City of Grand Haven evicts WGHN-FM from tower due to lease violations

[Graham Wellington]

Here is part of a post that the Strong Tower Radio network sent out to its listener/supporters a few days ago:
"The Grand Haven Strong Tower Radio station 93.1fm returned to the air (earlier this month) but at reduced power and therefore reduced coverage; until we can receive a device to filter unusual harmonics. We have good reports from listeners of this limited broadcast footprint, but we are anxious to broadcast at full power as soon as the hardware filter is received and installed."

May that hardware filter conveniently get lost...

Like sorry, but every single time I ever had a question for Strong Tower to help me confirm what stations I was hearing when DXing (they are on some frequencies where other similar-sounding religious stations are common), nobody EVER took the time to reply to me, and they were very basic programming questions almost anyone there could help with quite quickly, so I guess I don't have the most favorable opinion of them. Understandable if it was a large corporate station not bothering to reply; that's almost expected!

But alas, they will get their filter and go to full power, but the signal being inland instead of right on the water is still helpful.

Thank you for the update on that. I haven't bothered to really check their website for any updates on their signals recently.

Maybe because they have better things to do than appease someone who constantly complains about the existence of their stations?

[cckadlec]

Here is part of a post that the Strong Tower Radio network sent out to its listener/supporters a few days ago:
"The Grand Haven Strong Tower Radio station 93.1fm returned to the air (earlier this month) but at reduced power and therefore reduced coverage; until we can receive a device to filter unusual harmonics. We have good reports from listeners of this limited broadcast footprint, but we are anxious to broadcast at full power as soon as the hardware filter is received and installed."

May that hardware filter conveniently get lost...

Like sorry, but every single time I ever had a question for Strong Tower to help me confirm what stations I was hearing when DXing (they are on some frequencies where other similar-sounding religious stations are common), nobody EVER took the time to reply to me, and they were very basic programming questions almost anyone there could help with quite quickly, so I guess I don't have the most favorable opinion of them. Understandable if it was a large corporate station not bothering to reply; that's almost expected!

But alas, they will get their filter and go to full power, but the signal being inland instead of right on the water is still helpful.

Thank you for the update on that. I haven't bothered to really check their website for any updates on their signals recently.

Maybe because they have better things to do than appease someone who constantly complains about the existence of their stations?

Haha, probably. Though I had never before complained about Strong Tower and was nothing but super polite to them and even complimented them. But nope. (shrug) That's radio.

[statmanmi]

Here is part of a post that the Strong Tower Radio network sent out to its listener/supporters a few days ago:
"The Grand Haven Strong Tower Radio station 93.1fm returned to the air (earlier this month) but at reduced power and therefore reduced coverage; until we can receive a device to filter unusual harmonics. We have good reports from listeners of this limited broadcast footprint, but we are anxious to broadcast at full power as soon as the hardware filter is received and installed."

Per the Engineering Special Temporary Authority document approved this week by the FCC, WMPA 93.1 FM is currently operating at only 250 watts ERP. From the attachment:

"In order to expeditiously return WMPA to the air, additional measurements were performed by the consulting firm of Munn-Reese, which determined that WMPA could operate with an ERP of 250 watts, at which point the level of the mix products would satisfy the requirements of §73.317(d) of the Commission’s Rules. The WMPA licensee therefore requests an engineering STA to operate the station at that power level, pending the installation of additional cavity filters which will allow operation at the full authorized 6 kW power level. Filters are being ordered and will be installed as expeditiously as possible, likely within the next few months. The licensee is eager to return the station to full power, particularly considering the authorized assignment of the station to West Central Michigan Media Ministries (see 0000186740)."

Full document, which also has a map showing the smaller estimated 60dBu coverage area, is linked at the bottom of their filing, available at this URL web address: https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/datae ... f&goBack=N

So when they do go to their full 6kW allocation, they'll definitely reach further.

Cheers! ~~ Statmanmi

[EdWalker]

Interesting. Is the harmonics situation an issue involving 92.1 broadcasting from the same tower, or does it involve something else?

Its not so much that 92.1 is on the same tower, but rather that the two stations share the same transmission line and 3 bay antenna on the tower. Its my understanding that this worked at the prior site, but that doesn't guarantee success at another site as such installations are very particular about transmission line length (antenna down tower to building and transmitters) and that likely changed with the new site.

[cckadlec]

It appears that WMPA fixed their transmitting issue with the necessary equipment now installed and returned to their licensed power at the start of this week. It was nice to have the open frequency in all the time it lasted, though it's still possible to hear things beside the new signal, just far more difficult than at their lower power.

This resolves the entire issue of the two stations being evicted (at least as far as broadcasting is concerned) as both have completed their move to the new tower and are at their full power.

[ZenithCKLW]

Does this mean 1370 is back to separate oldies programming?

[cckadlec]

Does this mean 1370 is back to separate oldies programming?

Oh. I never thought to check anything on the AM side. I do know for a fact that the 94.9 translator is still running //92.1. I'm guessing everything is WGHN 92.1 programming still.

[A1B1C1D1]

It's good that WGHN is repaying all the money taxpayers inadvertently subsidized for its electricity bill over umpteen years.

If the outright sale of WMPA ever closes, perhaps those proceeds are already spoken for? Otherwise, seems to me the city could've incorporated a springing payment balloon into the agreement.

Yes. The city had offered an overwhelmingly generous payback period if I recall correctly. The tower lease seemed market rate to me as well since I assume it would have covered two signals.

But it was/is a tough situation, you find in addition to the market/labor inflation, an increased utility bill and essentially a past due payment. Most businesses keep a budget and I can't imagine how blown up it became!

I don't think WGHN handled it well, but I am sympathetic. WMPA is interesting because everything I have heard is that since the pandemic, religious giving was down double digits. But EMF and others seem unfazed. Churches are closing all over, but radio seems to continue to grow.

[cckadlec]

WGHN has had some technical difficulties in the past day. They have been off the air since at least Tuesday morning, i.e. running dead air but with the signal still broadcasting. Not only has 92.1 been off, but 94.9 and 93.1 as well. However, while they were all off while I was in Grand Haven in the afternoon, I managed to catch 94.9 upon returning home and could make out them talking about the difficulties and that 92.1 would be back as soon as possible. It seems 94.9 came back on around 4pm and is now running WGHN programming as they usually would. 92.1 and 93.1, both at the same (newer) tower, are still dead air as of midnight. Their Facebook mentioned it around 4pm simply as "technical difficulties." The fact it affects 93.1 (Strong Tower) as well might tell a bit about the issue, plus the fact that 94.9, on a different tower than the others, but from WGHN studios, was dead air too.

[radionut]

Most likely their Internet Provider had issues.