Should be frequency flexible, going to be ran at 250 watts on a "closeline" antenna on a third floor rooftop. Station is losing transmitter site. Just trying to "feed" a translator and be legal. Also since it is "temporary" could I use one of the on line cheap boxes on the Internet.
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Economically priced 1 kw AM transmitter.
- Thread starter secondchoice
- Start date
Have you requested and received an STA to operate such a facility?
The station is dark. They haven't filed anything with the FCC. They ran the FM translator 2 years without the AM. She claims they can't get parts for AM because of supply chain issues. If a deal can be made, I will file a STA day one.
If I get involved with my own money I want to do it for under 20 or 30 k equipment wise. This is to make the FCC happy. I don't want put a lot of money in the
AM. I have already budgeted the startup lack of revenue for 15 months. The translator has some real possibilities but sooner or later the Commission will start busting stations that don't run the AM part of a FM translator.
Leasing an HD 2 or 3 isn't a viable option.
If I get involved with my own money I want to do it for under 20 or 30 k equipment wise. This is to make the FCC happy. I don't want put a lot of money in the
AM. I have already budgeted the startup lack of revenue for 15 months. The translator has some real possibilities but sooner or later the Commission will start busting stations that don't run the AM part of a FM translator.
Leasing an HD 2 or 3 isn't a viable option.
Well, there's your first problem. The translator isn't supposed to operate without the AM, and this person only had ten days of being off the air before filing for a dark-station STA. Sounds like none of that has been done, so technically the station has been running illegally for what, two years?? If this woman remains as the licensee, there's a better than even chance when all this washes out, there's going to be fines and associated lawyers' fees for her indiscretions. If she can't afford parts for her transmitter, or a lawyer requesting an STA, all the associated fines and legal costs will probably crush her like a cockroach. From a business perspective, I mean.
The FCC isn't going to be happy at all when they find out this station has been off the air with no STA for two years while still operating its translator. Talk about an NAL avalanche.
Too bad. The AM is the primary station, not the translator. A licensee needs to still protect the AM because that's where your bread is buttered. Cheaping out on the AM will just mean you'll be off the air completely that much more often.
If the same woman is going to remain the licensee with your investment, you may as well flush your investment down the toilet.
My advice would be to let her and the stations go completely down in flames, and then you come along and pick up the pieces from an auction or receivership.
She got $250,000 (less realtor fees) for the land. She and her partner can pay their own fines. I would only go in with an unencumbered transfer of the license. I have budgeted for 200 hours of legal help too. I really don't want to get in a bidding contest at an auction. I am sure the are folks who would want the translator.
As Monty Python said
No kidding. Talk about a potential quagmire.
This could wind up on the cover of 'Worst Business Deals' Magazine.
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The was a station in the next town where I use to work that ignored the rules. The new owner had a contract drawn up that basically left all debts to the previous owners. The guy skipped out after the sale. I had a friend that worked there for the new owner. When bill collectors called, he would get their fax number and fax a copy of the bill of sale. After a couple of years the calls stopped.
One would think if you transfer a license and the commission approved it you are not responsible for what the previous license holder did. If the FCC approved the sale then came back saying the license was not valid that would be fraud because the FCC didn't enforce it's own rules on the previous owner and should have never approved the sale.
IIRC the buyers of the General Tire stations were isolated from the FCC enforcement against General Tire.
That is why I am going to spend (too much) on paying a good lawyer.
One would think if you transfer a license and the commission approved it you are not responsible for what the previous license holder did. If the FCC approved the sale then came back saying the license was not valid that would be fraud because the FCC didn't enforce it's own rules on the previous owner and should have never approved the sale.
IIRC the buyers of the General Tire stations were isolated from the FCC enforcement against General Tire.
That is why I am going to spend (too much) on paying a good lawyer.
But in many ways it's really not up to the FCC to do "due diligence" before approving a sale or transfer. It's normally up to the buyer because, if something goes awry or if they get caught up in something that was unforeseen to them at the time of sale, that's really not a valid excuse and they could now be stuck.
Somewhat related (though not a perfect example) is to think about when you buy a home or property. One reason you need to do research (or pay someone to do it for you) to ensure the title is free and clear, there are no liens on the property, back taxes owed, etc. is because if you don't do your homework and find all that out ahead of time, it doesn't matter. You as the new owner are nearly always stuck cleaning up the mess.
Hope you're not talking about the one that's actually been off the air (or running a couple watts for a week or two) since 2016 but the translator plays on.
The one that still has their license renewal in limbo.
*The FCC does know about this crap.
The one that still has their license renewal in limbo.
*The FCC does know about this crap.
WOW, the plot thickens! 2016 is more than two years.
No this station only went south during the pandemic.
I started this thread not to have to buy a new AM transmitter. The AM might be the "main" transmitter in the FCC's view but the FM translator will be responsible for the revenue. If I wanted a discussion on the FCC actions or lack of I would have posted it on this site's FCC section. The used AM transmitters I have found on the Internet are questionable.
Has anyone had dealings with a reputable used transmitter dealer?
I started this thread not to have to buy a new AM transmitter. The AM might be the "main" transmitter in the FCC's view but the FM translator will be responsible for the revenue. If I wanted a discussion on the FCC actions or lack of I would have posted it on this site's FCC section. The used AM transmitters I have found on the Internet are questionable.
Has anyone had dealings with a reputable used transmitter dealer?
Check out Transcom: Used AM Transmitter Pricing
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I will not need the transmitter. She sold the license, disassembled tower, and equipment for $130K, which is $30K more than I was willing to offer. Not bad considering she paid around $20 K for the station and land in 2013. The land was sold separately for around $250 K. PM me for the particulars if you are interested.
I know it seems like a missed opportunity right now, but you probably dodged a financial bullet.
W273CT-FM 102.5 MHz - Canton, GA
Radio Station Information for W273CT 102.5 MHz FM, Canton, GA
radio-locator.com
What I saw in the construction permit was a group of independent merchants that were not being served. The Canton and Jasper merchants sell locally to around 50,000 + people in Northern Cherokee County, throw in Pickens County’s 34K you are well over 80.000. They are thriving despite the Big Box stores. There are the expensive Atlanta and regional signals which would force them to pay for coverage way out of their area. There are format holes in the Atlanta market especially 55+. The average age of Pickens County is 46+ years. Even with increased population, Pickens County has had a decrease in its Public-School Population. The area is turning “gray”. The opportunity to sell to local “non-agency” decision makers who want results not demos can not be overlooked.
Having been down a similar road recently, just with a Class A covering multiple small towns around the area; is your advertiser base becomes limited to restaurants, health clubs, remaining mom-and-pop grocery, furniture, and auto dealers. With the exception of furniture and auto dealers, all the others are notoriously difficult collections. That, combined with your city grade field from this translator is Jasper. Relying on fringe coverage to sell in the other three towns will be problematic. You'd hear a lot of: 'I can pick you up sometimes, but not so well during the summer months'. Oh, and there's about to be a potentially lengthy UAW strike, so expect auto advertising to come to a grinding halt for who knows how long.
Unless you're planning on good ol' 'conservative talk' the other annoying landmine with catering to a 55+ audience is they're notoriously vocal about what music they like and don't like. Some shopkeepers would be interested in advertising, but you don't play enough do-wop, or Eagles, 60's music, or whatever. Curmudgeons are VERY opinionated about what's good music or not and when visiting them in an attempt to sell advertising, you get both barrels. The problem is; there's just no chance of pleasing enough of them all at once. After a while, it gets pretty discouraging. That's why we finally gave up trying to program local, going instead to a satellite Classic Hits with plenty of researched music. The Curmudgeon factor reduced significantly, because everyone likes the hits.
Thing must be different in places you have experienced. I'm in a county of 43,000. A good 80,000-90,000 in the service area that considers us the local station and the area is becoming more 55+. Our rates are fairly low and personally I do over $20,000 monthly and that is entirely direct, no agency business. We're #1 with in excess of 25% of the county listening, long TSLs and a music intensive AC with 60 second state and world news capsules hourly. We're the only daily source of local news and locally programmed. We have 50 signals reaching our market being less than an hour from a top 5 market. We have no issues with no pays or slow pays. I have to ask for an AR each month. I think we have had two people stiff us this year (less than 2% for sure). Almost zero dollars from auto dealers and furniture stores. My clients range from about $100 a month to $2,770 a month. Most in the $200-$300 a month range. We are universally known and I think i have had one person say, 'you must be the local station'. Everybody else knows the station. Few complain about the music. If they do, they complain we are not country.
Being well-established and a newcomer are two different things. A new station coming in, especially on the heels of an economic downturn or pandemic is always a slow starter over something that's been there for twenty years. Also, not all rural areas are created equal. My example was out West.
I know you've come on here before claiming that everything is rosy with small market radio and that you're 'Supersalesman'.
In Secondchoice's example; this would be a translator serving primarily one town city grade, counting on potential sales to communities in the fringe, not a station that's been operating and established.
Very good point. Mine is an established station out in the community and involved. I've been in a situation where we were the new kid on the block (station 3 with a co-owned am/FM that had been there for years). I was always the 'secondary' buy but I won over a few by creative ideas that got us more of the budget but the heritage stations were not dropped. IE: Mall Co-op at the local shopping mall (it was the 1990s). Merchants get 20-25% of advertising paid by mall if they advertise the mall events within their commercial and run those spots in the designated weeks. We could usually pick up $6,000-$8,000 a month. Merchants loved it and would claim their dollars months in advance. Literally two of us would walk the mall and say we have mall co-op and say how much do you want. Merchants viewed it as sort of a rebate on their rent.
I wouldn't say I'm a supersalesman. I do know how to sell in a small market. It's a long haul to do so. Count on the first year just developing trust, winning people over 1 by 1. I started at $6k a month and it has taken over 4 years to crack $21k.
I wouldn't say I'm a supersalesman. I do know how to sell in a small market. It's a long haul to do so. Count on the first year just developing trust, winning people over 1 by 1. I started at $6k a month and it has taken over 4 years to crack $21k.