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Receiving Translator interference...what to do?

D

duckfan98

Guest
Hello,

We are a new Commercial FM station (KCMD) in Grants Pass, OR.

We are receiving interference within our protected coverage contour by KRWQ on 99.3.... they removed their translator in Grants Pass, but did not remove their remaining translators on 99.3 in Jacksonville and Ashland. Our signal is overtaken by them as soon as you reach Rogue River, OR. You can see our coverage area here:

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS...?appn=101361570&qnum=5320&copynum=1&exhcnum=1

Question - how do we go about this? Hoping someone is willing to help us out!

I have sent inquiries into their management to no avail....

Thanks, Casey
 
Appears that both K257BT and K257BO have contours outside of the main KRWQ contour (from the maps of the 60 dbu's on the FCC web site). Which is not necessarily proper unless these are very old translators.

In any event, the 40 dbu of the translator can't overlap the 60 dbu of your station unless it is an "unoccupied area." Not that the FCC will do anything about it, absent dumping gobs of money on someone's desk.

Hire local attorney and make noises about "unfair business competition," and if push comes to shove, have consultant draw up maps showing overlaps in violation of Sec. 74.1204. They may fold at that point rather than fight you in a local court. Presumably there are other channels they can move to.

Also see a low power on your frequency--if they are a problem (or you to them) good P/R just to pay a few bucks to move them. Easy to do--just find another frequency & change antenna. Small change for good will.
 
You're in luck...I recalled this to be the case and here it is straight from Part 74's mouth :

§ 74.1203
Interference.
(a) An authorized FM translator or booster station will not be permitted to continue to operate if it causes any actual interference to:
(1) The transmission of any authorized broadcast station; or

Note that it doesn't specify the protected contour. From my understanding, if 1 previous listener of any authorized broadcast station is displaced by a translator, the translator must be silenced until the interference is remedied. Call your nearest FCC district office and explain your case.
 
Might be they are "Pushing" that translator some.(Fudge factor).Might need to break out the FIM 41 and do some measurements.I would call the firm that did your study and explain what's going on.
 
Thanks everyone.

I have sent multiple emails off to management of the other station (Bicoastal ownership), however have not heard back....

I even received an email from a listener today complaining that they cannot get our station because the 'country' station is interfering. I am afraid that their deep pockets will likely ignore the issue until the last possible instance.
 
As Bob mentioned,you may want to call your local FCC field office.Just be sure you are completely up to snuff on everything including EAS and Public file,should they pay a visit.I remember years ago a station in Arkansas reported a violator .That violator got a small fine,the station that reported got a huge fine.Seems their tower was about 2 miles off the approved site.Ouch,that fine 10k hurt..
 
Been other cases where Commission took no action even if "actual listeners" complained. On the other hand, WIOT Toledo was successful in getting a Detroit co-channel translator shut down. In the case of WIOT the key was that the translator's contours (see Section 74.1204) actually overlapped with the protected contour for WIOT. Also helped that WIOT is a Clear Channel station, and they have more lawyers than the other guy. Or the Commission, for that matter.
 
How do I determine if their remaining 99.3 (KRWQ) translators overlap our (KCMD) protected contour?...they have a few on 99.3 around us.
 
duckfan98 said:
How do I determine if their remaining 99.3 (KRWQ) translators overlap our (KCMD) protected contour?...they have a few on 99.3 around us.
Click to expand...

An *unofficial* method...

- Go to http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html .
- Search for your station. (easiest way is to just type "KCMD" in the callsign box at the top)
- In the list that comes up, click on your call letters. (if they come up more than once, it doesn't matter which one you click on)
- Find the link for "Service contour on Google Map" & click on it.

You'll get a Google map with your 60dBu protected contour displayed in aqua. Probably a good idea to print it as you're going to compare it to maps on another site.

Now...

- Go to http://www.radio-locator.com .
- Search for the translator in question. It looks to me as if there are seven stations on 99.3 in Oregon:
K257BT K257BO K257BP K257EB K257DT (translators)
KMAB-LP (LPFM)
KCMD (you!)
- A map comes up. The blue line shows the 40dBu contour. There should be no place which is inside both your aqua line on the Google map *and* the blue line on the Radio-Locator map. (if there is such a place, interference is predicted to happen in that place. As others say, as a full license station you are fully protected from translator interference.)

(You could look up your station on radio-locator as well, but for some reason the site doesn't offer a coverage map for KCMD. Probably because you don't have a license-to-cover yet.)

It looks to me as if K257BO, K257BP, and K257BT all are predicted to interfere with your station. K257BP is probably the one that's already been shut down. (as it would cause by far the most interference)

Radio-Locator doesn't say but it's likely their maps are actually pessimistic -- that the interference caused by translators may actually be worse than their maps suggest. Your 60dBu protected contour is calculated for the signal 50% of the time -- IIRC the interfering contour is calculated for 10% of the time. (a station's signal goes out a LOT further 10% of the time than it does 50% of the time) Given the distance to the other translators & KMAB, it may not matter.

I should also mention I didn't check stations in California. I *think* you're far enough from the state line that any translators in Cal can't cause interference, but I could be wrong...

Again, this is a very informal & unofficial assessment. And, as has been suggested, by my reading it doesn't really matter where the translators' signals are *predicted* to go -- if they *actually* cause interference they have to go.
 
If the translator(s) cause actual interference within your 60dBu, you can probably get the FCC to act on your behalf. As you have already read, translators cannot cause interference to any station, even if outside of the service contour. There was a case less than a year ago where a translator was forced off the air near Detroit because they could not remedy interference to a rimshot FM. See the case:

http://www.radio-info.com/news/fcc-orders-tim-martz-detroit-fm-translator-off-the-air


That said, I've been told by consultants that it's harder to get existing translators turned off than it is new ones. Harder, but still possible. Your best shot is probably to pick up the phone and call the licensee and try to get them to look at changing channels on their translators. Tell them that they are causing interference and that you would prefer to let them work it out rather than involve the FCC. Save any correspondence from affected listeners. If you have to involve the FCC, this documentation is vital.
 
First calculate the antenna height above average terrain towards your station of the translator:

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/haat_calculator.htm

then use this tool to determine the distance to the 40 dbu contour using the 50/10 curves for each radial in the appropriate direction:

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/curves.html

You can you the same programs to then calculate the 60 dbu 50/50 contour of your station.

Or contact a consultant who can calculate any overlap by feeding the information into his software and hit "print" to draw up nice maps showing the overlap.
 
A station here in Georgia is soliciting comments from listeners that may be having reception problems caused by a new translator that has signed on. I am not sure if that is okay with the FCC, but it could help your complaint file you will need if you go the route of an FCC complaint.
 
I was told by an AFCCE consulting engineer that solicited complaints are discounted by the FCC, but the translator operator has to know enough about that to point the solicitation out to the FCC. I've also heard of several solicitations that have been successful, so it may work.
 
FWIW, the Minnesota case (KLZZ) had on-air announcements and links on their website to the FCC to register complaints. Is that solicited? I would think so.

Did it work? Yup. ;)
 
Wright County Guy said:
FWIW, the Minnesota case (KLZZ) had on-air announcements and links on their website to the FCC to register complaints. Is that solicited? I would think so.

Did it work? Yup. ;)
Click to expand...

The political winds blow from a slightly different direction at the FCC these days, or perhaps the translator owner didn't have very good counsel (or none at all) in Washington.
 
Nice job on the map--but that shows only the 60 dbu overlap. The translator 40 dbu cannot overlap the 60 dbu of the full service station. Obviously both translator contour would.
 
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