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I would be surprised if powerlines run up to Prairie Peak. It’s an expensive proposition – even with a cost-sharing mode among the different station owners.
One hint to identifying generator-only broadcast sites is the usually large number of antenna elements , e.g 8, 10, or even 12-bay with a beam-tilt … less transmitter output power needed to produce the same ERP. Less xmtr output power equates to petrol savings and/or a smaller solar plant
I’m sure power lines are underground along with other infrastructure. Look at these two pieces of information from Silke Communications. They own the tower and etc hosting KDUK/KFLY/KEZI.
https://www.silkecom.com/Downloads/TowerSheets/Prairie_East_Communications_Sheet.pdf
https://www.silkecom.com/Downloads/TowerSheets/Prairie_West_Communications_Sheet.pdf
KOCF-LP, Veneta just concluded a successful test transmission from Bolton Hill. A few more puzzle pieces need to go in before it’s permanent though, including loading a new computer, and of course some promotional Fanfaire. Official upgrade date TBD.
Today I was travelling through Eugene up I5, listening to KOCF on my Sangean HDR-16. It briefly got above the stereo threshold on two occasions. It’s easy to tell on this radio, whether or not there is stereo programming. The threshold is quite high, basically the HD threshold. It doesn’t approach that level at my location near Sheldon Plaza, but is much better than it was.
KRVM just posted their annual public audit for their FY ended June 30th 2020.
Highlights: In spite of the pandemic and all the related uncertainty, the station’s net position improved by $156K. Assets exceed liabilities by $576K, up from $419K in 2019. CPB granted them an additional $112K for COVID relief. Removing that bonus CPB grant from the equation, the station’s net assets still increased. Individual memberships and donations were up by 13%.
https://krvm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/KRVM-91.9-1280-KRVM-AM-Financial-Statements-2020.pdf
I can get KOCF in the car reasonably well on the east side near Franklin & Walnut now. It’s a little iffy in the lower Laurel Hill Valley but that’s true for a lot of stations.
Unfortunately there was a high-frequency background noise in the signal that kind of came and went. I’d estimate it was around 5KHz (just a guess). The audio sounded very “bright” too. FM pre-emphasis?
I hate to be that guy.
But it’s definitely coming in better on the east side now.
If you look at the Longley-Rice mapping for KEZI on RabbitEars.com, it looks like there is a decent chunk of Salem where you could probably pick up KEZI with a rooftop antenna, along with some areas of the southern PDX metro. Another oddity that I noticed goofing around with that map is that the new transmitter location gives KEZI decent reach (again, with a rooftop antenna) into much of Newport. The rest of the Eugene signals, generally speaking, do not reach Newport.
Since KEZI broadcast from the same transmitter site as KDUK and KFLY. Can you pick up KEZI in the Portland area with a long outdoor VHF antenna?
KRVM listeners pay attention. There’s some kinda shit going on there. A couple volunteer DJs didn’t get their way on a diversity programming issue, so they took their complaints to the entire staff in an attempt to undermine management.
In over 50 years, anyplace I’ve ever worked, that tactic would result in my immediate termination. And that’s what happened at KRVM. There may be more.
Terrible strategy to effect change.
“How many volunteers get terminated?”
AFAIK Only the instigator, who hosted several shows. I gather the beef had two points: 1) That a particular “diversity” show wasn’t running in primetime and the station declined to move it; and 2) As a result of that, the entire staff was contacted to call out management, and to implore everyone to make more of an effort to play culturally diverse material. By that I guess they mean for example that Miles of Bluegrass should be playing more bluegrass by non-white females, or something.
If it’s true that Mike Meyer is gone, so are my donations. He’s helped keep that station on the air during the pandemic. Sounds like Stu Allen might have a problem brewing.
“If it’s true that Mike Meyer is gone, so are my donations. He’s helped keep that station on the air during the pandemic.”
As have many others. The point is you don’t go behind management’s back when you don’t get exactly what you want right now and try to sow discord among other DJs when you don’t. That’s totally unfair and unprofessional.
In the past year, they’ve dealt with a pandemic that prohibited all volunteer DJs from doing their shows live. Then the GM abruptly quit. Stu was promoted and they hired a new PD. Meanwhile students can’t come in to do the student broadcasting part. Made-at-home “shows” are submitted in no condition to air and need a huge amount of time to get them cleaned up and airworthy.
And now in the middle of all this, Mr. Meyer demands that his pet show be moved to primetime and that they open a discussion among everyone regarding diversity of programming (I guess it would be a big zoom meeting).
That’s my understanding of how it went down.
Mr. Meyer’s timing and methods were very poor, given everything else the station is dealing with. His complaints, even if they have merit, could have waited.
You know, they could put all the niche programming on HD2. It’s already in place and solid but nobody knows it’s there. They’d need to start streaming it and do some promotion. Solicit new members, participate in the fund raisers. Not that hard. Shouldn’t affect the primary programming at all. Their HD2 probably has about 5 actual listeners to the current “Modern Music” format, which isn’t streamed.
HD2 = Instant Diversity Extension without dorking up the station’s primary programming.
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