Louisville radio station's wimpy signals (Lexington, Elizabethtown: buying, live, store)

[censusdata]

I found the listings for signal power for most US radio stations and it confirmed what I had thought: Louisville radio stations have some wimpy signals.

Highest Effective radiated power (signal strength) in Lexington

100,000 (91.3, 92.9, 98.1,
85,000 (94.5)
50,000 (104.5)
20,000 (100.1)

Highest Effective radiated power (signal strength) in Louisville

100,000 (97.5)
50,000 (98.9)
37,500 (100.5)
28,500 (95.7)
24,500 (106.9)
24,000 (99.7)
21,000 (89.3)

Template:Louisville Radio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Template:Lexington Radio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[cobolt]

I know when I was listening to WFPK, I lost it right before entering Madison, IN and also right before Lexington, I think around Midway...and that's only an hour out of town either way!

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I found the listings for signal power for most US radio stations and it confirmed what I had thought: Louisville radio stations have some wimpy signals.

Highest Effective radiated power (signal strength) in Lexington

100,000 (91.3, 92.9, 98.1,
85,000 (94.5)
50,000 (104.5)
20,000 (100.1)

Highest Effective radiated power (signal strength) in Louisville

100,000 (97.5)
50,000 (98.9)
37,500 (100.5)
28,500 (95.7)
24,500 (106.9)
24,000 (99.7)
21,000 (89.3)

Template:Louisville Radio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Template:Lexington Radio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That is only a fraction of the Louisville channels. Furthermore, I have rarely seen an FM station go beyond 100 miles unless it is in an isolated area like SE of Chicago. Louisville is too close to too many other markets...it is part of the reason the TV market is so small compared to the city and MSA size.

[kentuckydad95]

I can drive from Key West to Seattle and listen to the same station. Oh wait...I have Sirius...lol

[rpb502]

Thats one of the few things I dislike about Louisville, the radio market. Signal strength in particular. A lot of stations don't even come in clear in some parts of JEFFERSON county. WLRS is the station I listen to the most, and often times I will be driving and I hear static.

But like STX said, its likely due to the many markets that surround Louisville. Indy, Lex, Elizabethtown, Cinci, Nashville, etc.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by rpb502

Thats one of the few things I dislike about Louisville, the radio market. Signal strength in particular. A lot of stations don't even come in clear in some parts of JEFFERSON county. WLRS is the station I listen to the most, and often times I will be driving and I hear static.

But like STX said, its likely due to the many markets that surround Louisville. Indy, Lex, Elizabethtown, Cinci, Nashville, etc.

What I don't like is that the stations suck. I don't find the stations that weak. But radio sucks in almost any city. Last time I drove to FL I think I heard KISS FM in every city, and they were playing the same crap. The problem is that Clear Channel Radio has a monopoly. They own something like half the radio stations and growing. They are like one giant Olive Garden. As Olive Garden passes off mediocre food as good, Clear Channel has passed off junky radio to the public as something "good" while some fat cat executive counts his cash. Ok, I am being sarcastic, but corporate America has a way of doing these things to you.

Really, it is very sick when you realize that almost ALL media outlets be it TV, radio, or whatever, are owned at the top by a handful of companies. It proves you really can't trust everything you see in the media. As a case in point, a recent study showed that Obama has received something like 77% of the hours of coverage of this election by media outlets.

As for the radio, your best bet is to can the thing and use your Ipod or Cds. Go to Ear X Tacy or another local indie record store where they know good music and ask for help.

[rpb502]

I agree STX. I don't even listen to the radio as much as I use to. WLRS made a huge mistake by switching formats to include classic rock. There is now ZERO alternative stations in Louisville.

And just a couple of weeks ago, Cox Radio dropped WRKA and added New Country Q1031. Now they own two country stations in Louisville. The only reason they did this is to try and sway people away from WAMZ...which I highly doubt will be successful. They should have kept New Country 103.9 (It is now Country Legends), and changed WRKA into an Alternative or Rap station. They didn't have the public in mind at all when they did this. All about money. It will come back to bite them in the rear end later.

FM Radio is dying anyway. People are either switching to Satellite radio, or buying IPods/Zunes/MP3 players etc.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by rpb502

I agree STX. I don't even listen to the radio as much as I use to. WLRS made a huge mistake by switching formats to include classic rock. There is now ZERO alternative stations in Louisville.

And just a couple of weeks ago, Cox Radio dropped WRKA and added New Country Q1031. Now they own two country stations in Louisville. The only reason they did this is to try and sway people away from WAMZ...which I highly doubt will be successful. They should have kept New Country 103.9 (It is now Country Legends), and changed WRKA into an Alternative or Rap station. They didn't have the public in mind at all when they did this. All about money. It will come back to bite them in the rear end later.

FM Radio is dying anyway. People are either switching to Satellite radio, or buying IPods/Zunes/MP3 players etc.

I like the country legends station but it could have been put somewhere else on the dial

[censusdata]

I can get most Lexington stations crystal clear in Shelbyville, but only a couple of Louisville stations - and Shelbyville is closer to Louisville! I can even get a couple of E-town and Meade Co stations in Shelbyville.

It seems that most TN cities have very strong radio signals. I can get several Knoxville stations in Somerset, despite the signal having to go over several large mountains. I can also get some Nashville stations well north of Mammoth Cave

[missymomof3]

I get a Brandenburg station here in Louisville.