Need new FM station engineering ideas/suggestions

Admin/Mod, please forgive me if this is in the wrong place, and move as appropriate if needed.

For years, myself and others have been kicking around the idea of starting our own radio station in rural southeast Alaska, living in an island community of sub-100 people, which although sparsely populated is a high transit area/major shipping lanes nearby.

As it is now, there are two FM signals audible in the area, both NPR relays. One local, one distant/fringe. The latter is a mere 140 watts but gets out quite well, it's over 50 miles away but has a good line of sight view from a high-elevation transmitter site. With a very quiet FM dial there and a good line of sight above the (mountainous) average terrain a decently powered signal would get out quite well I believe.

Here's my first question: At a few hundred feet elevation, possibly about 1000' depending on a few possible transmitter site locations, what would the FCC allow power wise? Provided a power source (would have to be a diesel generator in this area) and tower height weren't limiting factors, ideally even a 100KW ERP would be wonderful, would fill a massive dead zone with at least one strong signal. Would the FCC permit such a thing, even on the basis of EAS availability and the like? Like I said I'd like to reach areas nearby that are literal FM no-zones, literally no signal on the FM dial at all. Would the upper or lower end of the FM band do any better in terms of signal reach, paticularly if I was stuck with a limited signal?

Furthermore, what sort of equipment would be ideal? Of course a decent transmitter of any size and its tower and antenna are going to be costly, plus permitting, etc. (Tower would almost have to go on Forest Service land).

Additionally, would a stronger ERP help eliminate multipath problems? Some of the intended coverage area would be open water, much of it is mountainous and hilly terrain where even though line of sight reception might be limited a strong ERP might still get through? Its intended programming would ideally be largely music-oriented so broadcasting stereo and possibly even RDS would be wonderful.

Ideally, much of the programming would be local, but at night, etc. some well-picked syndicated programming might be nice, i.e "Hard Drive" and the like. (I picture a local public radio/adult hits/active rock format; oddly enough such a format would be a real hit in this area I believe). What sort of engineering would that require? For good quality audio of course forget a phone line, and also we're not on fiber-optic out there, ideas/suggestions?

The areas you mention really require SPECIFIC attention -- in other words, your technical questions can't be answered in generalities, per se......a true engineering study of your proposed area/site/geographic location -- frequency choice, TPO, ERP, HAAT, antenna type, etc. need to be addressed on a "per case" basis. Although SOME "general" guidelines exist (per CFR 47, Part 73), they are ONLY an overview...there are MANY variables that can ONLY be dealt with on an individual basis.
Now....as far as actual PROGRAMMING.....the owner(s) have a fair amount of latitude....ie., automated vs. live, syndication, etc. -- understanding that budget restraints will be a determining factor in what type of "programming" is implemented.
Yeah.....it's why consultant engineers (GOOD ONES!!!) are worth their weight in gold....and demand a pretty penny for their services!!
Good Luck! Owning my own station has been a lifelong dream.....and, alas, it appears it will remain just that for me.....a DREAM!

I believe the first question is how much money do you have and how do you intend to fund the station? A 100 kw is certainly not cheap to build and operate. I would figure out the money and then see what that can do for you. You might decide a class D is a good starting place. In fact, I'd look at other Alaskan public station annual reports on income from Underwriting, Grants and Donors to see how they do and compare to population served and retail sales figures in the service area. You would certainly start that journey with a frequency search by a qualified engineer understanding your remote locale can really add to the construction costs. I say go for it but with eyes wide open.

In this case, available channel would be easy, since at even the transmitter location the two audible FM signals are translators, and outside of their range the FM dial is totally blank in some places...so basically every frequency would be open within the 70Dbu protected contour I believe.

I would seriously consider two generators that cycle back and forth weekly along with a substantial UPS to cover the transition (and give you enough spare power to handle remote diagnostics if/when both are down).

I think you'd be a lot better off putting your transmitter site in some location where utility power is available. Running a generator 24/7 is a huge and very expensive undertaking. Considering your population base is about 100 people, you could probably accomplish what you really want to do with a lot less power, which would be hugely less expensive to install and operate. If you put 1000 watts (or less) on a 195 foot tower (so you don't have to light it) you should be able to cover your island with no problem, unless terrain dictates otherwise. FM signals travel quite well over water but they are strictly "line of sight." You should have decent coverage until the curvature of the earth kills the signal, even at fairly low power.

I know I am harping on costs here, but consider the massive amount of money needed just to get on the air. Next consider the month to month expenses. If you spend $500,000 to build and it costs you $50,000 to maintain each month, how do you reach breakeven. Breakeven is usually months but more often, years after you sign the station on. That $500,000 can turn in to $1,000,000 very quickly. Remember, your equipment and installation must meet FCC approval. You can't buy it from China, for example, or have that wiz kid cobble it together. And Murphy's Law is very much alive and well.

If your community is just shy of 100 people, there's only so much income there. Sales has a dirty secret: friends might support you with an initial donation but friends are the only ones that find it easiest to say no to additional help.

Here is a link that might help you: https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/DCRAExternal/community. I selected Tenakee Springs, Population 140. Wages earned $807,286. Roughly 1 in 3 dollars earned is spent in retail sales. So, the buying power is about $240,000 or around $20,000 a month. And that's every retail dollar the town can spend. There are 25 business licenses in town. A business license is any type of business. It appears about 5 to 7 would be retail. From the figures I come up with, based on most radio stations getting about $2 to $2.50 per $1,000 in retail sales, Tenakee Springs might generate about $200 to $250 a month in advertising revenue.

About 1 in 10 Public Radio listeners donate. That includes the stations that hire firms that exist only to run fundraising campaigns for stations and do follow through. In other words, 1 in 15 might be about average if you exclude their client stations. Thus, about one in 12 to 15 people might donate. I believe the national average is about $150 a year. Let's call this $2,000 a year.

So, the 140 folks in Tenakee Springs can, through advertising and listener donations, when you have everything done exactly as the community wants and have worked it property, generates about $4,400 a year.

What does 'heavily traveled highway' mean? What's the daily traffic count? Consider this: a station along a very heavily traveled freeway with no radio stations even close by (2 or 3 choices on the dial) makes $0 off the freeway motorist. Every bit of their income comes from the town. The owner said the philosophy is the business owner believes the customer comes because they need gas, want to take a short break, need to use the bathroom or are hungry and no amount of advertising will change that. Granted Alaska is a very different animal than the lower 48.

You indicate advertising from distant businesses the locals will buy from could be substantial. I see what you are saying there. You need to consider the amount your town has to spend versus the monies paid for advertising to earn their business. If Tenakee Springs only has about $20,000 a month to spend in retail collectively, how much would go out of town to all those businesses? Most advertisers spend a fraction of 1% for each dollar they expect from advertising. Advertising is paid from the overage charged for merchandise after it has been paid for. If something cost $100 to put in inventory they might charge $200. That extra $100 pays rent, utilities, taxes, salaries and advertising among other incidental costs. Advertising on radio is, at best, about 1/4th of 1% of gross sales.

Thus, if it cost you $250,000 to run your radio station each year (a very low figure), you'd need a base of $100,000,000 in retail sales in your coverage area. And that figure is only if you are doing everything right and walking circles around all the other media knocking on their door for those ad dollars. And if you are the only station on the dial asking for that radio ad dollar.

In one scenario I looked at, the county did about $720,000,000 in retail sales. There were 28 radio choices of the dial. 7 were in the county. $1.6 million was spent in radio. The station I looked at had 5% of the listeners (not bad). In a good year they billed about $130,000. In a bad year about $110,000. They were getting more than their fair share of listeners and they were getting more than their fair share in sales because they were doing everything right. There still were things missing: local news, a strong local presence, etc., but the station lacked the revenue to do these things (ie: employees). Even so only 3 stations billed more than they did and 3 more did much less. I concluded there was no room for substantial growth without an ongoing outlay of cash and no reasonable guarantee of substantial income increases to pay off the investment. It wasn't that the format and sales was lacking, it was better than normal. In fact they were already over-performing.

On the other hand, if you went with a Low Power FM, for example, you'd be offering Underwriting versus commercials, but you might have $15,000 in start up and monthly expenses of say, $200 to $300 a month. While 100 folks would not bring you to breakeven, you might find a few grant dollars to pick up the slack. I have seen LPFMs operate nicely at about $180 a month.

I think Bill Turner has given you some very good advice. A LPFM or similar lower power station would make much more sense for your community. There are lots of advantages to non-commercial LPFM operations. For one, they do not pay FCC Spectrum fees or even fees to the FCC for filing. Commercial stations do, and they add up very quickly. Music licensing is much cheaper and easier too. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC have flat rate licensing for LPFMs. One year's licensing is about the same cost as a very small commercial station pays per month. If you choose to stream on the web, Sound Exchange has a much better rate for you than a commercial station gets. And then, there is the cost of putting the station on the air, as well as monthly operating costs. You could build a fairly nice LPFM station for about what the cost of operating a 100KW station for a month. Maybe a lot less. The down side is you will have to wait for a new LPFM filing window in order to apply. When that will happen (if ever) is anybody's guess.

All the above is good advice, but consider one more thing: Check the FCC's Silent FM Station List. There are a lot of stations that have gone under in Alaska. Since stations on that list have one year to remain silent before losing the license, you may be able to work a purchase or LMA arrangement with the licensee to purchase an existing station.

Of course as mentioned here, owning and operating a station in a rural community, especially one that relies on donations let alone in Alaska, is a tough slog. Commercial or non-commercial, small communities are inconsistent in supporting a local station. You may hear a lot of positive reaction to the idea of a local station, but when it comes to sending in regular donations, underwriting, or advertisers, the enthusiasm doesn't last. The higher your operational costs, the more in danger the business model becomes.

Running diesel power year round is very expensive. As suggested, besides fuel costs, running two generators alternating one on line per week, means weekly maintenance including a weekly oil change. You heard me correct, weekly. Even then, you will have to rebuild one engine per year, assuming there are no catastrophic engine failures before a scheduled rebuild.

Things like towers and antennas need to be beefier and more hardened against severe weather conditions (wind and ice combination). That means significantly more construction expense.

Honestly, running your own community radio station sounds like a great idea, but it's fraught with liabilities.

According to an article by Michelle Bradley at RecNet, the FCC allows Class D non-commercial FM stations limited to 99 watts ERP with a coverage area identical to an LPFM station (100 watts). Such stations are limited to Alaska. There is no filing window to wait for although an engineering firm to conduct a frequency study is required. Such stations would cost about what a LPFM costs to begin and have very low monthly operating costs just like LPFM. Literally you could begin today starting with hiring an engineering firm. Naturally you must be established as a State or Federally recognized non-profit organization to qualify for a license. You'd need an educational slant to the mission of the non-profit as Public Radio radio stations are licensed as "Non-commercial educational". It can be as simple as "town music appreciation society" to expand the understanding and appreciation of music as a form of communication within society.

Your 60 dbu coverage is going to be about 3.5 miles from your tower. Taking the LPFM model: 100 watts at 100 feet above average terrain, the higher you go above 100 feet, the lower the wattage. An average station might be in town with a 50 foot antenna. In the vacant FM dial of most of Alaska, depending on terrain, you might reach 20-30 miles. The LPFM in Paisley, Oregon, a place where this is the only station received on the FM dial, achieves a 20-30 mile range with 100 watts at a negative height above average terrain.

Interesting! Of course a full Class (C, right?) is going to be insanely expensive to build, operate, etc. I've thought about LPFM as, frankly, anything would be a huge improvement, as much of the area is a completely blank FM dial, even nowadays.

Of course a frequency study, etc etc is in order. I'd like to reach other areas; this could also work in reverse if the tranmitter sitr were located somewhere with better electrical power options but used my area as a city of license perhaps? (This happens all the time, a station's transmitter site is well outside city limits, but is COL is a metro or a small suburb thereof).

Thoughts?

Class D non-commercial is the way for you to go: Alaska has an exclusive on 99 watts or less and you can file anytime. Current thinking is if there is another LPFM filing window it won't happen before 2023. A study happens after you find your tower site and get the okay for that site. Use a name known to the FCC as doing good work (in other words they get granted quickly). That tells the FCC you want to do things right and they like that.

Don't be thinking tower at one place and studio at another. Why add to that cost? Go right in town where electricity is located and where you can use a roof or existing tower to set up. The less you have to pay on a tower, coax and such, the better. Anyway, that's where the people live. You don't want to be going out to point b in white-out conditions at 3 am when the transmitter goes down. Put everything at one spot. Your home is okay.

Don't be swayed by the latest and greatest. Spend on the transmitter, good antenna and coax then go cheap on the studio. A computer, decent sound card, consumer mixer and say, a MXL faux tube microphone (the tube is in it's own box) will deliver that warm sound for about $300 versus $4,000. A good transmitter will make a cheap studio sound the best it can sound but a great studio and lousy transmitter still sounds lousy. Not to mention the upkeep on the more expensive stuff. Behringer, Mackie and others are plug and play so no soldering or patch panels. Nautel makes a transmitter with processing by Orban. In essence you get a processor and a transmitter in one. Sure I paid $5,250 for the last one but I know people that paid $3,500 on a transmitter and then $2,500 on processing. There are free automation programs that will do what you need to do.

You could be on for $20,000 tops. Get to know other public stations. Get to know engineers. Try to find grant writers (maybe somebody at another station want some extra work?). Talk to other non-profits, the city, county, etc. Monthly expenses won't be much more than $200 if you do it right...$300 at the top end. Engineers might be able to get you good stuff for pennies on the dollar. Make every dollar you spend do $10 in value. You have a very limited base and don't count on your mental image being reality...rather much less than you think you'll get in support. Plan for less.

Do only what you can do. In fact a bit less is good so you never take a step backwards. Humble beginnings are the key to success you build over time. Embrace your community and decide you are not building the station for you to enjoy but for your community to enjoy. This is a fatal mistake of many LPFMs. Simply put, you are to serve the community, not yourself. In a sense you are like the landscaper or interior designer that dreams of doing a certain layout but instead does exactly what the customer wants because that's how you stay in business. Even a chef at a restaurant creates dishes his diners want even if he adds his special twist to it. If you want to play alternative by unsigned bands but your town wants polkas you had better be playing polkas.

b-turner said:

Class D non-commercial is the way for you to go: Alaska has an exclusive on 99 watts or less and you can file anytime. Current thinking is if there is another LPFM filing window it won't happen before 2023. A study happens after you find your tower site and get the okay for that site. Use a name known to the FCC as doing good work (in other words they get granted quickly). That tells the FCC you want to do things right and they like that.

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Whereas it sounds like a noble and nice thing to do, encouraging a hobbyist to build a radio station because they REALLY want one, is (especially these days) encouraging them on a path toward eventual failure. Just look at the long list of silent stations in Alaska alone, many of them LPFM's. Anymore I think starting a restaurant would be a better business model than a Class D station anywhere, let alone in Alaska.

some see the glass half full...some half empty. Now you have both sides to consider

b-turner said:

Embrace your community and decide you are not building the station for you to enjoy but for your community to enjoy. This is a fatal mistake of many LPFMs. Simply put, you are to serve the community, not yourself. In a sense you are like the landscaper or interior designer that dreams of doing a certain layout but instead does exactly what the customer wants because that's how you stay in business. Even a chef at a restaurant creates dishes his diners want even if he adds his special twist to it. If you want to play alternative by unsigned bands but your town wants polkas you had better be playing polkas.

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This is some really good advice. It is amazing to me how many LPFM stations go into this thinking a format based on their personal musical taste will garner a large audience. Unless you are very lucky about the location of the transmitter, it is unlikely you will ever have a large audience with only 100 watts, no matter what you play. Although many LPFMs can be received for as much as 15-20 miles on a good car radio, they usually do not do a very good job of penetrating buildings. The FCC's estimate of 3.5 miles radius is about it for a typical radio inside a home or business. YMMV, but go into this with the idea you are primarily going to be a car radio station. If the RF gods are smiling, maybe you will get better coverage, but it is better to enter into such an undertaking expecting less. In any case, I'd recommend programming that gives someone a reason to listen while driving from point A to point B. Keep in mind that if they drive outside of your coverage area, they will switch to something different. It may be a long time before they come back. You need to program something that they want to hear, not what you want to hear, unless you don't care about listeners returning.

Thread over a year old now I know...

Talked to one of the station engineers for a nearby public radio outlet (KCAW in Sitka). They are looking at maybe trying to up the coverage area of their translator relay here. He did suggest that in his opinion if a community wished to start a station of its own, in todays day and age, start with podcasts!

AKDXer: If you post a single set of geographical coordinates for a transmit tower/antenna and the height of the radiation center of the transmit antenna above the ground at the antenna site, I will post a coverage study using Longley-Rice software that calculates field intensity for a given ERP and receive antenna height above the Earth, including the effects of the terrain elevations in the coverage area.

If the HAAT of the antenna radiation center does not exceed 100 feet, the FCC may allow an omnidirectional (RMS) ERP of 99W. Tx site locations in the center of the most important geographic area (most population) will give the best reception to typical FM receivers, even those inside buildings.

As an alternative, you might consider a license-free "Part 15" AM station setup, for which a legal installation can produce a useful signal for about a 1/2 mile radius. No FCC application or specific station license for its installation/operation are required.

Below is a graphic about such a transmit system. The initial equipment cost for that could be less than $1,500, but it would require an experienced tech to install and optimize.

PS: Part 15 also allows license-free operation in the FM broadcast band, but the maximum, ~reliable/useful coverage radius of a legal Part FM setup to a sensitive, indoor FM receiver is just a few hundred feet.

Podcasts would work if the people in your intended coverage area are not off the grid, so to speak. Podcasts isn't radio. If people in the area are connected, it might be a nice way to gauge the interest in a station.

The class D FM would be the best bet for a radio station with a translator,if needed to cover the island.

b-turner said:

The class D FM would be the best bet for a radio station with a translator,if needed to cover the island.

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Just about 100 times more expensive to build and operate than doing a Podcast.