Pitt wants 16-watt signal treated as Class A
March 25, 2014Tom Taylor, basing his report on one done last week by Patrick Cloonan, says the University of Pittsburgh feels that WPTS (92.1 Pittsburgh) should be treated as a Class A FM. The station – which operates at 16 watts from 463 feet – operates as a Class D. The arguement arises as Tri-Borough Communications holds a construction permit for a low-power FM at 92.3 in North Versailles. Tri-Borough argues “WPTS is a non-protected Class D 16-watt station that is not listenable in the North Versailles area.”
The University of Pgh should be thankful that they have a license to operate at all. Back in the 73 ara The University of Pgh or someone at the university operated a illegal am station with the calls of WPGH..the university was never caught. As for College Radio as a whole , it should be reverted back to carrier current and service the campus it supposed to.i will happen one day soon because of the shortage of frequencies available. AM stations are looking for translators to service their licensed area.the FCC is trying to undo a wrong that they mandated back in the late 60\’s the non simulcast rule where a AM station couldnot duplicate programming on a Fm channel.Now that law has just been killed and Am stations are now allowed to operate with a fm translatior. The problem is now instead of A Am with an Fm with a full power Am is now operating with a Fm translator with flea power..
Wow – IMHO this institution of higher learning seems to be wanting a kind of a double standard.
While they’re complaining that this new LPFM would cause interference to their radio station and want to be thought of as a class-A facility – I guess it’s not supposed to work the other way around.
From Pat Cloonan’s article – “‘(Tri-Borough) protects WPTS with a distance separation of only 13.472 kilometers (8.37 miles) when a separation of 56 kilometers (34.8 miles) is required,’ Tepper wrote. ”
Ok Mr. Big Shot attorney – if that’s the case and WPTS wants to be treated like a class A station – shouldn’t WPTS then be forced to abide by the minimum co-channel separation (115 km Class A to Class A) the FCC requires to protect WKPL in Ellwood City (center of city) which is only 53.581 km away from Pitt’s COL way WAY under the minimum spacing of two class A co-channel stations???? That’s not counting WKPL’s new transmitter location in North Sewickley Twp., which is even closer.
I hope the FCC laugh’s at Pitt’s proposal.