UAB buys Birmingham translator W290CN at 105.9

[passtheword]

UAB buys translator W290CN at 105.9, with an application to increase power to 99 watts.

Link to the Tom Taylor NOW newsletter about the story (scroll down closer to bottom of page):
http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=78b390ff9f5b002e3f050238c&id=fcab85eb26&e=7639be0665


Recnet proposed coverage area for W290CN:
*http://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=w290cn&ccode=1&city=&state=&country=US&arn=&party=&party_type=LICEN

 

[Poledo]

This is a puzzler. I'm not familiar with any NPR stations using translators within their primary coverage area for HD2 feeds. And $100k seems expensive.

Eclectic/Elitists music on 99 watt translator seems futile, but the talk programming must stay on the full power signal.
WVSU has Jazz covered.
Birmingham Mountain Radio pretty much has NPR style rock covered.
Think they might try Classical on the translator?

 

[tomservo]

As I understand it, talk does great on public radio but classical, not so much. There are, however, that core of dedicated and vocal listeners that keep the format alive for however many hours a day they can pressure a broadcaster into carrying. It's definitely a good candidate for shuffling off to an urban coverage translator, but my thoughts are about UAB itself… The students run an online thing called Blazer Radio; maybe they're trying to get it a voice on the air to supplement streaming?

BMR seems to have found additional success by going "old school" with terrestrial radio, maybe UAB is looking to do this for the student broadcasts, too. Down here in Darwin's waiting room (Mobile), USA has a CP to put their student station on the air via LPFM, and they just signed a deal for a Jag-heavy sports format with iHeart via a translator.

Of course, they aren't doing it very cheaply. WBHM will need to upgrade to HD to crank out a second stream, and that's not cheap. Then the $100k for the translator. Those guys must be swimming in tuition money or something.

 

[Poledo]

The high purchase price leads me to believe SGA money wasn't used and student radio is not in the plans.
Does this translator perhaps cover a hole in WBHMs coverage that could use a traditional fill in translator?

 

[tomservo]

Nah, WBHM has great urban coverage despite being one of the lower powered FMs in town.

Student radio may not be worth the cost, but is classical any better?

 

[passtheword]

I don't really care for the talk programming on WBHM, but...I do occasionally listen to the classical music there. As much as I would like to see those two formats separated (the talk format left on 90.3 and the classical shifted to 105.9), I don't think that would be a good idea to do so. WBHM's classical listeners will probably not be happy campers once they realize the 105.9 signal is nowhere near what they've come to expect on 90.3.