For the last week or so, South 107 has been legally ID-ing as "WTSH, Rockmart/Atlanta." No more of this "Rockmart/Rome/Atlanta" business. So their transmitter move must be complete.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
South 107 Has Officially Left Rome
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
According to Radio-Locator and RecNet, Rockmart is their current CoL. And it doesn't matter what other locales they list in the legal ID after the CoL.
The current CP they have open is to keep their transmitter put, up power from 45k to a full 100k, and change the city of license to Aragon (why?).
This CP is contingent on the move of second-adjacent WAMJ 107.5 from the Perimeter Mall area to Norcross, near the former location of the "Gwinnett Is Great" water tanks. WAMJ also gets to go from 21.5k C3 to 33k C2. Maybe they can then get rid of that translator on 102.9.
The current CP they have open is to keep their transmitter put, up power from 45k to a full 100k, and change the city of license to Aragon (why?).
This CP is contingent on the move of second-adjacent WAMJ 107.5 from the Perimeter Mall area to Norcross, near the former location of the "Gwinnett Is Great" water tanks. WAMJ also gets to go from 21.5k C3 to 33k C2. Maybe they can then get rid of that translator on 102.9.
jabba17 said:
It's been licensed to Rockmart for a long time. Judging from the docket number on the allocation (87-376) I'd say it's been their COL since 1987. As you say, the change in the legal ID doesn't signal anything -- if they're licensed to Rockmart, they're required to mention it first, but it doesn't matter what other communities they mention after that.
Speculation about the COL change to Aragon:
Note that if you look up WTSH on FCC FM Query, there's a note under the 100kw CP about "Section 73.215 contour protection station" that doesn't appear under the existing facility.
There is no site where WTSH could operate at 100kw into an antenna 300m high that would be close enough to Rockmart (within 50km) to provide a 70dBu city-grade signal, but far enough from other stations on frequencies between 106.5-107.7 to not interfere.
Since a full-powered C1 station on 107.1 could not provide city-grade service to Rockmart, the channel could not be allotted to that city.
They examined the map, and found a site exists where they could operate at 100kw into a 300m-high antenna without interfering with anyone. That site would provide city-grade service to a number of other communities. (but not Rockmart) They picked Aragon.
Now, they don't actually intend to use that site, the one where a full 300m tower would be acceptable. They intend to use their existing antenna site. But to get the C1 allotment, such a site must exist.
They can't operate from the existing site with a full 100kw/300m facility. (if they could, they wouldn't have to change the city of license) There are three things they can do to ensure they don't interfere with other stations on/near 107.1:
1. Operate at less than 100kw.
2. Use an antenna lower than 300m.
3. Use a directional antenna that limits the signal in the direction of the other stations.
Or some combination of all three.
WTSH plans to use #2. They plan to use their existing antenna, 158m high. Since the FCC approved the application.. apparently 158m is low enough to reduce WTSH's coverage enough to ensure it won't interfere with anything else. (WAMJ, especially)
For what it's worth, most stations use #3.
(end of speculation)
IIRC wasn't this the old WZOT FM? (cir.1970's)
Actually, they plan to build a new tower on the same site. But as Jabba said above, the move is contingent on WAMJ moving, which has been iffy.
secondchoice said:
WZOT was a class A that hung off the side of the WPLK (now WZOT on the AM dial) tower. The tower is directly behind the studio... if it is still in the same place. In the late 70s WZOT broadcasted a few hours a day from a studio in Rome and during the lunch hours, the receptionist ran the FM... basically she watched a very large looking automation system that had four cart carousells.
I still remember when I worked for WKRP Dallas we would go to "record" the Paulding County High School Games to play back when we signed on Saturday morning. The ultimate rilvary was Rockmart High School. WZOT would be in the press booth with us. In the Rockmart High School press box they even had a permanent antenna mounted on the roof of the press box to plug their Marti in to.
Those were the days of local radio.
WZOT-AM is the only station I've seen that has a chapel in the studio building.
I was under the impression that 107.1 was filing to move closer into the Atlanta market (see previous threads from five years ago such as this one and this one). While WTSH has been and is still licensed to Rockmart, I figured the shedding of "Rome" from the legal ID could be part of their plan to be closer to Atlanta. Well... in a way, it is! 
South 107 does have a CP to move closer to Atlanta but can't do so unless WAMJ moves first. I'm now hearing that Radio One expects to get the WAMJ move done before the CP runs out but barely.
DToTheJ said:I was under the impression that 107.1 was filing to move closer into the Atlanta market (see previous threads from five years ago such as this one and this one). While WTSH has been and is still licensed to Rockmart, I figured the shedding of "Rome" from the legal ID could be part of their plan to be closer to Atlanta. Well... in a way, it is!
Well, that's another possibility... (remember, my previous post was speculation)
So, speculation #2:
There *is* a site where 100kw/300m would fit without interfering and while still providing 70dBu across Rockmart.
However, the station plans to move to a new site, closer to Atlanta, where 70dBu would *not* be provided to Rockmart. (but would be provided to Aragon)
They got the allotment changed first but don't yet have a firm deal for the new site. They can't file the application to move until they have "reasonable assurance" the landowners will allow them to install their antenna.
We will see, within a few weeks, an application to move the tower.
(end of speculation #2)
Problem with speculation #2 is that I'm not seeing why they need to file for the 100kw power increase at their existing site -- I'd think they could wait for completion of the deal for the new site first.
_________________________________________________
I only see one valid CP in the FCC database, and it calls for increasing power at the existing site. There is no current CP for a site change.
The authorization does require that WTSH cannot begin operation with 100kw until WAMJ begins operating from their new site:
They did receive a permit in 2001 to move roughly 20 miles south-southeast. It was amended a few times; one change was granted and then canceled. The whole thing was superceded by the current permit which seems to have been granted in January 2009.
Interestingly, an "imported letter" attached to WTSH's database record suggests the station tried to change the COL back *from* Aragon *to* Rockmart -- and were denied, for failing to make three of the four showings necessary to get a city-of-license change approved. My bet is they simply forgot the CP changed the COL & wrote "Rockmart" out of habit...
- Status