Well we're movin' on up...

[CAwasinNJ]

(With apologies to George and Weezy.)

Nielsen just upgraded the SLC/Ogden/Provo market to #27 from #28.

www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/03/bluebook_sp22-Erin-Moore.pdf

I find it interesting how this market has a higher population than more well known markets like Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and so on. There's a related stat that isn't in that report that I REALLY want to see: # of radio stations per population. I heard once a long time ago that we were that most overradioed market in the US. I don't know if that's true or not, but there have been a bunch of stations going both on and off the air since then anyway.

[friendlee]

Years ago, we really did have more stations per capita than Los Angeles. Something like 69 signals for a million people while L.A. had 80 for ten million. With all the additional rim-shotters, boosters, and translators, it's probably still true.

[oldiesfunhouse]

When I was a teenager, one of my favorite things to do when I went to a new city was flip through the radio dial. (Yeah, I was the dorky blind kid) and I remember going to Las Vegas and thinking how sparse their AM dial was compared to ours. Our AM has been depleted over the years, though. I'm trying to think of what AM frequencies have gone dark. 630, 910, and, for the time being anyway, 1550 are all gone. In my humble opinion 1230 and 1320 feel like they're on life support and I guess 1060 is back now but it was off for a long time. I guess if you include Ogden and Provo in the mix 1490 is gone and I don't feel like 1400 is going to stick around for the long term, but isn't Doug Barton's outfit buying that? So ... maybe. No offense at all meant to Frank and Melanie. On the contrary, I wish they could have made it work. There aren't any FM signals that have gone dark but there are some that, to my way of thinking, are just being wasted. the 94.9 and 101.9 combo come to mind. The first time I heard a Spanish station on FM was when I was in Southern California. That would have been a little over 30 years ago and, at that time, I thought it was really cool just because all the Spanish stations I had heard were on AM. Just going by memory, I think we have four FM Spanish stations now. 102.3, 104.7, 106.3, and 107.1 if memory serves. And then I think there's one in Ogden on an FM translator. I want to say at 99.9. Oh and I guess there's that station 95.7 that's partially Spanish. Is that station REALLY operating illegally? It's interesting that part of the dial because you have stations on three consecutive frequencies. You've got what I think is a translator for 820 KUTR on 95.3, what I think might be KYFO the Bible Broadcasting network on 95.5 (it's been a while since I've listened to that channel for any length of time so it might be something different but when I flipped by it last night it sounded like it's still Christian programming of some sort), and then 95.7. Well, and where I am X96 can be heard, albeit with static, on 95.9 so that's four consecutive frequencies that have programming. Of course, as you go north 95.9 becomes KLZX. But, alas, with all those stations, there are still formats we used to have here that we don't anymore. Classic jazz, smooth jazz, adult standards, and hot / progressive talk come to mind. And we don't have an affiliate of CBS Sports radio/Jim rome here. Back in the 90s I used to visit other radio markets and thought Salt Lake radio, in comparison, was really cool. I don't feel that way anymore. Don't get me wrong. I think we still have some incredible stations here like KSL but the fact we have three modern country stations, basically three modern pop stations with one of them simulcasting on two frequencies that, as far as I can tell, cover the same area, but no standars etc. is frustrating to me. I understand why, kind of, but I don't like it. It seems like Cumulus could just turn 94.9 in to a full time outlet for CBS sports radio fairly easily. Does 94.9 really get into areas that 101.9 doesn't? Thank God for internet streaming. Sorry to be such a downer. I'll try to end on a happy note. Congratulations to Salt Lake City radio for "movin' on up".

[CAwasinNJ]

1510 and 1660 are also gone.

Yes 95.7 is illegal.

Yes, 94.9 goes much further south than 101.9 does.

[David]

KYFO is still a BBN affiliate, and I doubt that will change anytime soon. KUTR also has an FM translator in the Ogden area on 103.9, which completely obliterates KGNT in Smithfield.🤬 That really upsets me, because prior to the KUTR translator going live on 103.9, I had at least one classic hits station on conventional FM besides KOOL 105.5 to listen to. As for KSRR, Frank mentioned that Sanpete County Broadcasting already has plans to get the station back on the air. I believe CA said the update in the FCC database indicated that 1400 is going to be diplexed from the KEYY tower in Provo. And FWIW, I can hear a Spanish station on 95.1 in Ogden that I haven't been able to identify yet. KSVN has a translator on 99.9, so it's not them. It's also not a simulcast of 1600 KTUB that I'm hearing on 95.1, so I guess I need to do some more digging to figure out the mystery. 🙂

[kenglish]

How long has 95.7 been broadcasting illegally? Seems like years! Speculation is, they applied for an LPFM many years ago, specifying an antenna site near the Greek Church on Highland Drive, and assumed that they were "good to go, license or not".
They appear to be transmitting from the top of the Catholic Cathedral of the Madeline in the lower Avenues. Their social media seems to indicate a strong affiliation with the Cathedral. They cover the entire valley, though they are not Part 15, and have never broadcast a call sign, that I have heard.
If the FCC ever busted them, the NAL could possibly be equal to much of the building's worth.
I'm surprised that none of the adjacent-channel licensees have complained.