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Ratings for HD and Translators (99X)

S

StoneGT

How will ratings for HD stations and/or translators show up in the ratings? Do Internet streams get captured?

For example, 99X on HD and internet only must have had neglible ratings or were not measured, I never saw them. Now that it is on 97.9, would their ratings include the HD and internet, or just the 97.9 signal?
 
Are Internet feeds PPM-encoded? If so, I don't see how they wouldn't count.
 
If I read this correctly, it would show up as WWWQ-HD2 if there are enough ratings. HD2's should be encoded along with the HD1's and the analog signals.

Only some Internet streams are encoded. V103's stream did show up at one point. I don't think the Cox stations encode, as the quality of their streams do not meet the minimum standards to be encoded.

Very few people still today have HD radio, so I don't believe there is an instance where an HD2 has gotten a rating without a translator.
 
Internet Streams can be encoded, although due to the Commercial Substitution so often required they cannot be encoded with the same PPM as the main station. These internet streams are rated SEPARATELY from their parent station. Recently, some of these streams have been rated so highly that they are actually showing up as serious contenders in the Ratings!

As a translator cannot originate programming and must broadcast the same as its parent station, chances are it is encoded with the same stream as the parent station. PPM listeners who listen on 97.9-FM will be giving credit to 99.7-HD2. This makes a lot of sense, because the spirit of what a Translator is is to be an extension of programming into an area that signal cannot be reached by the Signal it would normally be on.

Of course... there is some debate as to whether 97.9 is operating in the spirit of what a Translator should be (or if it is just a roundabout way to get an LPFM), but for now the FCC seems to be on-board. It's going to suck for Cumulus if anyone decides to put up a 97.7 or a 98.1 anywhere nearby.
 
JoshuaC said:
Of course... there is some debate as to whether 97.9 is operating in the spirit of what a Translator should be (or if it is just a roundabout way to get an LPFM), but for now the FCC seems to be on-board. It's going to suck for Cumulus if anyone decides to put up a 97.7 or a 98.1 anywhere nearby.
Click to expand...

The nearest 98.1 is WMGP in Hogansville (near LaGrange), owned by Citicasters (CC). The nearest 97.7 is WGPB in Rome, owned by GPB, as well as WMGZ in Eatonton. Keep in mind that B98.5 is a second-adjacent to 98.1 and Fox River is a third-adjacent to 97.7.

What is the minimum power for a full-power FM that would be protected? 6000W? Are weaker FMs (WLKQ and WWLG come to mind) grandfathered in? Could Cumulus convert W250BC to a full-power FM, provided interference issues are addressed (maybe by going to a shorter tower to make up for the higher power)? Or would the new station be too close to B98.5 no matter what?
 
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