So you have largely answered your own question. Sounds like the only places to make a change are Central Valley, and the simplest one to make is to apply for a translator to bring those HD2's onto an analog frequency. But V.P.R. would need to buy or apply for the translators. There's no market hole for USC or KDFC to stomp in like Bigfoot and launch their own. Actually, the fact that VPR is already there but hasn't gone beyond HD2's probably indicates they've analyzed the markets and decided the potential isn't worth the extra cost or effort.
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USC's KDFC Expands to Livermore
- Thread starter RF101
- Start date
It's not equivalent in the East Bay. 90.3 San Francisco is a fringe signal; 104.9 Sunnyvale is shadowed from much of Berkeley and Oakland, and 89.9 Angwin is a weak presence at best. And that's just Oakland and nearby. On the other side of the ridge, the best bet would be Angwin and that's not even very good.
90.3 used to be better before in the East Bay, but I guess they changed something with the transmitter. KPOO 89.5 also used to be better before as well, it might also have to do with HD radio as well.
KPOO is wracked by multipath, at least in the hills.
If I recall correctly, KUSF's original transmitter site was at the USF campus w/ 3 kw; when USC acquired it as part of the KDFC move from 102.1, it relocated to a site above Sausalito and went down to 1 kw because of the added height.
The 89.9 Angwin signal gets into Sacramento nicely in a car, thanks to the fact that there's nothing else on that frequency. Up here in the foothills too. But Cap Radio covers that format nicely with their newly-upgraded 88.9 signal.
Dave B.
An expansion into San Diego would make the most sense. Especially after Tijuana's classical 104.9 (kind of a rimshot signal anyway) bit the dust several years ago. Plus, SD is a high-income market (good for donations). But KUSC does come in okay in many areas. And which full-signal FM would switch to classical? With the possible exception of Alt 94.9, all seem to be doing well in their respective niches.
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With 100.7 KFBG (formerly KFMB-FM) about to switch to a Spanish language format, it seems a station currently broadcasting in Spanish in the San Diego-Tijuana market might be a candidate to become a simulcast of KUSC. The San Diego market is listed by Nielsen as having a 32% Hispanic population. It already has two Spanish-language FM outlets in San Diego plus more than a dozen coming over the border from Tijuana.
Obviously those Tijuana stations are also serving their Mexican listeners. But just as three Tijuana FM stations broadcast in English to San Diego, maybe another one could become a Classical outlet as 104.9 XHLNC once was. San Diego is the fourth largest market without a Classical station, after Houston, Atlanta and Miami. (KPBS-FM has a Classical subchannel but you need an HD radio to receive it.)
First I've heard of KFBG going Spanish. The extensive thread on the San Diego board about 100.7's future only speculated on a format shift to Classic Country (a.k.a. Hank FM). That would just put them (sort of) in competition with KSON. Switching to Spanish-language, as others have pointed out, doesn't make a lot of sense when you're a stand-alone in a market with many other Spanish-language choices.
More than half of the stations owned by Lotus Communications broadcast in Spanish. So you'd think buying a station in a market on the Mexican border, the likelihood of a Spanish-language format is high.
If Lotus wanted to do an English language format, wouldn't they ask the current owner to keep it Adult Hits for now, which is #6? Even if that's not what you'd want to do eventually, why not leave it there, hoping some of its listeners will stick around when you take over and work your magic? But who knows?
Yes, Lotus owns a lot of Spanish-language stations. But Big A pointed out they also program Hank FM (Classic Country) in a number of markets, including Seattle. Plus... there's a "Crank The Hank" landing page hinting they'll start soon in San Diego.
S.D. currently has no Classic Country station. KSON had that format on HD2 for awhile, but it was discontinued about two years ago when Audacy dumped many of their other San Diego HD2's and 3's.
Going back to KDFC. How's the new Livermore signal coverage? Does it cover the Tri-Valley okay or only Livermore?
Story behind the Mercury's paywall. No press release yet at the classicalcalifornia.org website...
www.mercurynews.com
Classical California expands radio coverage to Livermore, Tri-Valley
America’s largest classical music radio network finds new home on 89.9 FM
www.mercurynews.com
Two comments:Story behind the Mercury's paywall. No press release yet at the classicalcalifornia.org website...
Classical California expands radio coverage to Livermore, Tri-Valley
America’s largest classical music radio network finds new home on 89.9 FM
(1) 89.9 is also the frequency of their big Angwin signal. I can pick that up (through the noise floor) in the mid-Peninsula. So the new Livermore translator is covering over one of their other rimshot signals.
(2) The Merc article is readable if your browser can display the HTML code *and* you're willing to plow through all that dreck to see the actual content. IF you use Firefox, try this URL and then scroll about 2/3rds of the way down the page: " view-source:Classical California expands radio coverage to Livermore, Tri-Valley ". (In a different browser, just add the /amp/ tag to the end of the URL and then do what you have to do to display the source code.) If's a nice little puff piece about both Classical California and Bill Leuth, KDFC's longtime president. However, IMO, if you're not familiar with HTML code and you're not a big KDFC fan, it's probably not worth the effort.
This link should work without a problem.
www.mercurynews.com
Classical California expands radio coverage to Livermore, Tri-Valley
America’s largest classical music radio network finds new home on 89.9 FM
www.mercurynews.com
Not U$C…
For 3 days, recent reception from the Livermore translator was poor – sort of stuttering (during a pledge period). Finally, I alerted the station. The next day, the station responded:
“Our engineer confirmed this issue, likely a studio to transmitter link issue. One of the internet connections at the tower site is clearly having problems.
Our tech team will hopefully figure out it later this afternoon when they can have a troubleshooting session. “
The problem was soon fixed. Should I conclude that stations usually rely on listeners to monitor their remote transmitters?
“Our engineer confirmed this issue, likely a studio to transmitter link issue. One of the internet connections at the tower site is clearly having problems.
Our tech team will hopefully figure out it later this afternoon when they can have a troubleshooting session. “
The problem was soon fixed. Should I conclude that stations usually rely on listeners to monitor their remote transmitters?