Wasn't that done intentionally to protect WLJA?
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101.1fm wjza
- Thread starter Bill Zurmuehl
- Start date
Wasn't that done intentionally to protect WLJA?
secondchoice
Star Participant
Wasn't that done intentionally to protect WLJA?
It side of the tower helps. But being side mounted on a big tower can be “worked around”. Up in class “B” areas there are FM stations mounted on the side of big TV towers. If you look at the FCC site they had to get a directional antenna to protect WLJA. The big tower should offer some nulling, but if you were to put a one bay omnidirectional antenna on that tower I bet there would be a 50db signal at least to the Kennesaw which would really mess with WLJA in Cherokee county. The FCC only allows them operate with a directional antenna:
https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=W266BW-FX
Between the tower and the antenna it seems to working like it is supposed to. Being a translator they have to accept WLJA’s interference.
Can they monetize streaming /web listeners? They might be holding off until the dust settles from the “net neutrality” debate. That could change the streaming game for everyone:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-rosenworcel-fcc-net-neutrality-repeal-20171122-story.html
It side of the tower helps. But being side mounted on a big tower can be “worked around”. Up in class “B” areas there are FM stations mounted on the side of big TV towers. If you look at the FCC site they had to get a directional antenna to protect WLJA. The big tower should offer some nulling, but if you were to put a one bay omnidirectional antenna on that tower I bet there would be a 50db signal at least to the Kennesaw which would really mess with WLJA in Cherokee county. The FCC only allows them operate with a directional antenna:
https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=W266BW-FX
Between the tower and the antenna it seems to working like it is supposed to. Being a translator they have to accept WLJA’s interference.
Can they monetize streaming /web listeners? They might be holding off until the dust settles from the “net neutrality” debate. That could change the streaming game for everyone:
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-rosenworcel-fcc-net-neutrality-repeal-20171122-story.html
The translator antenna being used is a ring style antenna and is directional only because it is side mounted on a 12 foot face tower. I promise you that side mounting ANY type of antenna on a 12 foot face tower will seriously distort the vertical polarized pattern. Go to ERI or Dielectric websites and look at the patterns for ring style antennae. You will see none are non directional even if mounted on a pole. The metal reeks havoc on the vertically polarized signal. The good news is this "distortion" can be modeled and used to advantage in many situations. A ring style antenna typically doubles power in certain directions, sometimes more.
The best approach if a non directional pattern is desired is a panel type antenna. Even a well designed panel is only omni-directional +/- 2db so there is really no such animal as a "non-directional" FM antenna in practice.
The Cumulus translators use a "3 around" type panel and those stations, especially 97.9, have great omni coverage. All others are ring types with associated coverage holes.
Jabba: Yes...it was installed that way so it would qualify as a "directional" antenna protecting WLJA.
RoddyFreeman
Walk of Fame Participant
I heard this station on in a business yesterday. I guess somebody is listening, at least for background music.
The translator antenna being used is a ring style antenna and is directional only because it is side mounted on a 12 foot face tower. I promise you that side mounting ANY type of antenna on a 12 foot face tower will seriously distort the vertical polarized pattern. Go to ERI or Dielectric websites and look at the patterns for ring style antennae. You will see none are non directional even if mounted on a pole. The metal reeks havoc on the vertically polarized signal. The good news is this "distortion" can be modeled and used to advantage in many situations. A ring style antenna typically doubles power in certain directions, sometimes more.
The best approach if a non directional pattern is desired is a panel type antenna. Even a well designed panel is only omni-directional +/- 2db so there is really no such animal as a "non-directional" FM antenna in practice.
The Cumulus translators use a "3 around" type panel and those stations, especially 97.9, have great omni coverage. All others are ring types with associated coverage holes.
Jabba: Yes...it was installed that way so it would qualify as a "directional" antenna protecting WLJA.
Ring style antenna can be directional, too. They have a parasitic sitting behind the ring. It should be noted that this translator's protection to the 100.9 translator at Woodstock is even more severe than it is to WLJA. Why doesn't the 101.1 translator buyer who owns 100.1 near where WLJA is located just swap frequencies with WLJA then they would have 101.1 across north Georgia. The guy who owns 94.5 translator in Atlanta did this with the 94.5 FM in Calhoun, GA and down at Manchester expanded his signal but most of all got rid of his interference headaches. In fact, 94.5 was able to expand their signal by modifying the FM station signals.
Ring style antenna can be directional, too. They have a parasitic sitting behind the ring. It should be noted that this translator's protection to the 100.9 translator at Woodstock is even more severe than it is to WLJA. Why doesn't the 101.1 translator buyer who owns 100.1 near where WLJA is located just swap frequencies with WLJA then they would have 101.1 across north Georgia. The guy who owns 94.5 translator in Atlanta did this with the 94.5 FM in Calhoun, GA and down at Manchester expanded his signal but most of all got rid of his interference headaches. In fact, 94.5 was able to expand their signal by modifying the FM station signals.
Correct. If you look at ring style antenna patterns you will see that even if mounted on a pole the vertical pattern is essentially a kidney bean shaped pattern. When side mounted on a tower the distortion is typically more severe. My point was/is that there is really no such thing as an "omni-directional" FM radiator in practice. Panels can get close but the mounting still affects the illumination.
Have you looked at the engineering on your swap idea?
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K
kf4rca
Guest
I'm waiting for him to start running spots for some trendy little restaurant down in Decatur. That syndicated music service he's carrying must be cash as it is not barter. If he doesn't get some cash flow soon, we may be seeing another format change.
GAattorney
New member
The pending application for Davis to acquire W266BW shows he would pay $400K for that FM translator (in addition to the $150K he'd pay for WJZA(AM) 1310 kHz).
WJZA(AM) 1310 has been off the air since April under a silent STA, so W266BW can't be rebroadcasting it at the moment (although some prior posts seem to indicate that they were getting WJZA on either 1310 kHz or 101.1 MHz or both?).
WJZA(AM) 1310 has been off the air since April under a silent STA, so W266BW can't be rebroadcasting it at the moment (although some prior posts seem to indicate that they were getting WJZA on either 1310 kHz or 101.1 MHz or both?).
RoddyFreeman
Walk of Fame Participant
The pending application for Davis to acquire W266BW shows he would pay $400K for that FM translator (in addition to the $150K he'd pay for WJZA(AM) 1310 kHz).
WJZA(AM) 1310 has been off the air since April under a silent STA, so W266BW can't be rebroadcasting it at the moment (although some prior posts seem to indicate that they were getting WJZA on either 1310 kHz or 101.1 MHz or both?).
I was listening to 1310 a couple of weeks ago.
GAattorney
New member
OK, I see where WJZA(AM) 1310 went back on the air in August, with reduced power, so that makes sense now.
RoddyFreeman
Walk of Fame Participant
I've been listening to WJZA, and it's deja vu, WJZZ all over again. Same jock (Maria Lopez), same liners, same songs. They *have* been throwing in some Christmas tunes.
secondchoice
Star Participant
I hope they are not using a jingle between almost every song in a music sweep like 107 did.
IMHO: It does not hurt to let two complimenting songs play back to back. The third song in the sweep needs "something" but not every single song in the sweep. Branding is not that important, especially if you are the only station playing a music type in a PPM market.
IMHO: It does not hurt to let two complimenting songs play back to back. The third song in the sweep needs "something" but not every single song in the sweep. Branding is not that important, especially if you are the only station playing a music type in a PPM market.
Branding is not that important, especially if you are the only station playing a music type in a PPM market.
Branding is the difference between OTA radio and Spotify.
RoddyFreeman
Walk of Fame Participant
Branding is the difference between OTA radio and Spotify.
You are so correct. Branding brings people to the station and helps bring them back.
secondchoice
Star Participant
I thought the reason PPM was accepted because it measure actual listenership verses just checking a “brand” in a dairy. 101.1 is the only commercial smooth Jazz station in the market. The “lovers” of the format will listen with or without knowing the call letters.
You should always promote the dial position or a cute nick name (like Dave, Star), but IMHO the days of call letter meaning something (W-something-something-something) are limited to a few heritage stations. That was my main complaint about the 107.1’s attempt at smooth jazz. IIRC the jingles were about WJZZ not the 107.1 dial position. I hope they are using something like “jazz 101” (except for FCC ID’s) not WJZA. Even WSB which has heritage and no real competition uses new talk 750 part of the time. I wonder what they will do when 95.5 gets a in town tower and they have no need for AM 750
You should always promote the dial position or a cute nick name (like Dave, Star), but IMHO the days of call letter meaning something (W-something-something-something) are limited to a few heritage stations. That was my main complaint about the 107.1’s attempt at smooth jazz. IIRC the jingles were about WJZZ not the 107.1 dial position. I hope they are using something like “jazz 101” (except for FCC ID’s) not WJZA. Even WSB which has heritage and no real competition uses new talk 750 part of the time. I wonder what they will do when 95.5 gets a in town tower and they have no need for AM 750
I thought the reason PPM was accepted because it measure actual listenership verses just checking a “brand” in a dairy.
That's correct, but the vast majority of a stations listeners aren't PPM monitors. The branding of a station today is more about identity than ratings. It's also part of why you employ local staff. It's part of why you do public appearances around town. And it's why people think of radio stations, while they think of Pandora as a non-descript thing.
I wonder what they will do when 95.5 gets a in town tower and they have no need for AM 750
They will probably do what WFAN in NY does, which is primarily identify as an FM station, with the 660 AM at the top of the hour, along with the HD-2.
They will probably do what WFAN in NY does, which is primarily identify as an FM station, with the 660 AM at the top of the hour, along with the HD-2.
They've already made the "WSBB-FM Doraville" TOH ID a lot more prominent. It used to be a quiet, legal "WSBB-FM Doraville" by itself with a woman's voice, followed by the loud AM ID. Now it's the same guy who does the TOH ID for the AM. IIRC it's a loud "95.5 WSBB-FM, Doraville, a Cox Media Group Station" or something like that. The AM ID is hidden in the "AM 750, WSB...Atlanta's News, Traffic, and Weather Station..." sweep.
I guess Cox is joining iHeartClearChannel and Cumulus and UrbanOne with putting corporate IDs on their stations.
At some point Cox should try to swap the call signs of 95.5 and 98.5, as long as there's no issue with putting a 3-letter callsign on a "new" station (which I assume is the holdup; the FCC has been funny about that). Could Cox also swap the cities of license, too, without too much hassle? Then they could tidy up to a "WSB-FM and AM, Atlanta" ID.
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RadioDoogie
Leading Participant
They've already made the "WSBB-FM Doraville" TOH ID a lot more prominent. It used to be a quiet, legal "WSBB-FM Doraville" by itself with a woman's voice, followed by the loud AM ID. Now it's the same guy who does the TOH ID for the AM. IIRC it's a loud "95.5 WSBB-FM, Doraville, a Cox Media Group Station" or something like that. The AM ID is hidden in the "AM 750, WSB...Atlanta's News, Traffic, and Weather Station..." sweep.
I guess Cox is joining iHeartClearChannel and Cumulus and UrbanOne with putting corporate IDs on their stations.
At some point Cox should try to swap the call signs of 95.5 and 98.5, as long as there's no issue with putting a 3-letter callsign on a "new" station (which I assume is the holdup; the FCC has been funny about that). Could Cox also swap the cities of license, too, without too much hassle? Then they could tidy up to a "WSB-FM and AM, Atlanta" ID.
I noticed Entercom started doing the same thing about a week ago. Star 94.1, 92.9 the Game, and V-103 all shout the Entercom name at the top of the hour with the call sign.
RoddyFreeman
Walk of Fame Participant
I was listening to WJZA a couple of days ago and heard the Phil Collins tune, "In the air tonight." Is that really considered "smooth jazz?"
Apparently. Smooth Jazz is not necessarily jazz. Sometimes it's AC, but it gets played if it fits Allen Kepler's vision of the appropriate sound for his format. Phil Collins has been a regular on the Smooth Jazz Network and on Broadcast Architecture stations before that.
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