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WWTF 97.7 W249DJ Petition

The FCC is to blame for this mess by allowing, and YES even encouraging, new stations to be licensed too close together. As you cite, this is NOT the only case where a translator (or LPFM) has been allowed to wedge itself into the spectrum, locally. When I first came to Lexington in 1985, I regularly listened to WUBE @ 105.1 out of Cincinnati, a distance of about 70 miles north. A few years later, a Class-A (WRNZ) was allowed to operate on 105.1 about 25-30 miles South of me in Lancaster, KY. Even with my directional FM Yagi antenna up 50', WUBE was gone from my receiver in SW Lexington. It had been "captured" by the stronger signal of WRNZ.

Why even bother to have outdoor FM antennas to receive favorite FM stations 50-75 miles away?

Due to HEAVY objections, WVLK's recent translator on 101.1, which obliterated WSGS for many listeners in Central and Eastern KY, WAS ORDERED to cease operation on 101.1. Now I see WVLK is going to try 97.3.... I have news for them. I CAN usually clearly receive the station in Jackson, KY on that frequency, but admit, it is not a favorite listening target of mine. However, I would not be surprised to see some complaints arise once it begins operating on 97.3.

Additionally, many other former clearly "receivable" stations from Louisville, Somerset and Cincinnati have been lost to nearby LPFMs and translators now operating locally on 93.3. 93.9, 94.9, 98.5, 99.7 and....probably some others I omitted.

You know, there comes a point where we just don't need any more "robot operated", un-manned stations polluting our airwaves.
 
Then explain why we talk about the WVLK-AM translator, formerly on 101.1. Thankfully, they do still care.
 
Let's face the facts...SOME of the new LPFMs in Lexington ARE polluting the airwaves. Distant FM stations from Louisville, Cincinnati and Somerset are no longer available in Lexington (on 93.9, 95.7, etc) for those listeners with sensitive receivers and decent outdoor FM antennas.
 
Not all pollution is bad...

KR4BD said:
Let's face the facts...SOME of the new LPFMs in Lexington ARE polluting the airwaves. Distant FM stations from Louisville, Cincinnati and Somerset are no longer available in Lexington (on 93.9, 95.7, etc) for those listeners with sensitive receivers and decent outdoor FM antennas.
Click to expand...

Im sorry you feel that way, especially about 93.9 and 95.7 here in Lexington. (Two stations which I am a volunteer with) 95.7 WLXL provides a much needed service for our local latino community with the only 24/7 spanish station in the area and together with 93.9 WLXU they are providing local content by local volunteers.

So again I am sorry you feel we are polluting the airwaves, but I see it as breaking through the slurry of boring corporate playlists by remote pre-recorded dj's.
 
JMElmore said:
Im sorry you feel that way, especially about 93.9 and 95.7 here in Lexington. (Two stations which I am a volunteer with) 95.7 WLXL provides a much needed service for our local latino community with the only 24/7 spanish station in the area and together with 93.9 WLXU they are providing local content by local volunteers.

So again I am sorry you feel we are polluting the airwaves, but I see it as breaking through the slurry of boring corporate playlists by remote pre-recorded dj's.
Click to expand...

I do like 93.9. I wish the audio sounded a little better though.
 
JMElmore said:
We have not received any comments about our audio, please let us know what you mean by that, we are always looking to improve and welcome the feedback.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's just me, the audio sounds like it's compressed or had a webcast/streaming quality to it.
 
KR4BD said:
The FCC is to blame for this mess by allowing, and YES even encouraging, new stations to be licensed too close together. As you cite, this is NOT the only case where a translator (or LPFM) has been allowed to wedge itself into the spectrum, locally. When I first came to Lexington in 1985, I regularly listened to WUBE @ 105.1 out of Cincinnati, a distance of about 70 miles north. A few years later, a Class-A (WRNZ) was allowed to operate on 105.1 about 25-30 miles South of me in Lancaster, KY. Even with my directional FM Yagi antenna up 50', WUBE was gone from my receiver in SW Lexington. It had been "captured" by the stronger signal of WRNZ.

Why even bother to have outdoor FM antennas to receive favorite FM stations 50-75 miles away?

Due to HEAVY objections, WVLK's recent translator on 101.1, which obliterated WSGS for many listeners in Central and Eastern KY, WAS ORDERED to cease operation on 101.1. Now I see WVLK is going to try 97.3.... I have news for them. I CAN usually clearly receive the station in Jackson, KY on that frequency, but admit, it is not a favorite listening target of mine. However, I would not be surprised to see some complaints arise once it begins operating on 97.3.

Additionally, many other former clearly "receivable" stations from Louisville, Somerset and Cincinnati have been lost to nearby LPFMs and translators now operating locally on 93.3. 93.9, 94.9, 98.5, 99.7 and....probably some others I omitted.

You know, there comes a point where we just don't need any more "robot operated", un-manned stations polluting our airwaves.
Click to expand...

Yes, the FCC has created this mess but their solution is even stranger. Yes, I like pulling in WSGS on the other side of Lexington from Hazard. Really cool. And its hard to side with the big boys against a small town operator like WSGS. But as somebody pointed out earlier (Big A?), I don't have any right to be able to hear a Hazard station from near Waddy 100 miles away. And the people of Lexington have currently been denied a translator broadcasting a Lexington station so a few of us DXers can hear a Hazard station? Really? Did Cumulus overplay their hand with the tower height/location for 101.1? Probably. But the way the FCC currently works, they could have put a 100-watt signal from 100 feet at their AM tower site, and they would have had to shut down IF ONE PERSON COMPLAINED.

Somebody put an FM on 105.1 100 miles south of WUBE and that's bad? Maybe the folks in Lancaster (OK, let's be honest, WRNZ targets Danville) prefer that service to DXing a Cincinnati station. And a small signal on 95.7 in north Lexington serving an underserved community obliterates 'QMF for 15 miles, and that's bad? Really, I can usually pick 'QMF back up headed west by the time I get to Midway or Versailles.

The FCC probably needs to lighten up a little on the ONE COMPLAINT rule, reduce the maximum power/tower height of translators, reduce the overall number of translators approved, and/or use a little judgement in dealing with complaints. Again, Cumulus overplayed 101.1 with their 800-foot tower height on the Hazard side of town. But again, if they had used their Yarneltown Road site with a lower power and height, they STILL would have been forced off the air with a single complaint. Illogical.
 
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Keep in mind a little over fifteen years ago Commercial LPFM was shot down by the NAB and other organizations because of "SPECTRUM INTEGRITY"!!!!! It was a sacred thing and we didn't need these renegades ruining the dial when existing facilities were serving the community and helping people, the translation: "We don't need no unwanted competition". Now the same folks have bastardized the band with translators ignoring physics as skips reek havoc or hanging a set of antennas atop a tall tower erected on a elevation plateau so that 250 watts is more like a Class A. The real annoyance is how these operators allowed some AM facilities to rot but suddenly declare hardship to the FCC in demanding a translator. But you know what, that's okay as they are serving the community and helping people at least in their little world! But what can you do? The band is becoming more cluttered and those annoying skips make it worse but explain that to some dimwit who's focus is clearing out the cash drawer every night.
 
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