Why is KTBG so far from Kansas City?

[AnyHuman]

Anyone know why 90.9 The Bridge KTBG is so far from Kansas City signal wise? They have like nothing but local staff/content, and lots of local artists, and underwriting, local events to KC, you name it. It's an indie/alt rock/AAA station. https://bridge909.org/

Their Wikipedia page says they protect 90.7 in Lawrence KS, but I'm sure they could set up a directional array and emit less signal in 90.7's direction, all while moving closer to the center of town and maybe lowering power to save on the electric bill. I know they have a directional array already, but their current tower broadcasts to a lot of cows and horses out in the rural area east of KC. Last I checked, farm animals and trees didn't have radios. https://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=kt...=&lmspl=&party_type=LICEN&latd=&lond=&lang=en

They do air some good content, but the FM signal in the center of town is pretty bad with all the buildings and such. It does stream online luckily.

 

[davideduardo]

Anyone know why 90.9 The Bridge KTBG is so far from Kansas City signal wise? They have like nothing but local staff/content, and lots of local artists, and underwriting, local events to KC, you name it. It's an indie/alt rock/AAA station. https://bridge909.org/

Their Wikipedia page says they protect 90.7 in Lawrence KS, but I'm sure they could set up a directional array and emit less signal in 90.7's direction, all while moving closer to the center of town and maybe lowering power to save on the electric bill. I know they have a directional array already, but their current tower broadcasts to a lot of cows and horses out in the rural area east of KC. Last I checked, farm animals and trees didn't have radios. https://fccdata.org/?facid=&call=kt...=&lmspl=&party_type=LICEN&latd=&lond=&lang=en

They do air some good content, but the FM signal in the center of town is pretty bad with all the buildings and such. It does stream online luckily.

First, don't believe Wikipedia for most things that have to do with radio.

That station is originally a Warrensburg station that is trying to be a rimshot to Kansas City. They do manage to get a moderately decent signal to the eastern part of the market, but can't ever do better to the west.

Second, the station has multiple co-channel and adjacent channel protections. They are already directional away from the Weest and Northwest, meaning they can not more any closer to Kansas City. The only way they could move towards KC is by reducing the power even more because they can't push one watt more to the West and Northwest. So the coverage in those directions would not and could not change.

Look at https://fccdata.org/?call=ktbg&facid=&city=&state=&ccode=1&country=US and see that they are already directional and can't possibly send more signal to the areas in the western and northwestern part of the KC market.