Re: WPLM

[Dan Strassberg <dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net>]

At 08:17 PM 1/14/99 -0800, you wrote:
>
>Actually, it's a brand new 100,000watt station on 96.7FM
>in Arlington,TX.

OK, that _sort of_ explains it. I visited John Kodis' FM station location
page at www.radiostation.com and found two conflicting listings on 96.7, a
little Class A (KNKI) licensed to Sherman (about 40 miles north of the
"Metroplex") with 5.5 kW at 96m from a site just north of Sherman (between
Sherman and Dennison). No way such a puny signal could do much of anything
in Dallas or Ft Worth. Then I searched for stations within 100 km of KNKI on
96.7 and turned up KMEO, licensed to Flower Mound (or is that Flour Mound?),
with 100 kW at 620m. This is a full Class C signal with maximum facilities.
Maybe ABC has applied to change the COL to Arlington, which is is midway
between Dallas and Ft Worth. Regardless of the COL, however, the TX appears
to be a _mimimum_ of 55 miles from the Metroplex. If I recall, Kodis says
it's 90 km west of Sherman.

Clearly, this is a big-time move-in and I imagine that there are stations
licensed to Dallas, Ft Worth, or other nearby communities on 96.3 and 97.1.
That means that this (admittedly huge) signal from over 50 miles away must
compete with much more local signals 400-kHz away on either side. What did
ABC pay for this facility and why do they believe that such a signal can
have much of an impact in the market's major population centers? And did ABC
really build a 2000' tower for the station out in the middle of nowhere--or
was a TV tower already there on which ABC was able to lease space?

- -------------------------------
Dan Strassberg (Note: Address is CASE SENSITIVE!)
ALL _LOWER_ CASE!!!--> dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net
(617) 558-4205; Fax (617) 928-4205

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