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.

Birmingham's 103.1 unsurprisingly flips to active rock as "The Vulcan"

Told ya.

The previous post was actually made in haste, as the station was stunting with a rotating cadre of musical formats with a pitch to vote online for the final format.  But we all knew it'd be rock, right?  

"The Vulcan" reappears on Birmingham radio after all. In three spots!

The speculation appears to be true, at least for now, that the old "Vulcan" rock format is back in Birmingham.  And it's on three different frequencies!

First up is the translator, W276BQ, running 250 watts with an STA (Special Temporary Authority) from the same tower as WQEN and WERC-FM.  It's on 103.1 and is the main focus of the marketing, as "103.1 The Vulcan".  It's being fed by WQEN-HD2, but the rock format is also being heard on WERC-AM, too.

No idea what Clear Channel's ultimate plans are with the HD2 or AM station, as they only need one or the other to feed the translator.

Birmingham to get another "Vulcan"?

W276BQ is the call sign for a translator in Birmingham on 103.1 MHz.  It's currently under and STA to run from the same tower site as WQEN and other Clear Channel stations on Red Mountain.  In recent times, it's had trouble staying on the air, relaying Citadel's WJOX-AM, but a few days ago, it came back on in fits and spurts with music.  AAA, AC and who knows what else.

Turns out, it's basically stunting for a new format.  Clear Channel has thrown up a website asking visitors to vote on what the new station should play.  It may be a ruse, though, as www.1031thevulcan.com has already been registered by agents for Clear Channel.  If you remember, the Vulcan was the name of the ill-fated mainstream rocker that was bumped for a WERC simulcast.  Thoughts abound that the website is hype and the format will be rock no matter what.

Birmingham hasn't embraced rock since The X was on 107.7, but that was before rock took a turn for the worse and pop music began climbing the charts.  Either way, will Birmingham support what is likely to be a computer in a closet, with no real hosts?

We shall see.

WQJJ-LP receives permit to raise antenna height, lower power

Jasper's spunky little LPFM, WQJJ "Fox 97.7" has received a construction permit to alter their facilities.  The current TX site is off Brakefield Dairy Road (AL-195) north of downtown Jasper, with 100 watts from just 30 feet.  The permit will raise the antenna height to 135 feet, with a drop in power to 53 watts (all powers horizontal).

Although in theory the coverage may not seem like it would change much due to the decrease in power, gaining that much height is sure to improve the reception in the outer reaches of the city.

CP issued for new LDTV facility near Dothan

W18DY-D came across the desk the other day, as an original construction permit.  The facility's 54 dBu contour will cover Dothan, Headland, Enterprise, Ozark, Hartford and Graceville, Florida.  No word yet on what programming would be offered if the facility is ever built out.

Keeping an eye on a few translators…

A few translator moves have cropped up in the FCC database.  First up is W244CN, licensed to Enterprise but "transmitting" (I'm not convinced it's on the air) from the Highland Home area of south central Alabama.  It recently made a move on paper to the community of Ada, north up US-311.  An application is now pending to move it further up the road, this time to a site near US-331 and CR-23 in an empty lot of farmland.  The facility is predicted to throw at least some signal into the city of Montgomery, which may be the ultimate destination for this facility.

Second, there's the old standby W286AQ, ever on the move and never on the air.  It started out licensed to Northport and actually near that city.  It has since migrated across Tuscaloosa County to Vance and then Wilton in Shelby County, near Montevallo.  This facility also has an application in the works, moving it further south of Birmingham and towards Jemison.  This frequency is a real fruit-basket turnover in central Alabama.  Since this one vacated Tuscaloosa, a Demopolis-licensed translator on the same frequency has crept into Tuscaloosa County.  Meanwhile, another translator that's never been on the air as far as anyone knows, licensed to Alabaster, is hiking up the road to Hoover.  My original thoughts were that W286AQ would eventually be combined or replace the Alabaster facility, but now it appears to be moving further south.  The APP shows 218 watts and would put a good signal into the rural area between Jemison and Calera.

In other news, Selma's W232AN is to change over from relaying another FM to carrying WJUS-AM out of Marion. WJUS has been rumored to be getting this as an FM translator for a while.  Plans are to move the translator on into Marion in the near future.