Re: FM Channel 215

["Aaron 'Bishop' Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 06:42 PM 10/16/2002, Laurence Glavin wrote:
>I was perusing the FCC Actions for this week, at there are
>interesting doings on 90.9, FM channel 215:
>
>WCNI in New London, CT plans to move from 91.1 to 90.9 with
>8.8KW at about 187 feet, using just a vertical antenna
>(why...what does that do?  I've noticed some non-comms in Maine
>doe the same thing).

Probably because it gets them a little further away from WRLI 91.3 in 
Southampton, NY (which is right across Long Island Sound from New London) 
on the dial.

However, while it moves them to 2nd-adjacent with WRLI, it also puts them 
into 3rd-adjacent with WRIU 90.3, and co-channel with WBUR (which is 
listenable all the way into Coventry, RI, about 30 minutes from New 
London)  More importantly, they'd also be 2nd-adjacent to WPKT 90.5 in 
Meriden, CT.  Just looking at it as an armchair engineer, I'd have to say 
this is a questionable move for WCNI.   While they lose a weaker 
first-adjacent on one side, they now will have that same station on 2nd, 
AND have a powerful station move from 3rd-adjacent to 2nd.

Plus, let's not forget that 8.8kW at 187ft is a BIG step up from the 480W @ 
193ft they've got now...the distance between their existing contours and 
new contours is likely substantial.

Generally speaking, there's not much difference between 3rd and 
2nd-adjacent....nor is there much difference between 1st and 
co-channel.  But there's a big difference between 1st and 2nd.  So in that 
sense, the move makes sense.   But they're going to be bracketing 
themselves between two 2nd-adjacents...that's often bad news.  At their 
existing power, it's a tough call...I'd have to drag out some longley-rice 
calculations.

But at that new power...I'd have to do some research, but I'd wager that 
WBUR, WRIU and WPKT could all potentially fight this upgrade, unless WCNI 
is proposing a new pattern that throws everything to the southeast over 
Block Island out into the Atlantic.


_________________________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
AOL-IM: ReadAaron         Brighton, MA 02135