Translator

[Interstate 78]

What ever happened with that translator that was going to start up in New York? I think it was on 106.3 or something? Rumor had it back a year ago that it was going to bring smooth jazz back to New York, but then plans got pulled last minute when there were interference issues. Last I heard is that the powers that be were working to correct it but I haven't heard a peep since. Is this thing gone for good or is it still held up in legal issues?

 

[luperm]

I believe they're trying to move it to 104.7.

 

[nd2023]

It was on for 2 weeks and had a different format every day before the plug was pulled.

 

[disney fanatic]

I believe they're trying to move it to 104.7.

Are they're going to interfer with WSPK's "K-104"?

 

[luperm]

I believe they're trying to move it to 104.7.

Are they're going to interfer with WSPK's "K-104"?

The applicant does not seem to think so. We'll see what, if anything, the FCC or Pamal have to say about that.
The issue seems to be that the move from 106.3 to 104.7 is considered a "major change" which requires special dispensation from the FCC.

 

[nd2023]

I believe they're trying to move it to 104.7.

Are they're going to interfer with WSPK's "K-104"?

The applicant does not seem to think so. We'll see what, if anything, the FCC or Pamal have to say about that.
The issue seems to be that the move from 106.3 to 104.7 is considered a "major change" which requires special dispensation from the FCC.

They could do a series of minor changes. Move it out of 4TS, then reduce to 1 watt and move to 105.7 after paying off WQXR. Then move it to 105.3 and finally 104.7. Both the second adjacents of 104.7 are owned by Clear Channel.

 

[Barry]

After all that effort, the whole thing could easily be scuttled by interference complaints from WSPK 104.7 listeners. I do not understand how the owners of the translator expect this to succeed, when they had to shut it down due to interference complaints from WKMK when they briefly broadcast on 106.3.
With so many FM signals crammed into this market, I am very skeptical a viable frequency could be found for a translator within New York City.

 

[nd2023]

K104 is a Poughkeepsie station and doesn't target anyone south of White Plains.

 

[d21ofnj]

K104 is a Poughkeepsie station and doesn't target anyone south of White Plains.

But it is listenable up to the Bronx/Yonkers border.  There were a couple of times when I did summer trips, I had K104 on the bus radio and K came in until 138th & Concourse. And K104 is listenable in Bergen County, NJ around the Paramus/Hackensack region up.

 

[MoldaMania182]

K104 is a Poughkeepsie station and doesn't target anyone south of White Plains.

No but they reach further than that. Heck I can listen a good deal of the time on the Belt Parkway. And they certainly are allowed (and basically obligated) to protect their contour. They managed to get one of the big city pirates yanked a few years ago too.

 

[GSP163]

And K104 is listenable in Bergen County, NJ around the Paramus/Hackensack region up

I live just north of Paramus and WSPK has always been unlistenable here.....I cannot get a trace of it either in my home or in my car just off of Route 17.....You have to be way up in NE Bergen County (Old Tappan, RiverVale, Northvale) to get a good listenable signal from WSPK......Most areas south of there you can get WSPK but only in patches (like on top of hills)......And forget it if there is a pirate on air as they can cause issues with WSPK into parts of Rockland County.

 

[Barry]

In applying for 104.7, perhaps the owners of the translator are hoping that fans of WSPK are less likely to complain of interference than were the listeners of Thunder Country WKMK on 106.3. As WSPK is a CHR, listeners passing through New York can retune their radios to Z 100 or 92 Now, and hear similar music.
But the members of the Thunder Nation (as Thunder Country calls its loyal listeners) generally cannot pull in another country station when driving within the signal area proposed for the translator.

 

[ansky212]

In applying for 104.7, perhaps the owners of the translator are hoping that fans of WSPK are less likely to complain of interference than were the listeners of Thunder Country WKMK on 106.3. As WSPK is a CHR, listeners passing through New York can retune their radios to Z 100 or 92 Now, and hear similar music.
But the members of the Thunder Nation (as Thunder Country calls its loyal listeners) generally cannot pull in another country station when driving within the signal area proposed for the translator.

I was going to make almost this exact same post. I can't imagine many people in NYC are going to try and pull in a faint signal of WSPK when there are several other local CHR's (Z100, 92 Now, and KTU). Even if they could pull in the station (which I find hard to believe given all the pirates on the frequency), I highly doubt they are passionate enough to report a formal complaint with the FCC.

 

[nd2023]

The 106.3 translator had a good signal in Manhattan up to the 100s. North of there, a pirate took over and that pirate actually covered more area than the translator. It was strong up to the Bronx/Yonkers border. So we couldn't get an accurate estimate of 106.3's coverage area to the north due to the pirate.

 

[nd2023]

Clear Channel has an HD2-translator of a dance station in Minneapolis. The HD signal is stronger than the translator! The HD2 is piggybacking on 100000 watt KDWB, while its translator is a mere 41 watts in a suburb of Minneapolis. I'm about 25 miles away from the translator and all I hear is a full power Class C on 102.5 (the translator's frequency)
Clear Channel wants to upgrade it to 250 watts and move its transmitter to downtown. It's currently a dance format, but I think it'll flip to AC after the upgrade since Minneapolis doesn't have an AC station.

So don't rule out the possibility of a dance station coming to NYC! If Clear Channel is doing it in Minneapolis, why not also do it in NYC where the dance audience is proven to be large.

 

[Barry]

It was revealed today that Clear Channel will be using a translator in Chicago to broadcast ESPN Deportes, the Spanish language version of the large sports network. A few days ago, Clear Channel started offering the English language ESPN on a regular FM station that was moved into the Hartford CT area.
I hope that if a translator is somehow allowed by the F.C.C. to broadcast from midtown Manhattan, CC does not use it to rebroadcast ESPN or ESPN Deportes. As they intend to have the translator relay WLTW HD2, that could result in country music no longer being available on that subchannel.

 

[KML0224]

The Hartford market station is WPKX-FM 97.9, licensed as Windsor Locks/Hartford. At this time, it is a straight simulcast of WPOP-AM 1410 of Hartford, except for the legal ID. There's no word yet if Clear Channel is going to sell off WPOP-AM or change its format. It was mentioned on the Connecticut radio board that ESPN had a recent experimental FM station coming from their Bristol, CT headquarters on 98.1 FM.

The "new" Hartford market signal was previously WPKX-FM 97.9, licensed as Enfield/Springfield (MA). It had been the country station for the Springfield, MA radio market. Their country station is now WRNX-FM 100.9, licensed to Amherst, MA.