Updates… An an experiment!

Before we get to the updates, I want to invite you to view ABMP's new Google+ page.  It's public, so you don't have to be a member of anything Google-related to view.  But if you are a member, you can follow ABMP and get occasional updates and interact with me.  Give it a try!  I'm moving updates to that platform for a while to see if it's easier to handle than Blogger.  If not, I'll come back here.

On to the updates…

In Mobile, Clear Channel has acquired another translator, W258AY, on 99.5 MHz. They received a CP to up power to 250 watts and broadcast from the tower in Prichard which currently houses WASG and WAVH. It's scheduled to rebroadcast News Talk 710 WNTM. It's unknown if this a replacement or addition to W262BL on 100.3 MHz, which would broadcast from the WKRG-TV tower in Spanish Fort.

In other news, W286AQ on 105.1 MHz continues its march far away from its original city of license, Northport. It's now most of the way to Alexander City and has just received a permit for a site just outside the city limits. The parent station remains WHHY-FM Montgomery, but an application pending shows that this will eventually settle in Alex City proper and rebroadcast WBNM 1050, with its classic country format.

The last big translator update comes from Birmingham, where W251BG at 98.1 MHz makes a big jump from Cullman to Tarrant, to rebroadcast WAGG's highly successful gospel format from atop Red Mountain. The new facility will have 250 watts and cover as much of the city as Clear Channel's existing translators do.

W262BL Gulf Shores transferred to Red Mountain Broadcasting

We don't usually chronicle the license transfers of stations but this one is worth noting.  W262BL is a 1-watt translator licensed to Gulf Shores in Baldwin County.  It has never been on the air as far as anyone is aware, but has remained active in the database all these years.  It has just been transferred to Red Mountain Broadcasting, which operates translators in and around Birmingham that relay Clear Channel formats.

Does this mean WNTM is headed to FM via 100.3?  We shall see.  A translator can only be moved as far as its 60 dBu signal reaches (or thereabouts) so they will have to file for a massive power increase before they can contemplate moving anything, and even then there are no guarantees because the FCC has put the kybosh on moving translators more than one or two "hops".

WNTM has recently been rebroadcast on WRKH-HD2, which would allow the station to be heard via translator throughout much of southern Alabama and Florida, but The Rocket's HD signal has been off air for the last few weeks.

Whatever the plans for this tiny translator, it will merit watching as the Mobile area has not embraced translators like Birmingham, Montgomery and Huntsville have.