Translators

[Rick Rose 2.0]

When Cumulus brought back 99X on 97.9 it started a trend of new FMs with decent coverage areas. Around the same time 102.9 is here boosting Hot 1079s signal into dekalb county. Lately The Fan got a slightly weaker translator on 93.7 but its in mono so it helps range. Now 99.1 with only 99 watts has a permit which will cover inside the perimeter. Does anyone know what Cumulus might do with 99.1 (im thinking that 99x might move here due to ratings issues and 97.9 gets a new format.. I thought The Fan was suppose to also be on 99.7 HD3 but i dont get it. Here in Stockbridge i cant get 93.7 in the house and cant get any rimshot HD signal. I do get the Zone on 94.1 HD3 but cant get WSBB 95.5 in HD so no clear WSB radio signal. i gave up my hd radio in the car and now regret it.

 

[BIGSTICK]

The 95.5 signal is horrifying in town, especially where I live, I am in between the Richland sites and the Zonolite farm.

 

[caller10]

I was worried for a second I thought this was a thread about Curtis. ;D

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

The placement of "99X" on 97.9 doesn't cause "ratings issues", because Atlanta is a PPM market...listeners don't need to write down the station name.

Branding issues? Maybe, and maybe they'll move it to 99.1 for that reason, though I don't know what the coverage would be like in comparison. But they don't need to match the 99x branding for ratings reasons.

 

[GRS86]

Branding issues? Maybe, and maybe they'll move it to 99.1 for that reason, though I don't know what the coverage would be like in comparison. But they don't need to match the 99x branding for ratings reasons.

I'd think that WDEN's 99.1 signal out of Macon would be too strong, especially on the southside, for the 99.1 frequency to be effectively used as a translator in that portion of the market.

 

[jabba17]

Branding issues? Maybe, and maybe they'll move it to 99.1 for that reason, though I don't know what the coverage would be like in comparison. But they don't need to match the 99x branding for ratings reasons.

I'd think that WDEN's 99.1 signal out of Macon would be too strong, especially on the southside, for the 99.1 frequency to be effectively used as a translator in that portion of the market.

I would agree. On a good DXing day 99.1 comes in clearly in Gwinnett. On an average day you can sometimes still get it.

Compare the issues with the 102.9 translator and WDUN-FM out of Gainesville, and WVRK out of Columbus. You used to be able to get the old Majic 102.9 (now WDUN-FM) in Gwinnett, now you can't get either WDUN-FM or the translator--and sometimes Columbus chimes in on a good DXing day.

 

[agentUrge]

Question from the non-industry guy:

how does this differ from a simulcast on the FM band?

A few years ago my wife and I were in Maine and we had discovered a rock station that was broadcasting on two different frequencies...call letters were different, freq was different...feed was the same. One was for inside the city limits and other was outside.

just curious (maybe I answered my question)

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

This is a slightly different phenomenon.

Basically, the operator is creating a new FM station by feeding this programming to the translator from another non-analog FM source - either an HD subchannel or an AM station.

For example, the two translators mentioned in Atlanta are being fed by HD2/3 of existing FM stations. You can hear them on those stations, but only if you have HD Radio equipment.

The sports station is a simulcast of an AM station, WCNN/680 "The Fan", but I believe they use an FM HD2 subchannel to overcome signal limitations - if they directly rebroadcast the AM, they have to keep the FM translator's signal within the AM signal's range.

That's the short version, but basically the highlights.

 

[agentUrge]

Makes sense. I thank ye.