WALE is Spanish / Rhode Island translators

[Aaron Read]

The Coventry apps were dismissed when "Educational Radio for the Public 
of the New Millennium" (a religious broadcaster) finally forced WCVY 
into a share-time arrangement for 91.5FM, after many years of many 
parties trying - they finally succeeded.  I have heard many stories, if 
half of them are true then nobody came out smelling good in that little 
saga.  The "New Millennium" folks have got calls WRJI and they're trying 
to put 100 watts on 91.5 from Cranston, IIRC.

The WBUR translator in Newport was allowed to expire after the FCC 
rejected WBUR's attempt to get a waiver that would allow the FM 
translator to repeat WRNI 1290AM's programming.  (FM translators, by the 
rules, may only repeat FM stations...not AM)   Since the translator 
realistically could only repeat the 90.9 signal from Boston, and (at the 
time) there were serious rumblings that there was "too much Boston" on 
the Rhode Island stations, the translator was never built and the app 
allowed to expire.  Nowadays we know that, at the time, WBUR/WRNI were 
starting to run a huge deficit (this was not all that long before Jane 
Christo's role as GM ended rather publicly) so I'd hazard a guess any 
unnecessary expenses were to be avoided.  (shrugs)

BTW Scott, I know the setup on the 96.5 translator in Newport quite 
well...and WCRB 102.5 comes in better there than WCRI does.  Strange but 
true.  However, you are correct that 96.5 repeated WCRB for many years, 
then was switched to 96.9 (even though it was better on 102.5) and 
stayed that way until it switched to WMVY.  Around the same time 96.5 
switched to WMVY, there was some idle speculation that 96.5 would 
translate WBUR's 90.9 signal (actually there was speculation it would 
translate several signals) but it never actually happened.

BTW to everyone in Providence, how well does WUMD's new 89.3 signal come 
in around the Providence area?  I've heard it's supposed to be a good 
rimshot signal in there...
-- 

--------------------------
Aaron Read
readaaron@friedbagels.com
Boston, MA 02446-2204



Hi, all-

A translator CP was granted to Boston University for 91.5 in Newport.
Apparently, it was never built. The app was filed in 1999, granted in 
2000, and expired in 2003. Its current status at the FCC is Permit 
Cancelled, and it has been assigned a deleted-type call sign (DW218BO).

There is an active translator application by The WRNI Foundation for 
91.3 in Wakefield. It was filed in 1999, and is still listed as "Tendered."

A translator app filed in 1998 by Southern RI Public Radio Broadcasting 
for Coventry on 91.5 was dismissed, presumably because it would 
interfere with WCVY, also in Coventry, also on 91.5.

Another translator app filed in 1999 by Broadcasting for the Challenged 
for 91.5 in Coventry was also dismissed, presumably for the same reason.

So of all four of these translator apps on 91.3 and 91.5, not one is on 
the air.

-Dave Doherty
  Skywaves, Inc.
  97 Webster Street
  Worcester, MA 01603
  508-425-7176