WCLE Cleveland,TN

[BobOnTheJob]

Maybe someone else can help me understand this story : A $55,000 translator sale in eastern Tennessee helps a storm-silenced AM get back on the air. The website for Robert Hartline Jr.’s talk WCLE, Cleveland, TN (1570) says “our transmitter has sustained damage beyond the ability to be repaired. We have been off the air since Tuesday, August 30, with no anticipated date of return to the air.” They’re still streaming (including local high school football) on the website, here. But striking a $55,000 deal with WAY Media for Hopewell-licensed W266BD at 101.1 may be just what Hartline needs. WCLE is licensed for 5,000 watts daytime and 84 watts at night. Hartline also owns nearby AC “Mix 104.1” WCLE-FM, licensed to Calhoun.

AM transmitter damaged beyond repair, so let's spend $55K on an FM translator before replacing the AM transmitter. Am I the only one who thinks the priorities are out of whack here?

 

[anotherguyTN]

Is it legal for them to use the translator when the AM is down? Just curious.

This makes me wonder about something else though. WAY-FM sold their translators in Union City and Dyersburg in the last few years, and even sold off CPs for translators in Jackson and Martin, and pretty much giving up on West TN, mostly because of the dominance of K-LOVE and Air 1 in the area. Are they starting to give up on East TN as well?

 

[firepoint525]

AM transmitter damaged beyond repair, so let's spend $55K on an FM translator before replacing the AM transmitter. Am I the only one who thinks the priorities are out of whack here?

Given that most of your listeners are probably on FM nowadays, I think their priorities are correct.

 

[firepoint525]

This makes me wonder about something else though. WAY-FM sold their translators in Union City and Dyersburg in the last few years, and even sold off CPs for translators in Jackson and Martin, and pretty much giving up on West TN, mostly because of the dominance of K-LOVE and Air 1 in the area. Are they starting to give up on East TN as well?

This must be how Thunderbolt Broadcasting picked up all those translators for WCMT, and even for all the FM stations that they now own in Union City and Martin. And this must also be how Dr. Pepper acquired 101.7 in Dyersburg to simulcast WTRO.

 

[anotherguyTN]

The WCMT translators belonged to WAY-FM, but the WTRO translator belonged to Heartland Ministries in KY. It was another CP they didn't complete. The former WAY-FM translator in Dyersburg is off for now. I'm not sure what's happening there.

 

[secondchoice]

AM transmitter damaged beyond repair, so let's spend $55K on an FM translator before replacing the AM transmitter. Am I the only one who thinks the priorities are out of whack here?

Given that most of your listeners are probably on FM nowadays, I think their priorities are correct.

I have the feeling they can get a STA for maybe a year. Soon or latter they will have to put the AM back on. If possible, could they CP or (STA) down to 1KW and buy a transmitter from one of the many AM's that are going dark? There might even be a 5 KW solid state rig on the cheap some where.

 

[firepoint525]

The WCMT translators belonged to WAY-FM, but the WTRO translator belonged to Heartland Ministries in KY. It was another CP they didn't complete. The former WAY-FM translator in Dyersburg is off for now. I'm not sure what's happening there.

Hey, Anotherguy, do you know where (geographically) Thunderbolt's translators are located? I see that they have WCMT-AM rebroadcast over 100.5, and the Quake can also be heard at 107.9, but they also have translators at 96.1, 102.9, and 103.3, but give no indication on their website as to where one might be able to tune in and receive these "stations." I can understand that by putting WCMT-AM on 100.5, it gives them a presence on the FM dial and allows them to be heard outside Martin at night, but unless all the other translators are located somewhere away from the Union City/Martin area, it would be redundant coverage. Also, did WAY-FM own all FIVE translators in that area? Or did some of them belong to someone else?

 

[anotherguyTN]

The WCMT translators belonged to WAY-FM, but the WTRO translator belonged to Heartland Ministries in KY. It was another CP they didn't complete. The former WAY-FM translator in Dyersburg is off for now. I'm not sure what's happening there.

Hey, Anotherguy, do you know where (geographically) Thunderbolt's translators are located? I see that they have WCMT-AM rebroadcast over 100.5, and the Quake can also be heard at 107.9, but they also have translators at 96.1, 102.9, and 103.3, but give no indication on their website as to where one might be able to tune in and receive these "stations." I can understand that by putting WCMT-AM on 100.5, it gives them a presence on the FM dial and allows them to be heard outside Martin at night, but unless all the other translators are located somewhere away from the Union City/Martin area, it would be redundant coverage. Also, did WAY-FM own all FIVE translators in that area? Or did some of them belong to someone else?

WAY-FM had translators in Union City on 91.5 and Dyersburg on 88.9 and eventually 89.1, and they also had CPs for translators in Martin and Jackson. Heartland Ministries also had a translator in UC on 107.7 and a CPs for translators in Martin and Dyersburg. I think Thunderbolt bought the CPs in Martin and UC that WAY-FM and Heartland didn't complete and eventually the existing translators as well. Heartland's CP in Dyersburg was sold to WTRO and WAY-FM's translator is currently off and was sold according to them, although I couldn't find anything on it.

Here's the info I found on Thunderbolt's translators in UC and Martin:

http://cdbs.recnet.net:8080/fmq.php?facid=145619
http://cdbs.recnet.net:8080/fmq.php?facid=145710
http://cdbs.recnet.net:8080/fmq.php?facid=141075
http://cdbs.recnet.net:8080/fmq.php?facid=90233
http://cdbs.recnet.net:8080/fmq.php?facid=86931