WBZ soon to be pummeled by daytime-skywave interference

[dan.strassberg@att.net]

Yesterday's FCC actions included notice of the grant to a station on 1030 in 
Oviedo FL of a CP to increase daytime power to 45 kW and abandon directional 
operation during the day. The station, which currently runs 10 kW-D/1.7 kW-N DA-
2, will soon operate with 45 kW-D/1.7 kW-N DA-N. The regular daytime operating 
parameters will apply during critical-hours (CH). (The FCC defines CH as the 
two hours after local sunrise and before local sunset. During these daytime 
periods, skywave interference can be a problem.) Those of us who were fans of 
WQEW 1560 New York City before it flipped to Radio Disney remember when co-
channel WRHC Coral Gables FL operated for several years with 45 kW ND-U in 
violation of its license and construction permits. WRHC was clearly audible in 
New England on most nights, often obliterating WQEW. Herb Squire (then WQEW 
Chief Engineer) reported that the interference often extended several hundred 
miles north of Toronto! During CH, the Oviedo FL station will now legally cause 
similar interference to WBZ--not perhaps in the immediate Boston area, but not 
that far away either. 

I realize that, according to the Florida station's application, radiation 
toward WBZ is _just_ low enough to avoid daytime-skywave interference 
(presumably, that is why the application and CP are for 45 kW-D and not 50 kW), 
but the engineering rules that the FCC uses for calculation of this 
interference fail to recognize the salutary effect on _skywave_ propagation of 
the largely salt-water path between Florida and New England. Oviedo is in 
central Florida approximately 30 miles inland from the east coast. 

Where have Infinity's engineering folks been? The Florida station's application 
was apparently filed only this past July. If Infinity had made some noise, 
action on the application could at least have been delayed. I don't know how 
long the Florida station will have to wait for delivery of a 50 kW transmiter, 
but the new facilities could be on the air this year! When that happens, expect 
to see complaints of interference from places like Worcester and northeastern 
Connecticut. 

--
dan.strassberg@att.net
617-558-4205
eFax 707-215-6367