Synergy Musical Chairs

[ftballfan]

Synergy update as of 7/2:

92.7 - News/Talk "News 97 and 98"
94.1 - Classic Rock "K-Rock"
94.9 - Country "Big Dog Country"
106.3 - Oldies "Super Hits KLA"
All of the above at or near their licensed power.

96.3, 97.7, and 98.7 all off. Did not check 1450

[cckadlec]

Synergy update as of 7/2:

92.7 - News/Talk "News 97 and 98"
94.1 - Classic Rock "K-Rock"
94.9 - Country "Big Dog Country"
106.3 - Oldies "Super Hits KLA"
All of the above at or near their licensed power.

96.3, 97.7, and 98.7 all off. Did not check 1450

Note that 94.1 K-Rock has been dead air quite extensively over the past week. By that, I mean for hours on end. 94.9 was very strong here in Fremont when they first came back on at full-power (like, first time in many years at full power), but then I hadn't heard a peep from it in many days at all, though I had confirmation it was on supposedly at full power as heard in Ludington (hard to tell when you're in the COL though). Then last night, it was back really strong suddenly. It always was heavily affected by conditions though. With last night's big tropo opening, the dial was all Dayton, Cincy, Columbus, Indy, and WV/KY/VA, so I could see how it could get buried. But not even a peep from it at all. I was kinda hoping it bit the dust again. But alas... there it was again.

Was 98.7 really totally off? Or was it just in its usual pattern of on/off/on/off every 15-30 secs. or so? God, I hope the thing finally has gone off for good. A whole year of that crap is enough. Nobody is listening to it because... why? Same stuff on 92.7 but without losing the signal entirely every 30 seconds.

On the up side, at least they are trying with some minimal success along the way.

[MWmetalhead]

If 92.7 is originating its own programming, it is violating the law.

[organman95]

If 92.7 is originating its own programming, it is violating the law.

How?

[MWmetalhead]

If 92.7 is originating its own programming, it is violating the law.

How?

Translators by law are prohibited from originating their own programming. Sounds like that may be what's happening here.

The exception to the above rule is an FM translator for a daytime-only AM station, in which instance the FM translator is permitted to originate programming during periods where the AM station is required by law to be off the air.

92.7 is required to rebroadcast AM 1450, which is a 24/7 AM station. Therefore, there is no instance where 92.7 airing its own programming would be permissible.

[organman95]

If 92.7 is originating its own programming, it is violating the law.

How?

Translators by law are prohibited from originating their own programming. Sounds like that may be what's happening here.

The exception to the above rule is an FM translator for a daytime-only AM station, in which instance the FM translator is permitted to originate programming during periods where the AM station is required by law to be off the air.

92.7 is required to rebroadcast AM 1450, which is a 24/7 AM station. Therefore, there is no instance where 92.7 airing its own programming would be permissible.

Thanks. I forgot 92.7 translates AM 1450.

[ftballfan]

If 92.7 is originating its own programming, it is violating the law.

How?

Translators by law are prohibited from originating their own programming. Sounds like that may be what's happening here.

The exception to the above rule is an FM translator for a daytime-only AM station, in which instance the FM translator is permitted to originate programming during periods where the AM station is required by law to be off the air.

92.7 is required to rebroadcast AM 1450, which is a 24/7 AM station. Therefore, there is no instance where 92.7 airing its own programming would be permissible.

Thanks. I forgot 92.7 translates AM 1450.

Which makes no sense as 92.7 and 106.3 broadcast from the same tower. Having 1450 AM on both 92.7 and 106.3 would only make sense if one of the two translators moved up toward Manistee or down toward Hart/Shelby.

98.7 appeared to be fully off.

[hunterw]

Just tuned to 92.7 and it was toh news report and then went silent.
106.3 is broadcasting super hits (1450).
Everything else is the same old nothingness other then 94.1 and 94.9.

[cckadlec]

Just tuned to 92.7 and it was toh news report and then went silent.
106.3 is broadcasting super hits (1450).
Everything else is the same old nothingness other then 94.1 and 94.9.

92.7 (and 97.7 and 98.7) are notorious for running dead air, specifically on weekends, mainly Sunday if I recall correctly from my own observations. I think they just don't have enough money to buy certain programming blocks, or whatever other behind-the-scenes things happen with that. But they are known to run a number of hours in a row of dead air. So that would be the norm and not related to any of the other issues we've been discussing.

A friend notified me that 106.3 was fading in and out within the Ludington city limits today, for unknown reasons. I'm not sure if this is a transmitter issue or something else. It wouldn't be a surprise, and is unlikely to be a propagation issue given the close proximity. But I'd be excited to find out what the cause is if it ever happens again.

The absence of 98.7 has been great regarding last week's four-day tropo opening to MN and the Dakotas. KISD was in like a local for hours on end in Ludington (and here at home in Fremont). Nice to have that local TOTALLY off the air for once instead of on/off/on/off 24/7.

[cckadlec]

Welp, 98.7 came back on the air a few days ago.

What? You were thinking it would be like 94.9 coming back on the air and for the first time in years being back at full power? Nope!

98.7 came right back on with the same exact transmitter problem, but this time even worse! It runs in cycles of 15 or 30 seconds. The timing doesn't seem to be exact every time, but recording it, I'd note that there would always be a change in the signal at a :15, :30, or :45 or so as I recorded a few minutes of it. It will come on the air for about 15 seconds and then go totally off. In between those on/off transitions, it'll go to half power or so. So you'll have a signal at 45dBu or so, it'll suddenly drop to 20dBu and get staticy, then off the air entirely. Then after maybe 30 seconds or so (give or take), it'll ramp up in the same way. It's literally unlistenable. As usual, Great 98 and Milwaukee can be heard in the meantime. But since WLDN keeps coming on and off, those are also unlistenable for the most part.

Like... why? Why even bother wasting your electricity unless there is some kind of FCC rule you're trying not to violate? The bar is set awfully low on that one already.

In other news: 94.9 is still on the air at its full licensed power. 96.3 KLA is still off. 97.7 is off. 92.7 is still running //98.7. 106.3 is running its correct oldies format as it has been for a while now.

[MegaHertz]

Welp, 98.7 came back on the air a few days ago.

What? You were thinking it would be like 94.9 coming back on the air and for the first time in years being back at full power? Nope!

98.7 came right back on with the same exact transmitter problem, but this time even worse! It runs in cycles of 15 or 30 seconds. The timing doesn't seem to be exact every time, but recording it, I'd note that there would always be a change in the signal at a :15, :30, or :45 or so as I recorded a few minutes of it. It will come on the air for about 15 seconds and then go totally off. In between those on/off transitions, it'll go to half power or so. So you'll have a signal at 45dBu or so, it'll suddenly drop to 20dBu and get staticy, then off the air entirely. Then after maybe 30 seconds or so (give or take), it'll ramp up in the same way. It's literally unlistenable. As usual, Great 98 and Milwaukee can be heard in the meantime. But since WLDN keeps coming on and off, those are also unlistenable for the most part.

Like... why? Why even bother wasting your electricity unless there is some kind of FCC rule you're trying not to violate? The bar is set awfully low on that one already.

In other news: 94.9 is still on the air at its full licensed power. 96.3 KLA is still off. 97.7 is off. 92.7 is still running //98.7. 106.3 is running its correct oldies format as it has been for a while now.

I'd be interested in hearing that recording if at all possible.

[MWmetalhead]

Far too many radio stations trying to serve Ludington & Manistee.

96.3, 97.7 and 98.7 should just turn in their licenses.

The FCC allotted too many FM channels.

94.1, 94.9, 99.9, 101.5, 102.7 and whatever FM translator 1450 wishes to use are more than enough local signals for the region. On top of that, you have multiple non-commercial FMs, adjacent market FM signals (WTCM-FM most notably), and multiple Wisconsin signals listenable in the region.

Door County, WI has received multiple new FM signals in the past couple decades, and most of those stations are receivable in Ludington and Manistee at least some of the time.

[hunterw]

Can’t recieve 94.1 in manistee over the last few days. Not sure if it’s off air or just lower power.

[cckadlec]

Can’t recieve 94.1 in manistee over the last few days. Not sure if it’s off air or just lower power.

K-Rock turned off around noon on Tuesday and has not come back on the air. I was out listening to the radio in Ludington at the time, so I noticed them off around noon or 1pm when they had just previously been on late that morning. The dial was all JJO and WGFA and I couldn't find K-Rock in their null, til I figured they were just not there anymore.

They are technically on the air but at very low power. They are audible between New Era and Hesperia but quite weak (not listenable at all). That stretch of road is 7-10 miles out from their tower, which means they probably have a listenable coverage of a few miles, largely in the middle of nowhere. I would estimate around 25 watts at best. They did the same thing in winter 2024-25, essentially off the air (i.e., on the air but not in any listenable fashion) for an extended period of time at a similar power where I could hear them just atop high hills in Fremont and little else. At this point, they can't overcome Duke FM in their own coverage area.

This low power /on and off the air thing happened earlier this year too, so we'll have to wait and see how long it lasts this time. At this point, Synergy is down to a 160-watt translator and a 250-watt translator with all 4 full powers off/unlistenable. Ouch.

An update on 98.7 for anyone reading: they were only on the air a few days from my last report before going back off. I'll share a recording of that as soon as I sift through some audio.