-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
New Sports Parking Lot
- Thread starter EricStein
- Start date
DrAkbar
Star Participant
The purchase agreement gives CRC the ability to LMA 15~Eighty until the sale is consummated. So The Fanatic may hit the air on 2/13 as KHEP, then change calls to KQFN when the deal is approved by the FCC. Not aware of any objections to this sale.
In preparation for KHEP/KQFN's 99.1 translator, KFXY-LP has applied to move east, with their transmitter being relocated to a residence. That means East Mesa/Apache Junction/Gilbert residents will be out of luck listening to The Fanatic after sundown.
asugeorge1
Star Participant
This is one of my main concerns with this new sports station: how are they going to perform ratings wise when 1/3 of the valley won't be able to even listen to the station? I live in Gilbert and 99.1 FM is KFXY-LP, Mesa, the 99.3 translator for 1580 doesn't even come in (instead, the LP from Gold Canyon, KRWV-LP, fades in and out with what is mostly static) and if 1580 AM has moved their transmitter site to west Phoenix with 95 watts of power at night, there is no way KHEP is coming in at all in the East Valley. So pretty much if you live anywhere east of the 101 (I.E. Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, East Tempe), you will not be able to listen to the Fanatic. I just don't understand the Fanatic's game plan (pardon the pun) unless the proposed 99.1 translator is going to blast KFXY-LP off the map.
Sammi Brie
Star Participant
I really can't answer that because I'm kind of at a point where I can hear most anything in PHX radio. KFXY and its wheel of formats are most definitely at risk. If the 106.5/107.5 Cesar Guel applications finally get denied at some point like in other areas, San Tan Educational Media might want to consider moving. 107.5 is open out that way (probably just KHYT and nothing else because XE—sorry, K298CK fades out).
KFXY is moving to a location near 104th St. (1/2 way between Crismon & Signal Butte Rds.) & Brown Rd. in NE Mesa. Since it's raising its power to 100 watts, it should serve our area even better than it does now with 2000 milliwatts on Usery Mountain.
But with or without KFXY in the way, none of their transmitters, other than 1580 during the day, serve any location in the SE or far-west valley to begin with, and that includes Tempe. 99.3 is barely audible on the west side of Tempe, and not at all east of Mill Ave. using an average car or home antenna -- at least that's how it was when I worked near there. If they think they're going to be successful with any kind of nighttime programming on signals that don't go past Phoenix, Glendale, and north Snobsdale, then I have oceanfront property in Ajo to sell you. Live games, with the exception of Grand Canyon University (should they land them) are pretty much out.
DrAkbar
Star Participant
CRC doesn't need ratings to make money....just look at the success of KFNN. And Sports Parking Lot 6~Twenty, with the best AM signal day & night, is beaten regularly by Lumberyard 14~Forty and its translator. And just who listens to Ancient Modulation after 6pm anyway? As far as the The Fanatics' translators, there are sports listeners where those signals go.
KFXY is now running frequent messages about the interference and is trying to raise some emergency funds in order to move. It would help if their format was focused (playing "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl" and "Crocodile Rock" on a so-called country station seems odd to me).
Here's the dirty little secret of radio:
Even though daytime only signals are considered to be at a disadvantage, the reality is that most listening happens during daylight hours.
For a good chunk of its audience listening on Ancient Modulation, they'll never notice the power drop because they won't be using radio when they flip the switch.
But you could sign off half the stations in town after 7 and a lot of people would never know because they're not paying attention to radio. It's why everyone runs lousy satellite programming and voice tracks after dark.
And as the good doc points out, if there's a man that knows how to make a buck off of a graveyard stick and a translator while paying no attention to the ratings, it's Ron Cohen.
Sammi Brie
Star Participant
Paola Boivin for the Arizona Republic asks "can the Valley handle more sports radio"?
There's also a mention of additional talent, including Kevin Ray and Mike Bauer in the morning and Craig Fouhy with a daily show, and an affiliation with SB Nation Radio.
There's also a mention of additional talent, including Kevin Ray and Mike Bauer in the morning and Craig Fouhy with a daily show, and an affiliation with SB Nation Radio.
DrAkbar
Star Participant
Hey Paola, can the Valley handle more newspapers? In the case of McRepublic, one is more than enough! In the case of radio, sure...a better jockstrap can be built on Ancient Modulation.
It's a good lineup of local and syndicated shows. Do some remotes from stores that cater to sports, and the word will get out there's a new fanatic at 15~Eighty. And in case no one knows, CRC has two stations in Palm Springs - one sports, the other doing money radio. They have the experience to make this work.
For some reason, I have the feeling that the Fanatic's existence will force Bob Kemp to start his show an hour earlier, as there will be only one locally-based sports talk show on all of Phoenix sports radio weekdays between 10-11am (Will Jeffry O'Brien still be broadcasting from Palm Springs? Either which way, he still knows the Phoenix area).
Last edited:
asugeorge1
Star Participant
1580 KHEP-AM is broadcasting after sunset tonight for the first time in a long time in anticipation of the start of the Fantatic tomorrow morning at 6:00 A.M. The signal seems to be coming in moderately well here in Gilbert, with noticeable fading in and out, similar to when the station was broadcasting at night from the Mesa transmitter as KMIK. Anyone know if they are still using the Mesa transmitter site to broadcast? I doubt it's the transmitter site at Indian School Road and Grand Avenue in Maryvale with just 95 watts as the other station that broadcasts from there, 1280 KXEG-AM, does not come in at all down here in Gilbert at night, albeit with just 49 watts. I wonder if KHEP is still using the 50,000 watt 6 directional array from the Loop 202 and Country Club Road in Mesa?
They'd be blasting into NE Mesa like they used to as Radio Disney if they were. They're weak but audible here. Besides one of the towers fell down a couple of years ago, and even if they were to use that site, they'd be on reduced power.
DrAkbar
Star Participant
When the sixth tower came down, KMIK went non-D at night with 12.5 kw. But that was when they were a Class B, now as a Class D licensed for 95 watts at night, hard to make the argument for that kind of pow-pow-power at night. The Nurse and I might drive out to Center Road on Monday and determine if they're broadcasting from that site. If the paint starts peeling on the '76 Gremlin, we'll know they're using the 50kw blowtorch!
I'm roughly 10 miles NE of there. Either they're off the air right now, or are so weak they can't be heard here. When I made my last post a couple hours ago, they were weak but plainly audible, possibly still running 50 kW from their new site. From the old site, they would have pegged the S meter on my Grundig Satellit 750, even from inside my stucco-encrusted house.
Sammi Brie
Star Participant
K257CD is now carrying the Fanatic stunt loop. Great calls in sports history and the NFL on CBS music as a bed...do they even have the rights to use them?
Actually, I can think of one sports package they'll have from the start. I know I heard NAU football on 1510/99.3 once.
Actually, I can think of one sports package they'll have from the start. I know I heard NAU football on 1510/99.3 once.
Last edited:
asugeorge1
Star Participant
Yeah, 1580 KHEP-AM has gone away down here in Gilbert too. At roughly 7:20 P.M. they were still broadcasting and when I checked again at 8:30 P.M., they were off the air. I drove over to Tempe Marketplace tonight for dinner over there at the Loop 101 and 202, and 1580 was nowhere to be found (whereas 1280 KXEG-AM was weak, but audible). They must have shut down the transmitter for the night, either from the Mesa transmitter site or the Maryvale transmitter site.
I wonder if the Fanatic is going to do what KFNN did a few years back when they wouldn't power down to their night-time authorization until well after 7:00 P.M., no matter what time of year it was. Same owners as the new 1580 right?
DrAkbar
Star Participant
An excellent question as KFNN seems to think any time earlier than 6pm for power reduction in winter months does not apply to them. In the case of 15~Ten, they go from 22kw two tower directional, to 100 watts with four sticks at sunset. KQFN 15~Eighty goes from 50kw non-D to 95 watts non directional at night. Unfortunately we'll have to wait until November, as local sunset is after 6pm now.
asugeorge1
Star Participant
So the first day of the Fanatic is in the books and I was listening off and on throughout the day while at work. Still got some kinks to work out with the transmitter and production, but overall a good first day and it was nice to hear some old radio personalities back on the valley airwaves like Jeff Dean and Jeffry O'Brien. Of note, the owner of the station, "Radio Ron" as they called him, was on and he noted that the 1580 KHEP-AM transmitter is currently transmitting at "reduced power" as they rushed to get everything on air as soon as possible. He said that the 1580 transmitter is still being worked on and will not be up to it's full 50,000 watts for a "couple weeks" and until then, they will be powering down the transmitter at night (reminds me of the old Lumberyard with the Lamptimer!) He also even took some time to remark on the rich history of the 1580 signal including the Buck Owens era as KNIX-AM and the Radio Disney era as KMIK. He said that once the 1580 transmitter is powered up to it's full 50,000 watts, the station will be heard "statewide" from "Flagstaff to Tucson" (we'll see how accurate that prediction turns out to be). With regards to the 99.1 FM translator, he said that the translator should be up and running in a "couple weeks" and will serve listeners in the East Valley. Until then, East Valley listeners will have to listen at 1580 AM, daytime only.
Also of note, the 1580 KHEP-AM signal is broadcasting from the new transmitter site in Phoenix where 1280 KXEG-AM is broadcasting from near Indian School Road and Grand Avenue in Maryvale. Once the 50,000 watt transmitter is powered up, I have a feeling that the signal will blast the screens off of the nearby Glendale 9 Drive-In!
Also of note, the 1580 KHEP-AM signal is broadcasting from the new transmitter site in Phoenix where 1280 KXEG-AM is broadcasting from near Indian School Road and Grand Avenue in Maryvale. Once the 50,000 watt transmitter is powered up, I have a feeling that the signal will blast the screens off of the nearby Glendale 9 Drive-In!
- Status