WAPZ AM SET TO SIMULCAST ON 95.7 FM IN MONTGOMERY

[bnewton424]

An application has been file to bring WAPZ Wetumpka/Montgomery to the FM dial. Radio Assist Ministeries has an STA with the FCC to make this happen.

The street committee has reported that WAPZ could pose a great threat to WHLW 104.3 if it is allowed to broadcast on a 250 watt FM translator. This could happen before the football season kicks in to capture those football advertising dollars. A 250 watt FM translator in Montgomery is comparable to a full class A FM station. Of course, WAPZ's am coverage is significant already. It can be heard from just south of Birmingham to just north of Atmore and from the Mississippi line to the Georgia line.

The street committee also says to look at another AM station doing this in Montgomery soon. Soon, all the AM stations will be on the FM dial......The same players will continue to play the radio game.

Peace..Out...

BSOD
The Brighter Side Of Darkness

 

[passtheword]

An application has been file to bring WAPZ Wetumpka/Montgomery to the FM dial. Radio Assist Ministeries has an STA with the FCC to make this happen.

The street committee has reported that WAPZ could pose a great threat to WHLW 104.3 if it is allowed to broadcast on a 250 watt FM translator. This could happen before the football season kicks in to capture those football advertising dollars. A 250 watt FM translator in Montgomery is comparable to a full class A FM station. Of course, WAPZ's am coverage is significant already. It can be heard from just south of Birmingham to just north of Atmore and from the Mississippi line to the Georgia line.

The street committee also says to look at another AM station doing this in Montgomery soon. Soon, all the AM stations will be on the FM dial......The same players will continue to play the radio game.

Peace..Out...

More and more of those AM's are "becoming" FM's. There are probably between 10 and 20 of them now in Alabama. In Chilton county, Clanton's WKLF-
AM is now broadcasting on FM translator, W238BS, with its 19 watts of "power".

[EDIT-unauthorized promotion]

 

[Nate Wesley]

1)The street committee has reported that WAPZ could pose a great threat to WHLW 104.3 if it is allowed to broadcast on a 250 watt FM translator.
...
2) A 250 watt FM translator in Montgomery is comparable to a full class A FM station.

1. The street committee needs to check WHLW's broadcast footprint one more time before referring to WAPZ on 95.7 'a great threat'. WAPZ @ 95.7 will get listeners, but Clear Channel isn't sweating a 250 watt translator eating its lunch.

2. Speaking of which, '250w translator = Full power class A' is absurd. You can blanket the explicit city limits alright with the proper engineering. But to say that this new channel at 95.7 is going to be comparable to the stereo frequencies of 96.1, 97.1, or 97.9 in reception other than car stereos is a too-generous stretch of the truth.

 

[Hotseat]

What does football season have anything to do with these stations?

 

[Nate Wesley]

What does football season have anything to do with these stations?

I assumed he meant high school football. He could actually be right about that, if there aren't other stations with an FM presence doing it.

 

[rambo2]

W238BS is simulcasting a Clanton's AM 980. As for WAPZ hurting WHLW is ridiculous, it is true that WAPZ will improve it's coverage by being on FM dial for two reasons, first they are a day-timer so they will get needed nighttime coverage and second FM stereo. Let's not get overly enthusiastic, a translator does not have the clearance or interference free coverage as a standard FM, especially a class C.

 

[busterluck]

WAPZ is 24 hours a day with 80 watts nightime, non directional. The FM will help out at night time, during the daytime, WAPZ has about the best AM signal in the Montgomery market, 5KW non directional with a tall tower.

 

[rambo2]

Looking at radio locator, Wetumpka is north of Montgomery. The 60 dbu of W239BN CP signal barely cover 25% of Montgomery. It is good to see an AM finally get needed help. But to think that this significantly cut into WHLW is absurd.

 

[bnewton424]

Stations are no longer only judged by its coverage area anymore. A look at markets all across America will show that a station can zoom to the top with micro power by :

1. It's Programming
2. Concentration of it's signal to saturated population base of a particular demograhphic group

A look at Montgomery radio will show that WKXN's translator(s) with 38 watts has placed above the 50,000 watt WALX FM repeatedly in the Arbitron ratings not to mention placing ahead of quite a few AMs along the way. WKXN's translator's are aimed at Montgomery's westside of 125,000+ potential listeners. Commerical building penetration is not what it could be but it is acceptable in most homes. A 250 watt translator would penetrate commercial buildings more effectively than 38 watts of course.

If WAPZ can tweet its programming for FM (dropping the talk and getting quality local broadcasters), WHLW would be toast. Let face it, who else is there in central Alabama with an urban gospel format that can compete with them on FM. NO ONE.... There are no other urban gospel stations on FM in the entire state of Alabama (save the Camden station). Also, don't be mislead by the maps on coverage area. Most of the times these coverage maps are deceptive.

The next Arbitron ratings will show that contemporary christian format WRVR and its Montgomery translator will kick some powerful FMs and AMs.

Power still means a lot, but it's not what it use to be when it comes to listenership. Programming and community involvement are still the keys to better listenership.

 

[R.D.P.]

Glad that WAPZ is going to be heard on FM. Will WAPZ have any ownership over and/or thing to do with this translator? Just Curious.

R.D.P. <><

 

[rambo2]

I didn't mean to burst anyone's bubble or pour water on enthusiasm, I hope WAPZ will prove me wrong by significantly cutting into WHLW ratings. Does WAPZ own this translator? If they don't, any success could be short lived. The reason I say that is cost of acquiring translators in urban markets just went up exponentially with the FCC's recent rule making. I do realize that the most powerful signals especially in urban markets are not always the market leaders.

 

[ricky]

WRVR is a Memphis FM. What Contemporary Christian WRVR are you referring to?

 

[busterluck]

The call letters are WVRV. It is a Class A at 97.5 licensed to Pine Level, a small community some miles sourht of Montgomery. The WVRV call letters were formerly used in East St. Louis at 101.1.

 

[Nate Wesley]

A look at Montgomery radio will show that WKXN's translator(s) with 38 watts has placed above the 50,000 watt WALX FM repeatedly in the Arbitron ratings not to mention placing ahead of quite a few AMs along the way. WKXN's translator's are aimed at Montgomery's westside of 125,000+ potential listeners. Commerical building penetration is not what it could be but it is acceptable in most homes.

1. WALX-FM (Orrville/Selma) does not have an urban format, does not explicitly target Montgomery, and it doesn't truly compete with other Montgomery stations for listeners or advertisers. So in the same spirit, one could brag that WKXN does better in Montgomery ratings than Atlanta's V-103 or New York's Hot 97. You'd be technically correct, but...no. It's not worth mentioning, and neither are the other local AMs they 'beat'--primarily because that's not what determines the station's usefulness to advertisers or its profitabiliity.
2. WKXN's translators do well because they a contemporary urban format--territory already covered by the full-powered (and much better rated) WZHT, WJWZ, and WWMG. It is highly doubtful that they have much of their own P1 listening--most likely, they are the third or fourth choice to Hot, Jamz, and Magic.

If WAPZ can tweak its programming for FM (dropping the talk and getting quality local broadcasters), WHLW would be toast.

It's just that easy, isn't it? All of those folks 'toiling' with 100kw @ 104.3 would drop them for a similar format on 250w @ 95.7? Again, they'd just have one more choice. Easy to imagine some folks might prefer WAPZ over WHLW, but there'd never be enough of them to make the statistical landslide you're talking about.

1. Let face it, who else is there in central Alabama with an urban gospel format that can compete with them on FM. NO ONE....There are no other urban gospel stations on FM in the entire state of Alabama (save the Camden station). 2. Also, don't be mislead by the maps on coverage area. Most of the times these coverage maps are deceptive.

1. That's not much of a point either. Clear Channel has been the only one to show much interest in doing the format full-time. I'm sure Cumulus 'could' change 92.3 or 103.3 to match wits with 104.3, but I don't think they'll bother for obvious reasons.
2. Come on sir...weren't you the one touting 1250's amazing coverage from 'south of Birmingham to north of Atmore', plus both borders of Mississippi and Georgia? You obviously looked at a map to make this claim, and now you want to say 'Don't be mislead by coverage maps'?

Power still means a lot, but it's not what it use to be when it comes to listenership. Programming and community involvement are still the keys to better listenership.

You'd have a point if WAPZ were the only place to hear Black gospel music. But they have competition on both bands. Adding the 95.7 translator will give them a greater presence and a leg up on other AM broadcasters, there's no doubt about that. But seriously, can any ideas of them being a worldbeater that will topple a 100kw station. That's just a stupid thing to say.

 

[rambo2]

Here is in the info from the FCC website on the proposed FM translator to be used by WAPZ:

Licensee: RADIO ASSIST MINISTRY, INC.
Service Designation: FX Translator Station (retransmits signal, different channel than main station)
Channel/Class: 239D Frequency: 95.7 MHz Licensed
File No.: BLFT-20090608ADI Facility ID number: 146162
CDBS Application ID No.: 1316897

32° 21' 4.00 " N Latitude
86° 07' 53.00" W Longitude (NAD 27)