WYAY files application to move to Sandy Springs

[Rick Rose 2.0]

Just discovered an application has been filed to "move" 106.7 to Sandy Springs. Of course the application is only to change the city of license to Sandy Springs staying at its current facilities but if approved I expect an application to change facilities.

WOKA in Douglas will have to modify its facilities if the WYAY facility change is approved.

The move in for WBTS is stuck because Cox owns too much media in the market. In 2012 i would ditch the newspaper.

 

[wpb1999]

I would think the AJC is a little more important to Cox than getting rid of it for WSB. AM is COMPLETELY FINE.

 

[littlejohn]

106.7 has an IF conflict with 96.1 which will limit where it can move.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

Who would buy the paper and at what kind of a loss? The Chicago Sun Times was recently sold for $20mil. In 1994 it was sold for $184 mil. Cox just moved all it's newspaper offices to Sandy Springs and those new offices I am sure cost a pretty penny. Cox may have no choice but to hold on to that aging dinosaur until it can come up with a successful business model; one that doesn't include hemorrhaging staff and subscribers every year.

 

[artsutton]

106.7 has an IF conflict with 96.1 which will limit where it can move.

WYAY, WKLS and WSBB are all pre-1964 spaced FMs which means they were shortspaced prior to the FM allotment system being enacted by the FCC and can therefore ignore each other from a technical standpoint. The 96.7 owned by Clear Channel, originally in Newnan, is also grandfathered as is the 106.1 at Arcade (formerly Toccoa). It can ignore 106.7 but not 95.5. So 95.5 is grandfathered to 96.1 and 94.9. 106.1 is grandfathered to 106.7. 96.7 is grandfathered to 96.1. If this had not been the case, Cox could not have filed to move 95.5 to the WSB-FM site.

The reason 95.5 is not able to complete its move to the central Atlanta location is not because Cox is over their ownership limits, it is due to the FCC cross ownership rule that prevents a company which owns TV-radio-daily newspaper in the same market from adding more stations that provide increased city grade contour service to the county in which the daily newspaper is located..in this case, Fulton. However, the FCC is moving forward a proposal that would exempt the top 20 markets. A previous effort by the FCC was struck down by the federal court system. Most in the broadcast industry expect this will be approved.

 

[secondchoice]

Cumulus does own 106.5 in Chattanooga. Could they move West a few miles by downgrading 106.5 or could they "swap" 106.7* and 106.5?

They have recently started using WYAY in their air branding. Is the frequency is being "downplayed" for a shift?

 

[wpb1999]

^ What do you mean?

 

[TheMusicMan]

Highly doubt imaging as WYAY has anything to do with a hypothetical move to 106.5. That started shortly after Cumulus took over. I'm guessing Cumulus just wanted to give the station an identifiable brand name, even if it's just the call letters. Not sure why they haven't updated the logo, though.

 

[taylorengineer]

106.7 has an IF conflict with 96.1 which will limit where it can move.

WYAY, WKLS and WSBB are all pre-1964 spaced FMs which means they were shortspaced prior to the FM allotment system being enacted by the FCC and can therefore ignore each other from a technical standpoint. The 96.7 owned by Clear Channel, originally in Newnan, is also grandfathered as is the 106.1 at Arcade (formerly Toccoa). It can ignore 106.7 but not 95.5. So 95.5 is grandfathered to 96.1 and 94.9. 106.1 is grandfathered to 106.7. 96.7 is grandfathered to 96.1. If this had not been the case, Cox could not have filed to move 95.5 to the WSB-FM site.

The reason 95.5 is not able to complete its move to the central Atlanta location is not because Cox is over their ownership limits, it is due to the FCC cross ownership rule that prevents a company which owns TV-radio-daily newspaper in the same market from adding more stations that provide increased city grade contour service to the county in which the daily newspaper is located..in this case, Fulton. However, the FCC is moving forward a proposal that would exempt the top 20 markets. A previous effort by the FCC was struck down by the federal court system. Most in the broadcast industry expect this will be approved.

A change in facilities absolutely does take into account the affected stations. When a station is "grandfathered" it means their current facility would not be permitted under current rules. I don't think the FCC would approve a new facility request if it creates an IF short spacing between stations.
But then again.....you can put up a translator at 250 watts/1000 feet on a second adjacent. They would have laughed you out of the bureau office 20 years ago if you put that in front of them.....
The 95.5 facility is technically feasible. Art is right regarding the holdup on that one.
As stated above....I would dump the fishwrapper while they (Cox) can still get a few nickles for it. It has historically been a terrible newpaper and has gotten terminally pathetic as of late.
I have not bought a newspaper in over 8 years. The WSJ is the only paper I have even looked at in over 5 years.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Cumulus does own 106.5 in Chattanooga. Could they move West a few miles by downgrading 106.5 or could they "swap" 106.7* and 106.5?

They have recently started using WYAY in their air branding. Is the frequency is being "downplayed" for a shift?

Answering that question would require quite an engineering analysis to determine any interference issues with such a move. But, just FYI, Chattanooga's 106.5 is on Signal Mountain: http://gallery.bostonradio.org/2002-03/chattanooga/100-00516-med.html. Moving a few miles west would put them in a valley with a mountain between them and Chattanooga.

 

[secondchoice]

Cumulus does own 106.5 in Chattanooga. Could they move West a few miles by downgrading 106.5 or could they "swap" 106.7* and 106.5?

They have recently started using WYAY in their air branding. Is the frequency is being "downplayed" for a shift?

Answering that question would require quite an engineering analysis to determine any interference issues with such a move. But, just FYI, Chattanooga's 106.5 is on Signal Mountain: http://gallery.bostonradio.org/2002-03/chattanooga/100-00516-med.html. Moving a few miles west would put them in a valley with a mountain between them and Chattanooga.

Sorry, I just noticed the poorly constructed sentence. I meant 106.7 goes west some. Just give Cumulus some time and they will improve WYAY's signal. If a downgrade of, or frequency swap of WSKZ in market #108 helps WYAY in market #8 I will bet WYAY gets "help" at WSKZ's expense.

 

[taylorengineer]

106.7 has an IF conflict with 96.1 which will limit where it can move.

WYAY, WKLS and WSBB are all pre-1964 spaced FMs which means they were shortspaced prior to the FM allotment system being enacted by the FCC and can therefore ignore each other from a technical standpoint. The 96.7 owned by Clear Channel, originally in Newnan, is also grandfathered as is the 106.1 at Arcade (formerly Toccoa). It can ignore 106.7 but not 95.5. So 95.5 is grandfathered to 96.1 and 94.9. 106.1 is grandfathered to 106.7. 96.7 is grandfathered to 96.1. If this had not been the case, Cox could not have filed to move 95.5 to the WSB-FM site.

The reason 95.5 is not able to complete its move to the central Atlanta location is not because Cox is over their ownership limits, it is due to the FCC cross ownership rule that prevents a company which owns TV-radio-daily newspaper in the same market from adding more stations that provide increased city grade contour service to the county in which the daily newspaper is located..in this case, Fulton. However, the FCC is moving forward a proposal that would exempt the top 20 markets. A previous effort by the FCC was struck down by the federal court system. Most in the broadcast industry expect this will be approved.

A change in facilities absolutely does take into account the affected stations. When a station is "grandfathered" it means their current facility would not be permitted under current rules. I don't think the FCC would approve a new facility request if it creates an IF short spacing between stations.
But then again.....you can put up a translator at 250 watts/1000 feet on a second adjacent. They would have laughed you out of the bureau office 20 years ago if you put that in front of them.....
The 95.5 facility is technically feasible. Art is right regarding the holdup on that one.
As stated above....I would dump the fishwrapper while they (Cox) can still get a few nickles for it. It has historically been a terrible newpaper and has gotten terminally pathetic as of late.
I have not bought a newspaper in over 8 years. The WSJ is the only paper I have even looked at in over 5 years.

After reading part 73.213 which addresses short spacing of grandfathered stations, it shows that there is no second or third adjacent protection for pre 1964 stations. This is the rule used to allow 95.5 to locate so close to 94.9 and 96.1.
IF spacing is not addressed in this. So now I'm not so sure what the rules are for grandfathered facilities regarding IF spacing.
With 73.213, co channel and first adjacent channel spacing may be decreased but it can't create any new interference. But the next clause says it can if it can be shown to be in the public's interest. Geesh......
So Art may be correct here.....as usual! Seems the FCC is willing to ignore the rules and has been doing so for many years....if "it is in the public's interest."

 

[fybush]

The IF rules for short-spaced stations are set out in 73.213(b)4:

(b) Stations at locations authorized prior to May 17, 1989, that did
not meet the IF separation distances required by § 73.207 and have
remained short-spaced since that time may be modified or relocated
provided that the overlap area of the two stations' 36 mV/m field
strength contours is not increased.

In practice, it doesn't allow for much leeway beyond the existing 73.207 IF-spacing rules.

 

[jambox]

Hi all

The application is for a City of License change only. No other changes are happening.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

The application is for a City of License change only. No other changes are happening.

But the discussion seems to revolve around the question: "Is this change for city of license a first step that will facilitate some future application that could involved a facility change."

The discussion has turned into a parlor game of figuring out what future application could and could not work.

 

[BIGSTICK]

Why can't the city of license just be plain old Atlanta???? ??? ???

 

[jabba17]

Why can't the city of license just be plain old Atlanta???? ??? ???

The short answer is that "Atlanta" already has plenty of stations.

 

[FLjack2]

Interesting. Sandy Springs was a big controversy back when they were trying to move 100.5 WHMA from Anniston AL to the Atlanta Metro. They wanted to try to keep it at 100kw, too. But the FCC and other groups argued that Sand Springs was NOT a city, but a section of Atlanta and therefore did not warrant its first local service. Let's see if this move works for WYAY.

FYI. That's why the now WNNX, the former WWWQ, when it first moved to the area, ended up being licensed to College Park which is, indeed, a city.

 

[jabba17]

Interesting. Sandy Springs was a big controversy back when they were trying to move 100.5 WHMA from Anniston AL to the Atlanta Metro. They wanted to try to keep it at 100kw, too. But the FCC and other groups argued that Sand Springs was NOT a city, but a section of Atlanta and therefore did not warrant its first local service. Let's see if this move works for WYAY.

FYI. That's why the now WNNX, the former WWWQ, when it first moved to the area, ended up being licensed to College Park which is, indeed, a city.

I remember that, and also how that caused a minor kerfuffle when WPZE got a CoL of Mableton, which still isn't incorporated, unlike Sandy Springs. And y'all know how I feel about WCNN's CoL.

How in the world did Susquehanna think they could keep 100.5 at 100kW? Or were they counting on a WSSL downgrade or move? That would be one helluva downgrade...

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Interesting. Sandy Springs was a big controversy back when they were trying to move 100.5 WHMA from Anniston AL to the Atlanta Metro. They wanted to try to keep it at 100kw, too. But the FCC and other groups argued that Sand Springs was NOT a city, but a section of Atlanta and therefore did not warrant its first local service. Let's see if this move works for WYAY.

FYI. That's why the now WNNX, the former WWWQ, when it first moved to the area, ended up being licensed to College Park which is, indeed, a city.

I remember that, and also how that caused a minor kerfuffle when WPZE got a CoL of Mableton, which still isn't incorporated, unlike Sandy Springs. And y'all know how I feel about WCNN's CoL.

How in the world did Susquehanna think they could keep 100.5 at 100kW? Or were they counting on a WSSL downgrade or move? That would be one helluva downgrade...

It wasn't Susquehanna. It was a station broker named Tom Gannon.