LKCM Country “95.9 the Ranch” KFWR Jacksboro/Fort Worth, TX has been issued a Order to Show Cause to show why it should not be relicensed with a directional antenna.
Lake Country Radio’s 95.9 KCKL Malakoff, TX alleged to the commission that KFWR’s new facility that was licensed on 2/21/13 is putting more power towards KCKL’s protected contour via use of a directional antenna. KFWR is currently licensed with a 100kW effective radiated power at 425 meters above average terrain (Coverage Map). Lake alleges that KFWR’s use of a side-mounted antenna is causing KFWR to send more than double the licensed power in certain directions. A diagram produced by the antenna manufacturer shows KFWR sending 274.56 kW toward the 105 degree azimuth creating interference in KCKL’s protected contour (Coverage Map). The increased power direction just happens to be in the path of Fort Worth and other parts of the Dallas market.
The FCC order specifies that KFWR has until April 22, 2015 to show cause as to why its current antenna structure should not be defined as directional with a power output drop from 25.0 kW to 9.1 kW to limit the radiation to 100kW in any direction. The whole order may be read here.
Why doesn’t the FCC just measure the field strength at various distances and headings from the antenna?
In NOUO’s for FM pirates (or the occasional part 15 transmitter operating out of spec), there is a narrative of an agent using direction finding to find a transmitter, then getting a field strength reading that can have 6 significant figures.
If the FCC can be that accurate policing pirates, why not just send a field agent to KFWR and get the field strength from multiple directions from the tower at multiple distances from the tower. If the signal is as directional as claimed even with terrain variations there should be an obvious bump in the field strengths.