Will Cumulus be Selling Any GR Stations?

[tc]

I totally disagree with the post that said Cumulus would be stupid to sell any G.R. stations.

It was sarcasm.

[cckadlec]

Strong inversions can cause this. There have been these a bit more often lately with a prevailing east wind over the lake, creating upwelling of colder waters (and cooling the air in lower levels), and warmer than normal air flowing over the top. This can enhance signal conductivity for anything west of the lake, to where they can boom in like locals and create problems as far back as Grand Rapids...

Ehhh... I can't entirely argue against your explanation too much here as "strong inversions can cause this" is certainly accurate," but some of the other details aren't entirely accurate percentage-wise when it comes to inversions over the water.

The strongest and most persistent inversions over the Great Lakes originate from the lake breeze in the spring and summer from approx. May 15 to October 15 (strongest from the NW into West Michigan from May 15 to June 15, lake-wide through the peak of the summer months, and then strongest again from the NW from Sept. 15 to October 15), give or take depending on the weather each year. This year is quite different due to the abnormally low water temperatures still, so conditions are more an anomaly right now.

East winds, as far as West Michigan is concerned, create a land breeze which funnels shore-parallel stations from South Bend and Traverse City (Escanaba as well) into shoreline areas, though only along the beaches at the moment. They create a uniform layer of air that extends out into the lake over the colder water, which - as you said - creates the inversion with the colder air over the water with the warmer air aloft pushing down on it to create more of a solid-like ceiling of air. Land breezes are significantly weaker than lake breezes, hence the shore-parallel signals.

In the warm months with typical summer lake temperatures - which is certainly not yet the case still - the lake breeze starts around 11am (conditions can change in mere minutes) and ends usually just before the sun sets. From there, air flow reverses and becomes the land breeze for the overnight hours until the following day. Lake temperatures need to be about 65 degrees and up for conditions to be appropriate for inversions lake-wide; they are mostly still in the 50s. The start and end of the season usually bring Green Bay, Escanaba, and Wausau stations into West Michigan, whereas Chicagoland, Madison, Milwaukee, Rockford, etc. are usual in July and August especially. I haven't entirely been able to figure out why that is - cooling water temperatures and air generally cooler to the north vs. the south in the changing seasons are likely - but it repeats every single year.

I've been at this for over 20 years now with marine inversions being my sole interest in radio and DXing (and working this summer - actually now even - on adding the rest of those pages to my website, which only has about half of them posted to date, which you're always free to check out).

As for east winds during the actual peak season (not now), they are totally signal KILLERS as far as signals from across the water. Conditions tank. Except during synoptic tropo events that are higher above the lake surface and independent of conditions below. Windy days (a synoptic weather event) has the same effect as it breaks up the lake breeze (which is a mesoscale weather event). Morning enhancement is exempt and will easily bring 96.9 Zion into West Michigan - I hear them very often in Fremont and they are common up to Sleeping Bear even.

But I digress... It's the one point in this conversation I know anything about as I am otherwise useless with talk about the radio business itself .Not meaning to take away from your otherwise good comment there, just to add further information.

[MWmetalhead]

I appreciate the info posted here in response to my earlier post.

Is 140 watts ERP or 1,210 watts ERP sent toward Holland Charter Township (nestled between the city of Holland and Zeeland)?

[audiophile]

I appreciate the info posted here in response to my earlier post.

Is 140 watts ERP or 1,210 watts ERP sent toward Holland Charter Township (nestled between the city of Holland and Zeeland)?

Field Value x Field Value x Max ERP

0.057 x 0.057 x 43000

= 139.707 Watts

[Ben Zonia]

I was surprised at how flimsy LAV's signal was in Holland Charter Township earlier this week during the middle of the day. 96.9 from the Kenosha area was interfering a significant amount. Signal even fluttered a bit in Georgetown Twp, where it should be coming in like gangbusters.

The Proof of Performance shows much deeper nulls in those directions than the FCC Envelope, typical of many FM DAs. Look through this Exhibit and you'll see it.

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/datae ... 7&goBack=N

Tabulation of Vertical Polarization Azimuth Pattern WLAV Grand Rapids, MI

Azimuth Rel Field

0 0.666
10 0.665
20 0.739
30 0.826
40 0.847
45 0.833
50 0.809
60 0.787
70 0.854
80 0.921
90 0.896
100 0.843
110 0.879
120 0.928
130 0.889
135 0.854
140 0.809
150 0.668
160 0.517
170 0.347
180 0.192
190 0.092
200 0.094
210 0.164
220 0.168
225 0.128
230 0.071
240 0.000
250 0.000
260 0.096
270 0.193
280 0.292
290 0.388
300 0.446
310 0.486
315 0.498
320 0.493
330 0.453
340 0.536
350 0.628

Note the real vertical polarization relative field in the 240 and 250 azimuth is 0.000. In that direction, the signal is essentially horizontally polarized. A vehicle would normally have a vertically polarized antenna.

The H POL Relative Field Near This Arc, and ERP.
210 0.086 318 watts
220 0.065 182 watts
225 0.057 140 watts
230 0.083 296 watts
240 0.162 1128 watts
250 0.237 2415 watts

Like I said in another thread, it might be good to tweak the power distribution and phasing of the panels, given that no null to speak of is now required to protect WLAW, especially given your experience. That affects the whole pattern.

[Ben Zonia]

I don't think they should sell WLAV-FM, but they should consider tweaking the pattern.

Too bad they don't have the old Section 73.213 rules, used from circa 1964 until the mid 1980s.

[MWmetalhead]

Thanks to you and Audiophile for the info!

I completely agree that the severe null toward the Holland area is a major fail on the part of WLAV. The (50, 50) contour plots on the FCC's web site and at fccdata.org do not accurately reflect the pattern, based on what you gentlemen have shared here. Those plots show a predicted strength of almost 60 dBu on the north side of Holland. The actual strength, I suspect, is much less than that.

Cumulus should definitely try to lessen the null toward Holland. Between Holland, Holland Charter Township, Zeeland, Zeeland Charter Township and Park Township we're talking a population of over 100,000. To put that number into perspective, Kent & Ottawa County hold a combined ~960,000 residents.

It appears per the technical exhibit Audiophile sent over that they are permitted to send about 1,750 horizontal watts ERP into the 220 degree azimuth, and I presume a slightly lower level of vertical ERP, which would be a major improvement from what is being radiated in that direction today.

[Ben Zonia]

WHNN has a panel antenna as I have been told, but it looks like they have panels in four directions. They also have agreements with WDVD and WMAX-FM to use high ERP in those directions, under 73.213 and later agreements. I think WDRQ uses a four direction panel antenna, with a required null toward WZAK Cleveland. But I don't think it's that deep by design.

The design that WLAV-FM has would be much better if they could be closer to Lake Michigan, but they can't.

[GnashManDu]

I just saw an article where Mary Berner said the company would try to optimize value in markets where Cumulus is 'outgunned'.

I don't really think GR qualifies, despite their recent incompetence they are rebounding against a very weak TSM for ratings/revenue. While IHM is still a clear market leader, Cumulus is still very much a contender, especially in broadcast sales.