IHeart's settlement with EMF over the Prichard/Mobile tower

Edit: Settlement with Edgewater, not EMF

I saw the news blurb that iHeart had settled a 2012 dispute with EDgewater over a former broadcast tower in Prichard. I'm assuming this is the old WAVH tower.
I did a little research and the tower involved in this dispute is indeed the one listed on W258AY-99.5 CP, which was the only Edgewater owned translator in Mobile in 2012.
The documents filed at FCC.gov reference at least one attachment being confidential and redacted from the filing. Otherwise I couldn't find any interesting information.

This all seems strange. I can only assume iHeart wanted to or was in the process of buying W258AY from Edgewater for use with WNTM. I can't imagine what could have gone so wrong that iHeart settled by giving Edgewater 3 translators to settle. Why didn't iHeart give three translators and some cash to settle the dispute and purchase 99.5 outright? Perhaps 99.5 will not end up owned by iHeart?

Anyway, could be a nothing story. Seems like a lot of little things are happening in the Mobile market this year.

On top of all the info disclosed, iHeart gave Edgewater 100.5 W263CF Meridian, MS as part of this settlement and with the new proposed FCC AM revitalization W263CF can be moved into Mobile for use as an AM>FM translator. iHeart could have kept it and made the same move to Mobile for use with 710 WNTM.

I sure would like to get the Paul Harvey on this dispute.

seedless said:

On top of all the info disclosed, iHeart gave Edgewater 100.5 W263CF Meridian, MS as part of this settlement and with the new proposed FCC AM revitalization W263CF can be moved into Mobile for use as an AM>FM translator. iHeart could have kept it and made the same move to Mobile for use with 710 WNTM.

I sure would like to get the Paul Harvey on this dispute.

Click to expand...

Where on the dial would they move it to? It can't go to 100.5-7-9 or .3-1-99.9. Is this new revitalization thing going to allow them to pick any open channel or something?

None of what you wrote makes sense to me. Settlement for what, exactly? Did iHeart renege on a contract with Edgewater for the 99.5 translator, or is this related to the tower being brought down?

Edit to add: I searched for "iHeart Edgewater settlement" and all I got was this thread.

"iHeartMedia is transferring the Construction Permits for 93.3 W227CI Catlettsburg KY, 98.5 K253CA Eagle River AK, and 100.5 W263CF Meridian MS to Edgewater Broadcasting to satisfy at 2012 agreement that was to have allowed Edgewater to utilize an iHeart owned tower in Prichard, AL that has since been dismantled. "

Read More At: https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/94999/station-sales-week-of-1023/

This is what got me started. I should have included this link in the first post.

And yes, as I read the AM revitalization proposal any AM can apply to move ONE existing commercial band translator up to 250 miles and use the best available frequency on the commercial dial. Meridian to Mobile is what, 150 miles? Certain classes of AM stations would get preferential treatment in chance of a conflict.

Thanks for the link. I read that post on Insight and skimmed over the translator stuff because it wasn't about Alabama right away, lol.

I had to do some digging but much to my surprise, it was indeed a Clear Channel tower when it was erected in 1999. So they were leasing it to Wilkins, Bigler and presumably Edgewater before it had to come down, but had no broadcast properties of their own on it. I guess that makes sense now that I think about it. WIJD was the main tenant on the tower, and that used to be… WKSJ-AM.

The tower is back now, albeit under ownership of Bob Wilkins. I'm surprised Edgewater hasn't tried to get back on it due to its central location.

The next question is, if anyone were to move a translator to Mobile, what frequencies are left that are open?

I think that tower was still home to WKSJ FM's back up antenna when it came down. Was it also the original KSJ FM tower? Or was that the KLove 98.3 tower?

I also had been trying to figure out why CC owned it. Microwave relay to the Baldwin county tall towers?

Assuming the 3 LPFMs make it to the air, the dial will be pretty dang full, but surely there's room for some 99 watt directional translators around Mobile and Baldwin county. It's a shame no one will be able to go 250 watts on 97.1 and 104.7.
I also translate this to suggest all existing Mobile translators will go with HD-2 frequencies so the AMs can be used on translator move apps.