The New WQXR is Coming 10/8

[disney fanatic]

I found something from Fishbowl NY about the new WQXR which is coming to 105.9 starting October 8th at 8 PM at Carnegie Hall. WCAA will be moving to 96.3 as well. Thiswill be the biggest format swapping since the WQHT and WYNY swap in 21 years. The last time that the station swapped their frequencies was back in 1988 when WNBC gave up the format after 66 years when it moved to WFAN from 1050. After that, WYNY when it was a country station at 97.1 moved up the dial to 103.5 (until 1996 when KTU came along) and WQHT moved it's dance format from "Hot 103" to "Hot 97" that same year.

If you haven't heard the news, here is the link:
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowl...o_1059_with_carnegie_hall_concert__130745.asp

 

[d21ofnj]

This will be something to remember once these two stations swap. Now since WQXR has two translators, will they still simulcast WQXR when they swap or will we hear La Kalle on those translators

 

[DesiArnez6]

Huh,I could have swore....seriously, i was pretty sure that NY Public Radio had made a deal with 105.9 to preserve analogue classical programming.
Why would Q104 simulcaston 105.9, doesnt 104.3 already cover everywhere 105.9 does AND more?

I already read about La kalle moving to 96.3, but there has got to be more here. I wish I could remember where I read that 105.9 was going "public". Or is 104.3 going public now?!?! Hmm More reading required.

 

[pjc1961]

Huh,I could have swore....seriously, i was pretty sure that NY Public Radio had made a deal with 105.9 to preserve analogue classical programming.
Why would Q104 simulcaston 105.9, doesnt 104.3 already cover everywhere 105.9 does AND more?

I already read about La kalle moving to 96.3, but there has got to be more here. I wish I could remember where I read that 105.9 was going "public". Or is 104.3 going public now?!?! Hmm More reading required.

Desi, you are obviously confusing WQXR-FM-96.3 (currently classical music; moving to 105.9 FM on 10/8) with WAXQ-FM-104.3 (currently classic rock; not moving or changing). WCAA-FM-105.9 ("La Kalle" Spanish language Music format) is moving to 96.3 FM on 10/8. The details here (from the article linked in the 1st post in this thread):

The deal between The New York Times Company, WNYC Radio, and Univision was first announced in July 2009. As part of the transaction, Univision's Spanish-language station WCAA 105.9 FM will move to 96.3 FM, WQXR's former home. Univision will pay the Times Company $33.5 million to exchange the FCC 105.9 FM broadcast license and transmitting equipment for the Times Company's license, equipment, and signal at 96.3 FM. WNYC will then purchase the FCC broadcast license for 105.9 FM, all related transmitting equipment, and WQXR's call letters and Web site from the Times Company for $11.5 million.

 

[DesiArnez6]

Huh,I could have swore....seriously, i was pretty sure that NY Public Radio had made a deal with 105.9 to preserve analogue classical programming.
Why would Q104 simulcaston 105.9, doesnt 104.3 already cover everywhere 105.9 does AND more?

I already read about La kalle moving to 96.3, but there has got to be more here. I wish I could remember where I read that 105.9 was going "public". Or is 104.3 going public now?!?! Hmm More reading required.

Desi, you are obviously confusing WQXR-FM-96.3 (currently classical music; moving to 105.9 FM on 10/8) with WAXQ-FM-104.3 (currently classic rock; not moving or changing). WCAA-FM-105.9 ("La Kalle" Spanish language Music format) is moving to 96.3 FM on 10/8. The details here (from the article linked in the 1st post in this thread):

The deal between The New York Times Company, WNYC Radio, and Univision was first announced in July 2009. As part of the transaction, Univision's Spanish-language station WCAA 105.9 FM will move to 96.3 FM, WQXR's former home. Univision will pay the Times Company $33.5 million to exchange the FCC 105.9 FM broadcast license and transmitting equipment for the Times Company's license, equipment, and signal at 96.3 FM. WNYC will then purchase the FCC broadcast license for 105.9 FM, all related transmitting equipment, and WQXR's call letters and Web site from the Times Company for $11.5 million.

Yikes. Fellow posters, this is why it is not good to post when really tired I have mixed up these stations call letters before though the Q and X throw me off. Although I read somewhere that the human mind interprets words not necessarily in the right order, but by which letters, how long the word is,and the first and last letter or something similar to that. Maybe this plays some sort of role into my mix up of these stations (yes Ive mixed them up) thx for the correction. I'm glad to hear that WNYC will be taking over the station and preserving classical on 105.9.

Thanks for the correction, until now I was totally confused.

 

[badjef]

Is the current 105.9 transmitter a depowered 10k operating at .6kw? If so, it would be easy to repower to the 6kw that the bigger guys are using once the approval down the line is done. The one thing about a classical format is that it tends to attract the influencial with the possiblity.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Ai4i]

...it would be easy to repower to the 6kw that the bigger guys are using...

Absolutely not. The reason this whole rearrangement is happening is that the 105.9 frequency is opperating with the most amount of power it can have without causing objectionable interferrence to other pre-existing stations. Univision is spending $33.5 million in order to upgrade their signal.

 

[badjef]

The hardest part of any upgrade is finding, aquiring, and getting approval of a location. 105.9 finally got that a couple of years ago when they went to Empire. (Remember they started out on 92.7. 105.9 transmitter was in NJ and came later. This will be the 3rd move for them.)

If WNYC can't request 6kw right away they can ask for it incrementally. Eventually WQXR at 105.9 will be one of the big boys. That's La Kalle's sales advantage once they assume 96.3 - "Better" building penetration, now! - and why they are willing to spend the money, now!

As far as interference goes, 106.1 WBLI won't be bothered by an increase in power. They were "hurt" more by moving the transmitter closer to them than any power increase will do. With FM, power is not near an issue as height and location are.

There is not much listenable difference at the Jersey shore between 105.9 and 96.3. By the time you get to Ocean County there is static, that is not their target market. 96.3 has 3rd adjacent problems (as does 95.5) around Belmar. If WNYC is able to keep WQXR on the 96.7 translater/repeater in Ocean Township (Monmouth County), it would effectively fill in the gap of 3rd adjacent problem they experience now that is down the dial at 96.3 from 95.9. The 3rd adjacent is up the dial from 105.9 is 106.3 and 96.7 fills that gap nicely on the parkway through Tinton Falls/Eatontown.

After this, there will only be two freq's left to be chomping at the bit for - 94.7 and 99.1.

Stay tuned...

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[luperm]

105.9 is already as "full-powered" as it will ever get from Empire. It could give up some height for more power, but the end result will more or less be the same. 105.9 is a Class B1, while 96.3 (and most of the other NYC FMs) are Class B. That will not change.

 

[Ai4i]

Just this thought:
Third adjacent channel protection dates back to the post war days of vacuum tube technology. Many countries have third adjancies and even second adjacencies covering the same municipalities with no consumer or station complaints. Any broadcast engineer will tell you that the only reason to retain this "protection" requirement is to limit competition. Think: the NAB telling congress that 250 watt translators will not cause interferrence but 100 watt LPFMs at the same hight will.

 

[disney fanatic]

As I was saying, on Thursday, October 8th, I'm going to record this aircheck of the last day of WQXR on 96.3 and then by 8:00 PM, the first day of the new WQXR at 105.9 which is simulcasting on WNYC.

I have a cablebox from Time Warner Cable where it does have radio stations on them. WQXR is on channel 590 and WNYC on channel 592 which are in the Hudson Valley area if you have Time Warner Cable with a cablebox depending on what you have. I will start recording the aircheck by October 8th this Thursday if it's on channel 590 and at 8 PM, I will put channel 592 which is WNYC to present a live broadcast of the new WQXR from Carnegie Hall.

For those of you who are a QXR fan, this is your chance to record it. After it's over, I will be posting it soon.

 

[Ai4i]

Hay DF, considering your screen name, you must still be enjoying 'QXR on their old AM frequency

 

[disney fanatic]

Hay DF, considering your screen name, you must still be enjoying 'QXR on their old AM frequency

You're right! WQXR was an AM station at 1560 going way back in the 1940's as W2XR long before WQEW came along in 1992 when it was standards/MOR until 1998 when Radio Disney came along.

 

[davideduardo]

The hardest part of any upgrade is finding, aquiring, and getting approval of a location. 105.9 finally got that a couple of years ago when they went to Empire.

That was a dozen years ago, when it was WHBI. It was already on the ESB before Tichenor bought it and it became wcaa.

If WNYC can't request 6kw right away they can ask for it incrementally. Eventually WQXR at 105.9 will be one of the big boys.

No, under the current rules it can not do anyting more. Two years or so ago, WCAA managed to get a power increase, from 600 to 620 watts. That's all folks, as the rabbitt used to say.

 

[badjef]

You are forgetting that politics trumps everything.

You guys want to quote rules? Where was the rule that said you could broadcast a commercial fm in stereo on 87.7? Where was that allocation for NYC?

Check out "Pulse 87" in NYC and "Smooth Jazz 87" in Chicago. I'm not talking about the viability of either station, just the legitimacy of a static rule book.

Stations are powered and deflowered all over the country. NYC is no different when it comes to this. 100.3 was COL'ed to Red Bank. It is better known by WHTZ-Newark - also a late comer to Empire.

The right people bought 105.9. Politicians are more sympatico to NPR's than to commercial stations. Especially when it comes to a format that is not being duplicated in the market. (88-92's excluded sometimes)
As you are dealing with the strength of calls such as WQXR, throw the rule book out.

We are only dealing with 20 class b's in NYC in a market size of about 16 million. NYC and LA are the only markets I can think of that are spaced every 800khz starting from 92.3 - 107.5 without stopping.

Before you start posting corrections, let me clarify: 94.7, 100.3, & 105.9 all still have Newark as their COL. 93.1 is Paterson. 103.5 is Lake Success.

When WHBI was sold about 25 years ago there was a winning bid to change 105.9 to Jersey City but as far as I know that never materialized. (It was ongoing when I left for Florida.) It was also around the time the calls were changed to WNWK.

The next shoe to drop will be 94.7. Don't think Pacifica is ruled out but not for the foreseeable future. 99.1 in NJ is a location, location, location for a run against 101.5.

This is getting fun...

Oh yeah, by the way, 93.9 WNYC-FM has some HD's, so multicasting will come natural to them.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[badjef]

You're right! WQXR was an AM station at 1560 going way back in the 1940's as W2XR long before WQEW came along in 1992 when it was standards/MOR until 1998 when Radio Disney came along.

W2XR started on 1550 in 1936 and was part of the FCC allocation change to 1560. This will be the 5th freq bearing the WQXR classical calls. They also b-casted on the old 44-46 experimenting with stereo records.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[stationless listener]

You are forgetting that politics trumps everything.

You guys want to quote rules? Where was the rule that said you could broadcast a commercial fm in stereo on 87.7? Where was that allocation for NYC?

Check out "Pulse 87" in NYC and "Smooth Jazz 87" in Chicago. I'm not talking about the viability of either station, just the legitimacy of a static rule book.

Stations are powered and deflowered all over the country. NYC is no different when it comes to this. 100.3 was COL'ed to Red Bank. It is better known by WHTZ-Newark - also a late comer to Empire.

The right people bought 105.9. Politicians are more sympatico to NPR's than to commercial stations. Especially when it comes to a format that is not being duplicated in the market. (88-92's excluded sometimes)
As you are dealing with the strength of calls such as WQXR, throw the rule book out.

We are only dealing with 20 class b's in NYC in a market size of about 16 million. NYC and LA are the only markets I can think of that are spaced every 800khz starting from 92.3 - 107.5 without stopping.

Before you start posting corrections, let me clarify: 94.7, 100.3, & 105.9 all still have Newark as their COL. 93.1 is Paterson. 103.5 is Lake Success.

When WHBI was sold about 25 years ago there was a winning bid to change 105.9 to Jersey City but as far as I know that never materialized. (It was ongoing when I left for Florida.) It was also around the time the calls were changed to WNWK.

The next shoe to drop will be 94.7. Don't think Pacifica is ruled out but not for the foreseeable future. 99.1 in NJ is a location, location, location for a run against 101.5.

This is getting fun...

Oh yeah, by the way, 93.9 WNYC-FM has some HD's, so multicasting will come natural to them.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

OK, I can somewhat buy into the theory that WNYC can successfully lobby for a power increase at 105.9. After all, we're talking about one of the top 5 cities in the country in terms of population and a very influential city in terms of political access and power. Being that NPR has access to important politicians and bureaucrats, I wouldn't be surprised if they use those connections to smooth away barriers to whatever solution to the strength problems at 105.9. OTOH, what if power changes hands in Congress after 2010? Not likely but a possibility now. If that happens, than any advantage NPR enjoys right now vanishes quickly, as they'd then be facing a group of politicians who are much more skeptical about public spending and public radio, tangentially.

As to 94.7 and 99.1, is that an allusion to the FCC issuing new rules sometime in the future that restrict the ownership of radio stations by religious organizations, thereby paving the way to secular programming? That's because that's the only way I could see them giving up those frequencies, and I don't know if that would be legal, anyway. When it comes to "Gawd" they truly believe that they are on a holy mission and keeping those radio stations is a part of that.

Although, apart from the obvious religious messages and religion shows on various parts of the day, 99.1 does look and sound more like a secular station, especially on their HD1 and HD3 channels.

 

[davideduardo]

Stations are powered and deflowered all over the country. NYC is no different when it comes to this. 100.3 was COL'ed to Red Bank. It is better known by WHTZ-Newark - also a late comer to Empire.

But it remained a B and the table of allocations, spacing requirements and the laws of physics all remained the same.

The right people bought 105.9. Politicians are more sympatico to NPR's than to commercial stations. Especially when it comes to a format that is not being duplicated in the market.

Classical has not been a "special class" for years. To upgrade 105.9 would require directionalization, which is not possible on the ESB under current master antenna setups, or the power reduction of a number of adjacents. Unlikely.

We are only dealing with 20 class b's in NYC in a market size of about 16 million. NYC and LA are the only markets I can think of that are spaced every 800khz starting from 92.3 - 107.5 without stopping.

LA has another dozen A's that are second adjacent, and all deeply inside the metro.

When WHBI was sold about 25 years ago there was a winning bid to change 105.9 to Jersey City but as far as I know that never materialized. (It was ongoing when I left for Florida.) It was also around the time the calls were changed to WNWK.

WHBI had its licensed revoked. The case was one of the more entertaining to read, in fact.

 

[Ai4i]

What if we could do away with this absolutely rediculous, absurd, third channel adjacency nonsense. So many countries which began their FM services after recievers came of age would laugh at this protectionist bullsh!t.

 

[badjef]

OK, I can somewhat buy into the theory that WNYC can successfully lobby for a power increase at 105.9. After all, we're talking about one of the top 5 cities in the country in terms of population and a very influential city in terms of political access and power. Being that NPR has access to important politicians and bureaucrats, I wouldn't be surprised if they use those connections to smooth away barriers to whatever solution to the strength problems at 105.9. OTOH, what if power changes hands in Congress after 2010? Not likely but a possibility now. If that happens, than any advantage NPR enjoys right now vanishes quickly, as they'd then be facing a group of politicians who are much more skeptical about public spending and public radio, tangentially.

The difference between Republican and Democratic control in this case is a very blurred line. 2010 won't make much difference. Neither wants to be accused of killing "Public Radio"

As to 94.7 and 99.1, is that an allusion to the FCC issuing new rules sometime in the future that restrict the ownership of radio stations by religious organizations, thereby paving the way to secular programming? That's because that's the only way I could see them giving up those frequencies, and I don't know if that would be legal, anyway. When it comes to "Gawd" they truly believe that they are on a holy mission and keeping those radio stations is a part of that.

With 94.7, Dr. Camping is up in age. I'll mourn his passing when it comes but we are talking about a prime NYC freq. up for grabs. It will be an Empire resident, eventually - unless there is another common antenna by then. (Jersey City/Bayonne, 1WTC, Gov. Island, etc.)

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!