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W262BL Gulf Shores sells to Red Mountain Broadcasting

DeadElvis said:
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
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I know, but anytime I start a band-scan it always begins with FM. Just habit. :)

poledo said:
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'?
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There might be issues on the fringes and during tropo, but I don't think most radios will suffer too much. My ancient early 80s era Panasonic with semi-slide tuning (analog w/ digital readout) gets SL-100 good during strong evenings, but during the day the HD hash from 99.9 and 100.7 overwhelms everything between the two. Within the translator's predicted 60 dBu and certainly within the 70 dBu that won't be an issue, I don't think.
 
It'll be interesting to see how fast they get this translator on the air.

The obvious best choice for programing would be a WNTM simulcast on FM for the Eastern Shore (or a simulcast of 96.1-hd2 simulcasting WNTM 710). Atmospheric conditions around this area are so wild that this won't be a very dependable signal for Mobile (city of)... but it should make it over there most days. If they do go with a WNTM simulcast on 100.3 I would expect CC would keep looking for a second translator in Mobile for another FM WNTM simulcast. That would make for an interesting TOH station ID... "WNTM 710, WRKH 96.1 HD-2 Mobile, 100.3 Spanish Fort, etc..."

It seems like Gulf Shores/Orange Beach would be yet another area that would be well served by an FM simulcast of WNTM, but since they are moving this translator away from the beach that must not be in the CC playbook. I wonder why? They're just leaving a hole down there for Cumulus to fill with a translator simulcasting Pensacola's WCOA (or more realistically a 100.7 HD2 simulcast of WCOA simulcasting on a translator in the Gulf Shores - Perdido Key area).

Since the FWB 94.5 translator was allowed to go full power with WFLF-FM so close by it seems like 100.3 would have been allowed to go full power (on say WCSN's tower) in Orange Beach. Not saying it's a good idea, it just seems as though it would have been allowed.
 
Checking out some minor DX tonight (Hattiesburg, Biloxi, New Orleans, Dothan, PC all floating in this evening) and I noticed that Rocket's HD is back on. WNTM is back on the HD2. ESPN is on WRGV-HD2. WTKX is now the only one with nothing on their HD2. Just dead air.

Of course SL-100 is here and clear as a bell. Same feed again as 107.3, but much different processing. Fuller sounding, but not as pleasantly tweaked as 107.3 sounds. So now I have the same CHR on two frequencies and Delilah on three (94.1/99.9/96.9 Dothan). LOL.
 
So how's the Day/Night coverage of WNTM (710 AM) in Daphne? It seems that since it's so close to Mobile Bay that the signal should reach all the way to Malbis (possibly Loxley?) at night which would cover most of the population covered by this proposed translator. I would think that WNTM would be looking for Mobile city limits FM translator coverage for WNTM followed by an Eastern Shore translator and extended coverage of Orange Beach with a third FM translator. HD FM isn't doing anything for listeners and few even have the option to listen, it's only real use has become a feeder system for these 250 watt Class A equivalent translators. The folks that live full time in Foley and south to the beach would really appreciate a WNTM or WCOA on a translator. I assume WNTM has the market rights for any potential translator in Baldwin county. So if 100.3 has WNTM in it's future plan, why did they move the translator?

How's the coverage of 107.3 in the 100.3 translator's proposed coverage area? Could it be a repeater for the CHR to try to double up the competition with Cumulus' 104.1? Besides 107.3 and WNTM, what other format would do well on the Eastern Shore? Foggy Mountain and that 99.9 HD2 jazz station aren't exactly run with enough commercial breaks to produce revenue on analog FM. 105.5 already has Sports with a similar or arguably better signal in the area.

Would it be theoretically possible for 100.3 to make another hop over to Mobile county?

Interesting puzzle. More complicated than predicting 104.1 would hire the WABB staff and jump on the top-40 format.
 
It's possible it could hop over the rivers and land in Mobile but I don't really see that happening.

I've heard WNTM fairly well in Daphne and Spanish Fort by once you go east of Malbis it starts getting hammered pretty bad. I'd say by Loxley it's completely Cuban or Mexican or whatever is on that frequency.

In a way, the 100.3 frequency is already a repeater for 107.3 since they're both Clear Channel stations and, at least at night, have the exact same programming right down to the same songs. Can't get HMN? Try SL-100. It's the same darn thing!

I don't think 105.5 has any ESPN programming, so going head to head with them with ESPN's lineup wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility, but they'd need local talent to really compete and the signal, while closer to Mobile, will be just as sketchy as 105.5's is across the bay.

There's still the dead air of WTKX-HD2, too. They could stick something on there if WNTM isn't the future of 100.3. Due to the geography of the area, the translator's reach and appeal are going to be pretty limited. On "flat" days the WBHY-AM translator is listenable down to Foley and Fairhope, so it will help WNTM a lot to add FM to those areas. The rest of Mobile can more or less get WBUV out of Moss Point which has basically the same CC programming (although, much to my consternation, they don't carry the 4am repeat of 1st hour of C2C-AM.)

Skip still floating around as of 2 am. I logged more Jackson stations, on 95.5 and 96.3 this time, and something on 95.9 that I could never ID (Tylertown, MS?) At the peak it completely wiped out WRKH's HD sidebands.

But all is not lost in HD-land. WUWF is almost unintelligible, scratchy with noise, probably from the Catholic station in MS. The HD works just fine, however and decodes quick. It's weird hearing it go from almost-nothing to crystal clear audio.
 
I drove though the Azalea City on Sunday (and will pass through again today). The band was flat at the time. Still WNSL was listenable into West Mobile. It drops out by the Eastern Shore. It'll be fun to see how the frequency works when the band is up.

Your 95.9. Taylorsville?

DE
 
So I'm not translating your answer at all Zach. Do you believe that 100.3's coverage area would get a better signal from the 100.3 translator or 107.3's C1 signal? I assume 107.3 is fine on the eastern shore, but I never listen to anything in that area except Zew.

Most likely use for 100.3 = WNTM FM translator or ESPN sports? If they go with sports they would really need to lock up another translator... say in the area of the Malls in Mobile to get decent coverage with (at least) two 250 watt translators? They could expand coverage with more translators but it would take one on each side of the bay to really consider a new format/station covering Mobile.
 
I'm sorry, I gave you a non-answer. ;D

I think the signals would be equal in that area. 107.3 is almost line of sight to the eastern shore; Mobile would get a better signal from 107.3 no matter where it's located simple because it's so much more powerful. But neither will equal 100kw from the WKRG-TV tower.
 
I would think that WNTM would be looking for Mobile city limits FM translator coverage for WNTM followed by an Eastern Shore translator and extended coverage of Orange Beach with a third FM translator.
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You won't see a translator for an AM station in Mobile or Pensacola station. I doesn't make sales or marketing sense. Plus the primary contour for those stations don't reach Pleasure Island. Ain't gonna happen.
 
musiconradio.com said:
I would think that WNTM would be looking for Mobile city limits FM translator coverage for WNTM followed by an Eastern Shore translator and extended coverage of Orange Beach with a third FM translator.
Click to expand...

You won't see a translator for an AM station in Mobile or Pensacola station. I doesn't make sales or marketing sense. Plus the primary contour for those stations don't reach Pleasure Island. Ain't gonna happen.
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What you're forgetting is that ESPN and WNTM-AM are both carried on HD subchannels in the market, meaning that a translator can pop up just about anywhere within that contour, which does cover 100% of Baldwin County.
 
musiconradio.com said:
I would think that WNTM would be looking for Mobile city limits FM translator coverage for WNTM followed by an Eastern Shore translator and extended coverage of Orange Beach with a third FM translator.
Click to expand...

You won't see a translator for an AM station in Mobile or Pensacola station. I doesn't make sales or marketing sense. Plus the primary contour for those stations don't reach Pleasure Island. Ain't gonna happen.
Click to expand...

ESPN 1450 in Pensacola already announced in a news paper article that they are bringing 101.1 from Bay Minette over to Pensacola to serve as their FM translator. WRNE 980 Pensacola owns the 106.9 translator that is walking toward Pensacola but is stuck around the AL/FL state line now. ADX has two translators, 106.5 in Milton and 103.3 in Molino, that were walking to town but have stopped moving, I assume 103.3 was planned for use as a WNRP 1620 FM translator. 106.5 is just sitting unused in Milton. I think there is one more moving toward Pensacola, but I can't remember... this has been going on for a year and nothing is on the air.
 
The FCC has put the brakes on multi-hop translators.

Whether that means those Pensacola-bound translators are now worthless or just mired in mud is anyone's guess.

W262BL's app was approved yesterday. It'll be interesting to see how quickly Clear Channel gets it on the air. Some of the Birmingham translators were on in just a few weeks after the CP was issued.
 
Wasn't this 100.3 translator moved from Gulf Shores to Spanish Fort in a single hop? Why can't the translators around Pensacola now be moved into town in one last single "hop" also?
I guess the Pensacola translators aren't entirely worthless. Apparently Clear Channel could buy them and get them on the air and then lease them back to the stations that need them.
 
poledo said:
Wasn't this 100.3 translator moved from Gulf Shores to Spanish Fort in a single hop? Why can't the translators around Pensacola now be moved into town in one last single "hop" also?
I guess the Pensacola translators aren't entirely worthless. Apparently Clear Channel could buy them and get them on the air and then lease them back to the stations that need them.
Click to expand...

The Pensacola-bound translators were already moved and moved and moved in some cases, whereas the Gulf Shores translator hasn't been touched until now.

The "new rules", if I understand them correctly, are allowing bigger changes all at once, but putting the ones that have already moved on hold. So the Pensacola ones may be in limbo for a long time.
 
Well that sucks. 106.5 in Milton hasn't been moved yet. Ya think it might still be "in play"? If so that could mean WNRP News Talk 1620 would get on FM before anyone else. I wonder what effect that would have on WCOA?
 
Everybody is doing the Bunny Hop Hop Hop Happy Palm Sunday & Easter. :)
 
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