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The fan coming to Tampa

I'm not familiar with this site and how factual they usually are..................... but on this story, I can see two glaring errors, which makes me wonder about their credibility.

"A move to a Sports simulcast with 1010 would help fill coverage issues for the 98.7 signal in the western portions of the Tampa market. WSJT is one of three CBS stations in Florida that carries a simulcast of WFAN New York on its HD3."

#1 the coverage issues with WSJT are not with the western part of the metro, the western portion of the metro (western Hillsborough county - Tampa, West Chase, Town n Country) and Pinellas, the western most county in the metro is where 98.7's coverage is the strongest.

Eastern Hillsborough and north east Pasco,is where 98.7 has coverage issues.

#2 - WSJT HD2 does not broadcast the FAN (WFAN 660), WSJT HD2 is Jazz (as of an hour ago, when I checked, there still is no WSJT HD3)!................... Now WLLD HD3 does in fact carry the FAN.

drt
 
I was not able to get back online soon enough to modify the last post, but I do think that WSJT does have a better than 50/50 chance to change formats and sports does seem the way to go, but the product will have to be a lot better than what is currently broadcast on WQYK 1010; that said, if they both have a better sports format, 1010 will fill the coverage gap in Eastern Hillsborough county. (Brandon, Valrico, Plant City etc), since in that area, WSJT is basically a good car radio station only and not received that well on indoor radios; which is understandable with their short stick, and 50,000 watts antenna located in western Pinellas county.

The change in formats of WSJT 7 months ago, certainly hasn't produced a ratings bonanza; don't know if someone thought the ratings would or should turn around in less than 8 months, but the fact is the ratings have not had any significant improvement and some of that (but not all) can be blamed on their signal limitations and the location of their antenna.

drt
 
Is there any way to move 98.7's stick to the new WQYK/WRBQ tower - keeping it at 500' @ 50kw - or are there short-spacing issues involved with WMMO (98.9)?
If so, it would provide a more reliable signal to northern and eastern Hillsborough County. Its a classic issue of 50kw stations failing to compete with 100kw stations - typically happens in the border areas between the two zones (e.g., St. Louis where the stations east of the Mississippi are limited to 50kw and those west can go to 100KW) The drop-ins like 97.1 and 98.7 exacerbate the issue across the country
 
From what I understand, spacing issues with the 98,9 in Orlando as well as WKTK 98.5 are just some of the problems; the other is the WSJT is the only radio station licensed to Holmes Beach......... which means even w/o the spacing issues, WSJT has to provide a city grade signal to Holmes Beach in n.w. Manatee county; after all 98.7 was originally meant to be a Sarasota/Bradenton station. They are pretty well locked into their current location; now whether they could slightly raise their antenna height w/o protests from WMMO or WKTK remains to be seen. (although I'm guessing in that scenario, they would have to be slightly directional with a null to the north. I sure any solution would be costly and migh involve CBS buying on of the other adjacent frequency stations and downgrading those facilities or moving them further from the Tampa Bay area or buying a station and taking it off the air.

Dr. Tillery has discussed the options before and if I recall, there are few or no options to upgrade either 92.5 or 98. 7, which are both 50,000 watts on a short stick at the same site.

drt
 
Mike said:
How long until cc moves 620 to 95.7 ?
Click to expand...

Won't happen. AM 620 has no coverage issues that would warrant killing off an FM music format.

Remember... if you kill a music format on FM in order to simulcast an AM... you do kill off whatever revenue the music format was bringing in. Even if it wasn't a number one station, it still brings in some money. If the AM/FM simulcast doesn't at least break even, corporate will not be pleased.

I just don't see much to gain by doing that with WDAE. Rumor was, way back when, there was talk of flipping WFLA and WDAE, so that News/Talk would have a better reaching signal on AM 620 and sports could make do with AM 970.
 
Didn't WKTK already suffer a downgrade to let 98.7 upgrade from a Manatee county tower site and increase their power also???
 
I just checked the FCC website. Minimum spacing between 2 class C2's 200mhz apart is 130 KM (81 miles) which places WMMO's contour into East Tampa and through the tower sites in Riverview. Only option for 98.7 would be to move from Seminole to the Gandy Blvd tower - probably not worth the expense for such a short distance.
 
I'm sorry but I see a flip on 100.7 before 95.7. Unless the ratings say other wise. I know before people kept saying 97.9 but I think that's out of the question now. Back to the fan and CBS I was listening to 1010 yesterday and they are really going to have to step their game up if this 98.7 thing does happen.
 
And I will reiterate what I've said before, they will need to seriously upgrade content for it to suceeed on FM. Simulcasting the dreck from 1010 will just be a waste of two signals.
 
The biggest hole in the sports format right now is in the mornings with WDAE still not filling Sileo's old slot. Mike & Mike are good, but a strong local show would strike me as a way to get things rolling. CBS picking up Justin P. and Jerry Petuck from the Animal is an interesting move on a couple of levels. 98.7 may have some coverage issues, but it would be huge upgrade for me from 1010.
 
WDAE-FM101 said:
Its a classic issue of 50kw stations failing to compete with 100kw stations
Click to expand...
We think you mean class C, C0, C1 stations competing with class C2 and B stations.
This is not a matter of a 3dB power difference, more like a 14dB signal difference.
In the case of a full class C sharing an antenna with a class B or C2 at or above 600m, the class C station would enjoy a thirty three to one ERP signal advantage.
In some markets I know of, class C, CO, and C1 stations are on TV towers but the C2's make up for their smaller coverage areas (somewhat) by being on downtown rooftops.
 
No Class C in Florida is at 600 meters. WHPT is the highest in the state at 503 meters. The American Tower Master FM antenna in Riverview is at 473 meters. 93.3, 94.9, 100.7 & 101.5 are all running 100kw on that antenna. 88.5 & 103.5 are also using that antenna, but not running 100kw.
 
A class B or C2 at that height would enjoy an ERP of about five kilowatts, as many of the Apple and Chi-town stations do.
 
The original plan was to move WFLA to 100.7 and WDAE to 97.9. The problem is they have no Plan "B" for the 620 and 970 frequencies which are very profitable.....for now. They are in a tough spot but as you know, not exactly a forward thinking company. Head in the sand hoping it will just magically all go away or get better.

By the way. 620 DID sign Tom Jones & Rick Stroud from the St. Petersburg Times to do mornings. Wow. Chances are Mike & Mike could top those two if M&M had a stick. Jones & Stroud will really show CBS they mean business at 620 right? LOL Good writers aren't good talkers.

WDAE is also trying to hire a guy named Jerry Coleman in Baltimore.
 
If CBS could swipe ESPN Radio from 1040 and have that network available to fill in hours around the local guys, that would justify the move to 98.7. Above all, and just like I suggested last month for 102.5, THEY NEED to be LOCAL at 12 Noon. 102.5 and 620 are dropping the ball in the hours between 12 and 3.
 
Print guys used to look down their noses at electronic media types, so I've been amused at how many of them will do almost anything to get on radio and TV. Of course, it is also discouraging that radio management so often passes over experienced radio types to give unproven print types a high profile slot. Mornings in a top 20 market used to not be for beginners. Tom and Rick are both fine sports writers, but giving them a morning drive show in the number 18 market in the country is definitely an eyebrow-raiser.
 
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