Re:WGBH

[dan.strassberg@att.net]

Are you sure that already granted CPs are affected by 
the freeze? I kinda doubt it. Also, are you sure that 
this particular combination of greater antenna height 
and lower power yields the same contours as the current 
operation? Not only do I kinda doubt that, I think it's 
flat-out impossible.

Both operations are nondirectional and the two sites are 
at least 10 miles apart. So even if the distances from 
the Tx to, say, the 60 dBu contour were identical (I 
doubt it--but let's say that they were), there is no way 
that contours could be in the same place. They couldn't 
be without the use of a directional antenna.

As far as I know, the predicted contours (though not the 
real ones) for nondirectional FMs are circular with the 
center of the circle being at the TX site. I guess it 
should be possible to predict contours that show the 
effects of topography, but I believe that the HAAT is 
assumed to apply along all radials. In this case, the 
land is flat enough that, even if topography were 
factored in, you couldn't make the contours come out the 
same without using a DA.

My guess is that you got your info from the famously 
inaccurate Radio-info.com. If that's where the info came 
from, we've got all the info we need on why we shouldn't 
believe your post.
--
dan.strassberg@att.net
617-558-4205
eFax 707-215-6367
> At 01:50 PM 6/8/2002, brian anastasi wrote:
> 
> >"Aaron [Bishop] Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>
> >wrote on Friday, June 07, 2002 4:41 PM
> >
> >
> > > For WGBH I can't say for sure off the top of my head if the move to
> > > Needham/Wellesley/FM-128 cluster is really worth it...they are gaining a
> > > LOT of height (remember that HAAT is, in a lot of ways, a meaningless
> > > number) a least a few hundred feet.   And they still will have a ton of
> >power <snip>
> >
> >Will I still be able to get WGBH like a local out here in Amherst, which is
> >92 miles west of Boston?  And when is this move going to happen (or has it
> >already)?
> >
> >Brian Anastasi
> 
> The answer to question #1 is "likely yes" as I believe they are not 
> changing their contours at all (although signal contours are, in a lot of 
> ways, meaningless to what is receivable in various locations).
> 
> Question #2 is "not anytime soon"...the FCC has had a freeze on new FM 
> allocations and all FM major changes and it's not lifting until they figure 
> out a way to deal with the allocations issue.  Congress mandated that they 
> use an auction process but the courts have agreed with the FCC that 
> auctions are inappropriate for non-comm licenses.  Since the old way of 
> case-by-case analysis of serving the public good based on rather vapid 
> standards is not going to come back (thank God!) the only solution is a 
> "point system" and the FCC is taking its sweet time creating it - and 
> everyone imaginable is challenging the FCC's point suggestions as "invalid" 
> because - of course - the points aren't always favorable to them.
> 
> At some point the FCC is going to have to put their foot down and say "this 
> is the system, shut up and deal with it" at which point the lobbyists will 
> hit Congress and then we'll wait another year or two until Congress comes 
> up with some asinine system that doesn't actually work but somehow favors 
> those applicants with the most money.
> 
> Our tax dollars at work, folks...
> 
> 
> ____________________________________________
> Aaron "Bishop" Read     aread@speakeasy.net
> FriedBagels.com Technical Consulting
> www.friedbagels.com   AOL-IM: ReadAaron
>