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Question about FM radio classes

M

musicman3355

Guest
What's the difference between class B and class C FM stations? Also, why are there specific areas that local FMs are class B and areas where the FMs are class C?
 
Minor error in the Wikipedia article--Class D stations are technically limited to 10 watts transmitter output (with no limit on antenna gain or height) but, as a practical matter, FCC will license stations with 50 watts ERP. The real limits are set by contour protections to other existing stations. Translators may operate with 250 watts, with varying coverage limits, but these are, of course, not "broadcast" stations.

Also, class is determined by transmitter site, not city of license. Example: WPAY-FM, Portsmouth, Ohio, which is classed as a "C-0" because the transmitter site is across the Ohio River from Portsmouth in Kentucky (Class C territory).

Finally, while stations in the reserved band (88.1 to 91.9) will be listed by class in the FCC database, the designation is essentially irrelevant except as to protections required towards Canadian or Mexican stations. Domestically allocations are done by contour protection rather than by minimum distance, as is the case with the commercial stations.
 
TomT said:
Finally, while stations in the reserved band (88.1 to 91.9) will be listed by class in the FCC database, the designation is essentially irrelevant except as to protections required towards Canadian or Mexican stations. Domestically allocations are done by contour protection rather than by minimum distance, as is the case with the commercial stations.
Click to expand...

Except with respect to separations between commercial stations on 92.1/3/5 and noncomms on 91.5/7/9, where the class of the noncomm station does matter, and where the minimum-distance tables apply, no?
 
@Scott: You're right. I had written a post disagreeing with you, but I then discovered you were right.

(The edit button made me look silly for only two minutes and not all time)
 
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