KMRI, Continued

[David]

According to the FCC database, there was an STA filed for KMRI on March 16, 2022. Since I'm still having difficulty figuring out how navigate the new database system, I haven't been able to determine what the STA is for. The previous STA required KMRI to return to the air by Midnight on March 17, 2022, so I'm going to hazard a guess and say the bankruptcy trustee has requested an extension of remain silent authority while the station's tower is being rebuilt. In other words, don't expect 1550 to return to the air anytime soon. 🙂

[CAwasinNJ]

Are you talking about file 20220316AAH? That's STA related but not an actual filing. It's just a notice of resumption of operation.

[David]

Mar 27, 2022 9:43:07 GMT -6 CAwasinNJ said:

Are you talking about file 20220316AAH? That's STA related but not an actual filing. It's just a notice of resumption of operation.

Yes, that's the one. If KMRI has resumed operations, they must be broadcasting with flea power and an inefficient longwire. I'm not hearing anything but static on 1550 in Ogden.

[CAwasinNJ]

The resume operations doesn't mean it stayed resumed.

[David]

Mar 29, 2022 4:08:49 GMT -6 CAwasinNJ said:

The resume operations doesn't mean it stayed resumed.

So it's probably safe to say that the bankruptcy receiver got his on call engineer to fire up the Nautel for a few hours in order to keep KMRI'S license active a la KWDZ, and then shut it down again the same day. 🙄

I guess the FCC's crackdown on silent stations went away after Ajit Pai resigned. Oh well.

[CAwasinNJ]

Just to catch everyone up on where KMRI is now....

Their license was renewed effective April 21, but only for a period of 1 year instead of the usual 8. In the renewal order it states "This limited renewal period will afford the Commission an opportunity to review the station’s public service performance, as well as compliance with the Act and the FCC’s rules, and to take whatever corrective actions, if any, that may be warranted at that time." They aren't happy with all the silent time and I can see that. This seems like a reasonable compromise given the odd circumstances. But, the FCC also officially granted the application to assign the station to Barry Wood. I might be wrong but I think this clears all the obstacles, at least until next March.

The full order is here:
enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076ff380491d1d01804c32a8270051

There is one small piece of bad news. It looked like Barry Wood wanted to use the KRGO calls (based on the name of his acquiring company) but those calls were taken by a non-comm in Texas in March. Maybe a deal could be worked out.

[David]

IMO, I don't think KMRI has been silent for an inordinate amount of time considering that the SLC earthquake caused its tower to collapse, and all the legal rigmarole the bankruptcy trustee has had to deal with. When you factor in the delays caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, it's not surprising that KMRI is still silent two years after its tower fell. I'd imagine that 1550's tower will be rebuilt eventually, since KIHU was using it along with their own antenna for its directional signal at night. In fact, Barry Wood might be able to persuade Relevant Radio to pay for part of the cost of rebuilding the tower, especially considering that 1010 was using KMRI's tower at night.

[CAwasinNJ]

Receiver Jacob Hibbard filed a petition for reconsideration requesting that the new license term for KMRI be the standard 8 years instead of the 1 it got.

enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/pleading/attachment/25076f9180e458f8018103ac4d56251c

The petition mostly restates the same facts we've already gone over. What I'm mostly interested in is why it was filed, other than the obvious answer that a longer renewal term is just generally better. I wonder if the parties involved are concerned that since the renewal term is one year there is less time to prove that the station is acting in the public interest. According to the most recent silent STA request dated May 18 the sale transaction will close "very soon" and "This will pave the way for the station to go back on the air with a full antenna tower and at full power." They are apparently waiting until then to do more than the one day return to air to maintain the license that they last did March 7-8. According to the reconsideration petition a temporary long wire was set up at the transmitter site funded by purchaser Barry Wood. It makes complete sense to me for Wood to not spend a significant amount of money until he actually has the station. However, given that the FCC is clearly already unhappy with the performance of the station, if it were possible to simply maintain the temporary long wire to demonstrate that at least something is on the air that would be a good idea. The unknown factor there is whether there are technical reasons that can't be done, ie because of KIHU.

[David]

Personally, I don't understand why Mr. Wood couldn't make arrangements to have KMRI stay on the air with a temporary longwire and reduced power until the sale of the station has consummated. Cumulus did it with 1230 AM for two years or more with a longwire strung up outside their Salt Lake offices on Bearcat Drive, and it worked fine. There's an AM station in Stillwater, MN that's been rebroadcating the local NOAA weather radio station with 20 watts and a longwire antenna on the roof of a building in downtown Stillwater since the tower site land was sold in 2019. Modern solid state transmitters don't consume huge amounts of electricity at lower power levels, and a competent broadcast engineer should be able to resolve any interference issues to KIHU's signal.

Since it appears there's a pending sale of KMRI in the works, I'm wondering if 1550 is the "powerhouse AM signal" station that's been listed for sale on the Radio TV Deals site for several months now. Time will tell, I guess.

[kenglish]

I wonder if a longwire or slantwire antenna would work for KIHU's DA.
Maybe time for KIHU to put up a replacement tower, and rent it to whoever buys KMRI. KIHU is basically unlistenable it night right now, after dark

[CAwasinNJ]

AM antenna systems are a very complex beast that I don't even pretend to understand. I do know that a great many things can affect it. For example, a building going up a half mile away can throw off a directional array enough that the antenna system has to be changed to compensate for it.

KIHU doesn't need to do anything about their second tower. It's going to be built once the KMRI sale transaction goes through.