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WJLD's FM Translator at 104.1 (W281AB)

Chad-Stevens

Chad-Stevens

Just a heads up as I'm not sure if it's been posted here before. Heard an ID for WJLD AM Fairfield and W281AB in Mountain Brook. Tuned to 104.1 and sure enough it was there in Stereo, just barely audible in Five Points South. What surprises me is that they got an FM translator since they seem to have a very reliable signal to begin with, even deep into Shelby County. I've heard them as far south as Selma in the late afternoon.

So when did this translator go on the air, and please tell me whether or not I should fear a new invasion of translators choking off what little green space is left on the FM dial.
 
Chad-Stevens said:
Just a heads up as I'm not sure if it's been posted here before. Heard an ID for WJLD AM Fairfield and W281AB in Mountain Brook. Tuned to 104.1 and sure enough it was there in Stereo, just barely audible in Five Points South. What surprises me is that they got an FM translator since they seem to have a very reliable signal to begin with, even deep into Shelby County. I've heard them as far south as Selma in the late afternoon.

So when did this translator go on the air, and please tell me whether or not I should fear a new invasion of translators choking off what little green space is left on the FM dial.
Click to expand...

Depends on if you're asking when the translator went on the air rebroadcasting WJLD, or when it originally came on the air. The 104.1 translator for Mountain Brook originally went on the air sometime back in the 80's or early 90's IIRC. It was originally owned by Family Stations which used it to rebroadcast WBFR (89.5) for many years. It disappeared from the air several years ago, and was recently sold to Richardson Broadcasting. The translator came back on the air a few months ago rebroadcasting WJLD. I heard the translator shortly after it came back on the air, it was for all intents and purposes inaudible on Shades Mountain where I was at the time. Years ago when it was rebroadcasting WBFR (and the xmtr was further east than it is now), it had a pretty good signal in the Hoover/Vestavia areas.

As far as new translators coming on the air, there are several of them that I know of which have been granted or recently come on the air in the Birmingham area.


W241AI-96.1: Gorgas (Educational Media Foundation- on the air rebroadcasting WGIB). My question is: Why is this translator rebroadcasting WGIB when WGIB's 91.9 signal already covers that area? ???


W241BD-96.1: Calera (CP for Educational Media Foundation - to rebroadcast WGIB, also). Again...Why?? WGIB, and in particular, its sister FM, WQEM, both cover Calera. ::)


W275AR-102.9: Birmingham (CP for WAY-FM - to rebroadcast WAYH, Harvest, AL)


W286BK-105.1: Alabaster (another CP for WAY-FM - to rebroadcast WAYH, also. Originally to broadcast from Shelby Baptist Hospital area in Alabaster. Will instead broadcast from Verizon Amphitheatre area and cover primarily Pelham instead).


That's just four translators for the Birmingham area that I know of. There are other applications out there as well for other Birmingham suburbs (mostly WAY-FM, EMF, etc). Others, anyone?


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Two things come to mind. First, the WJLD translator is licensed to Mountain Brook yet I've never heard that thing anywhere near Mountain Brook. It transmitted Family Radio back in the day from the comms tower on Tyler Road in Hoover. Now that it's relocated to the WJLD studios area, it's even further from Mountain Brook!

Then there's that Gorgas translator. I'm pretty keen on all the unofficial and actual places names all through Alabama, but I swear I never heard that area (near Edwards Lake Rd and US-11 near Trussville) referred to as "Gorgas".

Makes me think these translator apps just make up names to sound like they're serving new lands. ::)

As for other translators, there's one for 92.3 in Springville (W222AZ, for Glen Iris again). I don't know it if's on the air or not, but Radio-Locator shows it as active.

Glen Iris has yet another one up that way, W237CG in Odenville. It is on the air on 95.3.

W276BQ is on the air in Pelham on 103.1 relaying WUAL (public radio) from Tuscaloosa. It seems to be offering some fill-in coverage in the hills along I-65 where WUAL gets spotty. If I were still living in the area I'd probably listen to this translator a lot, since I prefer WUAL's programming to WBHM.

I'm pretty sure the 102.9 translator has been on the air at one point, from a transmitter site atop Ruffner Mountain.
 
Zach said:
I noticed that the translator has a license to cover filed in the June 16th edition of the Broadcast Actions from the FCC.

Anyone checked it out to see how good the coverage is?
Click to expand...

I was up in the Shades Mountain area yesterday and tried to listen to WJLD's translator to see if it was broadcasting from Red Mountain yet. I didn't hear any sort of signal on 104.1 (other than Atlanta's WALR), so I imagine it's either still broadcasting from the Ishkooda area or off the air temporarily.



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Radio Didn't Exist?
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