KMCQ signed on sometime today

[FMSteve]

Their Covington CP disappears after September 20.  In early August they requested permission to remain silent at their The Dalles site.  Assume an Application for License within the next few days if not already, stating that they have completed "equipment tests".

The 60dBu contour does cover Seattle proper and the Eastside, at least on paper.

This is fun. I'm with Boss Bill and the Purple Coyote. And Sam, too. Most of it. If somene could go up SR-410 and take a left on Forest Service Road 209, take a left on the dirt road up to the top, then we could see what's happening. My guess is there is a bunch of leased equipment with trailer hitches. I heard the old KBRD tower is still up there. True? In the construction permit, the antenna height above ground is only 65 feet or 20 meters. A little bird told me the KBRD tower is 80 feet high.

With the C2 app still outstanding, it makes sense to have the app. run it's course. To do so, however, could mean that Canada's new 104.1 might be more of a rim shot into Vancouver than a frontal assult into the city. It's probably going to end up a political problem more than an engineering one, in my opinion.

[Bongwater]

IF the C-2 is dead, someone should tell the FCC.  The C-2 application is still pending.  Bustos is the unit that will program 104.5.  You say things are down.  I say they are UP.  Time will tell.

Regardless of who owns this damn mess and whatever, I figured Bustos might have something in it. Or might be able to do something with it eventually.

But I'm just a spectator, the kind who gets a sick thrill in bloody wrecks like these.

Now that 103.9 is dead in Forks, it's going to take some serious international horse trading to get CHHR (Vancouver's 104.1) to move to 103.9 and KAFE to 104.1, all to benefit KMCQ (sorry KMTT, but I think you're gonna need some translators up here pretty soon.) And since Canada is in the process of vacating AM, like the US probably will sooner or later, it's going to be harder than it looks. There honestly just isn't enough room for everybody up here with the signal coverage they're expecting. Seattle FM frequencies, once heard loud and clear up the coast and now being picked off one by one by the Canadians.

After DTV becomes the permanent thing in February, I think it's time to go into serious hyperoverdrive in expanding the FM band down to 76 MHz (which is the Japanese FM band) in North America because seriously, even sardine cans have their limits.

It can be done....carefully.... 

[sam]

The old KBRD - 103.9 was on Three Sisters ( 47-07-02 N by 121-53-30 W ) and not on Radio Hill ( 47-11-13 N by  122-06-35 W).  Radio Hill is an old two-way site.

[radiojjh]

Well---since I was in Seattle for the weekend---thought i'd check out KMCQ/104.5...first thing--the signal is horrible around Sammamish and Issaquah where I stayed--pretty spotty around Seattle and Bellevue and even in Renton....and it IS just not as loud as the other stations, i had to keep turning the volume up to listen to it......the music mix isn't that much different than you'd hear on KJR-FM with a little touch of JACK-FM to it.  The music is tolerable, but the imaging SUCKS.  You only get one chance to make a good first impression and I wasn't impressed at all to say the least.   I did hear a couple of Neil Diamond songs that were nice to hear again.   The signal did get better around Auburn(went to Emerald Downs with a buddy and then to the Muckleshoot Casino for a bit), but many times when I hit the scan button on my nice factory car stereo in my Toyota Solara, it didn't even stop at 104.5.   So, if you're not gonna come in on car stereo's---then you can pretty much kiss any in-home or in office listening goodbye.....and this day in time, that simply doesn't fly...if they would do great stuff from the 60's and 70's...they could carve a little niche for themselves.....BUT...and as always there IS a but....

So---I'd say unless KAFE-FM moves, and they can upgrade....they won't be much of a player...no more then Olympia's/96.1 or KNBQ/102.9, or the other rimshot FM's.  So---there's my perspective on the "new 104.5."

8-)

JJHemingway Your Spokane..and former Seattle Radio Pal.....

ps---I really do miss being on the air in Seattle......those were good days!!

[mightymoose]

Oh God I love all the speculation.  No one has mentioned that the economy may have been good when this whole enterprise was begun but is now most certainly on it's butt.  Hard to imagine people lining up to by a marginal FM signal now.  I'll be interested to see how it unfolds.

[e-dawg]

I think they should work out with CTRC moving 104.1 CHRR Vancouer to 104.3 and move 104.3 KAFE to 104.1.

Canada allows 3rd ajacent channels while US don't so technically 104.1 can move to 104.3 without any interference with 104.9 CKCL-FM2.

[AAllen]

If somene could go up SR-410 and take a left on Forest Service Road 209, take a left on the dirt road up to the top, then we could see what's happening. My guess is there is a bunch of leased equipment with trailer hitches. In the construction permit, the antenna height above ground is only 65 feet or 20 meters.

I hiked up there today.  They have propane tanks, not deisel.  Otherwise things were as predicted, with the transmitter building still on wheels and blocks.  I didn't see any microwave antennas or a ground link, so it appears the entire operation is self-contained and the programming is coming from right there at the transmitter.  A couple of weeks ago I heard them play The Kingsmen's "Louie, Louie," followed by the 1970s song "Brother Louie."  I had thought they did that on purpose, but now I'm not so sure.  And then as I was hiking down, I heard them play EAS tones at 1:01.

http://home.earthlink.net/~arthurallen/100_7633.JPG
http://home.earthlink.net/~arthurallen/100_7634.JPG
http://home.earthlink.net/~arthurallen/100_7635.JPG

[radiojjh]

hey---thanks for the pics.....so it's all an operation right there...the whole she-bang....obviously overhead is fairly low.....if you hear some spots for a propane place....you know that's gotta be a trade....nothing like ol' "tradio," eh?    gee---can't wait to meet their receptionist......oh, i forgot---they don't have one, do they???

[w9wi]

I think they should work out with CTRC moving 104.1 CHRR Vancouer to 104.3 and move 104.3 KAFE to 104.1.

Canada allows 3rd ajacent channels while US don't so technically 104.1 can move to 104.3 without any interference with 104.9 CKCL-FM2.

The problem with CHHR on 104.3 is CJJR.  104.3-10.6=93.7, CJJR's channel. 

FCC regulation 73.207(b)(1) (Table A) requires Class C stations on frequencies separated by 10.6 or 10.8MHz to be at least 48km (30 miles) apart.  CHHR and CJJR are co-located.  (of course, FCC 73.207 doesn't apply in Canada, but I strongly suspect Canada has a similar regulation, and even if they don't they may well refuse to agree to move CHHR on the same technical grounds anyway.)

The "intermediate frequency amplifier" in almost all FM radios operates at 10.7MHz.  If two co-located stations operate on frequencies 10.6 or 10.8MHz apart, their signals can mix and generate an "intermediate frequency" signal.  Anyone near the site would hear a mix of both stations on every FM frequency across the dial. 
CHHR on 103.9 won't work because of CHQM 103.5.  Canada allows 3rd-adjacents, but not second-adjacents, at least not at full power.  (they do allow it for LPFM but I don't see CHHR agreeing to be downgraded from Class C1 to LPFM!)  I wonder if KAFE could move to 103.9?
An expanded 76-88MHz band isn't going to do a whole lot of good here.  If the FCC approved an expansion tomorrow, it would be at least a decade before enough people had compatible radios to make it practical to operate a commercial station in that spectrum.  Neither KAFE nor CHHR is going to agree to move to 79.3MHz, and if KMCQ does they're going to be wasting a LOT of electricity before they start making any revenue. 

In any case, I believe the 76-88MHz expansion idea is DOA.  It's too late.  TV stations have spent too much $$ building DTV facilities on channels 5 and 6, in markets like San Antonio, Nashville, Memphis, Albany, and Philadelphia.  If this idea had come up even two years ago it might have flown.  Not now.

[Scott Fybush]

Two quick thoughts on this very interesting discussion:

1. KMCQ is required to have a main studio capable of originating programming, open during regular business hours, staffed by at least two management employees and housing a public file. Where is it? (In fairness, this requirement may not kick in while they remain licensed in The Dalles and operating under the CP from Enumclaw.)

2. Somewhere upthread, someone pointed out that First could have taken another route that would have been more expensive in the short run, but probably less expensive in the long run. That would have involved buying KAFE outright and moving that license from Bellingham (where it's one of, what, seven services to that community) to Covington (as first local service). First would probably have had to downgrade KMCQ, but it could likely have remained in The Dalles at a lower class (and possibly a different channel - 104.3?) And KMIH would still have had to move. Would it have been worth the cost?