MRFLASHPORT
Frequent Participant
The ASR file number on the license for W266BW shows 1800 Briarcliff Rd. Yet the COL is Winder which is a good 40 miles away in the heart of Barrow county. Winder, Atlanta...what's the difference?
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101.1fm wjza
- Thread starter Bill Zurmuehl
- Start date
The ASR file number on the license for W266BW shows 1800 Briarcliff Rd. Yet the COL is Winder which is a good 40 miles away in the heart of Barrow county. Winder, Atlanta...what's the difference?
secondchoice
Star Participant
There were two 349’s filed and granted:
BPFT 20151118 AEX On 12 / 22 / 15 https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...t=25&appn=101702965&formid=349&fac_num=147273
And
BMPFT 201602244ABH On 3 / 15 / 16
https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...t=25&appn=101722690&formid=349&fac_num=147273
I am sure that there was a moving of COL somewhere in those documents. IF not then there was a major screw-up at the FCC allowing the translator to be issued a CP that did not cover it’s COL. More likely the commission did not update the COL in its data base
.
With this translator being owned by a “translator squatter”, who knows?
RadioDoogie
Leading Participant
W250BC (97.9) used to be licensed to Riverdale then moved to Atlanta somewhere during the Journey era 2011-2012. But that translator covers Riverdale easily.
MRFLASHPORT
Frequent Participant
They identify as "W266BW Winder" but then it's clearly coming from Briarcliff which is about 31 miles from the Barrow county line let alone Winder proper. Oh well, who cares. The FCC sure doesn't. They're too busy selling every MHz of spectrum to the telecom cartels to be bothered with broadcast anyway.
The station has a horribly weak signal compared to other translators. Barely makes it into downtown/midtown. On the west side, it's pretty much done unless one has a really good receiver with a directional antenna and can null out the hillbilly sound coming from Ellijay.
It's a shame that they aren't streaming online. A format like this on a weak translator/AM signal in a market like Atlanta isn't going to last with no streaming/web presence.
secondchoice
Star Participant
This station has several things to work out. I guess the AM has to move soon to a new tower. They need a good engineer to help out the coverage. Remember this “station” was put on by a “translator squatter”. The antenna and transmitter both might not be installed correctly. There has been issues with the FCC. I remember reading somewhere on the FCC site that they changed antenna manufactures during construction. I wonder if anyone has looked at the reflective RF levels. It might even be better to go down a 100 ft. and get a less directional antenna with good circular polarization. Will the FCC allow the old dual polarization on translators? In theory there would be “500 watts of RF” which might help.
There is a “window” for this translator to bring in some serious revenue. WLJA has started a migration south towards Atlanta. One of the owners is Bryon Dodds who moved 105.5 to 105.7 and from Canton to the large tower @ Sixes road just off I 575. He eventually LMAed and sold it for $31million. He should have plenty of money so there is no hurry to move 101.1 but sooner or later someone will put a “real” (Class C3 or better) station in the space between 100.5 and 101.5. IMHO someday 101.1 WLJA:
Will upgraded with a taller tower and a directional antenna at its current location
Move south to one of the mountains* in Pickens country where on a clear day you can see some the tall buildings in metro Atlanta
Move farther south with a new COL.
* It would be fitting to use the late Ludlow Porch’s home on Burnt Mountain as a site.
There is a “window” for this translator to bring in some serious revenue. WLJA has started a migration south towards Atlanta. One of the owners is Bryon Dodds who moved 105.5 to 105.7 and from Canton to the large tower @ Sixes road just off I 575. He eventually LMAed and sold it for $31million. He should have plenty of money so there is no hurry to move 101.1 but sooner or later someone will put a “real” (Class C3 or better) station in the space between 100.5 and 101.5. IMHO someday 101.1 WLJA:
Will upgraded with a taller tower and a directional antenna at its current location
Move south to one of the mountains* in Pickens country where on a clear day you can see some the tall buildings in metro Atlanta
Move farther south with a new COL.
* It would be fitting to use the late Ludlow Porch’s home on Burnt Mountain as a site.
MRFLASHPORT
Frequent Participant
The FCC sent "Youngers Colorado Broadcasting" an Interference Complaint from WLJA on October 11th.
http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=79529
So...will be interesting to see how long this squatter sticks around. Wasn't this the same translator that was causing interference to the aircraft band and the FCC dropped the hammer on that back in June? I'd still love to know how "Winder, GA" is the community served by a low power translator sitting in Decatur.
If they aren't going to stream, or get on a bigger stick with some coverage that isn't jamming everyone else, they'll be ATL radio history soon. Kinda sucks, this is a format that is refreshing. But then there is WCLK, non-commercial and very professionally run from CAU, and they play a decent round of smooth jazz during most of the day.
They do use circular polarization for the transmit antenna. Keep in mind this antenna is side mounted on a 12 foot face tower and that creates serious distortion of the pattern. This pattern distortion is used to try to keep interference down towards WLJA.
I would NOT bet on this translator surviving, at least not at 101.1/250 watts/900 feet.
secondchoice
Star Participant
I have been out of the business for a long time*, but I could program this signal and get some ratings in demos that would make a few dollars. Smooth Jazz (not my first choice but third choice) is viable. There are quite few folks in the 60Db coverage.
* Not coming back unless I get a contract and at least 90% of what I make now.
* Not coming back unless I get a contract and at least 90% of what I make now.
wsbzjazzkat
New Participating Member
I am the General Manager/President and Program Director of WSBZ The Seabreeze in Destin, FL (Miramar Beach). Contrary to comments on this thread, our station is and had been locally programmed since 2001. Back in mid to late 90’s we were a Jones Radio Network affiliate and used some daypart voice tracking from Smooth Jazz Network (i.e. Dave Koz). But since 2001, all the music and programming decisions have been done here locally..actually by the same Music Director that programmed Jazz Flavors 104 in Atlanta (Mark Edwards). Some of the air talent (Miranda Wilson from the old KKSF Smooth Jazz in SanFrancisco) are contracted with Seabreeze independently. I congratulate the new Atlanta low power FM! Atlanta has a huge Smooth jazz fan base.
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The 65 dbu covers 800,000 persons. The market is 5.6 million. The market is very transactional, and the format is principally appealing to 55 and over.
If Roddy Freeman is reading this, it would be interesting to get a media buyer's professional opinion on what the chances are for such a format on such a miserably limited signal might be. I am generalizing; Roddy can be very specific about both the market and the sales opportunities.
ThePowerCow
Frequent Participant
You have a very good station. I listen every time i'm down there, and online sometimes.
"Smooth Jazz Network" was part of Broadcast Architecture which was, in turn, part of Premiere. When Premier owner iHeart no longer wanted anything to do with Smooth Jazz or a for-profit in-house research company, they sold BA to Allen Kepler. BA liquidated a few years later, and the Smooth Jazz Network name was reborn as Kepler's Smooth Jazz offering.
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MRFLASHPORT
Frequent Participant
None of their target demo is within listenable coverage. Think places like Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Alpharetta, East Cobb...the signal is so feeble and weak on a robust car radio with a full length antenna in these areas, nevermind the typical home receiver "clock radio" stuff. Between the poor coverage and interference from WLJA, with NO ONLINE STREAMING, this station is destined for failure.
101.1 is a poor choice. The dubious move-in of a COL of Winder-Barrow with a transmitter 60 miles away is still comical. The FCC is a joke.
RoddyFreeman
Walk of Fame Participant
Well, first of all, I've been enjoying the station, and Allen Kepler is a very accomplished person. WJZA will not be able to attract agency business. In addition to the demo issue, it will not have a large enough audience to show up in the ratings. Its only route to advertising revenue is going direct to small local businesses.
Greg Davis paid only $150,000 for the AM station that the FM signal "translates," and operating costs have to be very low. So it's possible the station will attract small businesses whose owners (or clientele) like the format, and can't afford the bigger stations. Greg owns a very successful cluster of stations in his hometown of Columbus, GA. He also owns small Latino FM's in Buford, GA and Ellijay, GA that are very successful, largely because of their GM, Brian Barber. I know Greg from my many years of working on the Georgia Power account, and he's a great guy, but I doubt WJZA will add much if anything to his bottom line.
Another issue with a station like this is getting competent sales help in light of such low earnings potential. I am not aware of what arrangements Greg has made for selling spots; it's possible he's using the La Raza (Buford) people.
One more thing: One of the engineers who posts here is of the opinion that the FCC will force 101.1 off the air because of complaints of interference to WLJA/101.1 in Ellijay, which in recent months moved its antenna significantly closer to Atlanta.
I'm not thinking they will be forced off the air but they very well may need to change frequency, lower power, or lower the antenna height. As others have pointed out, the current signal is very marginal in the important zip codes and music is a poor choice, IMHO, for such a signal.
secondchoice
Star Participant
IIRC they took an emergency STA to lower the power due the FAA / FCC issue. Without reading all of the multiple letters in the file I believe they are still at on third power. One of the letters to the FCC stated that they engineer was “out of town” and they were waiting for him to do repairs. I believe they have dealt with the Ellijay complaints. When they get back to 250 watts I wonder what there signal will be like. I thought there were more folks in the 60db. (A least 1.2 million) but 800K is bigger than a lot of markets. As I stated smooth Jazz would not be my first choice. But that is based on personal experience.
IMHO: With no money or a career in the game, what really should happen 101.1 in Ellijay should buy or LMA this translator with an AM or HD 2 or 3 to “power” it. Then figure out the next move for WLJA to get into Atlanta with a good signal.
IMHO: With no money or a career in the game, what really should happen 101.1 in Ellijay should buy or LMA this translator with an AM or HD 2 or 3 to “power” it. Then figure out the next move for WLJA to get into Atlanta with a good signal.
The signal is pretty much a dead letter OTP between US 278 to the west and PIB to the north-northeast.
There is only a few db difference in the signal now as opposed to full power - the difference will be hardly noticeable.
What hurts the signal most is being side-mounted on a 12 foot face tower. The pattern distortion is severe.
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