W262BL Gulf Shores sells to Red Mountain Broadcasting

[tomservo]

With all the obsession over WABB and WABD, I had forgotten to post about this. Red Mountain Broadcasting has apparently bought W262BL in Gulf Shores. It's a 1 watt blowtorch that's never actually been on the air on 100.3 MHz.

Red Mountain runs a few translators in Birmingham. They all carry Clear Channel HD-2 stations like The Vulcan and Hallelujah. They also own a translator in Tuscaloosa and one in Demopolis IIRC but those are idle at the moment.

I don't know how much potential there is with this translator, since it is boxed in to the east by the sports station in FWB. But RMB must see some potential. Clear Channel's HD offerings are classic country on KSJ and smooth jazz on WMXC. The Rocket's HD is still off but at one time it carried News Talk 710 WNTM on HD-2. Which I miss, personally, as Baldwin County can't get the AM at night at all. Baby needs his UFOs and conspiracy fix on C2C AM! ;D

 

[tomservo]

OK so I did some casual investigating and there's already an app pending to move this from Gulf Shores to the WKRG-TV tower in Spanish Fort, with 250 watts at 1400+ feet.

WTKE in FWB isn't cause for concern but WNSL in Hat-ties-burg is, since they're co-channeled.

The parent station is, get this: WHIL-HD2. I'm sure that'll be news to Alabama Public Radio since WHIL doesn't have HD or even RDS. That will change in short order if this app is approved.

It looks like it'll have a very good coverage area, equivalent to a class A easily. The 103.5 translator for WBHY-AM that's on the GoForth tower in Spanish Fort gets out pretty well now. It's an easy catch on a decent car radio all the way down to Foley. If this 100.3 is built out I expect it to perform even better.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Assuming CC brings back the HD-2 feed and the mod gets approved, that would be a great spot to relay WNTM on regular FM.

 

[DeadElvis]

The application has been ACCEPTED FOR FILING. That generally means that approval will follow.

And, yes... a scenario just as discussed above for WNTM makes perfect sense. And, yes. It would likely have to be an an HD2 first; I think the translator signal MIGHT go a bit far east to translate 710 directly. 710's signal really is pretty modest. But, I could be wrong.

These "Super Translators" are all the rage. But at full power (250W) @ ~400m, this is a WHOPPER, basically equivalent to a Class A.

DE

 

[tomservo]

But, I could be wrong.

These "Super Translators" are all the rage. But at full power (250W) @ ~400m, this is a WHOPPER, basically equivalent to a Class A.

DE

You're not. WNTM is a flea compared to some of CC's AM talkers. With the poor ground conductivity here and all the electrical noise it really is only viable in part of the Mobile metro. But then that's true of practically all of Mobile's (and Pensacola's) AM stations.

With CC's unwillingness to drop a successful music format for talk, this may be an effective way to bolster the talker's coverage. I'm really surprised at how well WBUV performs in this area despite its Pascagoula leanings. It even shows up in the Mobile ratings. Where it trails off this translator will pick up, so that is serendipity if that is indeed their plans.

CC has done well with their HD2-to-translator projects in Birmingham. I think one of them is pulling a 2.6 in the 12+ already, with a non-unique format. Several of them are 250 watts at ~1400 feet as well. They seem to do OK.

 

[DeadElvis]

What's going to be interesting to see is how the translator does considering the co-channel interference from WNSL.

The coverage area of W262BL lies almost completely within the 40 dBu of WNSL and the 60 dBu really isn't that far away from Mobile. And, this is on a dead band. The Gulf Coast gets A LOT of tropospheric ducting; it will make the translator unlistenable some mornings. It will still be a nice translator, but it will have issues -- the 60 dBu does not quite make it to I-65. Sorry, West Mobile.

As far as WNTM is concerned... I grew up in Pascagoula and know Mobile's AMs well (I even did a proof on one MANY years ago). And, yeah, they all kinda suck. Mobile doesn't really have any truly big AM signals. And, being in an area with conductivity designated as just "2" doesn't help.

DE

 

[Poledo]

So why can 100.3 move from the beach to Spanish Fort but no one can seem to get the 3 Pensacola translators into town? 980 and 1450 could use the help. It hasn't been announced what was going on the 103.? translator.

 

[tomservo]

So why can 100.3 move from the beach to Spanish Fort but no one can seem to get the 3 Pensacola translators into town? 980 and 1450 could use the help. It hasn't been announced what was going on the 103.? translator.

Y'know, I'm not really sure what logic they're using to make this massive jump to Spanish Fort. I read the application and it had some justification, but I don't remember what it was. Generally translators can only move while having some overlapping coverage from one TX site to the next. That's how all the Pensacola-bound translators were slowly making their way into town. But the FCC put the kybosh on those hops. This one hasn't moved from Gulf Shores since it was approved as far as I know, so it may be some new allowance to let translators move more than normal in one big change. After a while all the rules and changes swim around in my head, lol.

WNTM isn't the only possibility for this translator, now that I think of it. The Rocket's HD doesn't appear to be coming back anytime soon (which means no WNTM for me day or night). Clear Channel does have, on the other hand, the HD running again on 107.3 and the HD-2 is carrying ESPN. AFAIK there's no ESPN in Mobile, so it could go head to head with WNSP, which doesn't really cover much of Mobile, either.

 

[DeadElvis]

There actually isn't much logic.

The translator is asking for a waiver of the Rule requiring 60 dBu contours to overlap in a translator move. The Commission granted an Illinois translator a waiver of that Rule in 2011, finding the move in the public interest.

The Commission considered the following criteria in the Illinois move:

(1) [The translator's owner] does not have a history of filing serial minor modification applications; (2) the proposed site is mutually exclusive to its licensed facility; (3) the proposed move does not implicate the concerns raised by the Commission in the recent Third Further Notice in the low-power FM (“LPFM”) docket, and, (4) while not alone dispositive, the translator will be rebroadcasting an AM station.

A couple of issues come quickly to mind. First, the Illinois waiver was granted in a letter ruling. In Administrative Law, letter rulings are NOT considered precedential, merely persuasive. So, the Commission is not bound to follow these criteria. Further, and most importantly, the applicants for Mobile never addressed the criteria; they merely asked for the waiver. Had I been writing such an application, there would have been a footnote or appendix specifically arguing for the waiver. In this case, however, the fourth prong, translation of an AM -- which seems the most important -- is inapplicable; the translator is set to translate an FM, WHIL. I do not have the information to answer the first issue. Leaving all of this out is, frankly, sloppy.

Interesting stuff.

 

[Poledo]

As for WHIL, would it be safe to assume that this 100.3 translator is going up on the same tower WHIL broadcast from? Or is the adjacent taller tower with KSJ and 99.9?

Does APR have HD-2 signals up north that just haven't made it to Mobile since they haven't owned WHIL for a whole year yet?

 

[tomservo]

As for WHIL, would it be safe to assume that this 100.3 translator is going up on the same tower WHIL broadcast from? Or is the adjacent taller tower with KSJ and 99.9?

Does APR have HD-2 signals up north that just haven't made it to Mobile since they haven't owned WHIL for a whole year yet?

From the Gewgle maps it looks to be on the WKRG tower, where Clear Channel has some of their properties already.

APR runs HD only on WUAL in Tuscaloosa; the stations in Selma and Muscle Shoals do not have HD as far as I know. WUAL is listed on my site as having Xponential Radio on the HD2 and BBC World Service and jazz speciality programming on the HD3.

I would very much enjoy having full time access to both Xponential and the World Service, but I don't think APR has any plans to add HD to WHIL. Even if they did I doubt it could run any more than minimal power because of how crowded the non comm dial is down here.

DE notes that they say that they would be relaying an AM with this translator but I don't think any of the Mobile signals could meet the technical requirements (the translator not covering anything beyond the 2 mV/m contour). It would almost certainly have to be via HD if that was their true intentions.

 

[DeadElvis]

As for WHIL, would it be safe to assume that this 100.3 translator is going up on the same tower WHIL broadcast from?

Yes. It is the same tower, FAA Reg. No. 1035771. That's the Channel 5 (OK, really 27) tower.

DE

 

[DeadElvis]

DE notes that they say that they would be relaying an AM with this translator

I said the opposite. I noted that it would be better, legally, if they did.

I agree that there aren't any AM facilities that would work, even licensed to Baldwin County. If there were, I assume that the translator owners would have attempted a deal there, as it would satisfy the 4th prong of the waiver test. And, my reading of the Letter Ruling for the Illinois translators implies that carrying an AM is an important factor for waiver.

It may be that Red Mountain glossed-over the waiver requirements as they really don't have the facts to qualify. They may have concluded that it is better to say nothing than to argue bad facts. Still, I think the Commission is smarter than that.

Fun stuff, this.

DE

 

[tomservo]

I said the opposite. I noted that it would be better, legally, if they did.

Whoops! My mistake. You are correct, sir.

There are a few other translators around Mobile just sitting dormant. I'm really surprised they haven't been snatched up yet like has happened in other cities.

 

[Poledo]

There are a few other translators around Mobile just sitting dormant. I'm really surprised they haven't been snatched up yet like has happened in other cities.

Owners must be holding out for more money after seeing what's happening in Atlanta and Birmingham, etc... Maybe the low sales price of 97.5 will speed things up?

 

[DeadElvis]

You're right... the sale of WABB for $3.1M does, indeed, establish the ceiling for "stick value" in Mobile (though, arguably, a slightly better Pensacola signal might bring a premium). But I am not sure that low price is the issue with translators. In fact, there is a clear financial incentive to get these translators improved.

Unimproved translators just aren't worth much. The translator here sold for just $20,000 -- even with a good possibility of an up-side. Clear Channel, which has been buying several of these little gems, has been paying about $40k for signals that are easily and very quickly upgraded in markets of similar size. But some of those translators have been fetching nice dollars once the new signal is on -- but only where the signal is good, i.e., city-grading much of the intended city.

Ultimately, radio properties just ain't worth what they used to. Better to get these new signals on while they have value, and before the engineering window closes.

DE

 

[tomservo]

Well, I was just summarily fooled.

I was doing an impromptu band scan to see how conditions are on the heels of the impending CME that's supposed to be reaching earth right about now.

I ran past 100.3 and heard a certain song that sounded familiar, so I flipped over to 107.3 and heard the same thing. Then a few minutes later, it segued to another song, same one on both stations!

“ZOMG!” I thought. “Clear Channel has the translator up and running already, and it's playing WRGV.”

Then the sweeper between songs: SL-100. D'oh. It's crystal clear right now in Baldwin County, along with 103.7 and 104.5 from Hat-ties-burg. New Orleans, Panama City and Meridian are all making appearances, as well.

Looks like Clear Channel is running the same playlist at the same time on both stations. :

I do have to wonder though how the translator will fare on nights like this.

 

[DeadElvis]

The CME will not affect FM broadcast at all. But, tropospheric ducting will. And, y'all get a BUNCH of that down there.

But, this is basically a FREE transmitter, if approved. There is really no down-side to doing it.

DE

 

[Groove1670]

Tropospheric ducting tears up a signal here on the Gulf Coast. Ducting will impact a translator two miles from the transmitter. It also kills 6KW 25KW and some 50KW signals around the 60db contour at least 2 dozen or more times a year. It has been really bad this year.

 

[Poledo]

Will there be any issues with the 100.3 translator being located so close to second adjacent WMXC 99.9 or would that only be an issue on an older radio with slide dial instead of a modern digital tuner?

Back in the day there was no dead space when tuning the dial from 99.9 to 100.7 to 101.5. KnowwhatI'msayin'?