KMCQ signed on sometime today

[FMSteve]

Ok, why can't KAFE pull back with a directional antenna away from Seattle on an Azimuth of 156.41 degrees Southeast towards Cougar (137.616 km to KJR tower), on the order of maybe 50% of power to allow the KAFE 54 dbu signal to arrive at around South Everett/Mukilteo Speedway. KMCQ's 60 dbu signal could then meet up to that curve (1st adjacency).

In effect, they would downgrade effectively to a C2 just in that direction. Saga was perfectly willing to install a directional antenna northbound in their application for 104.1. Just try to leave their 60 dbu fall off around the Skagit Valley towns as those areas are of dominate influence. So they lose North Seattle and Lynnwood. But then look at what KMCQ gains in the bedroom communities of Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mill Creek, and so on.

I think they should do this. And get up to Cougar. This is contour to contour, not necessarily using the spacing tables. If we use the spacing tables, then C2 to C2 would fit, if I am reading the tables correctly.

Scott, or anyone else, could that work?

[Scott Fybush]

Ok, why can't KAFE pull back with a directional antenna away from Seattle on an Azimuth of 156.41 degrees Southeast towards Cougar (137.616 km to KJR tower), on the order of maybe 50% of power to allow the KAFE 54 dbu signal to arrive at around South Everett/Mukilteo Speedway. KMCQ's 60 dbu signal could then meet up to that curve (1st adjacency).

I think they should do this. And get up to Cougar. This is contour to contour, not necessarily using the spacing tables. If we use the spacing tables, then C2 to C2 would fit, if I am reading the tables correctly.

Scott, or anyone else, could that work?

With the caveat that it's pretty darned late here in the Eastern Time Zone...

Full spacing for a pair of first-adjacent C2s is 130 km, so if First could afford to pay Saga whatever it would take to get KAFE downgraded to a C2, KAFE and KMCQ could indeed operate as non-directional C2s, with KMCQ at Cougar.

For that matter, it's 180 km from KAFE to the present KMCQ site at Radio Hill. That's within full spacing (177 km) for first-adjacent C1s, which would be a much less painful downgrade for KAFE, or for first-adjacent C2 to C0. (But read on, because other factors would make it almost impossible to make KMCQ a C1 from any Seattle-area site.)

To go directional, you'd have to show that there exists a set of "allocation coordinates" (buildable in theory, so not in a national park or over water) that would be fully spaced - and then there are complex rules about how deep your directional notches can go, which limits just how much ground you can gain with DAs. For instance, you couldn't do C2-C1 between Cougar and the present KAFE site. You might be able to do C2-C between Radio Hill and KAFE, which would at least give KMCQ a bit of a path for an upgrade from the present C3, though it would still be far from a full-market signal.

Additional complications: Saga was willing to take a DA notch northward from KAFE because that notch fell over Canada, where its signal was going to end up getting limited by new Canadian allocations sooner or later. I would have to imagine it would take a lot more per$ua$ion to get KAFE to give up its big signal to the south, and a drop to C1 or C2 would be a pretty significant loss of southern coverage.

And there are two more stations with semi-critical spacing issues - any upgrade to KMCQ has to protect Centralia on 104.3 and Funky Monkey on 104.9, and the spacings there all but rule out anything much more than a C2 from either Radio Hill or Cougar for KMCQ unless First sinks even more money into more moves. (Complicated ones, too, because now you're looking at spacings to Portland on 104.1, Aberdeen on 104.7, KMTT on 103.7, and on and on it goes.)

It's not a pretty picture. First still has some options, but they're not great ones by any means. I know what I'd probably do if I were in First's shoes right now, but they're not paying me to tell them...

[semoochie]

104.1 in Portland is not a problem as long as it stays at Stonehenge or doesn't otherwise become a full Class C.  From its present site, even 100kw is within the bounds of a C0 and it's currently a C2. 

[w9wi]

Ok, why can't KAFE pull back with a directional antenna away from Seattle on an Azimuth of 156.41 degrees Southeast towards Cougar (137.616 km to KJR tower), on the order of maybe 50% of power to allow the KAFE 54 dbu signal to arrive at around South Everett/Mukilteo Speedway. KMCQ's 60 dbu signal could then meet up to that curve (1st adjacency).

In effect, they would downgrade effectively to a C2 just in that direction. Saga was perfectly willing to install a directional antenna northbound in their application for 104.1. Just try to leave their 60 dbu fall off around the Skagit Valley towns as those areas are of dominate influence. So they lose North Seattle and Lynnwood. But then look at what KMCQ gains in the bedroom communities of Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mill Creek, and so on.

I think they should do this. And get up to Cougar. This is contour to contour, not necessarily using the spacing tables. If we use the spacing tables, then C2 to C2 would fit, if I am reading the tables correctly.

Scott, or anyone else, could that work?

As Scott says, if you downgraded KAFE to C2 it would fit.  But you can't downgrade to C2 on only one heading and claim C2 spacing -- you have to downgrade all the way around.  It's just the way the rules work.  73.215(e) controls: a C2 and a C on adjacent channels must be at least 176km apart regardless of how close their contours come to overlapping, no matter how directional either station is.  Two "real" C2's - C2 all the way around - need be only 130km apart, as Scott says. 

Why do the rules work that way when obviously the FCC doesn't really believe you need 176km spacing between 50kw stations on adjacent channels?  Good question.  My guess is they don't like the mess directional antennas have made of the AM band, and they're trying **really hard** to discourage the scourge of DAs from spreading too far on FM.  But that's just a guess.

[FMSteve]

So, if I am reading this correctly, then both stations would need to be C2, as C2 to C2 spacing fits in real nice as Cougar to KAFE is 136 Km. And the idea of simply downgrading KAFE but upgrading KMCQ in Enumclaw won't work because of all the other stations down South such as KFNK and Centralia 104.3 would get clobbered by a larger signal in Enumclaw.

So, it still looks like a C2 to C2 is the only thing left in play here.

One more thing. "If" Clear Channel/Ackerley is the buyer, then they could downgrade KFNK and their Centralia station at 104.3 and go higher power in Enumclaw. But, not too likely. That is, of course, and intriging possibility.

[semoochie]

Why would the FCC care about the number of FM stations with directional patterns?  As I understand the situation, all it does is cut off coverage in the null(s).  It doesn't strengthen it elsewhere like AM.

[w9wi]

Why would the FCC care about the number of FM stations with directional patterns?  As I understand the situation, all it does is cut off coverage in the null(s).  It doesn't strengthen it elsewhere like AM.

My speculation is that they're concerned about dramatically uneven coverage.  It is hardly unusual to find an AM station that is perfectly listenable for 40 miles in one direction and completely gone in 5 miles in another direction, without the intervention of uneven terrain.