• 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

Strange happenings at WQRV HD-2/106.5 Kiss FM Huntsville.

R

RollTide

I turned over to Kiss FM on its parent frequency 100.3 HD2 tonight, because I was out in Harvest and Toney area so I wanted to listen to a stronger signal, and to my surprise it was a simulcast of 100.3 The River. ??? I flipped over to the translator on 106.5 and it was still regular top 40 programming as Kiss FM. The RDS of 100.3 HD2 was still displaying the songs Kiss FM was playing, but it obviously didn't match the classic hits that was coming out of my speakers. I triple checked to be sure my radio hadn't jumped to the HD1 frequency by mistake, but it hadn't. It was definitely the HD2 signal, complete with the typical 30 second delay it always has. This continued for the two hours I was on the road until I got home and turned it off, so it's probably still going on as I type this. Obviously there are some technical issues happening here, but the big question I had was how was the translator still playing Top 40 Kiss FM if it's parent signal was currently mistakenly playing The River? I've never worked with HD sub channels simulcasted on translators before so I don't know what the FCC regulations are as to how the translators are allowed to pick up their signals from HD sub channels. Maybe someone here can answer that question for me and correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it had to be over the air as usual. Translators can't carry original programing on their own, so if something else was being heard on the parent signal, even if by mistake, shouldn't it have also been reflected on the translator? As far as the HD2 signal, somone must have accidentally flipped the wrong switch before leaving the building or something. Who knows what's going on there. I just hope its fixed ASAP!
 
I'm pretty sure the rules allow for other-than-OTA reception for both AM and HD subchannels carried on translators, because I've never heard a translator that sounds like it's being fed by either. They're always much clearer and cleaner sounding. But it should be carrying whatever the parent is carrying, even if it's wrong. So somehow Kiss FM got switched off the HD feed but not its translator feed. They're obviously completely separate feeds at some point.

I've heard more than a few HD subs that were off air completely or just dead while the translators continued unabated, so obviously folks are counting on no one hearing the HD feed to begin with.
 
Yea I knew it was different for translators being fed from am's but I thought it was OTA for HD subchannels. I guess not. You're right too that the translator's sound quality is better than the HD2 signal when you're in city grade contour. I guess no one at CC Huntsville is paying any attention. As of this post the HD2 is still relaying The River. If they think no one is paying attention to the HD2 they're wrong.
 
Yep, if you think about it for a second... if a translator can carry an AM daytimer 24 hours in stereo why should a HD-2/3 translator be required to carry a low bitrate stream?


My spell checker wanted me to type "nitrate" instead of bitrate. Guess that means my computer want to blow up a translator?
 
RollTide said:
Yea I knew it was different for translators being fed from am's but I thought it was OTA for HD subchannels.
Click to expand...

The OTA rule applies to non-fill-in translators. Because most of the translators that relay HD subchannels are technically "fill-in" translators, they, too, can be fed directly. A "fill-in" translator relays a signal within its primary signal contour. The theory was that fill-in translators were designed to provide a signal to an area that was entitled to receive it but couldn't, and it was possible, if not likely, that the translator would be located in the same area and, thus, would also be unable to pick the signal up over-the-air.
 
I had the opportunity to listen to a half-hour of Kiss FM last night as Billy the Kid's show played. Clearly the whole thing is being piped in from other syndicated shows, but kudos to Clear Channel for at least trying to make it sound like they care.

I was surprised to hold a signal from the station all the way to Lacey's Spring. Their output power is the obvious shortcoming, but Clear Channel does a good job of maximizing the signal with some of the hottest processing I've heard outside of Atlanta. The processing may be one tick too hot but is better in my opinion than the fairly weak sound of WZYP, which has no sonic signature whatsoever. The imaging voice for Kiss FM sounded great but perhaps a little rushed on imaging production, so there's room for improvement. Music transitions were pretty tight as well; while they weren't perfect they were better than the transitions on ZYP's Perez/Adam Bomb show, which can sometimes produce tremendous dead-air space.

Kiss FM has the makings of a decent translator station, but the real question is whether or not that signal can punch into buildings like Parkway Place and Bridge Street. At 150 watts, my guess is no. Still, it's probably a cheap, fun side project for Clear Channel to add some value to buying ads on their stations.
 
whitfm said:
I had the opportunity to listen to a half-hour of Kiss FM last night as Billy the Kid's show played. Clearly the whole thing is being piped in from other syndicated shows, but kudos to Clear Channel for at least trying to make it sound like they care.

I was surprised to hold a signal from the station all the way to Lacey's Spring. Their output power is the obvious shortcoming, but Clear Channel does a good job of maximizing the signal with some of the hottest processing I've heard outside of Atlanta. The processing may be one tick too hot but is better in my opinion than the fairly weak sound of WZYP, which has no sonic signature whatsoever. The imaging voice for Kiss FM sounded great but perhaps a little rushed on imaging production, so there's room for improvement. Music transitions were pretty tight as well; while they weren't perfect they were better than the transitions on ZYP's Perez/Adam Bomb show, which can sometimes produce tremendous dead-air space.

Kiss FM has the makings of a decent translator station, but the real question is whether or not that signal can punch into buildings like Parkway Place and Bridge Street. At 150 watts, my guess is no. Still, it's probably a cheap, fun side project for Clear Channel to add some value to buying ads on their stations.
Click to expand...

I agree. The signal itself gets out pretty well. Better than I expected. On a clear day I can get it in Decatur and Athens with very little problems. You are absolutely right about the processing. When you are driving around in the city, the translator sounds better than some of the 100,000 watts signals here. It even sounds better than their HD2 parent signal. The imaging is good, though I would still prefer it to be male and female mixed rather than all female. There are a LOT of generic drops just saying "Huntsville's hit music now, 106-5 Kiss FM". I wouldn't mind hearing more drops with a little more to them, but the imaging is still loads better than anything ZYP has and musically Kiss blows ZYP away. You're right about the afternoon and evening jocks. They are obviously piped in voice tracked shows (at least obvious to us radio geeks), but the weekday mid-day female jock is local. I'd like to see some form of morning show soon too. As far as building penetration I'm not sure how that's working out but I'm sure the closer you are to the transmitter tha better shot you have. Before, CC didn't have anything in this market targeted at young audiences, but now they can dip into that revenue some with Kiss, and from what I've heard they are already selling it. There aren't many commercials, but there are some. I've heard local clubs, car lots, and a few other local businesses advertising on there from Huntsville and Decatur. It'll be interesting to see how the ratings look.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom