LOS ANGELES — In 1997, a trio of Class A FM radio stations at 92.7 MHz entered into a “trimulcast,” in a bid to serve the entire Los Angeles DMA. At first it was “Lite.” Then, it was “Jill,” the cheeky female response to first-adjacent Adult Hits “JACK FM.”
Today, two of those three stations remain and serve as Southern California’s home for Educational Media Foundation‘s Worship Music-focused Air1 noncommercial network. Until recently, however, the same issues that plagued the former formats for this facility remained — poor penetration in central Los Angeles.
That issue has now been resolved, thanks to an FM translator and the use of GeoBroadcast Solutions’ MaxxCasting system.
A “Common” settlement reached in 2019 is also an important factor for EMF.
Air1 has officially fired up K224EY at 92.7 MHz, with a transmitter atop the Aon Tower (pictured, top left) on Wilshire and Hope in downtown Los Angeles.
With 250 watts of power, the signal contour extends to Glendale and South Pasadena, and southwest to the Beach Cities and Torrance — each important target areas for Air1. It is being fed from the HD2 signal of EMF-owned KKLQ-FM 100.3, home to KLOVE in Los Angeles.
While the FM translator is a big boost, as KYLA-FM 92.7 in Fountain Valley, Calif., largely covers southern Orange County and KYRA-FM 92.7 in Thousand Oaks, Calif., exclusively covers Ventura County, MaxxCasting technology was implemented to ensure the new signal reached the densely populated downtown area and other neighborhoods of L.A.
Specifically, GBS engineers were able to bridge the gap between the two coverage areas and build a continuous signal that now stretches across 110 miles by tweaking the translator to its maximum potential. “Since we’ve owned the stations, our challenge has been connecting the two signals and providing continuous coverage between our co-channel signals, which conventional boosters and repeaters were not able to provide,” said Shane Toven, Senior Broadcast Engineer at Educational Media Foundation and a nominee for RBR+TVBR’s Broadcast Media’s Top Tech Leaders, to be revealed January 24 in the Winter 2021 Special Report. “The GBS team were able to creatively use its MaxxCasting technology differently than they had done for us in other cities. The result has helped to achieve our goal of expanded, seamless coverage and introducing a new audience to our programming.”
Paul Littleton, director of Spectrum Design at GeoBroadcast Solutions, added, “Our team of MaxxCasting engineers were able to solve the unique issues faced by EMF through our technology. Our solution for EMF showcases the flexibility of MaxxCasting to enable
broadcasters to improve their signals, increase their listeners and drive ratings and revenue
growth.”
MaxxCasting combines radio and cellular technology and enables FM Broadcasters to enhance their signals by reducing interference between the main and booster transmissions through the use of a cluster of low-to-the-ground, high power, highly directionalized, synchronized node sites. The technology also allows for innovation in spectrum allocation, coverage problems, and frequency acquisition, GeoBroadcast Solutions notes.
All equipment for Maxxcasting is provided by Doug Tharp at SCMS, the exclusive U.S.
distributors for GatesAir transmitters.
The arrival of K224EY is only possible, however, thanks to a March 2019 settlement between EMF and Razorcake/Gorsky Press.
In mid-2016, the FCC’s Media Bureau awarded a new low-power radio station at 92.7 MHz, based in the picturesque city of Pasadena, to an arts and culture-focused nonprofit that receives funding through grants from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and other support from the Los Angeles Arts Commission.
This immediately raised red flags with EMF, which challenged the LPFM; the Media Bureau dismissed EMF’s challenge. Then, the lawyers went to work, with a settlement reached between the LPFM operator and EMF. On June 30, 2019, Razorcake/Gorsky Press’ permit for KFFL-LPFM was cancelled, paving the way for Air1 to get the downtown L.A. translator. Previously, K224EY used a 65-watt facility alongside the western terminus of the 91 Freeway in Carson.
— Reporting by Robert Udowitz in Washington, D.C., and Adam R Jacobson in Boca Raton, Fla.
