K256CB Shiner

...and then there were two.

Here's the second part of the two-piece filed yesterday. This one wants to hop, hop, hop, from Shiner Bock land to Cinco Ranch and rebroadcast 1140 KYOK. Whether or not that means KYOK is soon to leave the badlands of Conroe for the rice paddies of Katy, I don't know, but apparently Darrell Martin has found himself a translator for the once proud KYOK.

Here's the goodies on this one.

http://fccdata.org/?facid=148484

We're about to get pretty busy keeping up with all of these frogs...can't wait to see Salem's response to this one attempting to light up co-channel with The Word.

K254BV Brenham

Here's another one, brought to you by the fine folks at Houston Christian Broadcasters, and this one from up in my neck o' the woods. Seems as though the never heard from 98-7 translator in Brenham wants to pack itself up and move to South Park on a new channel. Proposing to light up on 268, rebroadcasting KHCB. That's KHCB 1400, not KHCB-FM 105-7.

http://fccdata.org/?facid=144563

Edit to add: I must've goofed. I thought I had made two separate threads for the two separate applications. Frank, could you perform a presto chango and split these two up for me? Thanks.

purpledevil said:

can't wait to see Salem's response to this one attempting to light up co-channel with The Word.

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This one would be even closer than the old KBCP/KQQK spacing which caused both stations grief in that area.

purpledevil said:

Here's another one, brought to you by the fine folks at Houston Christian Broadcasters, and this one from up in my neck o' the woods. Seems as though the never heard from 98-7 translator in Brenham wants to pack itself up and move to South Park on a new channel. Proposing to light up on 268, rebroadcasting KHCB.

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If KHCB wants an FM station for its Spanish language output, perhaps they should buy KUHA.

Mediafrog+ said:

This one would be even closer than the old KBCP/KQQK spacing which caused both stations grief in that area.

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You are sure right, Frog. I doubt Salem will ever let this one fly, so it's hard to imagine any Word listeners having cause for alarm. Do find it interesting that this one is going to Cinco Ranch to air KYOK. That's likely the first indication that 1140 is packing up for Katy in the not too distant future, or at least looking for a reason to go ahead with the move.

JoeFM said:

Chuck has already sent this one to Salem's legal beagles

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That didn't take long, did it? Hey, Joe, did someone here upset Chuck? I so used to enjoy reading his contributions, but I guess he's totally given up on us. It's too bad, as he was always good for enjoyable readings.

This is something else, right here. Are these translator operations banking on the established facilities having people asleep at the wheel? I mean, this one's not a first or second adjacent, it's on the same channel as rimshot KKHT. Do they think the red line on the database acts like a wall and the KKHT stops dead in its tracks right there? The Word has little issue making it into Brookshire and Katy for in car listening, and for those that don't know the layout of Houston, Cinco Ranch is closer to KKHT's transmit site than either of the two. Hard to see how this "revitalization" is going to accomplish much, when there's no openings left for the AM's to light up on FM.

purpledevil said:

...... this one's not a first or second adjacent, it's on the same channel as rimshot KKHT. Do they think the red line on the database acts like a wall and the KKHT stops dead in its tracks right there? The Word has little issue making it into Brookshire and Katy for in car listening, and for those that don't know the layout of Houston, Cinco Ranch is closer to KKHT's transmit site than either of the two.....

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I have been very busy doing the operations manager business in addition to co-hosting and producing the Malone show on KNTH. When I get home (that's where I am right now), I process the the next day's KNTH ENCO broadcast log. (That's what I should be doing right now. LOL) It's not a snub; I've just been too dadgummed busy to take the time to comment.

As far as Salem is concerned, I have been asked not to discuss:

K256CB Shiner
K224EQ Kerrville
1090 KULF (which has been on the air for the last month with an open carrier and no programming)

I will comment on KYOK. Purpledevil may be right about a move in to Katy. I do not know that for sure, but it seems plausible. It is currently a 5KW daytimer with a construction permit (which expires in April) for the move to Katy with 800 watts in the day and 9 watts at night. A translator for that station would help it. Just KTEK, another daytimer, would be helped in Alvin, Santa Fe, Manvel and League City with a translator.

I agree with your assessment of the 'red line.'

It's good to see you check in, Chuck. I'm sure there aren't enough hours in your day to get everything you need to get done. I run into quite a few days like that myself.

I'm sorry to hear you've been asked not to comment on the Kerrville translator move. I was wondering if it indeed will stick with KTEK as its primary, or if KNTH will end up the beneficiary of the new facility. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

It has to stick with KTEK as it is designated as a "D" station. KNTH is a "B" station. The translators, right now, are being allocated to "D" stations. It wouldn't help KNTH, because it covers that area with AM1070 anyway. The reason I cannot discuss the other two (K256CB Shiner & 1090KULF) is a legal one, of which I am not privy, as to what actions are being taken.

ChuckTiller said:

It has to stick with KTEK as it is designated as a "D" station. KNTH is a "B" station. The translators, right now, are being allocated to "D" stations. It wouldn't help KNTH, because it covers that area with AM1070 anyway. The reason I cannot discuss the other two (K256CB Shiner & 1090KULF) is a legal one, of which I am not privy, as to what actions are being taken.

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I did not realize these were only allocated for class D's. K254BZ Fairbanks is designated in its application as a relay for KHPT Conroe, a full class C. K254BV, currently licensed to Brenham and soon to be South Park bound, lists KHCB as its primary. KHCB 1400 is a class C as well.

Class C FMs and AMs are different animals...however, Class B AMs can get xlators...the AM Only xlator window will be for Class D AMs only...but KZZB Bmt is a Class B AM and has a xlator....(illegal though it may be since Martin/Estring ran the power up to max beyond the licensed power and it covers 2-3 x farther than it should)

The AM Window is for Class C and D AM stations. A & B get their chance later on this year.

True..I rechecked and found the window is for C and Ds....but Bs and As AM DO have translators...(WLW is one)..if they can buy an existing translator, they can use one..btw RadioWorld current issue has a map showing applied translators as of today for C and D AMs...three are in the Houston area.

Here's a question for the experts on here. I understand the translator part - that an AM signal can provide a source for a FM translator. For a daytime only AM station, how can the translator run 24/7 since the AM goes off the air at sunset? What is the FM signal translating then?

Stan I asked that question myself and I manage a daytime only station. You might say it is the daytime only station's bad luck to be one. Lots of daytimers can get some night power, in fact, likely every one could. I know stations that get something like 2 watts to about 6 watts. Those stations that have such low power generally don't stay on at night anyway. In fact, 249 watts or less and you can stay on at night or choose not to. In one instance a daytimer I worked for could get about 200 watts at night but the cost to construct (buying land at big city prices, building 3 more towers and phasor, etc.) was just so expensive to reach a tiny fraction of our daytime coverage, it was simply just a way to throw away money.

The FCC allows a daytime only station to be 24 hours on an FM translator. They realize the daytime station has is doubly bad: being on AM and signing on after morning rush hour has begin and signing off during the rush hour in the evening during winter months that just happen to be some of the best months for gaining revenue when a longer broadcast day would really help.

By the way, the first FM translator, I believe, was for WAMB in the Nashville market. I talked with the owner that said he wrote a letter a day to the FCC for several years and they finally gave him one. His station's night signal was made useless by a Cuban station. The FCC gave him, I think 75 watts and the call letters WAMB1. He could only operate from sunset to sunrise on the FM. Many years later, a station in, I think North or South Carolina, convinced the FCC their AM station needed a FM translator and the FCC agreed. It was this granting that created the rulemaking where AM stations could opt for a FM translator.

JoeFM said:

Looks like Salem's legal department is on top of this. Amendment filed for this one to go to 96.9... http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws...prod/app_list.pl?Arn=20160129ABF&Superseded=X

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We all know how well this amendment is going to work out for them. After all, God listens to KSBJ, and so do a lot of people on the southwest side who are relying on the El Campo signal to hear it. Don't see it standing a chance, not because of interference to KXBJ from the translator, but because KXBJ will cover it up within eyesight of the translator's antenna.

A FM translator for an AM can stay on the air 24 hrs after the AM goes off air..whereas all other translators must cease radiating when the primary signal goes off...thus its not a translator in the real sense.. It's a LPFM....too bad the rules are so screwy...

A change of heart for our dear hopper, K256CB. It has now filed to move, instead, to coordinates in Spring on 92-3. 125w/58m, still rebroadcasting KYOK.

http://fccdata.org/?facid=148484

Edit to add: New ID also, K245CB Shiner.