100.5 The River on low power

[cckadlec]

It seems that 100.5 has been on low power for at least a few days now, but I can't find any information on what their power currently is or what the reason is.

It's never a great signal here in Fremont - it gets a lot of interference from V100.7 IBOC here, which sometimes takes it out entirely, especially this week, but even during dead conditions where only locals can be heard, it's almost inaudible on the car radio and really weak on the portable aiming right at Grand Rapids whereas it is usually easy to hear during those times. I can tell it's still on the air with IDs, but it's not easy to find just 35 miles from the tower. With some tropo the other night, it was easy to hear WKXA and WWKI with no sign of The River.

Nice, but I'm rather curious of the reason and what they're operating at.

[48125er]

It's barely receptible here near Grattan. WITL goes much farther west than it usually does, I got it to almost Sparta a couple days. V100 came in past M37

[cckadlec]

It's barely receptible here near Grattan. WITL goes much farther west than it usually does, I got it to almost Sparta a couple days. V100 came in past M37

That is the normal range of WITL actually. It's rather common here in Fremont on a usual day (i.e. October to May or so) and easy to hear along M-37 as well, and plenty often in the summer here on many days too. But yes, on any less sensitive radio closer to GR, I could imagine 100.5 throwing off interference that would be lessened by being on low power. Luckily, 100.5 has never been any issue for me despite being a local. They interfere with nothing else, have no IBOC, and I can hear other things on the same frequency when conditions are good. That's a good radio neighbor .

[originalzzmfmjock]

I was up in Fremont today and scanning the FM band and noticed the River was missing in action. Got back to our place in Newaygo and can't hear it here either. I thought they may have been off the air. I'll have to check the signal when we return to GR either tomorrow or Tuesday.

[cckadlec]

I was up in Fremont today and scanning the FM band and noticed the River was missing in action. Got back to our place in Newaygo and can't hear it here either. I thought they may have been off the air. I'll have to check the signal when we return to GR either tomorrow or Tuesday.

It is indeed there! Right now at 11pm in audibly on the portable only. Turning 360 degrees, it occupies perhaps 30 or 40 degrees of that with a weak signal. Otherwise totally empty (nice, if only there was more to hear on the frequency!) and no bleed from usually strong 100.7 and a usually tame signal from 100.9. As a DXer, I do certainly like stations taking a bit of a break from the airwaves, especially if they can stay on the air at low-power for a while so their audience closer to the city can still listen. Win-win, sorta. Nice to see another person scanning the dial here

[48125er]

I've noticed the river has been playing a lot more 90s cuts that I Havent heard any station play in years, heres some


I live my life for you- Firehouse
Boyz 2 Men: Water runs dry
Mariah carey: Anytime you need a friend
Nobody Knows- Tony Rich
Mouth- Merril Bainbridge

This one I heard on 94.5

Strange currencies by REM

[cckadlec]

I checked this afternoon in the car and could hear The River breaking through V100.7's IBOC, meaning it is certainly back at full power.

[thatonedude]

I've noticed the river has been playing a lot more 90s cuts that I Havent heard any station play in years, heres some

Strange currencies- REM
I live my life for you- Firehouse
Boyz 2 Men: Water runs dry
Mariah carey: Anytime you need a friend
Nobody Knows- Tony Rich
Mouth- Merril Bainbridge

That first one is odd for a soft AC. Seems more like a track 94.5 would spin.


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[48125er]

I've noticed the river has been playing a lot more 90s cuts that I Havent heard any station play in years, heres some

Strange currencies- REM
I live my life for you- Firehouse
Boyz 2 Men: Water runs dry
Mariah carey: Anytime you need a friend
Nobody Knows- Tony Rich
Mouth- Merril Bainbridge

That first one is odd for a soft AC. Seems more like a track 94.5 would spin.


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That might've been 94.5 now that I think of it. I was thinking of rarely played 90s hits that I've heard recently.

[ChrisWL1980]

Looks like Townsquare might be expanding the corporate playlist a bit (if you check out their sister station in Albany, 103.9 The Breeze, it's the same songs in the same order). One title I see on the list that surprises me: "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roberta Flack. That's the type of song I remember from the original MOR/Oldies River in the late '90s.
Not long ago they were playing all '80s music on the weekends, with no explanation, albeit more pop/dance than the rock lean on WFGR. Songs like Laura Branigan- Self Control, Gino Vannelli- Living Inside Myself, Whitney Houston- Where Do Broken Hearts Go, and Kylie Minogue- The Locomotion. There was zero mention of an 'all '80s weekend' - just the normal imaging. This was on the other Townsquare soft ACs as well, so it was the corporate playlist. It appears that's not done anymore.

[ChrisWL1980]

There's WBCH to consider as well.
WION has a translator in Lowell on 100.3 too, which I realize could be forced off the air if WTRV were able to upgrade. It baffles me as to how it ever got approved being so close to 100.5.