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KFMB to Move Ahead with Community Antenna

Gary Stigall, CSTE
KFMB-TV Staff Engineer

KFMB Stations received funding approval for its community FM antenna project on Mt. Soledad. As reported in June, up to nine stations could be combined into a redundantly fed 8-bay, side mounted, quadrapole that will replace the current KFMB-FM antenna near the top of the main tower on Midwest Television property.

No stations have formally signed on to the project, but in order to meet RFR reduction goals, the current site tenants, Infinity's KYXY, Jefferson-Pilot's KIFM, and Clear Channel's KIOZ will all be asked to move to the new system. Due to bandwidth limitations of the antenna, the system is penciled in to work from 94 to 106 MHz.

This leaves KPBS-FM at 89.5 MHz to the side of the dance floor for now, but it's presumed that they would have room on Mt. Soledad to complete a modified construction permit in the event that any station moves from another tower.

The original transmitter building, constructed in 1949, is being gutted internally to handle additional tenants.

Midwest Television has retained Hammett and Edison as consultant for the project. Dielectric will construct the combiner and antenna. Rick Bosscher, RF Supervisor, will oversee the construction. Director of Engineering Rich Lochmann says that they expect to complete the project in the first quarter of 2001. Questions about the project should be addressed to Rich at 858-495-9308.