[BC] the end of radio ...

[Scott Bailey]

Kevin,
   WNEG may have been in a situation to do it, but it just not that simple here in Sumner County, TN. It would take me 30 minutes to explain all the obstacles and hoops to do something like that here. It's more political here.

1. The county wants no more towers put up. We had a station in the northern part of the county, WQKR-AM 1270 in Portland, TN that had to move it's site to the next county and was barely able to put a City Grade Signal over their COL. The City of Portland was close enough to the next county, they could do it, but had to reduce power to protect a station in Kentucky. WQKR-AM filed an application to go 2 tower directional. A contractor they were leasing land from made them get off the land to expand factory space to create jobs in the town. The WQKR-AM towers have been moved, and are just a football field over in the next county, Robertson County. You can see them from I-65.

2. Land is very valuable here. Contractors are buying up every piece of land to build houses. The city is trying to create jobs by bring in other industry businesses in here that require land.

3. My Dad and I looked in to this about 6 years ago, the county rules and regs were getting tight here. It's just not worth putting out the money knowing you're going to lose anyway. The City Zoning Board wanted me to lower the height of my tower to 100' in 1999 when I put up my new tower. I told them I could not do that and I had to go through explaining about why I needed to have the extra 50' to be as close as possible to 90 degrees on my channel, 1560. Today, if my tower fell due to a storm, the City of Gallatin would probably (and the county) would not let me go over 100' anyway. The NIMBY's are wild around here. This is why I have looked into a Valcom if this was to happen. 

4. The City and the County are taxing me to death over that extra 50' of tower.

Like I said Kevin, it's all political and not worth the fight. I need to get along with the politicians in the city and county in order to survive, and not fight with them. Even though we are very close to Nashville, the citizens of this town treat it like Mayberry, and if they don't want something like my tower being 150', they will fight it. 
The cell companies have had a terrible time with the County and City Zoning Boards here, and like I said, there is more to it than I'm posting. I know it is hard for you to understand, but you would have to live here to understand.

Best Regards,
         Scott

--
Scott Bailey
WMRO Radio, Gallatin, TN
  
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Kevin Raper <kj4hyd at gmail.com>
> Ask yourself WHY would somebody turn off their Expensive iPod, or even 
> their FM radio to listen to your AM Signal. How many FMs can you hear 
> "Hot AC" on? WNEG is so sucessful, they are now incresing power from 500 
> to 5000 Watts Directional. Perhaps you could re-locate WMRO and go 
> directional and get some REAL Night coverage in the process? Yes, it all 
> costs Money, but as the old saying goes, "It Takes Money to Make Money".
> 
> -- 
> 73,
> Kevin Raper
> KJ4HYD
> CE WCKI WQIZ