sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

July 21, 2017 1:49 pm  #1


Coming U.S. TV Changes Will Affect Some FMs In Buffalo & Rochester

A couple of months ago, there was a big splash made over what’s called the great TV “unpack” in the U.S. The bottom line: the FCC announced there were millions of dollars to be made by any American television station that was willing to give up its current OTA frequency and switch to another one. The unused space would then be sold off to cell phone and data companies.
  
But what happens to the hundreds of FM stations that piggyback their signals off of TV towers affected by the change? It appears some of them – including Buffalo’s WTSS-FM, aka Star 102.5 - will have to make other arrangements.
 
WTSS is one of the area’s most powerful signals, currently booming into Toronto at 110,000 watts. Many here will remember it as the old automated WBEN-FM, Rock 102, in the 70s. But it shares the tower with Channel 4’s WIVB, which will be shutting down that stick sometime in 2018, and moving to the one used by co-owned WNLO, Channel 23.
 
So what happens to Star 102.5? That’s a question facing a number of Rochester and Buffalo FM outlets, which will either have to find new homes for their antennas or temporarily reduce their signal strengths. And that could alter reception here.
 
According to an article in Radio World, some 600 stations across the U.S. will be affected by the changes, although thousands of others will be untouched. It’s especially going to hit some famous call letters in New York City hard, with FM outlets like WCBS, WPLJ, WHTZ, WQXR, WNYC and WKTU among those facing the change.
 
There’s still no word of what will happen to them all or when, and how long it will be before everything gets back to normal with the shift.
 
There are two long lists that show all those affected, with TV stations moving here and those abandoning their sticks altogether here.
 
It turns out there are changes ahead not only for many television outlets in the States but some of the radio stations that symbiotically depend on them for their transmitters. Something else to watch - and listen for - next year.

 

July 25, 2017 12:38 pm  #2


Re: Coming U.S. TV Changes Will Affect Some FMs In Buffalo & Rochester

One of 2 things could happen.   WIVB could simply remain owner, collecting the rent check from the other tenants remaining, OR sell the tower to the radio stations using their old stick.   WIVB likely found it cheaper to move both to the same site and do the upgrades together vs paying 2 different crews/site upgrade bills etc. 

If the tower is still in good shape, and in a good state of repair, then it should be an option I would think, especially for heritage stations that will never get approved for the same power after they move.    

 

July 25, 2017 1:29 pm  #3


Re: Coming U.S. TV Changes Will Affect Some FMs In Buffalo & Rochester

There may be some help coming if a Washington logjam can be broken.

Bill Would Give Radio Stations Some Repack Relief

     Thread Starter