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Mega's translator on 101.7 at 2,142% of licensed power!

DavidEduardo

DavidEduardo

Moderator/Administrator
Staff member
Per Inside Radio:

"It’s not just pirate radio operators that are on the receiving end of warning letters from the Federal Communications Commission. A Hartford broadcaster, whose translator was operating at 2,142% the power it was licensed for, has been put on notice that it violated the rules."

They go on to say,

" New Britain, CT-licensed translator W269DE at 101.7 FM violated the rules when FCC field agents showed up for an inspection last October and November. They were there to inspect the four-tower array used by the primary station “Mega 910” WLAT and detected the translator’s 33-watt authorization was instead blasting out at 740 watts. That’s well above the 105% leeway the FCC gives a station."

Full story at http://www.insideradio.com/free/fcc...cle_863aa33c-2dc9-11e9-9ba2-7fed7c419a44.html
 
The article also says, "That wasn't the only problem agents discovered. The FCC says all the red obstruction lighting on one of the antennas was out, the top-level flashing beacon was out, as well as several other lights. And on a third tower, more lights were out. "Gois Broadcasting did not immediately notify the FAA" the notice says.

Gois hasn't faced an FCC fine, at least not yet. Instead, the Enforcement Bureau is giving the company 20 days to fully explain each violation, including what corrective actions have been taken.

I can see the 4-tower array outside my house, & have noticed the lights out for at least 6 mos. or more. I contacted the Gois CE, to no avail. They must know that the lights were out, as CSB is located right there in Radio Park on Birdseye Rd. in Farmington. They either thought that one top beacon light out didn't matter, they thought it was too expensive to repair, or they thought they wouldn't get caught.
 
Wow. What a difference 33 watts vs their illegal 740 watts. Now there is no sign of La Mega on 101.7 in downtown Southington. Before they were blasting in crystal clear on both the radio in the 2010 Honda Civic and the 2014 GMC Terrain my friend used to let me drive sometimes. Yesterday on 101.7 in downtown Southington I was picking up a weak signal from Beach Radio WBEA from Long Island.
 
Noticed yesterday that the top-level flashing red beacon on Antenna Structure 1055559 is functioning - don't know about any other lighting.
 
DonCT,

IMHO, I don't think it's either. For a station to take a new translator authorized by the FCC to run at 33 watts & change it to a flamethrowing 740, it sound like they knew exactly what they were doing. You don't just flip a switch to make a change like that. The xmtr had to be modified. &, for the Tower Obstruction Lighting to be inoperative for more than 6 mos., right in the same complex as the CSB on Birdseye Rd. in Farmington, just sound like blatant disregard for FCC rules. Wouldn't the contract Chief Engineer (CE) also be held liable for this? I heard they might be fined. If Gois thought they could get away with the exceeded Transmitter Power Output (TPO) on the W269DE xtmr, they probably thought they could get away with the inop Tower Obstruction Lighting - until they got caught. Also, the FCC rules say in article 47 CFR 74.3(a): "The licensee of a station authorized under this part must make the station available for inspection by representatives of the FCC during the station's business hours, or at any time it is in operation." On October 10, 2018 during regular business hours as the station was broadcasting, Gois Broadcasting failed to provide the Agents access to the transmitter for an inspection.
 
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