WFAD

[Dale H. Cook]

At 10:51 AM 12/9/2016, Bob Bittner wrote:

>WFAD (1490 Middlebury) is a 1 kW fulltimer that's been silent for quite awhile. I just noticed a 12/2/16 granting of an FM translator, W266CU-FM (101.1 Middlebury) 250 watts. It would be nice to get the local signal back again. We live about 10 miles SE so it looks like we'll get a decent signal. The question is, what will Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc. do with the signals?

They are not allowed to do anything with the translator until the primary station (specified as WFAD by the Commission) goes back on the air, as the AM being translated must operate for at least part of every day for the translator to be legal. WFAD's silent STA has expired, but even if it were still in effect that does not give them permission to operate the translator in violation

>They've recently put WCAT 1390 Burlington) dark but are still operating its FM translator,  W252CJ (98.3 Burlington) under a jockless oldies format.

That is also a violation. WCAT got a reduced power STA 26 months ago, but it expired 8 months ago. There is no silent STA showing on the FCC site. Even if there were a silent STA they could not operate the translator until the primary was back on.

If anyone had an axe to grind with Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc. they could blow the whistle now on the Burlington translator, and if the Middlebury translator fires up without the AM having operated in the previous 24 hours they could blow the whistle on that one.

Dale H. Cook, Radio Contract Engineer, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
http://plymouthcolony.net/starcityeng/index.html