A whole mess of LDTV CPs issued for Montgomery, Columbus. Dothan just gets one.

A very quick rundown of several new permits issued for low power digital television stations.  These are all being issued to what I call “spectrum squatters” who will most likely never build anything out, instead opting to resell the permits to interested buyers for a profit.  My proclamation here is the same as the new AM station permits:  I'll be shocked if ANY of these ever get put on the air.

First in Columbus, where new permits are issued for channels 14, 22, 27 and 47.  They are all directional facilities, with either 6 or 15 kW.  They join an existing unbuilt permit on channel 43, also owned by one of the squatters.

Next to Dothan, which picks up one more permit for channel 43.  This appears to be the first spectrum squatter foray into the market.

Finally, Montgomery, which sees a total of five new allocations: channels 14, 30, 36, 45 and 50. All but channel 14 are directional.  Powers range from 1 to 5 to 15 kW. This is a big jump in allocations for Montgomery, which has just one low power digital station in the area, and two analog low power stations.  

WASG files license to cover, goes silent moments later

It appears that troubled south Alabama AM facility WASG may have had a brief appearance from its new facilities in Mobile earlier this year.  A program test authority was filed in late January 2011 and a license to cover in late February.  It just showed up yesterday in the daily digest, but a cursory check of the AM dial from the area shows the station is still off the air.  It's possible the station signed on just long enough to earn the license to cover, then shut off again.

WASG dates back to the early 80's when it was one of the few stations owned by Native Americans.  At the time, it was on 1140 kHz and ran C-QUAM AM stereo.  The station later moved to 550 kHz, and fell silent after new owners acquired an FM companion.  Pensacola Christian Radio later bought the station, moved it to Escambia County, Florida, but it didn't last long on air there, despite getting 10 kW days.  The station got a CP to move to Mobile in 2009.

Last translator move of the day: W234BB Madison

W234BB was erroneously listed on my site as 94.7 MHz for some reason, but the FCC is still saying 94.5 MHz, with 10 watts from atop Monte Santo Mountain.  The permit that has just been issued changes all that, with a move to 94.7 MHz, a drop to 10 watts vertical only.  The site moves off the big mountain and down to Winchester Road in Moores Mill.  WAWI Larewnceburg (WAY-FM) is still listed as the station being repeated.

The typical move for translators is to get them as high and with as much power as possible, this one seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

Northport's W286AQ - still headed east.

W286AQ (105.1 MHz) is our next translator-on-the-go.  I kinda figured this would be headed into Birmingham, but it appears to be going the wrong direction — this time to just north of Jemison.  The site's off CR-146, between US-31 and I-65 and will put 60 dBu into Jemison and almost into Calera.

I have my doubts that this is a final resting place, although there's an existing tower at the site.  Clanton's only AM, WKLF, already has a translator to its name, so I don't know what else this could relay besides religious programming.  My bet is it isn't through moving yet.

W244CN creeps towards Montgomery again.

W244CN (96.7 MHz) has another CP, moving it ever closer towards Montgomery.  This time the 250 watts of vertical power will be “broadcasting” from near Snowdoun, off Butler Mill Road.  I put broadcasting in quotes because the chance of this actually being built out here is slim.  Most of these translator moves seem to be on paper only and the FCC never bats an eye.

Anywho, this will put the 60 dBu contour into the Montgomery city limits for the first time, although it still isn't close enough to be competitive.

Another hopelessly complicated directional AM that'll never be built gets green lighted from the FCC

This newest one is right in Birmingham, licensed to the northern suburb of Fultondale. Here are the stats: 6 kW days, 250 watts nights and six towers full time.  The actual coordinates put the facility in the middle of a forest between US-31 and Quail Ridge Golf Course in Gardendale.

I went ahead and added this to the AM list. I've kind of broken my longstanding rule against listing brand new construction permits because the majority of them never come to fruition, and the few that do, do so with vastly different facilities.  At this point, these entries just add some color to the pages. :)

If you're wondering why I'm so pessimistic about this ever getting built, consider the obstacles: AM radio is being abandoned in droves by anyone whose age is below room temperature.  A six tower array is expensive to built and even more expensive to maintain.  The few established AM powerhouses in Birmingham have already migrated to FM simulcasts or translators.  The market is already fairly saturated with choice.  And not least, this is a highly directional signal both day and night that will in all likelihood miss a lot of population to the east and west of downtown and north of Gadendale.  The city is spread out along the poles, north-south and east-west.  This signal is aimed almost due south from Forestdale.

This CP joins others on AM in Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Fayette, Excel and Opp, and I'll be shocked if any of them get put on the air before the CPs expire.

Silent York translator on the move again

W212CB York (90.3) has received another construction permit, this time while on the FCC silent list.  The new facility moves it on down I-20/59 to Cuba, near the Mississippi state line.  The power increases to 80 watts and frequency moves to 100.9.  Once it moves the calls will change to W265BO.

Perhaps it's headed to Meridian to relay another AM station?

WERC is no more, and some translator updates

It's official, WERC is no more.  Well, on AM, at least.  Today the call sign changed to WVVB, to reflect the new musical outlook of 960's FM translator cousin, “The Vulcan”.  The WERC calls on 960 dated back to the early 70's.

In translator news, a facility licensed to Calera popped up today that I had never seen before, despite the fact the construction permit dates back to about 2008.  Somehow it has slipped through the cracks.  W241BD is on 96.1 MHz, owned by Educational Media Foundation and is listed to be relaying Glen Iris' WGIB.  The actual transmitter site is nowhere near Calera, but just south of the I-65/US-31 interchange in Alabaster, across from the Best Buy and JCPenny shopping center.

The 105.1 MHz frequency in central Alabama continues to be aflutter with movements, this time a Demopolis-licensed translator known as W286BV.  At one time it really was near Demopolis, but had moved to a site north of Moundville, although it's doubtful it was ever actually on the air.  And even if it was, few would hear the measly 10 vertical watts of power from the middle of nowhere.  That's changing, as the latest permit moves it right up to Jug Factory Road in Tuscaloosa, where a few other translators are now.  The power also gets a boost to 200 watts.  The FCC shows non-comm WUAL as the station being relayed, but look for that to change if the facility ever gets built out.

This is the latest in a series of odd movements all centered on 105.1 MHz in the central Alabama region.  Tuscaloosa already had a translator allocated to the frequency, licensed to Northport.  But that translator moved from northwest of town to Vance, then to Wilton in Shelby County.  Meanwhile, Shelby County already had a translator in nearby Alabaster on the frequency, but it moved to Hoover.  Finally Demopolis' translator on this frequency is on its second hop to Tuscaloosa.   *whew*

W286BK Birmingham on air?

The daily digest came down the pipeline this morning with word that WAY-FM has filed a license to cover for W286BK in Birmingham.  The station, at 105.1 MHz, was previously licensed to Alabaster with just 10 watts.  The site was actually in Pelham, at US-31 and AL-119 but as far I know, was never operational.

So while this license to cover would imply they're broadcasting from the new site in Hoover's Patton Chapel area, I am skeptical that it's actually on the air.

In other religious radio news, Columbus, Georgia's WFRC is showing as having built out a construction permit.  They have previously been listed as silent, so it can be guessed that they are back on the air now.  It's possible they're still off, as religious organizations are bad about bending the FCC rules on licenses to cover, but as it's a full power station I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.