Station Moves
Cumulus’ 590 WARM Scranton, PA has been off the air more often than on since 2009 due to a bevy of transmitter and tower issues. In order to get the station back on the air permanently, Cumulus has applied to decrease power on the station from 5kW around the clock to 1.8kW daytime and 430 watts at night. The move will see two of the station’s five towers dismantled.
Joel Kinlow’s Gospel 1560 WGLB Elm Grove/Milwaukee, WI seeks to increase daytime power from 190 watts to 2.5kw and 700 watts critical hours. To do so Silent sister 1550 WZRK Lake Geneva will either relocate or turn in their license. Kinlow purchased WZRK for $100,000 earlier this year.
Fairleigh Dickinson University’s 89.1 WFDU Teaneck, NJ is notable for two reasons. It broadcasts from the tower in Alpine, NJ where Edwin Armstrong made the first FM broadcast and is one of the few time-shares (with WNYU New York) still ongoing. WFDU, which operates from 1am to 4pm weekdays and 24 hours each on Saturday and Sunday seeks to increase from a Class A to B1 with 3kW at 191 meters (Coverage Map).
After its previous application was dismissed, Vineyard Public Radio’s 90.1 WQCD North Salem, NY/Danbury, CT proposes new facilities with 130 watts at 41 meters (Coverage Map).
Radio Training Network’s “His Radio” 88.3 WMBJ Murrells Inlet/Myrtle Beach, SC applies to increase from a Class A to C3 with 6.4kw at 64.1 meters (Coverage Map).
WRVM Inc.’s 88.5 WPVM Sturgeon Bay, WI applies to downgrade from a C1 with 50kW to a C2 with 15kW from the same 158 meter antenna (Coverage Map). The move is due to the station’s purchase not including the 40+ year old transmitter that had been in use.
In Northern Georgia, Tri-State Communications’ 101.1 WLJA-FM Ellijay proposes moving to a new tower site with an increase in power and antenna height to 21kW at 110 meters (Coverage Map). From the new location, the station will rimshot the extreme northern suburbs of Atlanta.
Cochise Broadcasting is seeking a new tower site for three of its stations in Show Low, AZ. Not yet on air 97.7 KXMQ McNary will operate with 4.1kW at 275 meters. 103.5 KXBK Taylor will operate with 1.25kW at 275 meters. 104.5 KZXQ Reserve, NM, which holds a CP to relocate to Lake of the Woods, AZ will operate with 820 watts at 275 meters.
Translator Moves
After being displaced from 100.3 by the sign-on of WLML-FM Lake Park/West Palm Beach in February, Reach Communications has struggled to find a new frequency for W262AN Tamarac/Hollywood, FL. It first seeked a move 101.1, which would have interfered with potential LPFM’s. Then a move to 91.7 has been objected by Call Communication’s 91.9 WMKL Hammocks. Now Reach seeks to use 105.5 with 79 watts at 278 meters (Coverage Map) rebroadcasting 94.9 WMGE-HD3 Miami Beach. Prior to going silent on 100.3, the translator had rebroadcast iHeartMedia News/Talk 610 WIOD Miami.
Eastern Airwaves pending acquisition 93.3 W227CU Cary, NC applies to shift to 93.5 with an increase to 250 watts at 102 meters rebroadcasting 94.7 WQDR Raleigh (Coverage Map).
New Hampshire Gospel Radio’s 96.9 W245AF Ashland, NH seeks to move to Plymouth with an increase to 10 watts at 165 meters (Coverage Map).
Light of Life Ministries’ 94.5 W233BE Richmond Center, ME applies to move to 94.3 in Augusta with 250 watts at -4 meters continuing to rebroadcast 1340 WMDR Augusta (Coverage Map).
Northwest Indy Radio’s 102.1 K271CG Olympia, WA applies to increase to 250 watts at 280 meters rebroadcasting News/Talk 1030 KMAS Shelton (Coverage Map).
Following last week’s sale to St. JPII Educational Media, 100.7 K264BJ Calexico, CA applies to relocate its CP to 101.1 with 50 watts at 56 meters rebroadcasting Spanish Christian 91.9 KYRM Yuma, AZ (Coverage Map).
Call Letter Changes
93.5 KKTZ Lakeview, AR -> KOMT
98.5 WDEO-FM San Carlos Park, FL -> WLVO
103.9 KVMI Arthur, ND -> KZTK
106.3 WFME Mount Kisco, NY -> WFME-FM
107.5 KOMT Mountain Home, AR -> KKTZ
Bongwater 
airplane777 
limegrass69 
As far as WARM is concerned, the smartest move is the simplest – replace the transmitter and towers. Yeah, it’s going to nibble into those big bonuses for the board of directors (can’t have that now, can we?) But it would just seem less costly and problematic in the long run
Or is it like Cumulus is SOOOO broke, they just can’t afford it?
Yeah, right……
or better yet, transfer the license to someone else.. I bet there are several that would give everything for the opportunity to own / operate a radio station.
Or even better yet…just shut it down and turn in the license.
Why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to rebuild an obsolete facility that has very little to no income potential? If the station has limited viability, it has limited viability. It does not matter who the owner is. To be honest, I think WARM would have been gone a long time ago if not for the “deep pockets of the big bad corporate parent.”
This is a business, not a charity. My guess is that Cumulus will get it back on the air with whatever reduced facilities it can build for the lowest possible cost and then unload it.