15th Edition By Bruce F Elving 92 96 100 104 106 108 A guide for travelers, hi-fi listeners, media people and hobbyists www.americanradiohistory.com www.americanradiohistory.com FM Atlas FIFTEENTH EDITION By Bruce F. Elving, Ph.D CONTENTS: FMusings .. 2 Key to Symbols 8 FMaps (FM Atlas) 9 Station Directory, Part I (FM Stations by geography) 112 FM Translators [and Boosters] 149 Station Directory, Part II (by frequency) 158 Sixteenth Edition Notify Coupon 208 Copyright © Bruce F. Elving, 1993 International Standard Book Number: 0-917170-11-3 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 93-073543 FM Atlas Publishing Box 336 Esko MN 55733-0336, U. S. A. Historic Address: Adolph MN 55701-0024, U. S. P. www.americanradiohistory.com FMusings Duopolies Continue to Threaten FM Diversity New rules of the Federal Communications Commission are now in place, solidly legitimizing radio duopolies. Duopolies are common ownerships of two or more FM stations in the same city or market. They started on Long Island, with WWHB 107.1 Hampton Bays NY rebroadcasting almost all the programming of WNEW-FM 102.7 New York-in what the industry now called an "LMA," Local Marketing Agreement. A station which may not be doing well financially turns to another to either program it, represent it in advertising sales, or a combination of the two. Once frowned upon by a more paternalistic FCC, many LMAs have grown into full-fledged duopolies, where ownerships of two or more stations are integrated. This results in economies of scale to the licensee, but reduced employment opportunities for announcers, engineers and sales reps. Duopolies and LMAs have flourished in an environment having too many commercial stations. In mid -1993, fully 60 percent of all radio stations were said to be unprofitable. Most months my FMedia! newsletter has mentioned new stations entering into duopolies or LMAs. For example, KRXY-FM 107.5 and AM Lakewood - Denver was bought for $7 million by Jefferson Pilot Communications, owners of KYGO-FM 98.5 and AM. One reason radio stations are turning to one another for relief is the lack of bank financing. Jim Duncan, in his newsletter, mentioned that getting loans for radio station acquisitions continues to be difficult. And he does not see any great technical changes happening within the next decade, despite talk of digital audio broadcasting. "I am not sure there will be much consumer demand for DAB anyway," he said. All stations having a lease agreement must retain "control" over programming, maintain an office and studio in the city of license, keep a public records file of the problems and issues of the community, and have a minimum staff. This "control" includes being able to provide some original programs and/or rejecting programs offered by the leasing station. Often leased stations will continue to offer weekend religious programs or sports to fulfill contracts, or they'll break away with their own commercials. Last year, I mentioned the physical move -in and reallocation of stations from a small city to a larger market. WHMA-FM 100.5 Anniston AL tried but failed to persuade the FCC to allow it to move to a suburb outside Atlanta. A few modest move -ins did occur, or are about to occur, such as KCLE-FM 92.1 Hamilton TX, moving to Glen Rose, and upgrading. This will give it a better signal in or near Fort Worth. FM Listening Holds at High Levels-But Industry Revenues Stagnate The dramatic growth in FM listening appears to have leveled off, with FM maintaining its 77 percent share of the audience of persons 12 years and older, according to RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research). With new stations coming on the air, but at a slower rate of increase than was true before publication of the last "FM Atlas," station revenues have not kept pace, prompting LMAs, duopolies, or just plain stalling. On the map pages you'll see occasional stations marked "off the air." These are either stations which have been off for over a year, or with longstanding construction permits that have not built. Some of those stations are in Canada, with the Canadian Brodcasting Corporation fairly strapped for funds and not able to activate all the stations for which it had approval. CJBC-FM, a new French stereo station, did come on the air; and you'll hear it on 90.3 in the Toronto -Buffalo area. 2 www.americanradiohistory.com Beware of Supporting Public Stations Broadcasting Between 92-108 milz: They Might Go Commercial! Most noncommercial, educational, educational FM stations in the U.S. are found between 88 to 92 megaHertz, but a few are in the part of the band where all the commercial stations reside: 92-108 mz. The licensees of those few face a temptation their brethren between 88-92 don't have: the opportunity to sell the station to commercial interests, since even a noncommercial station that has never sold ads has a certain "stick value" to a would-be owner. A prominent educational station going commercial is WAJC 104.5 Indianapolis. It sold for $7 million, creating a duopoly with WFMS 95.5, and becoming "The Bear,"!?1GRL, with a country format. WCTS 100.3 Minneapolis was silent for a few months until the new owners could get studios ready and a new format for its replacement, "!BOB -FM. WBOB-FM is a country station co -owned with KQQL 107.9 Anoka -Minneapolis-St. Paul, which replaced the noncommercial, religious WCTS. WCTS received $10 million in the sale, and in turn boughtWMlN (AM) Maplewood MN for a little over $1 million, but losing its FM stereo status. WBOB-FM's call letters are interesting. There is a WBOB AM Galax VA, and I found out that the Minneapolis WBOB-FM paid the VA broadcaster to use those call letters, but was unable to ascertain for how much. Said a subscriber about the Indy deal: "Indianapolis got 'ripped off' with this sale and conversion of channel to commercial. FCC should never have allowed it without some quid pro quo. Indianapolis now has no full power educational station, and coverage of those remaining is not what it could be. Also, city is now one of most poorly served by educational broadcasting in nation for its size. TV6 is also deserving of criticism for its militancy in preventing full development of lower part of band. This is why 104.5 was important channel as noncommercial. Butler [University] did generally poor job with WAJC, so am FM RADIO AT ITS FINEST THE CLASSICAL SOUND OF I'HF MI DDLF W F_ST 1,111IATIACOL S. INOiANA .10207 1,111 strict r AT CI. Att,11ION north# . wnLNU r 1.1217 not surprised theydisposed of it. Student announcers were obviously disinterested in the programming and were very sloppy describing what was being played." WAJC's outreach was better than WFYI-FM *90.1 and WICK 88.7 for such programs as National Public Radio's All Things Considered. WAJC wrote me ín 1965 and said, "Our station started broadcasting in the fall of 1950 with a power of about 820 watts. We are an educational station on a commercial band but do not carry commercials. It is supported by the school. There is no paid staff. Students from the Radio and Television Department keep the station functioning. For their effort those in responsible positions receive part of their tuition." If you are a supporter of public radio, bear in mind that if you donate to an FM station broadcasting within the 92 to 108 mz part of the dial, there is a very real threat that the station you presently enjoy and support could turn commercial', With FM properties being as valuable as they are, I dare say virtually every noncommercial station, whether CPB-qualified (public), community, student or religious, faces the danger of being sold-so think twice before 3 www.americanradiohistory.com donating to such stations! WAJC operated on a channel designated by the FCC as commercial, which is true of almost all other 92-108 mz public outlets. We read in the last edition how WLOL-FM 99.5 Minneapolis fetched $12 million from Minnesota Public Radio and became *KSJN, so trades happen in the other direction as well. Another formerly commercial station is WLTO 103.9 Harbor Springs MI. It has been gobbled up by Central Michigan University, and is now known as *WCMW, with eight or nine employees let go. KMHT-FM 103.9 and AMarshall TX did not build; instead, it is being donated to Wiley College, owners of KBWC *91.1. No word as to whether Wiley will run both FM stations, or drop the lower powered KBWC in favor of KMHT-FM. It could, if it wished, run KBWC noncommercially and operate KMHT-FM as a commercial station. Buena Vista College in Storm Lake IA ran commercial station KIDA 92.9 Ida Grove, but has since sold it. Unusual FM Station Sales Made, Not Made, Or Proposed Group owner Infinity Broadcasting has paid, subject to FCC approval, $110 million for KRTH 101.1 Los Angeles, from Beasley Broadcasting. Infinity already is licensee of KROQ-FM 106.7 Pasadena -Los Angeles. This eclipses the previous high price for a standalone FM, the S40 million paid for °(XEZ 100.3 Los Angeles by Viacom, which already ownec' ":YS j 23.7 there. Los !'-.ngeies, note(: for its lon^ commutes and `lours spent listening to car radios, is a natural setting for record high prices spent for FM station ownerships. Buying KRTH for $110 million was a "good investment," said Raymond Katz, senior vice °resident at Lehr-an Brothers.