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Time For A Rule Change

fybush said:
It's already happened. How was it any more of a "windfall profit" than giving every TV station a new frequency and the ability to transmit HD, multiple streams and a ton of datacasting bandwidth?
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A local TV station that was UHF almost went bankrupt in the 1950’s, but now has SIX streams. How the master control folks don’t go insane is beyond me.
 
If you do a little search for WJLX on Radio Discussions you'll find out possibly why the FCC took the translator off the air.
AM stations that have had loss of the AM facilities due to natural causes or transmitter failure have gotten permission to keep the translator on the air.
There's more to the WJLX story than a simple "no" here.
 
boiseengineer said:
If you do a little search for WJLX on Radio Discussions you'll find out possibly why the FCC took the translator off the air.
AM stations that have had loss of the AM facilities due to natural causes or transmitter failure have gotten permission to keep the translator on the air.
There's more to the WJLX story than a simple "no" here.
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There's more than a bit of room for doubt for sure. Like - didn't ANYONE notice that the station wasn't on the air? Nobody called? Nobody there to answer the phone? I get calls when an outlying translator goes off. But Google says this photo was 2024, and there is a tower there:
1707787152423.png
 
There's more than a bit of room for doubt for sure. Like - didn't ANYONE notice that the station wasn't on the air?

The translator moved all he listeners to FM. So no listeners noticed.


Nobody there to answer the phone?

I called and talked to the owner. The GM called me back.

I get calls when an outlying translator goes off.

But we have modern equipment. An old remote control won't call anyone if thieves cut the power.


But Google says this photo was 2024, and there is a tower there:

Thanks! The Google timestamp on the photo proves that RADIO DISSCUSSIONS has been used to spread false information about the station again.

We are supposed to be professional broadcasters here. not a bunch of sheep who believe whatever we read.

Anyway the AM translator rule needs changed to keep radio alive in Americas small towns.
 
That is NOT a Google Timestamp,,it is the 2024 Copyright Date.
 
Flying Dutchman said:
We do know that WJLX continued to operate the FM translator after the AM was off. The FCC told them to shut it down.
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Because those are the rules. For EVERYBODY. He's not special. He's not the first to have to turn off a translator due to the originating station going off, nor will he be the last.

We know you're championing this case. I don't know what his level of culpability is here. That's for others to determine. What this does point out, as I said in the other thread, is that it costs NOTHING to check your AM station a couple of times a day by tuning it in or taking a meter reading. That's it. End of story.

While he doesn't have to answer to us, he COULD silence a lot of his detractors by providing his AM electric bills. That would prove he was operating legally, and also give a clue to narrow down when the tower went down. Barring that, right now it's a clusterf### of a situation, and is going to carry on until he rebuilds the AM tower or someone provides definitive proof of who did what and when.

Otherwise, by continuing to beat the WJLX dead horse, this thread is on its way to being locked just like the other one because it's straying from the original subject. This was about a rule change for ALL, not just one.
 
Back to topic. Should we allow AM's to go off and continue broadcasting on FM?

My opinion. If we don't we can watch AM's in America's small towns all go broke one by one.
 
exdjted said:
Because those are the rules. For EVERYBODY. He's not special. He's not the first to have to turn off a translator due to the originating station going off, nor will he be the last.

We know you're championing this case. I don't know what his level of culpability is here. That's for others to determine. What this does point out, as I said in the other thread, is that it costs NOTHING to check your AM station a couple of times a day by tuning it in or taking a meter reading. That's it. End of story.

While he doesn't have to answer to us, he COULD silence a lot of his detractors by providing his AM electric bills. That would prove he was operating legally, and also give a clue to narrow down when the tower went down. Barring that, right now it's a clusterf### of a situation, and is going to carry on until he rebuilds the AM tower or someone provides definitive proof of who did what and when.

Otherwise, by continuing to beat the WJLX dead horse, this thread is on its way to being locked just like the other one because it's straying from the original subject. This was about a rule change for ALL, not just one.
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I was trying to change it back to topic. But you do know, there was a long standing feud with an LPFM operator, and if he comes here, this thread needs to be closed.
 
Now back to topic. Should the FCC allow small AM's to keep their FM translators on if they go silent on AM? Would this save radio in small towns at least for a while more?

By the way, I never bought an AM station in my life. And, that's because I was able to start valuable FM's from scratch for less money than you could buy an AM back in the day.

I was only getting involved to help others.
 
Flying Dutchman said:
Now back to topic. Should the FCC allow small AM's to keep their FM translators on if they go silent on AM? Would this save radio in small towns at least for a while more?
Click to expand...
Most of the small town AMs I've heard are running syndicated talk, paid preaching, paid ethnic or music for a largely 55+ audience (gospel, oldies, classic country, soft AC, maybe even a few still running standards). If they have local DJs, they're not even medium-market quality. If they have local news, it's usually taken (without credit) from a newspaper. Even with a translator, these stations attract a tiny audience. If there's a weather emergency, plane crash, derailment or some industrial disaster in the area, people who never listen to these stations aren't going to suddenly remember they exist. They are far more likely to follow coverage on TV from the nearest rated market, or turn on the radio to see if the full-powered, bigger-city FMs they usually listen to have anything on the situation. Or, of course, reach out on social media. All of these courses of action seem far more likely to be taken than tuning in Oldies 1230 or its flea-powered 96.1 translator.

Let these stations die and reduce the FM clutter.
 
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