WSGS 101.1/Hazard,KY has a construction permit to reduce their height while maintaining their power. The result will be a small reduction in coverage and with multi-path so troublesome in that area, the height reduction will probably aggravate that as well. Obviously someone has paid them to take this downgrade from class C to Class C0...Any idea who benefits from this?
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WSGS Service Area Reduction
- Thread starter BobOnTheJob
- Start date
BobOnTheJob said:WSGS 101.1/Hazard,KY has a construction permit to reduce their height while maintaining their power. The result will be a small reduction in coverage and with multi-path so troublesome in that area, the height reduction will probably aggravate that as well. Obviously someone has paid them to take this downgrade from class C to Class C0...Any idea who benefits from this?
There is a CP for a translator at 101.1 Lexington but that wouldn't be the culprit. I agree lowering the antenna would be trouble in that area.
BobOnTheJob said:WSGS 101.1/Hazard,KY has a construction permit to reduce their height while maintaining their power. The result will be a small reduction in coverage and with multi-path so troublesome in that area, the height reduction will probably aggravate that as well. Obviously someone has paid them to take this downgrade from class C to Class C0...Any idea who benefits from this?
What will probably happen is that after about six months they will realize this was a mistake because it will increase what problems they do have with coverage now. Then, the payoff they took to make the change won't be so sweet.
Short sighted managers and owners.
Bengalsfan said:BobOnTheJob said:WSGS 101.1/Hazard,KY has a construction permit to reduce their height while maintaining their power. The result will be a small reduction in coverage and with multi-path so troublesome in that area, the height reduction will probably aggravate that as well. Obviously someone has paid them to take this downgrade from class C to Class C0...Any idea who benefits from this?
What will probably happen is that after about six months they will realize this was a mistake because it will increase what problems they do have with coverage now. Then, the payoff they took to make the change won't be so sweet.
Short sighted managers and owners.
It may be more of a logistical issue. I noticed their sister FM (WKIC) has a CP for the same location. Isn't WSGS currently co-located on WYMT's tower?
Speaking of towers in Hazard, Is the old WKYH tower still standing?
Doubt that's it. The height is being dropped by over 400' & they are moving to a different tower...or at least to different coordinates. Somebody paid them to do this...sure would love to know who was responsible for neutering the biggest FM signal in Kentucky.radiorob2.0 said:Bengalsfan said:BobOnTheJob said:WSGS 101.1/Hazard,KY has a construction permit to reduce their height while maintaining their power. The result will be a small reduction in coverage and with multi-path so troublesome in that area, the height reduction will probably aggravate that as well. Obviously someone has paid them to take this downgrade from class C to Class C0...Any idea who benefits from this?
What will probably happen is that after about six months they will realize this was a mistake because it will increase what problems they do have with coverage now. Then, the payoff they took to make the change won't be so sweet.
Short sighted managers and owners.
It may be more of a logistical issue. I noticed their sister FM (WKIC) has a CP for the same location. Isn't WSGS currently co-located on WYMT's tower?
Speaking of towers in Hazard, Is the old WKYH tower still standing?
O
Onesimus
Guest
WSGS currently has the best FM signal in Kentucky IMHO (better than the Owensboro stations). The only station that rivals it is WSIP/Paintsville.
wendradio said:WSGS Biggest signal in Kentucky? I doubt it covered more area than WKDQ/WSTO/WBKR Owensboro.
Being that I worked at two of the three mentioned above, let me attest WSGS has a little bigger signal . If you want to get real technical, WSGS covers more of Kentucky than KDQ/BKR/and STO; remember those three sends the northern half of their signal over other states.
radiorob2.0 said:wendradio said:WSGS Biggest signal in Kentucky? I doubt it covered more area than WKDQ/WSTO/WBKR Owensboro.
Being that I worked at two of the three mentioned above, let me attest WSGS has a little bigger signal . If you want to get real technical, WSGS covers more of Kentucky than KDQ/BKR/and STO; remember those three sends the northern half of their signal over other states.
Is that important though (understand "in Kentucky" part)? Listening area is listening area, market share is market share. It knows no artificial boundaries.
Onesimus said:WSGS currently has the best FM signal in Kentucky IMHO (better than the Owensboro stations). The only station that rivals it is WSIP/Paintsville.
In terms of distance to the protected 60dBu contour, WSGS indeed currently has the best FM signal in Kentucky.
Among the nine Class C and C0 stations in the state:
#1: WSGS 100kw/446m 83.1km
#2: WQHY, WSTO, and WVVR tied 100kw/305m 72.8km
#5: WGGC 100kw/301m 72.5km
#6: WBKR 96kw/305m 72.3km
#7: WKDQ 98kw/300m 72.2km
#8: WUKY 100kw/237m 67.2km
#9: WEKH 31kw/324m 62.4km
WSGS's permit is to reduce antenna height to 362m. It would continue to have the largest 60dBu contour, at 77km. However, WVVR (100.3 Hopkinsville) also has a permit to increase antenna height to 451m. That would increase its 60dBu contour to 83.5km, making WVVR the biggest signal in the state.
(nearly half of WVVR's coverage area is, and would remain, in Tennessee)
FWIW, WSIP is a class C1 operation with 94kw/183m. Due to the low antenna, their 60dBu contour extends only 61.6km.
None of these contour figures take terrain, population, or state lines into account. I would suggest stations in Eastern Kentucky reach greater distances for listeners in elevated locations, but much shorter distances for listeners in low locations; coverage for stations in Western Kentucky is far more consistent due to the flatter terrain.
It seemed to me that WSGS was/is the only station in KY with full Class C status. It's not uncommon for WSGS to appear on the car radio here about 30 miles south of Indy. But then, 99.5 in Owensboro also shows up at times on the same car radio in spite of WZPL 30 miles north of me.w9wi said:Onesimus said:WSGS currently has the best FM signal in Kentucky IMHO (better than the Owensboro stations). The only station that rivals it is WSIP/Paintsville.
In terms of distance to the protected 60dBu contour, WSGS indeed currently has the best FM signal in Kentucky.
Among the nine Class C and C0 stations in the state:
#1: WSGS 100kw/446m 83.1km
#2: WQHY, WSTO, and WVVR tied 100kw/305m 72.8km
#5: WGGC 100kw/301m 72.5km
#6: WBKR 96kw/305m 72.3km
#7: WKDQ 98kw/300m 72.2km
#8: WUKY 100kw/237m 67.2km
#9: WEKH 31kw/324m 62.4km
WSGS's permit is to reduce antenna height to 362m. It would continue to have the largest 60dBu contour, at 77km. However, WVVR (100.3 Hopkinsville) also has a permit to increase antenna height to 451m. That would increase its 60dBu contour to 83.5km, making WVVR the biggest signal in the state.
(nearly half of WVVR's coverage area is, and would remain, in Tennessee)
FWIW, WSIP is a class C1 operation with 94kw/183m. Due to the low antenna, their 60dBu contour extends only 61.6km.
None of these contour figures take terrain, population, or state lines into account. I would suggest stations in Eastern Kentucky reach greater distances for listeners in elevated locations, but much shorter distances for listeners in low locations; coverage for stations in Western Kentucky is far more consistent due to the flatter terrain.
I looked for the WVVR permit & didn't see it on fccinfo.com or radio-locator.com. Got a link to that one? That's a fascinating application!
BobOnTheJob said:It seemed to me that WSGS was/is the only station in KY with full Class C status. It's not uncommon for WSGS to appear on the car radio here about 30 miles south of Indy. But then, 99.5 in Owensboro also shows up at times on the same car radio in spite of WZPL 30 miles north of me.
There are four stations in Kentucky with official Class C status: WSGS, WSTO, WQHY, and WBKR.
When the FCC created Class C0 for 100kw and antenna heights between 300 and 450m, they didn't automatically downgrade those C stations that fell into the 300-450m range. Those stations remain Class C. BUT... if someone else wants to create a new allocation or upgrade an existing allocation in a way that would be inconsistent with a Class C allocation... the FCC may require the less-than-450m Class C station to show cause why it shouldn't be downgraded to C0. Generally this is done by the Class C station filing an application to increase antenna height to 450m or more.
All four of the stations cited above have antenna heights of less than 450m -- and thus can be downgraded to C0.
There are three stations in Kentucky that have already been downgraded to C0: WGGC, WKDQ, and WVVR. WQHY and WSTO have the same technical facilities as WVVR; they're only of higher class because nobody has petitioned to get them downgraded yet... WSGS and WEKH both will be changed to C0 when their existing permits are built -- that's a downgrade for WSGS and an upgrade for WEKH...
I looked for the WVVR permit & didn't see it on fccinfo.com or radio-locator.com. Got a link to that one? That's a fascinating application!
Data flag error on the FCC website... WVVR's permit was canceled in October 2003 but never marked as an archive record..... It's on http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=659591&Service=FM&Form_id=301&Facility_id=73970.
so it looks like WSGS remains the best coverage in Kentucky for the foreseeable future...
(I rather suspect WVVR's permit was taken out for the reason I cite above -- to prevent the station from being downgraded to C0.)
The Lexington FM's (92.9, 94.5 & 98.1) had each upgraded to 100kw by the early eighties but all three had HAAT below 1000 feet. When the FCC started splitting up the Class C's all three stations were downgraded to C1's. I can't speak for 94.5 or 98.1 but the folks at 92.9 were pissed. There was discussion of building master antenna for the FM's and TV's but it didn't move further than talk. BTW, 92.9 Lexington upgrade potential is limited due to Eaton/Dayton.
If there is someone footing the bill for WSGS's change it could be from the Knoxville area. At one time WSGS came in fairly well in that area then a 101.1 went on the air in that area. According to the FCC page Johnny Pirkle who has a 101.1 translator signal in that area. He also has the 100.3 signal that he leases out. Pirkle is one of the few people in radio who makes a fortune at it without really having to do anything. He knows how to play the game very well and would have the ability to get this done.
What about WQXQ? It covers a huge area in Western KY.wendradio said:WSGS Biggest signal in Kentucky? I doubt it covered more area than WKDQ/WSTO/WBKR Owensboro.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=WQxQ&x=15&y=5
KyDXIn said:What about WQXQ? It covers a huge area in Western KY.wendradio said:WSGS Biggest signal in Kentucky? I doubt it covered more area than WKDQ/WSTO/WBKR Owensboro.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=WQxQ&x=15&y=5
Well.....that is when they are actually operating at proper parameters, "Q" is rarely at 100kw. About ten years ago, they were reported to the commission for operating for a long period of time at 50kw. They were told "to use it or lose it." The problem was fixed but new issues returned. There have been times you can't even receive them in Evansville. At one point, their sister station in Hartford (3kw @150% modulation) had better coverage.
I thought I used to get them more often than I have lately. What is the latest problem? Are they conserving electricity? I don't believe I've ever heard of a station underperforming, so to speak.radiorob2.0 said:KyDXIn said:What about WQXQ? It covers a huge area in Western KY.wendradio said:WSGS Biggest signal in Kentucky? I doubt it covered more area than WKDQ/WSTO/WBKR Owensboro.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=WQxQ&x=15&y=5
Well.....that is when they are actually operating at proper parameters, "Q" is rarely at 100kw. About ten years ago, they were reported to the commission for operating for a long period of time at 50kw. They were told "to use it or lose it." The problem was fixed but new issues returned. There have been times you can't even receive them in Evansville. At one point, their sister station in Hartford (3kw @150% modulation) had better coverage.
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