I didn't think I'd find 87.7 here in Oakland, but while in my car today, I did! Spanish-language Catholic gospel calling itself "Radio Guadalupe", claiming to have stations in San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tijuana - some kind of Franken-FM? It had a pretty steady signal in Oakland. I didn't catch anything resembling call letters even though I was listening around the top of the 11 am hour. The car radio's built in scan picked it right up.
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FM Frequency of the Week: 87.7
- Thread starter MarioMania
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Could be your friendly neighborhood pirate. I have one on 87.9 playing Spanish-language music, and it has been for well over a year. Audible within a couple mile radius.
Maybe this was KZNO-LD out of LA on a tropo skip or KBFK-LD has switched to carrying Radio Guadalupe
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I noticed that too. It comes in loud and clear over here in the Lamorinda area.
It's been there for quite awhile now. If it is a pirate station, I guess the FCC doesn't care? It's not like they're interfering with anything....
Here's another one: KBKF-LD in San Jose. This one apparently has a setup similar to WWME (ATSC 3.0 TV with analog FM on 87.7 MHz).
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So, unless we're talking about pirate stations, are all these 87.7s mentioned so far in this thread actually on 87.75?
Yes
Manchester, UK: the frequency along with 87.9 is "set aside" in the UK for temporary "pop-up" stations, primarily for events and religious observances. They are limited to 28 days at some low power level (which I can't remember, either 10 or 25 watts). These stations are on 87.7, not 87.75 - VHF TV isn't a thing.
Back in the 1990s and 2000s, these frequencies were in regular use by people running trials for proposed new local services and stations for music festivals and other events. Nowadays, it's relatively rare to hear a station at 87.7 other than at Ramadan, when stations in various towns and cities pop up for a month of religious programming and fundraising. Stations that previously regularly broadcast on a temporary basis now broadcast permanently on FM and/or DAB, or online.
A regular and high-profile exception (and many miles from my location) is Worthy FM, the station which broadcasts music and information for a week annually to the 200,000+ people who attend the Glastonbury festival, which for its duration is one of the largest "cities" in south-western England. The station takes its name from Worthy Farm, the location of the festival.
Back in the 1990s and 2000s, these frequencies were in regular use by people running trials for proposed new local services and stations for music festivals and other events. Nowadays, it's relatively rare to hear a station at 87.7 other than at Ramadan, when stations in various towns and cities pop up for a month of religious programming and fundraising. Stations that previously regularly broadcast on a temporary basis now broadcast permanently on FM and/or DAB, or online.
A regular and high-profile exception (and many miles from my location) is Worthy FM, the station which broadcasts music and information for a week annually to the 200,000+ people who attend the Glastonbury festival, which for its duration is one of the largest "cities" in south-western England. The station takes its name from Worthy Farm, the location of the festival.
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Glastonbury: I spent about a year in the early 2000s working for a guy based in Glastonbury. I've never been to Glastonbury myself. But I met him for lunch once in Bath, which I believe is nearby, So, on my way back to the train for London, instead of music, I got a quick tour of the Roman baths. Still very impressive.
During her 11 years living in London, my daughter attended the Glastonbury music festival several times. Video of the Festival shows up from time to time on American (and Canadian) TV.
In Los Angeles, I get the above-mentioned KZNO-LD (whose COL is Big Bear Lake, in San Bernardino County; despite the fact that it transmits from Mount Harvard—a peak adjacent to and slightly lower than Mount Wilson—in Los Angeles County), carrying Guadalupe Radio.
Retro: As a kid in the 1990s/early 2000s, before L.A. had a Franken-FM, I would get the audio of XETV, San Diego/Tijuana’s then-Fox affiliate. The move of what was then KSFV-LP from UHF channel 26 to VHF channel 6 (to accommodate the sign-on of San Bernardino PBS member KVCR’s digital signal on 26) put the kibosh on that.
@speer360, the San Jose Franken-FM is actually KBKF-LD, carrying programming from Air1. KBFK-LP is a Movies! affiliate in the Bakersfield market.
Retro: As a kid in the 1990s/early 2000s, before L.A. had a Franken-FM, I would get the audio of XETV, San Diego/Tijuana’s then-Fox affiliate. The move of what was then KSFV-LP from UHF channel 26 to VHF channel 6 (to accommodate the sign-on of San Bernardino PBS member KVCR’s digital signal on 26) put the kibosh on that.
@speer360, the San Jose Franken-FM is actually KBKF-LD, carrying programming from Air1. KBFK-LP is a Movies! affiliate in the Bakersfield market.
Boise Idaho. Ch 6 ATSC 1.0 no analog to "Grandfather" in. Bet they probably hoped they could add 87.7.
Even with their current mask the 87.7 wouldn't work. Barely protects the 88.1 48 miles away.
Even with their current mask the 87.7 wouldn't work. Barely protects the 88.1 48 miles away.
Moseyed out of town and tested the endurance of 87.7 WRME-LD, and it’s impressive. Exactly 81 miles as the crow flies from the Loop to Utica, Ill., which happens to be exit 81 on Interstate 80 in north central Illinois. The signal is solid even in a truck stop parking lot in my car. It begins to break up about three miles west and quickly gets more sporadic.
Going eastbound through central Illinois on Interstate 80 tonight, 87.7 WRME-LD was audible about 10 miles further west, around mile marker 71, and was reasonably clear by Exit 73, Plank Road, even in a gas station. WFMT 98.7 and WCFS 105.9 (WBBM NewsRadio 780) were also in by then, along with WILL-FM 90.9 Urbana, which swamps much of Illinois, and would be a semi-regular catch in much of Chicago if WDCB Glen Ellyn wasn’t around.
Yes, as I said KBKF-LD.
Can anyone confirm KBKF-LD is still relaying Air1? I suspect it is Guadalupe Radio now.
The frequency is no longer listed on Air1's Website.
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