What is the big deal over the b96 minneapolis?
MINNESOTA: The FCC recently approved Northern Lights Broadcasting’s plan to strengthen the signal of “B96” (KTTB/96.3 Glencoe-Minneapolis) in the Twin Cities area. The Hip-Hop/R&B station will change its community of license to Edina, where its studio is located, and transmit from the KFXN/690 tower in New Hope with 19kW/77m (class C3). That’s a downgrade from the current 100kW/176m (class C1) facility, but the singnal is difficult to receive on portable radios in much of the metro area since the transmitter is west of Watertown. KTTB had originally proposed transmitting from the WWTC/KYCR tower in St. Louis Park, but the city council denied a request to build a taller tower at the site. Since the FCC generally does not approve moves that leave a community without a licensed station, Northern Lights is “backfilling” by moving KGLB/1310 (St. Peter) to Glencoe, a move which the FCC also recently approved. KGLB, formerly KRBI, went silent in August 2008 but apparently recently returned to
As you can see from the black-and-white sponge-like wipeout effect on its splashpage, as it looked last night. (Do not adjust your computer or phone – that’s how the website looks.) KTTB (96.3) is in the process of moving its transmitter closer to the Twin Cities, from old city of license Glencoe, MN to Edina. See the dramatic difference the westward relocation makes from the old Class C1 power signal sited near Watertown, here, to the new C3 around New Hope, here. The Edina placement puts the antenna smack inside the Minneapolis I-494 beltway – something residents of St. Louis Park fought with a vengeance. But now the Pohlad family’s Northern Lights Broadcasting is testing its new signal and (says NorthPine.com) asking listeners to call in with reception reports. So it’s ready. Sources: http://www.radio-info.com/newsletter/html/tri-08252009.
If you’re a B96 listener, you’ve noticed the station’s been missing some familiar voices. Tone E. Fly and his morning show crew were pulled from the air Aug … Sources: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_0_0_t&usg=AFQjCNGkVjxbh1QiqKTTbjJ8yDtQaT-BYA&cid=1301953141&ei=XHOUSsjWBaKa9gTJmLjIAw&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twincities.
