WPPG Repton asking for interference complaints against WBSR 1450's 101.1 translator

[FreeAlabamaMedia]

Heard fumbling through the dial today [paraphrased]: "An announcement on behalf of WPPG 101.1 FM licensed to Repton, AL. If you are having reception problems because of a translator near Pensacola, FL also broadcasting on 101.1, please notify the FCC in writing" along with instructions to do so.

Coincidentally, Pensacola's WBSR 1450+101.1 (W266AL) is spinning the format wheel upon dropping local and national ESPN sports talk last week.

This really a concern or nah?

 

[tomservo]

This is such horse squeeze. WPPG's 60 dBu doesn't reach further south than Wallace, and their "fringe" coverage on Radio-Dislocator barely makes it to Flomaton. There's no way that translator in Pensacola is causing interference that far north. It's a hard catch over here in Foley, and I'm probably closer to it than Flomaton is. And I know every time I've been up I-65 between Evergreen and Atmore, I've never once had my radio's scan function stop on the ol' Power Pig, and that's supposed to be in their main coverage area. That really makes me skeptical of their claim.

While I recognize that stations often exceed their "predicted" contours in the real world, my experience with both of these broadcasts is that they don't, at least not enough to make a demand like this valid outside of band openings. And no station should be dependent on ducting or e-skip for reception!

The owners of WPPG had their opportunity to increase their coverage area and never built out their CP. Perhaps the ownership should stick to running cities and selling cars instead of trying to hamfistedly take stations in adjacent markets off the air. WBSR has been heard on this translator for what… 4 years? And they are just now thinking to ask for listener complaints when the format is suddenly about to change? Yeah, nothing fishy about that.

Sorry to go on a rant like this, I'm sure WPPG is a valuable part of whatever nearby community they've latched on to, but this whole nonsense that the FCC has brought on themselves licensing translators to repeat AM and HD signals needs to be fixed. If these are going to be a primary way for AMs to survive, they need to be afforded the same protections as any other FM broadcast. And that means protecting them from frivolous claims of "signal assault" by stations way off in the boonies like this one. The FCC has always referenced that "60 dBu protected contour" and regardless of real world performance, that ought to be a station's guaranteed coverage area for better or worse. Too many stations have skated by for too long depending on unreliable and difficult rimshot coverage to make their bank and it needs to stop.

Again, sorry. Rant over.

 

[Poledo]

I had been thinking the signal from 99Rock decreased when the Jag came on in Mobile. I can't even pick up the Jag until I'm no the west side of the tunnel, about 40 miles west of my location.

As for WPPG, their signal couldn't be very valuable in the southern fringe areas of Escambia Co AL or even Century, FL. Those communities are poor. It's not like the issue where WFLF Panama City got the 94.5 translator in Fort Walton moved because it caused interference in wealthy neighborhoods around Destin.

Now I want to read some good rants from you fine folks.

 

[R.D.P.]

Your new post is very funny Mr. Zach. I got a kick out of it.

Dan <><

 

[Poledo]

Maybe this has something to do with Evergreen's other radio station, WPNS, moving to Pensacola?

 

[tomservo]

Maybe this has something to do with Evergreen's other radio station, WPNS, moving to Pensacola?

Hmm? First I've heard of this. Nothing's been filed.

As far Jag vs. 99 Rock… seems the bigger issue for them would be WRNO. I hear them fighting nearly ever night that I DX on FM. Never hear The Jag unless I'm literally on Mobile Bay at the Fairhope Pier, and even then it's WRNO 99% of the time.

 

[Groove1670]

WPNS has to stay. It is the only COL for Evergreen. It allowed 93.3 to move to Shalamar in the 90's.

 

[tomservo]

There's another big translator versus full power FM fight going on in Alabama right now, too. WFXO (Stewartville) has been complaining of interference from W252BE (Tarrant City), which relays the Spanish format from WAYE in Birmingham.

The two managed to coexist before Marble City Media moved the TX site for WFXO from up near Ashland to a site near Sylacauga. That put them in a place where "real world" coverage of their station exceeds the predicted 60 dBu contour, and the translator's high antenna placement on Red Mountain cause a clash that has the translator popping up well within the 60 dBu contour of WFXO now.

This is one situation where the full power FM is definitely in the right. They have documented listener complaints from within their 60 dBu and have Longley-Rice maps showing just how much the two signals overlap now. Since FM full powers do have priority, just because they moved their TX site, doesn't mean they should have to accept the interference. The translator, owned by Shelby Broadcast Associates (a/k/a Reynolds Technical, Great South Wireless and who knows who else) filed to lower the antenna height of the translator, employ a more directional antenna and raise power a little, but Marble City filed a pretty detailed rebuttal and the latest event is that the FCC actually rescinded the construction permit, something I don't think I've seen but once or twice in the last 10 years of following this stuff.

In this case, the only way I see anything being resolved is if the translator's antenna height is dropped so low that it's terrain shadowed by either Red Mountain or Double Oak Mountain, at which point it will cease to even be anything remotely like a metro signal. I'm pretty sure Birmingham's Spanish speaking population is scattered all over, so any loss anywhere is going to hurt WAYE's listenership, but them's the terms.

Again, this is why I think the FCC needs to give at least some protection to translators that are being employed as repeaters for AM or HD subchannels. Otherwise, they're subject to going off the air for any reason, at any time, at the whims of any co- or adjacent-channel full power station even three counties over. You can't expect to "revitalize" AM stations by giving them such shaky ground on FM. (Some would argue you can't revitalize AM by giving listeners even less incentive to tune to the dial, but that's another argument for another day.)

 

[Poledo]

WPNS has to stay. It is the only COL for Evergreen. It allowed 93.3 to move to Shalamar in the 90's.

The call letters WPNS belong in Pensacola, not Evergreen. They can solve the COL problem by making a "donation" to a station like WILF to change their COL to Evergreen. Whatever the plan is, those WPNS calls are just parked in Evergreen for future use in Pensacola.

Is radio-locator correct in that Monroeville no longer has any AM radio reception?


I really expected some good translator interference rants on this thread by now.

 

[Groove1670]

The call letters WPNS belong in Pensacola, not Evergreen. They can solve the COL problem by making a "donation" to a station like WILF to change their COL to Evergreen. Whatever the plan is, those WPNS calls are just parked in Evergreen for future use in Pensacola.

Is radio-locator correct in that Monroeville no longer has any AM radio reception?


I really expected some good translator interference rants on this thread by now.

No one is going to change their COL to Evergreen, WILF would need to request a COL change to Evergreen. You can't pull a first service without replacing it (unless their is another station in the market. Monroeville did have an AM but it requested a COL change, and has been on a STA for some time. The might of got their COL change. I have not kept up with it.

 

[R.D.P.]

The WEZZ AM station moved to the Brantley area, because WSMX (WAOQ) moved their entire facility over to Goshen. To make Goshen move happen, someone had to become the new radio service for Brantley. Wa-La hence the reason for that move. Now concerning the 1360 AM station they had, in Monroeville, it went dark a few years back. Last I heard, that new Brantley AM was supposed to soon sign on and do Southern Gospel. (That's what was told to me, recently, when I spoke with WKLF in Clanton about it.)

Dan <><

 

[msugrad2000]

Of interest, WOWB WOW 90.9 is supposed to start broadcasting on 101.1 W266AL within the next day or so.

 

[Poledo]

That's an interesting idea.

To coincide with Wow 90.9's COL change to Jay...

Wow buys 1450 and have a new legal id of "WOWB Pensacola, 101.1FM W266AL Pensacola, 90.9FM WOWB-FM Jay" and add some comment about 100,000 watts of Christian Power even though the 101.1 Pensacola signal is only 200 watts... no more mention of Brewton, a town outside of the Pensacola DMA. The Pensacola DMA is obviously their current target if you visit Wow's website.

If true, wouldn't it be interesting if they also bought W266CM 101.1 in Mobile.

 

[tomservo]

If this is what's happening instead of AAA, then phooey. Pensacola needs another Christian station on the dial like I need another Twinkie. When I was a teenager, I used to get upset that Birmingham had TWO country stations, and another two or so could be heard depending on where you were, from out of market. I thought it was a waste of spectrum trying to compete with WZZK. So you can imagine how annoyed I am at the wasted space taken up by the roughly 22 religious-themed stations I can pick up in Baldwin County. By contrast, having 5 country stations (six if WAAZ is wafting in) seems downright conservative in nature.

That said, getting on in Pensacola via 1450/101.1 would be a good way to enter the market since the main signal is so limited in where it can move. They won't forget about Brewton or all the other podunk towns when it comes time to solicit for donations.

Speaking of donations, I only caught part of a promo but it appears that Goforth has been actively advertising for contributions to help fulfill their CP for 100 kW on 88.5, specifically mentioning improved service in Pensacola. So if that's built out, it'll be yet another Christian signal for the city.

BTW, I was in Fairhope the other day and noticed that 101.1 is on the air in Mobile, airing the Freedom Radio FM format that was supposed to be on 92.5 by way of WRKH-HD3.

 

[Groove1670]

The WOW folks are great people, and provide programming on a local level. I really don't care about the format as long as it is local. WBHY is going to be a complex and expensive project where iit is a proposed directional signal.

 

[Poledo]

Yeah, about half the radio dial in Pensacola is occupied by Christian stations. It's rather annoying considering most of them have nothing local except Sunday morning church. Wow is a little different than the rest.
It must be lucrative. Remember how much KLove paid for 95.7?

And I still believe my information is good. It makes much more sense to me if WBSR isn't involved. Before the WBSR stunting began I believed the new rock format in Pensacola was bound for the 94.5 or 95.3 translator or a new frequency in the next filing window.

 

[passtheword]

Yeah, about half the radio dial in Pensacola is occupied by Christian stations. It's rather annoying considering most of them have nothing local except Sunday morning church. Wow is a little different than the rest.
It must be lucrative. Remember how much KLove paid for 95.7?

And I still believe my information is good. It makes much more sense to me if WBSR isn't involved. Before the WBSR stunting began I believed the new rock format in Pensacola was bound for the 94.5 or 95.3 translator or a new frequency in the next filing window.

Christian broadcasters' aim (or at least it SHOULD be) is to share the gospel, not operating christian-formatted stations to make a buck. This explains as to why there is a huge plethora of "religious" stations, not just in Pensacola or anywhere for that matter. Whether they can all survive with so many stations in the same area, that remains to be seen. Financial profit is not their motive, however.

 

[R.D.P.]

In other news, the black belt section of Alabama is getting a new set of strobeys. Paging Mr. RobFWB or cceng fellow to come and help me set them up. I would love to have their assistance. They could help me turn this little ol' LPFM station into something beautiful indeed.

Dan <><

P.S. Paging a Bluegrass specialist to come and help me get more of those tunes too. Want to get my banjo thing on.

B.T.W. If anyone believes Pensacola or Mobile needs another Christian Radio Station, I have some beachfront property, I want to sell you along the banks of the Alabama River on each side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Name your price.

 

[R.D.P.]

Speaking of the LPFM station, it's taking off like wildfire. The response has been tremendous so far.

Dan <><

 

[Radio Observer]

R.D.P., I hope things get better for you soon and that you can do all that you say you can with that LPFM. I'm just not sure that RobFWB or cceng will want to get involved as I do keep in contact with engineers and, of the two who have prepared applications for filing with the FCC for you, both say they have never been paid for their work and I know for certain that one of them has spent his own money (decent amounts of it) trying to help you get started. You've been on here for so long talking about being different and now, I have two friends telling me they have worked so much for you and can't get paid. I have to ask: When do you plan to install an EAS system? You are aware that operating without one is not legal and you've been operating without one since January? That's six months of illegal operation and I'm not seeing where Jesus Radio is very Christian in these respects. I had planned on leaving this all unsaid but, with checking with my engineer friend, when I find they have been stiffed by yet another "holier than thou" who is just as bad as, if not worse than a common thief by expecting everything to be free, I just have to say something. I expect this will be deleted so, I'm asking for a full financial accounting from my friends, today. With them being meticulous engineers, I suspect what I've been told will be proven correct. (I'll be cruising through Selma within the next several days and will be checking to see a 100 foot tower on Park Avenue and also listening for EAS messages to be relayed as required by FCC regulations. I'm thinking, at this point in time, calling for an inspection of your station by the FCC may be in order. You've gone on and on for so long about "doing it right" that is like to see just how right you're doing things with what I've been hearing from my friends who have worked for you without being paid after you promised they would be paid. In the good book, there is a line, something to the effect of "the laborer is worthy of his hire". How can you purport to be a Christian station that has now refused to pay two engineers after promising that they would be paid for work they have done for you?