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Whatever happened to Don Koss? Didn’t he own, then sell some Oregon radio stations? I think one or two of them may have been programmed to the Spanish language after he sold them.
Thanks to nwbroadcasters.com for their recent tip about the FCC rejecting Bustos Media’s applications for 101.1 MHz Auburn, Washington translator. Bustos was going to rebroadcast the now-silent KMIA 1210. A look into FCC files shows a two-year running battle of correspondence between Bustos and the opposition – – mainly a local group who initially relayed KGHO-LP into the South Sound on 101.1 /104.1 (but recently switched their feed to cross-service KGTK-AM Olympia, the same folks behind KBNP).
Now that Bustos was denied an FM cross-service translator there’s now even more reason to hand in the KMIA license.
Radio Ink interviews Amador Bustos of Bustos Media in Portland.
The audio content is here:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/10720837/amador-final-output
Spanish-language radio has been hit hard by Covid-19… Of course the interview failed to mention he shutdown (STA’d) two of his AM outlets as a business response to the pandemic.
“A look into FCC files shows a two-year running battle of correspondence between Bustos and the opposition – – mainly a local group who initially relayed KGHO-LP into the South Sound on 101.1 /104.1 (but recently switched their feed to cross-service KGTK-AM Olympia”
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AFAIK, the KGHO-LP signal continues on 101.1 and 104.1 despite what the FCC might have been told. By telling the feds they were rebroadcasting KGTK, they were able to goose up their power at Olympia’s Capitol Peak from 10 Watts to 250 Watts as a fill-in translator for the large coverage area of KGTK. Not that anybody has noticed, of course.
Besides taking 1130 and 1210 silent, Bustos Media also silenced KZXR AM 1310 in Prosser and its cross-service translator (K237GY) on April 23rd. The formal STA request was filed on April 30th. Both KZXR and KMIA were carrying “La Pantera” format.
Distell’s KWBY 940 in Woodburn is the only remaining “La Pantera” formatted station – lately transmitting a lot of dead air (and their Icecast is intermittent)
Hmmm.. KSND was running the more-popular “La GranD” format. (Oh yes, KZXR-FM 101.7 Prosser is still broadcasting – running La Zeta service)
KWBY Woodburn was not sending audio for several days last week. (It’s working now.) I tried calling both their Portland and Seattle offices to let them know but their published numbers went unanswered… If you speak Spanish I guess one could leave a message on their Zeta request line… I finally got through to an office assistant in their Milwaukee, Wisconsin branch..
I know the FCC forces the station owners to maintain a local or toll free telephone but I guess there”s no requirement to answer the phone
(Ya, I know Bustos doesn’t own KWBY but it’s their audio 24×7… think pseudo LMA).The fixed audio sounds more vivid but doubt they have turned on the 10 kilowatts…
Bustos Media has activated some city-specific websites to promote their outlets:
Seattle : laradiodeseattle.com
Portland : laradiodeportland.com
Milwaukee (WI) : laradiodemilwaukee.com
Chico (CA) : laradiodechico.comNo sign yet for Yakima or Tri-Cities.
“mainly a local group who initially relayed KGHO-LP into the South Sound on 101.1 /104.1 (but recently switched their feed to cross-service KGTK-AM Olympia, the same folks behind KBNP). “
They just want to keep KXL from reaching the Puget Sound. 🙂
Seriously, That translator starts tearing up KXL around MP 70.
The South-Sound audio chain in Tacoma was rough too.
BTW, my understanding is that the sat/internet/microwave -fed translator is not limited to signal source below 92 MHz in the non-comm section. The source station just has to be a non-profit and has designated the license as non-commercial. The big religious broadcasters pushed for that exemption. Given that, I would imagine this Puget Sound “independent” group can feed off the internet if pushed.
Of course, I am not sure if those same limitations hold for LPFM’s as the signal source.
“BTW, my understanding is that the sat/internet/microwave -fed translator is not limited to signal source below 92 MHz”
It’s not. A noncommercial educational FM translator, that is commonly owned with the primary station, may deliver the signal to the translator by any means, including satellite delivery if it’s a fill in translator.
However, in most cases these kinds of translators are not fill in and in many cases not owned by the primary being rebroadcast. In those cases the rules are clear:
Noncommercial educational non-fill-in translators operating on Channels 201 through 220 that are owned by the licensee of the primary noncommercial educational FM translator station may use alternate means to receive the primary FM station’s signal. Non-fill-in noncommercial educational translators on Channels 221 through 300 are prohibited from any alternative methods of signal delivery, including programming feeds by satellite. See 47 CFR Section 74.1231(b).
https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/fm-translators-and-boosters
Depending on the grant of a waiver is a risky investment. The legal costs can become astronomical when competitors step up and file petitions to deny.
“mainly a local group who initially relayed KGHO-LP into the South Sound on 101.1 /104.1 (but recently switched their feed to cross-service KGTK-AM Olympia, the same folks behind KBNP). “
They just want to keep KXL from reaching the Puget Sound. 🙂
Seriously, That translator starts tearing up KXL around MP 70.
—–FCC is apparemtly onto KGHO-LPs little game on 101.1 in Olympia. They have asked the licensee to state which station the translator actually rebroadcasts and at what power. If rebroadcasting KGHO-LP from Aberdeen, max translator power is 10 Watts as a non-fill in.
If broadcasting KGTK 920 om 101.1 as they claim, max power is 250 Watts as a fill in. At 2500′ from Capital Peak, that can make a very large difference in coverage area as well as interference to neighboring stations such as Bustos.
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