FM translator / no AM signal

[Mister B]

How long can an AM station run their FM translator with the parent AM signal off of the air?
KAMA 750 in EL Paso, TX has been off of the air for over two weeks now. They continue to broadcast on the 92.7 translator and cite the AM 750 and FM K224FC frequencies near the top of the hour. (The station is owned by KBNA 97.5 and the FM translator is not listed on the FCC web site).
For a little background on this station, for over 20 years "Hit 104.3" originated here in El Paso but leased a transmitter in Juarez, Mexico. This has been a common arrangement in this area for many years. Evidently earlier this year they lost the lease for the Mexican facility and moved the operation ( with some minor programming changes) to long time Spanish broadcaster KAMA and it's relatively new FM translator.
Over the past couple of years I have tried to listen to KAMA's Sunday oldies show in English after it was discontinued on El Paso's only "Classic Hits" station. The audio on KAMA was always very distorted and the 250 watt FM translator is hard to tune in as it is sandwiched in between two 100K watt blowtorches on 92.3 and 93.1. The 750 AM signal seemed to improve a bit and at 10K watts I was able to listen to it half way to Carlsbad, NM on a recent trip. However, I doubt that very many of their listeners use the AM signal.
I have my doubts that this operation can survive which would be a shame as there are so few radio stations here that even announce in English. It does make for an interesting situation for this long time radio enthusiast.

 

[harshness]

The FCC lists K224FC as a translator for KVIV 1340, so there's a certain amount of funny business going on with an apparent rebranding.

KAMA's Internet stream is working just fine in the interim and probably offers better AQ than the broadcast outlets.

 

[Mister B]

The FCC lists K224FC as a translator for KVIV 1340, so there's a certain amount of funny business going on with an apparent rebranding.

Thanks for looking that up Harshness. I had just seen no translators listed for KAMA. If the information for K224FC is still correct they only have 99 watts. No wonder it is so hard to tune in even on a digital car radio. I also do not believe the location coordinates given on the FCC site are correct as that takes me to an abandoned industrial site that is nothing but a large dirt field.
If they want to be an internet radio station that is just fine but they should not be taking up the publics airwaves using false information and an almost unusable signal.

 

[harshness]

If they want to be an internet radio station that is just fine but they should not be taking up the publics airwaves using false information and an almost unusable signal.

Some just can't drag themselves into the 21st century, or they don't have access to streaming.

There's probably also an expectation coming from advertisers that they're getting out on all media.

 

[Mister B]

KAMA 750 AM is back on but it is so distorted that even the spoken word is hard to understand and music is just a mess. Maybe they felt pressured to get the AM back on before they got in trouble for having original programming on a signal that is only licensed as a FM translator.

 

[k4otl]

No clue on the length of time issue when the AM signal is off. Local station for me (WPWT) is AM with FM translator, occasionally they mention the AM (10,000 watt daytimer) but mostly just FM, and most people have no clue that it broadcasts on AM. I find it super handy driving thru the mountains where the FM signal struggles. At home I just listen to FM, they generally have very good audio. The AM I can listen to several hours in any direction, but sometimes it'll be off for days. Sometimes the FM is off and you only have the AM, so it's just whatever is having issues at the moment I guess.

 

[Mister B]

I feel using all of these AM stations just as a legal loophole to have a low powered FM station and then not promoting the AM to the point that most listeners are not even aware of the optional frequency is not the best use of the public airwaves.
I am also considering the waste of electrical power pouring all of those watts into the atmosphere on AM to very little benefit.
At this point the FCC may as well allow these broadcasters to turn off the AM signal and see if they can survive with the 250 watt or lower FM signal.
I would like to complement KDRI in Tucson, Arizona. They have 50,000 watts AM in the day and even 1,000 watts at night plus their 250 watt FM translator. Every time they identify their station they say "101.7 FM and 830 on AM". As I driver west I can start picking them up at the NM/AZ state line and do not have to look for another radio station until I am west of Phoenix.