WUNR-AM Gets LTC

[Laurence Glavin]

The FCC Applications for Wednesday, 02/25, includes a license to cover for WUNR-AM, Brookline, MA. This apparently removes any obstacle to firing up all the AMs on Sawmill Brook Pahkway...or does it?

 

[DanStrassberg]

The FCC Applications for Wednesday, 02/25, includes a license to cover for WUNR-AM, Brookline, MA. This apparently removes any obstacle to firing up all the AMs on Sawmill Brook Pahkway...or does it?

I'm betting next Monday morning (March 2)--first business day of a new month. But I sure don't know.

 

[DanStrassberg]

The FCC Applications for Wednesday, 02/25, includes a license to cover for WUNR-AM, Brookline, MA. This apparently removes any obstacle to firing up all the AMs on Sawmill Brook Pahkway...or does it?

OOPS! I think we both jumped the gun on this, I rechecked yesterday's (2/25) FCC actions. WUNR has NOT been granted a license to cover; rather, the FCC has accepted for filing the station's application for a license to cover. Having that app on file may indeed be a prerequisite for a grant of program test authority, but until program test authority has been granted, I do not believe that WUNR can legally use its full CP facilities (except intermittently for very brief periods). And the FCC will not grant program test authority until the permittee has applied for it and the application has been accepted for filimg. I've forgotten where to look on the Web for info about applications for program test authory, but if WUNR has filed for program test, the information should be at the FCC Web site--somewhere;>(

 

[Deleted member 64531]

Both an application for "Program Test Authority" and "License To Cover" were "Accepted For Filling" on 02/23/2009.

 

[Deleted member 64531]

Here are the links to the FCC CDBS concerning WUNR.

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1297291

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/app_det.pl?Application_id=1297511

 

[aaronread]

IIRC, Program Test Authority still has to be filed by mail. License to Cover is filed electronically, so you can often see an LTC show up in the CDBS several days before the PTA does.

Plus, as I found out the hard way recently, the FCC's mail gets the cavity search treatment from the USPS these days. My digital notification arrived..."completely mauled" (according to the FCC guy who called me)...nearly three months AFTER I mailed it in. He told me to send everything to them via FedEx or UPS because the USPS was doing a terrible job getting them their mail. Wonderful.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Both an application for "Program Test Authority" and "License To Cover" were "Accepted For Filling" on 02/23/2009.

As of this morning, Saturday 2/28/09. the FCC Web site still shows the status of WUNR's application for Program Test Authority as "accepted for filing." That means that the FCC is not going to grant the application at least until this coming Monday. If, for whatever reason, WKOX and WRCA do not want to increase to their full CP power until WUNR does so, that would mean that the earliest we are likely to hear full power on 1200, 1330, and 1600 would probably not be until Monday afternoon, and more likely Tuesday--if then.

I am mystified about why WRCA and WKOX do not appear to want to increase power until WUNR does. I don't think there is any technical or legal reason for the delay on the two stations whose applications for PTA have already been granted. Maybe in these tough times, they are trying to save on the power bills;>(

 

[DanStrassberg]

Both an application for "Program Test Authority" and "License To Cover" were "Accepted For Filling" on 02/23/2009.

As of this afternoon, Monday 3/16/2009. WUNR, WRCA, and WKOX are operating at full CP power. Where I live (Arlington Heights, near Lexington, ~1/2 mile north of Route 2) WUNR is decidedly the weakest of the three. Based on the patterns, that's as it is supposed to be. At this location, a little less than nine miles pretty much due north of the Newton site, WUNR's 20 kW signal is supposed to be a little weaker than its old 5 kW signal. I didn't think it would be as much weaker as it seems to be, though.

And although I have never heard WKOX as clearly here at night as I am hearing it now, I had expected better. The 50 kW night signal is supposed to be ~13 to 14 mV/m. To me it doesn't sound quite that strong. I could believe 8 to 10 mV/m, however.

WRCA, with the lowest night power of the three stations (17 kW), is the only pleasant surprise. WRCA's night pattern is rather wide, which partially explains the good signal to the north. Also, co-channel WWRV in New York is apparently operating within spec, whereas I question whether that is true of WWRL New York, which is co-channel with WUNR. On paper, WRCA's NIF is higher than WUNR's. In practice, I doubt whether that is the case.

 

[Deleted member 64531]

Thanks for the info Dan. One thing though. According to the FCC CDBS this morning (3/17/2009), WUNR still has not been granted PTA. Perhaps they are not at full CP power yet and that may explain the weak signal.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Thanks for the info Dan. One thing though. According to the FCC CDBS this morning (3/17/2009), WUNR still has not been granted PTA. Perhaps they are not at full CP power yet and that may explain the weak signal.

I also checked the FCC site for evidence that WUNR's STA had been granted--and I did so before I posted my message yesterday. I too found that nothing had changed since February 23. However, I believe the confirmation I have received that WUNR is now operating at full power, so my assumption is that the FCC simply failed to update the Web page that provides the status of WUNR's STA application. Based on my experience with the FCC site, I can believe that there was an oversight. Most likely the FCC will correct the page in a few days.