WWOZ New Orleans ?

[BruceB]

WWOZ FM in New Orleans operates with100kw and signed on air in 1980. I thought super power FMs were grandfathered by the FCC because they were on air for a long time. How does a station sign on air in 1980 with 100kw?

 

[speer360]

The limit is Up to and including 100k. It’s over that is grandfathered.

 

[nd2023]

100kw is the limit for a class C. WWOZ has a great signal. I was even able to receive it over the air in HD 75 miles away in Gulfport Mississippi to feed a translator for WWOZ

 

[xmtrland]

WWOZ FM in New Orleans operates with100kw and signed on air in 1980. I thought super power FMs were grandfathered by the FCC because they were on air for a long time. How does a station sign on air in 1980 with 100kw?

They fill out an application for a C1 facility and submit it to the FCC. The FCC approves the application. They are issued a construction permit to build the facility. Then they file for a license to cover the built facility and the FCC approves that.

That's how they most likely did it in 1980. Perfectly legal, no grandfathering required.

 

[Mediafrog+]

WWOZ FM in New Orleans operates with100kw and signed on air in 1980. I thought super power FMs were grandfathered by the FCC because they were on air for a long time. How does a station sign on air in 1980 with 100kw?

You must be in a Class B FM area of the country. 100kw Class C, C0 and C1 stations are common in much of the U.S.

I’m in Houston where we have over two dozen FMs operating at or near 100kw, most of them from 2000’ towers.

 

[BruceB]

You must be in a Class B FM area of the country. 100kw Class C, C0 and C1 stations are common in much of the U.S.

I’m in Houston where we have over two dozen FMs operating at or near 100kw, most of them from 2000’ towers.

Yeah I'm from Ohio. I think the only FM in the state with more than 50kw is WNCI in Columbus
with 185kw.

 

[nd2023]

You must be in a Class B FM area of the country. 100kw Class C, C0 and C1 stations are common in much of the U.S.

I’m in Houston where we have over two dozen FMs operating at or near 100kw, most of them from 2000’ towers.

And also several translators that may be operating with 2000 watts. I guess everything’s bigger in Texas.

 

[brokentuner]

Doesn’t this happen all the time?

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

I do believe the only grandfathered “super power” class B station that signed on the air after 1961 is WETA-FM in Washington DC…which didn’t sign on the air until the early 70’s. 75kw @ 600’ or so.

It’s a mystery to me why they were able to sign on 10 years later than everyone else with these facilities

 

[jonsmth62]

WRVQ Richmond VA transmits with an ERP of 200kw. Of course, that's only on a tower at 107m HAAT.

 

[ente]

WWOZ signed on in 1980 with 4kw and upgraded to 100kw in 2013 at the same height of 440 ft HAAT and a directional antenna which reduces output to around 5kw to the west. They have a page that explains how they upgraded and pictures of the install:

Movin' On Up: Our New Transmitter Arrives with Style

 

[Michi]

Louisiana (and most of the US land area) is in Zone II, where class A, C3, C2, C1, C0 and C stations are available. The maximum ERP is 100 kW.
The areas of the northeastern US and the mid-west are in Zone I. California (south of 40 Lat), Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are in Zone I-A. The service classes in Zones I and I-A is A, B1 and B. The maximum ERP is 50 kW.

 

[Kent]

Yeah I'm from Ohio. I think the only FM in the state with more than 50kw is WNCI in Columbus
with 185kw.

The former WPAY-FM 104.1 was the only Class C FM licensed to Ohio. Not sure if that's still the case since it has changed owners multiple times, but it was the only Class C licensed to Ohio by virtue of its tower being across the river in Kentucky.

 

[BruceB]

The former WPAY-FM 104.1 was the only Class C FM licensed to Ohio. Not sure if that's still the case since it has changed owners multiple times, but it was the only Class C licensed to Ohio by virtue of its tower being across the river in Kentucky.

WNCI Columbus is 185kw. Is that station a Class B that was Grandfathered?

 

[Kent]

WNCI Columbus is 185kw. Is that station a Class B that was Grandfathered?

Yes. WNCI is protected to Class B levels.