More FM station changes
Don Day | May 10, 2008Idaho’s FM shuffle continues – with two pending frequency moves in the Treasure & Magic Valleys.
GAP Broadcasting has asked to change KLLP/Star 98.5’s city of license from Chubbuck to Filer – and boost from a C2 to a 100kw C1. The station would stay on 98.5 FM.
The company (which owns the former Clear Channel stations in Poky/IF and Twin Falls) is asking to move KSNQ/98.3 The Snake to 100.1 FM.
Then if the FCC approves the move of KLLP to the Twin Falls market, that will allow GAP to acquire another Idaho Falls and/or Poctello station in order to return to the 4 allowed FMs. Who might that be?
Paul Anderson has 2 FMs, Pacific Empire has 3. GAP could negotiate a deal to bring a partner in to purchase and then separate either of those 2 owners. If think Sand Hill could own another if it didn’t overlap their new Aberdeen 99.5 or their Idaho Falls 99.1. Sand Hill’s other 2 FMs are scheduled to go up on Taylor Mountain and will be full market signals while the two 99s will remain in place. So if GAP is going to get another full market signal, where’s it going to come from??
Another round of bogus allotments to communities “without local service” (600 people need a radio station?) and bumping exsisting stations to new frequencies will probably occur.
KSNQ’s current signal at 98.3, though weak, is receivable in the Mountain home area. In fact I can even hear it a little on my car radio in Southwest Boise. I would imagine that moving KSNQ to 100.1 would likely reduce it’s coverage west of Bliss, because it would be first adjacent to both KQXR and EMF’s Air1 translator at 99.9 on deer point. Also, it would most definitely degrade KQXR’s already marginal signal East of the Stage Stop.
It sounds like all of this “frequency bumping” could kind of be a mess.
Speaking of… does anyone know if the frequency shuffle proposed for the Boise market (that would move KQFC to 102.7 and KSAS to 103.5 etc.) is still in the works?
In response to Peabody’s question about whether the frequency shuffle affecting the Boise market is still in the works, the answer is the proposed rulemaking is still “pending” with the FCC. The docket number is 06-72.
College Creek did file an amendment late last month to the proposal which corrected some agreements with stations that would be affected included Locally Owned Radio’s KTPZ here in the Magic Valley.
No one seems to be able to predict when the FCC will take action but the guess is sometime this summer.