KHTX Houston's Hot Talk station with a simulcast of Walton & Johnson mornings {for all those mornings that KOUL 103.7 Sinton-Corpus Christi wipes out KIOL} and moves Jim Pruett's show over to 1320 afternoons. Weekdays 5:30am to 7pm will be a lineup of live and local shows and the rest of the time will be syndicated fare. Darrell Martin will sell off 1360 KWWJ Baytown, 1140 KYOK Conroe and KANI 1500 Wharton which suffer big time when KROI goes to Urban Gospel, a format that is currently carrying those three stations. Dan Patrick finally buys a station for his Conservative News-Talk, KWWJ and upgrades 1360 to cover Houston nights. Cumulus may grab 1140 as the station has good upgrade potetial for metro Houston with 1150 College Station signing off this year and keeps the X-Band 1620 signal. KANI 1500 is a toss up, not much that can be done with 1500 in metro Houston, the station could go silent. The other possibility is 1500 gets a fist full of signal overlap waivers and moves into the highly populated and fast growing SW Houston-Sugar Land-Missouri City area and narrow casts for that area. KIKK will once again become Business News and jump over to 640kHz with a highly directional but potent 5 or 10kw signal, using the same company that orchestrated Dallas' KSKY 660 upgrade to 20kW right down Houston's throat. It could well be the year of change for AM in Houston. Clear Channel finally lets 790 die a natural death, with the possibility of a KQUE to return to the air. Adult Standards thought to be nursing home music has had a growth rate of popularity from 14% of 16 to 35 year olds in the beginning of '05 to 34% by November of '05 and like Houston still growing, fast. The Standards are not just the music of the old and dying.

The rest of FM will stay basically the same, with KIOL finally becoming the KLOL of the 2000's and start to make it's mark in Houston radio. Most FM stations will be in HD Radio by sometime in the year, with many using the HD2 channel, but affordable radios will be next to impossible to find or met with a big so what, possibly both. Then again HD Radio even for FM may be on hold because the bastards at the RIAA and companies that produce CD's for a dollar and charge us $20 want a flag on all music that is broadcast on a digital signal so you can not record the music. More in another post after I read up on all the particulars.

Satellite Radio will be the choice in vehicles that opt for more than the basic AM-FM radio. Internet Radio will become hot and IR boomboxes will become available at nearly the same price as current boomboxes. Traditional AM-FM stations will have a more difficult year as many listeners switch to Satellite Radio, Internet Radio and CD's as their primary music and entertainment source, as has already happened with many in the under 25 year old segment of the market. But then I think I only had a 10% success rate for last years guesses. I hope to find what I did predict for 2005 and see just how badly I did. Although the figures for Adult Standards making a come back are real numbers, as is the loss of the under 25 yo population to radio.

One last prediction a 2000 foot tower will spurt up to the west of Baytown and KIOL has the best rim-shot signal in Houston.

Mike O
 
> Darrell Martin will sell off 1360
> KWWJ Baytown, 1140 KYOK Conroe and KANI 1500 Wharton which
> suffer big time when KROI goes to Urban Gospel, a format
> that is currently carrying those three stations. Dan
> Patrick finally buys a station for his Conservative
> News-Talk, KWWJ and upgrades 1360 to cover Houston nights.

What about the fact that KRCM 1380 is moving from Beaumont to north of Houston? Won't that interfere with 1360 upgrading?
 
> > Man I would LOVE to see KKBQ go back to top 40 (as 93Q)...
>
> > but how likely is that?
>
> I doubt that Cox would even consider it. But you know, it
> would IMO do better as an 80's station than the Point does.
> Even with Cox at the helm. Houstonians have known KKBQ for
> the last 25 years. As listeners, we relate certain stations
> with certain formats. KKBQ with Top 40, KIKK with country,
> KILT with rock and country, KLOL with rock, KQUE with
> standards, and so on. I am willing to bet that KKBQ as an
> "80's station" would be a full point higher in ratings than
> KHPT is. It sure couldn't hurt the station, I mean 93Q is
> doing a pretty poor job of trying to be a country station,
> so why not?
>

I wonder if Cox is even aware of what is has with KKBQ and it's history?
Do they even know it's history?
 
> > Darrell Martin will sell off 1360
> > KWWJ Baytown, 1140 KYOK Conroe and KANI 1500 Wharton which
>
> > suffer big time when KROI goes to Urban Gospel, a format
> > that is currently carrying those three stations. Dan
> > Patrick finally buys a station for his Conservative
> > News-Talk, KWWJ and upgrades 1360 to cover Houston nights.
>
>
> What about the fact that KRCM 1380 is moving from Beaumont
> to north of Houston? Won't that interfere with 1360
> upgrading?
>
You are exactly correct...the 1380 application that was filed makes it such that any increase on 1360 or 1390 is going to be difficult, if not impossible at this point in time. The 5 mv/m contour of 1380 and 1360 can't overlap. It's tighter for 1380 and 1390.

Of course, this assumes that the KRCM application is granted by the FCC. It's a singleton, and should be granted, but the Commission seems to be taking its sweet time about getting anything done right now.
 
> > > Darrell Martin will sell off 1360
> > > KWWJ Baytown, 1140 KYOK Conroe and KANI 1500 Wharton which
> > > suffer big time when KROI goes to Urban Gospel, a format
> > > that is currently carrying those three stations. Dan
> > > Patrick finally buys a station for his Conservative
> > > News-Talk, KWWJ and upgrades 1360 to cover Houston nights.
> >
> >
> > What about the fact that KRCM 1380 is moving from Beaumont
> > to north of Houston? Won't that interfere with 1360
> > upgrading?
> >
> You are exactly correct...the 1380 application that was
> filed makes it such that any increase on 1360 or 1390 is
> going to be difficult, if not impossible at this point in
> time. The 5 mv/m contour of 1380 and 1360 can't overlap.
> It's tighter for 1380 and 1390.
>
> Of course, this assumes that the KRCM application is granted
> by the FCC. It's a singleton, and should be granted, but the
> Commission seems to be taking its sweet time about getting
> anything done right now.
>
The KRCM 1380 application isn't going to have much if any effect on KWWJ and any upgrade. Currently KWWJ is sending at best a signal of 3mV/m at the southern boundry of The Woodlands. KWWJ can't really upgrade it's signal to the north from the Baytown site because of 50kW KMNY in Hurst {Dallas-Fort Worth} with the array between the two cities. The co-channel separation is .025mV/m to .5mv/m, which the two stations are very close to already. If KWWJ took their signal to the 5mV/m to 5mV/m to just south of The Woodlands where KRCM 1380's 5mV/m signal ends, they would be over the allowable separation of signals with KMNY. The 1380 application is only for 480 watts daytime and 65 watts nighttime with the antenna approximately 5km south of the center of Conroe and 9km north of the center of The Woodlands. The 5mV/m signal only reaches approximately 10.6km from the antenna non-directionally. Since the station is a class D it has no nighttime protection.

If 1360 could engineer a day/night site from NW Harris County, 1380 might limit the signal to the east towards The Woodlands, but KWWJ has to protect KNIR in New Iberia and the stations already have over lapping daytime signals. KWWJ also has to protect KKTX 1360 in Corpus Christi which actually causes more grief for KWWJ than KMNY, even though KKTX is only 1000 watts but the signal travels up the coast and both stations overlap from Lake Jackson to Bay City. A nighttime site in NW Harris County with the signal over most of greater Houston might be possible. WKAT 1360 in Miami could be the spoiler in that plan. The current signal to the west is at max with 1st adjacent KCOR 1350 in San Antonio, where the Regulations call for a .25mV/m to .5mV/m contour protection. KWWJ and KJCE 1370 Austin actually overlap the .5mV/m signal in the Brenham area. Any upgrade KWWJ can engineer will depend on how much overlap the FCC will allow. Daytime is probably the best it will get, from the Baytown site. Nighttime is where there is the possibility of covering Houston, but KWWJ doesn't have to be concerned with KRCM 1380 at night as long as they are a class D station.

Mike O
 
> > > What about the fact that KRCM 1380 is moving from
> Beaumont
> > > to north of Houston? Won't that interfere with 1360
> > > upgrading?
> > >
> > You are exactly correct...the 1380 application that was
> > filed makes it such that any increase on 1360 or 1390 is
> > going to be difficult, if not impossible at this point in
> > time. The 5 mv/m contour of 1380 and 1360 can't overlap.
> > It's tighter for 1380 and 1390.
> >
> > Of course, this assumes that the KRCM application is
> granted
> > by the FCC. It's a singleton, and should be granted, but
> the
> > Commission seems to be taking its sweet time about getting
>
> > anything done right now.
> >
> The KRCM 1380 application isn't going to have much if any
> effect on KWWJ and any upgrade. Currently KWWJ is sending
> at best a signal of 3mV/m at the southern boundry of The
> Woodlands. KWWJ can't really upgrade it's signal to the
> north from the Baytown site because of 50kW KMNY in Hurst
> {Dallas-Fort Worth} with the array between the two cities.
> The co-channel separation is .025mV/m to .5mv/m, which the
> two stations are very close to already. If KWWJ took their
> signal to the 5mV/m to 5mV/m to just south of The Woodlands
> where KRCM 1380's 5mV/m signal ends, they would be over the
> allowable separation of signals with KMNY. The 1380
> application is only for 480 watts daytime and 65 watts
> nighttime with the antenna approximately 5km south of the
> center of Conroe and 9km north of the center of The
> Woodlands. The 5mV/m signal only reaches approximately
> 10.6km from the antenna non-directionally. Since the
> station is a class D it has no nighttime protection.
>
> If 1360 could engineer a day/night site from NW Harris
> County, 1380 might limit the signal to the east towards The
> Woodlands, but KWWJ has to protect KNIR in New Iberia and
> the stations already have over lapping daytime signals.
> KWWJ also has to protect KKTX 1360 in Corpus Christi which
> actually causes more grief for KWWJ than KMNY, even though
> KKTX is only 1000 watts but the signal travels up the coast
> and both stations overlap from Lake Jackson to Bay City. A
> nighttime site in NW Harris County with the signal over most
> of greater Houston might be possible. WKAT 1360 in Miami
> could be the spoiler in that plan. The current signal to
> the west is at max with 1st adjacent KCOR 1350 in San
> Antonio, where the Regulations call for a .25mV/m to .5mV/m
> contour protection. KWWJ and KJCE 1370 Austin actually
> overlap the .5mV/m signal in the Brenham area. Any upgrade
> KWWJ can engineer will depend on how much overlap the FCC
> will allow. Daytime is probably the best it will get, from
> the Baytown site. Nighttime is where there is the
> possibility of covering Houston, but KWWJ doesn't have to be
> concerned with KRCM 1380 at night as long as they are a
> class D station.
>
> Mike O
>
Perhaps a matter of semantics, but I stand by what I posted earlier...whatever the reason, KWWJ is pretty well hosed-they can't do much of anything now. They may have had more options when they were just 1 kw daytime. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what form KRCM takes when the dust clears.
 
> Perhaps a matter of semantics, but I stand by what I posted
> earlier...whatever the reason, KWWJ is pretty well
> hosed-they can't do much of anything now. They may have had
> more options when they were just 1 kw daytime. Nevertheless,
> it will be interesting to see what form KRCM takes when the
> dust clears.
>
I agree with you that KWWJ 1360 is hosed with the daytime signal. KRCM 1380 could possibly be a hinderance if KWWJ was to move to a daytime site in NW Harris County, although I don't see how 1360 would gain any coverage, likely there would be a loss of coverage in any move from the Baytown site.

Not to be agrumentive, but KRCM 1380 at 65 watts nights non-directional and a Class D station has no protection from other signals at night and would not be a hinderance to KWWJ if they were to build a separate night site in NW Harris County and sent the signal over the City of Houston and Baytown. This scenario is a possibility, although I haven't run a study on stations that need to be protected at night and if it is realistic option for KWWJ to cover Houston at night. I think that WKAT 1360 in Miami could be station that will kill any meaningful upgrade from NW Harris County at night.

KWWJ is crammed in between a now 50kW DFW station KMNY 1360 and KKTX 1360 with 1kw in Corpus Christi and KNIR 1360 1kW New Iberia, what they have daytime is already over lapping signals. I don't see any room for an upgrade daytime. I'm surprised that KWWJ was given the upgrade to 5kW daytime with the over lapping signals. Nighttime is where there MAY BE a possibility.

I think we both agree that KWWJ is stuck where they are in coverage daytime.

I have been playing PD and trying to decide what KRCM 1380 will program when they come on the air. If the FCC ever acts on the application, which has sat idle for a year now, the station could be on the air in a short period of time with one short antenna near The North Frwy and daytime coverage of Conroe and The Woodlands. Nighttime coverage will not cover either city at 65 watts, making KRCM a daytime station for practical purposes. It should be programming that is specifically for Conroe/The Woodlands. Possibly a local Talk station with AM, PM drive time and midday News blocks specific for the area? Although very expensive for a low power station. Probably syndicated fare fulltime, 50's - 60's Oldies or Adult Standards or a long shot, Air America. I can see AAR doing fair to good in The Woodlands, but have doubts if AAR would pull any numbers from Conroe. When ever the FCC sees fit to most likely approve the move of KRCM to Shenandoah, it will be on the air shortly afterwards and we will find out, or those that are close enough to hear the station.

Mike O
 
> > Perhaps a matter of semantics, but I stand by what I
> posted
> > earlier...whatever the reason, KWWJ is pretty well
> > hosed-they can't do much of anything now. They may have
> had
> > more options when they were just 1 kw daytime.
> Nevertheless,
> > it will be interesting to see what form KRCM takes when
> the
> > dust clears.
> >
> I agree with you that KWWJ 1360 is hosed with the daytime
> signal. KRCM 1380 could possibly be a hinderance if KWWJ
> was to move to a daytime site in NW Harris County, although
> I don't see how 1360 would gain any coverage, likely there
> would be a loss of coverage in any move from the Baytown
> site.
>
> Not to be agrumentive, but KRCM 1380 at 65 watts nights
> non-directional and a Class D station has no protection from
> other signals at night and would not be a hinderance to KWWJ
> if they were to build a separate night site in NW Harris
> County and sent the signal over the City of Houston and
> Baytown. This scenario is a possibility, although I haven't
> run a study on stations that need to be protected at night
> and if it is realistic option for KWWJ to cover Houston at
> night. I think that WKAT 1360 in Miami could be station
> that will kill any meaningful upgrade from NW Harris County
> at night.
>
> KWWJ is crammed in between a now 50kW DFW station KMNY 1360
> and KKTX 1360 with 1kw in Corpus Christi and KNIR 1360 1kW
> New Iberia, what they have daytime is already over lapping
> signals. I don't see any room for an upgrade daytime. I'm
> surprised that KWWJ was given the upgrade to 5kW daytime
> with the over lapping signals. Nighttime is where there MAY
> BE a possibility.
>
> I think we both agree that KWWJ is stuck where they are in
> coverage daytime.
>
> I have been playing PD and trying to decide what KRCM 1380
> will program when they come on the air. If the FCC ever
> acts on the application, which has sat idle for a year now,
> the station could be on the air in a short period of time
> with one short antenna near The North Frwy and daytime
> coverage of Conroe and The Woodlands. Nighttime coverage
> will not cover either city at 65 watts, making KRCM a
> daytime station for practical purposes. It should be
> programming that is specifically for Conroe/The Woodlands.
> Possibly a local Talk station with AM, PM drive time and
> midday News blocks specific for the area? Although very
> expensive for a low power station. Probably syndicated fare
> fulltime, 50's - 60's Oldies or Adult Standards or a long
> shot, Air America. I can see AAR doing fair to good in The
> Woodlands, but have doubts if AAR would pull any numbers
> from Conroe. When ever the FCC sees fit to most likely
> approve the move of KRCM to Shenandoah, it will be on the
> air shortly afterwards and we will find out, or those that
> are close enough to hear the station.
>
> Mike O
>

You never know...the consultant who did the KRCM application may have a trick or two up his sleeve for higher daytime power, and perhaps some significant night service as well. Of course, tower location is critical, and land isn't near as easy to find as it would have been 25-30 years ago. Speaking of that,who would have thought that the Houston metro would have grown out so dramatically? And of course broadcasting was very different back then, with a very different sense of local service. As to KWWJ, I believe that Baytown started out as 1 kw, DA-1 and later shoehorned in an increase to 5 kw, DA-2, trying to serve more of the Houston metro. Now, anything up to and including 50 kw is possible (although I don't know if current ownership has either the desire or resources to even attempt something like that).
 
> You never know...the consultant who did the KRCM application
> may have a trick or two up his sleeve for higher daytime
> power, and perhaps some significant night service as well.
> Of course, tower location is critical, and land isn't near
> as easy to find as it would have been 25-30 years ago.
> Speaking of that,who would have thought that the Houston
> metro would have grown out so dramatically? And of course
> broadcasting was very different back then, with a very
> different sense of local service. As to KWWJ, I believe that
> Baytown started out as 1 kw, DA-1 and later shoehorned in an
> increase to 5 kw, DA-2, trying to serve more of the Houston
> metro. Now, anything up to and including 50 kw is possible
> (although I don't know if current ownership has either the
> desire or resources to even attempt something like that).
>
The DFW stations are upgrading many of their stations to 50kW days, which is putting a serious damper on many Houston stations upgrading to the north, an area that has terrible AM service even during the day from Houston. I don't know why any of the Houston stations have not applied to upgrade to cover more of the metro area? They are owned by companies that certainly could afford the cost.

KWWJ couldn't go to 50kW from the present daytime site, they are at the limit for 1st adjacents with KCOR 1350 San Antonio and are over lapping signals with KJCE 1370 Austin.

According to the application from KRCM they are at the limit for 1st adjacents with KULP 1390 El Campo going southward at 480 watts non-directional, although I find KRCM's numbers to be suspect. They don't match up with KULP's signal contours by a good 40km. I think that they could send far more power towards Houston than is proposed and nighttime could definitely be 5kW or higher over Houston. I think the object is to get the station on the air and then work out a better coverage of Houston. The plan they have now is reasonably inexpensive (not cheap by any means, but compared to six or eight 1/4 wave antennas, inexpensive) and could easily be replaced, but it may be the only land available anywhere in that high growth corridor. I don't remember exactly, but I don't think the antenna is very far from The North Freeway, maybe a 1000 feet at best. With only 65 watts at night and the antenna KRCM is proposing, I'll be surprised if they cover more than two miles from the antenna at night on 1380.

I have lived in Houston for 28 years now and it never stops to amaze me how the metro just keeps expanding outward. Unfortunately this has left the metro area without an AM station that can effectively cover all the territory any longer at night, hell only a handful do better than the city at night. I live near Voss and San Felipe and lose KJOJ 880; KGOL 1180; KQUE 1230 for any real listening; KWWJ 1360; KLVL 1480 and KMIC 1590 at night. KSEV 700; KYST 920 and KCOH 1430 can be good or unlistenable depending on how much skip there is that night. KYST is the most reliable out of the three of having a good signal. WLW kills KSEV most nights and KTBZ "The Buzz" in Tulsa can make KCOH a mess some nights. Surprisingly I have had KCOH in pretty good near Cypress at my parents on a number of nights. I also get a decent signal from KMIC there, yet I'm less than eight miles from KMIC's array and can't get them at night, dead center in their null towards Corpus Christi area.

Mike O
 
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