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USA Radio Network to get a translator at 99.1 FM.
- Thread starter Y2kTheNewOldies
- Start date
This doesn't look that promising. The null is 46 dB below 250 watts.
https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=152811&appid=1785838&i=2
That's 6.25 milliwatts to the West Southwest (230-250 degrees true).
https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=152811&appid=1785838&i=2
That's 6.25 milliwatts to the West Southwest (230-250 degrees true).
I thought the FCC didn't authorize FM directional antennas with nulls deeper than about 15 dB... maybe that's only for full-power operations?
You are correct. Translators can use yagi type antennas and other antenna systems to be highly directional.
The null protects a nearby cochannel LPFM.
If this kind of ridiculous doesn’t convince the FCC to reallocate a few MHz for an expanded band, what will?
If this kind of ridiculous doesn’t convince the FCC to reallocate a few MHz for an expanded band, what will?
We ARE talking about the FCC, right? They just carry out whatever laws the Congress pass
With greater and greater percentages of OTA radio listening taking place in cars, the average age of vehicles is critical.
It would take about 11 years for half of car radios to have access to an expanded band. And since most car audio systems are simply plug-ins to the overall car computer system that provides internet, maps and other stuff, we don't see widespread use of "replacement" radios any more.
I'd rather have a translator than a full signal on an extended band channel.
On the other side of this hemisphere, though, Brazil is moving nearly all AM stations to an extended FM band. But there is extensive industry and government support, and a local radio manufacturing industry. They can also require both locally built and imported vehicles to immediately include the extended band.
A lot of FCC rules are administrative law. Even the FCC rules and regulations are determined by the Commission under the scope of the FCC's "charter".
Given that, I don't see them expanding the FM band unless they are required to. That's what I meant.
Or unless they can do what they have done with other parts of the spectrum and make major money in auctions. But given today's value of radio stations, that looks more like a tin mine than a gold mine.
The money you pay for tin is the same color as the money you pay for gold, there's just less of it. And it beats the money you get for dirt. Or nothing.
Electrical interference and poor reception inside steel buildings are suppressing AM ratings. A lot of people just give up or go online. WBBM is simulcasting on WCFS. A Franken FM is getting ratings consistently just below the Top 10. I agree that if you don't have a geek radio that tunes 76-108 MHz, you might be better off with a translator that has a 6.25 milliwatt watt ERP in some directions and barely reaches the river West of the Loop. Those are compelling arguments for additional full power allotments.
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But if an area of the spectrum that is being used currently is re-destined for FM stations, the current users would have to be compensated.
A new part of the FM band that has zero receivers has only a small value to AM licensees. What they would pay for a new FM band channel is probably less than the cost of moving the current occupants.
That would require the consumer electronics manufacturers to build and market new radios that would only be sellable in the US, and to a diminishing marketplace. It becomes far less compelling when making that argument to a for-profit electronics industry that makes more money on phones and computers. In addition, the radio industry isn't looking to add even more competition for advertising. So to whom are you making this "compelling argument?"
If they carved 2-4 MHz out of the 76-88 MHz, many receivers that are marketed internationally already cover it, and there is a way to accommodate 1000-2000 stations depending on ERP and other factors. These facilities would be considerably better than a Class IV/C AM or 1 kW Class B or Class D stations above 1200 kHz, and arguably better than almost all AMs below 1200 kHz, except high power ones, loosely defined as >5 kW.
Still a complete non-starter for consumers, broadcasters, and the FCC. Without them, it's not happening.
The FCC considered it when they were discussing "AM Revitalization," and instead came up with translators.
Besides Japan and Brazil, what other major nations with a free economy use 76-88 for commercial radio?
And even the success of the switch of AMs to the extended FM band in Brazil is a "jury's out" situation as it is going on now.
As BigA said, it's too late to provide new radio options to consumers, as they are not buying radios of any kind. The purchase funds go to upgrades of smart phones and new devices like the Amazon device that is home to Alexa.
Back to the OP topic, I see USA Network has also bought a translator in Philadelphia:
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/...sa-radio-network-head-adds-philly-translator/
So I guess he feels these translators will give him enough of a market presence to make a difference.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/...sa-radio-network-head-adds-philly-translator/
So I guess he feels these translators will give him enough of a market presence to make a difference.
I say that the translators are mainly non starters also, except in smaller markets with few FMs. Consider that a 250 watt signal is 26 dB below a 50000 watt signal, and that many existing FM receivers have a difficult time tuning in translators with strong signals 400 kHz on each side of the translator. Also, in markets like Chicago, those frequencies are cochannel with LPFMs and other translators just a few miles away. Look at the technical section of the W256CL application to see this dramatically. Consider that the actual ERP in almost all locations is less than 250 watts with a DA, even in the licensed 1.000 relative field directions. Some license applications have the actual relative field DA polar graphs which demonstrate this dramatically. In Michigan, a panel DA was recently licensed that has several nulls in the "1.000" arc in the major lobe which are at least 2 dB down in measured relative field.
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