Why Are York FM Stations So Short-Spaced?

[EJ204]

York has three full-power FM stations but two of them are short spaced to nearby cities with co-channel FM stations:

105.7 WQXA York & WJZ-FM Catonsville MD...54 miles
98.5 WYCR York-Hanover & WKRZ Freeland PA...113 miles

and in nearby Lancaster, there's 94.5 WDAC, only 123 miles from WPST Trenton NJ.

And the interesting fact is, all of these stations, in both York and other cities, have the maximum power permitted in the Northeast. Nobody apparently has to reduce power to protect the other station on its same frequency.

 

[fybush]

Central PA was ahead of the curve in the 1940s and 1950s on both FM and TV, thanks to some very innovative local broadcast owners. Think of the number of UHF stations that popped up around 1953-54, some of which even survived. It was in part because of all those TV signals that there was also lots of early FM.

The spacing standards were far less restrictive back then, and pretty much everything that was on the air on FM in that era was significantly short-spaced by the rules that took effect in 1964. Those rules allowed stations to continue using their existing power levels, which is why all those class Bs are both full-power and short-spaced.

It's not just York - think about 101.3 in Lancaster and Scranton, or 103.3 in York and Princeton, or 97.3 Harrisburg/97.5 Burlington NJ (ex-Trenton). Or 100.3 and 101.1 in Philadelphia and NYC, for that matter.

Lots of stations, lots of cities all close together...that's just the way it's always been on FM and TV in the northeast.

 

[Tim Y]

Regarding WJZ FM in Baltimore and WQXA in York,PA ( both utilizing 105.7 ) WJZ FM uses a highly directional FM antenna to protect WQXA in York.In fact crossing the state line on I83 into Pennsylvania it almost resembles a thrown switch.Your hearing WJZ FM , they fade quickly, and in comes WQXA. Many television stations since the digital switch-over are also using a somewhat directional antenna and pattern to protect stations on the same frequency.Channel 13,WJZ TV, I believe utilizes a directional antenna to protect WBRE TV or WYOU TV in Wilkes Barre/Scranton.

 

[vetguy]

Many years back some of those stations were really 10 KW stations, not 50 KW. The commisssion allowed stations to raise ERP to 50 KW, all together, as long as each accepted the interference levels from the others. If everyone raised their power at the same time, the relative interference between stations stayed the same, just as they did with 1KW/250 watt AM stations, then known as Class 4, I think in the 80's.. They all raised their night power at the same time to 1 KW, it somewhat solidified their signals close to the tower and interference levels stayed relatively the same.

WROZ has a short spacing agreement in writing, with the stations in Waynesboro, Washington, DC, Scranton and Philadelphia, which allowed all 5 stations to raise their power to 50 KW ERP at the same time and accept each others interference. Along with that agreement is a section that forbids any of the stations to move their tower site closer to any other, limiting any move to less than 1/4 mile without all 5 approving the move. While other stations could move away from the others, it locks WROZ into the site they have now, with virtually no chance of ever moving off the existing WGAL-TV property where they share the tower.

Don't know of other agreements that may be in place but there could be others. Most of the northeast is short spaced with someone and often multiple someones.

 

[theengineer]

There are lots of examples of how crowded the band is here .. most of which were brought about thru upgrades and moves over the years. WNNK 104.1 Harrisburg and WAEB-FM Allentown, both of which are 50 KW/ND which are VERY sort spaced - at one time there was an interference acceptance statement on the license of both of these. And there's 96.1 Red Lion and 96.1 Easton. WSOX is directional to protect WCTO among others - which was required when the 700' tower was built. WIKZ 95.1 and WRBT 94.9 are both directional protecting each other.

 

[kfitz]

Actually, Class B FM's were originally 20 kw (or eq to 20 kw at 150 meters HAAT) prior to 1960. The FCC allowed Class B FM's to raise power to 50 kw if all short stations within that group signed a waiver letter with each other based on new mileage separation minimums. Many 20 kw B's did this during 1959. I actually have a copy of the WZBA, 100.7, Westminster, MD (originally WTTR-AM) letter with Harrisonburg, VA; Allentown, PA; and Wildwood, NJ! This ultimately was not a great idea, many of these stations caused interference to one another. The FCC offered a great grandfathered short-spacing fix in 1999 and many stations have improved their situations since. I did some work for WQXA back in the 90's and that short-spacing to WJZ-FM has gotta be one of the wildest ones I've ever encountered!

 

[kb3ouk]

Many years back some of those stations were really 10 KW stations, not 50 KW. The commisssion allowed stations to raise ERP to 50 KW, all together, as long as each accepted the interference levels from the others. If everyone raised their power at the same time, the relative interference between stations stayed the same, just as they did with 1KW/250 watt AM stations, then known as Class 4, I think in the 80's.. They all raised their night power at the same time to 1 KW, it somewhat solidified their signals close to the tower and interference levels stayed relatively the same.

WROZ has a short spacing agreement in writing, with the stations in Waynesboro, Washington, DC, Scranton and Philadelphia, which allowed all 5 stations to raise their power to 50 KW ERP at the same time and accept each others interference. Along with that agreement is a section that forbids any of the stations to move their tower site closer to any other, limiting any move to less than 1/4 mile without all 5 approving the move. While other stations could move away from the others, it locks WROZ into the site they have now, with virtually no chance of ever moving off the existing WGAL-TV property where they share the tower.

Don't know of other agreements that may be in place but there could be others. Most of the northeast is short spaced with someone and often multiple someones.

Would that be the reason that WBHB (101.5 in Waynesboro) is directional to the west?