Update on KDFC

[classicalfan]

I received an e-mail from KDFC informing me that as of today, over 7100 responses have been received in response to the online survey that has been posted for the new owners of KDFC to see while they decide what direction they will take the station.

It should be noted that this is since Monday when I added my input to the survey.

Who says the classical audience isn't loyal and doesn't exist. Ask anyone at Beethoven Radio.

[jamiebk]

Well, I almost fell out of my driver's seat this AM. As I was doing my usual 5:30AM commute to SF, I had KDFC on (Sorry B.com, but there is no way to listen to you in the car out here). Lo and behold, I heard the music from Lord of the Rings playing. I can only think that this was the outcome of the poll they recently took (remember that the co. was recently sold and is under new "management"). KDFC has been very stubborn in "playing only the "classics" and it was refreshing to hear a familiar movie theme blended into the mix. I'll be interested to see (hear) whether this will continue.

[jamiebk]

More sad news from the classical music realm. Today, I turned on my 2nd favorite classical music station...KDFC in San Francisco at 102.5 FM only to hear classic rock blaring from the speakers of my car. I like Classic rock, but where was KDFC?

The long lived KDFC is moving further down the food chain now having been bumped from their long time 102.5 radio frequency. They've abandoned the "commercial classical" and gone the way of B.com...donations and non-profit status. They bought two lesser stations to service the north and San Francisco proper regions and are trying to cobble together more coverage in the SF bay area. Sad. I listen to KDFC when I am not on my computer (usually in the car). Here was an email I received:
#############################
We are understandably receiving many calls and emails about our transition to 90.3 and 89.9 FM and our transition to nonprofit status. We know this is a difficult transition and we wish we had more control and an opportunity to make a longer, smoother transition. Here are some answers to common questions and comments we’re receiving.

Why did this happen?
KDFC’s previous owner decided to make a format change on the 102.1 frequency they owned. KDFC’s staff and station name are now rebuilding KDFC as a listener-supported station on new frequencies. KDFC was the last commercial classical station in a major US city still being operated by a commercial radio company. In New York City, Boston, Detroit, Miami, Washington D.C., Seattle, and Los Angeles, commercial radio stations have all disappeared, in most cases taking their excellent frequencies with them, and leaving nonprofits to rebuild noncommercial classical stations on lesser frequencies. That is exactly what is happening here.

Why couldn’t you wait to make the transition until you could cover the whole Bay Area?
The Bay Area is an extremely expensive and crowded radio market. Stations are not easy to come by. Furthermore, once you purchase a station, the FCC requires you to operate it, making it impossible to buy a station and hold onto it while you wait to purchase others. Therefore when we found 90.3 and 89.9 were for sale, and we wanted to buy them before someone else could, we had to operate them.

If I cannot receive your on 90.3 and 89.9 what do I do? The response to this varies by region so look for your region below. Later in this message we will provide technology options to help you receive KDFC in the interim:

South Bay and Peninsula: It is heartbreaking to us that we will not immediately have a signal that serves the Peninsula and the South Bay. We are already looking to buy a station in this region and the great news is that the University of Southern California has offered to buy a station if we can find one. We have hired two brokers to contact stations and ask if the owners are willing to sell. We wish we could give you a timeline but we are not in control of when a station will come on the market. We have reports from some listeners in the South bay who have been able to pick up 89.9, but the coverage there is spotty.

East Bay: Some listeners in the East Bay are receiving our 89.9 FM signal (and/or our 90.3 signal,) but others are not. We have a plan to upgrade 89.9 soon and that should help, but we have to wait for the FCC to approve our purchase of the station to start the upgrade. Until then we do not officially own the stations. As soon as they give us the word, we will upgrade 89.9 and that should help. We are also looking for stations we could potentially acquire in the East Bay to round out our coverage in the region.

San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley: We can ultimately get you a good signal on 90.3; however, we have to wait a couple of months for the FCC to approve our purchase of the stations. Once they do, we can upgrade 90.3 FM and move the transmitter and antenna (it is currently on top of a building at USF), and solve your signal problems. Many listeners in your area are able to hear 89.9.

Daly City, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Pacifica: We can ultimately get you a good signal on 90.3; however, we have to wait a couple of months for the FCC to approve our purchase of the stations. Once they do, we can upgrade 90.3 FM and move the transmitter and antenna (it is currently on top of a building at USF), and solve your signal problems.

How will I know when you have upgraded the signal in my area?
The best way is to join Club KDFC on our website. We will provide regular email updates to our Club members. You can also check our website regularly because we will post updates there as well. And when we make progress we will do our best to get the word out to the media.

How can I hang in there with you while you are improving your signals and expanding your coverage?

There are a number of ways that you can access KDFC even if you are not receiving a good signal right now:

Comcast Digital Cable Television: Comcast carries KDFC on channel 981 in most of the Bay Area.

Internet streaming: You can listen to KDFC on your computer by going to http://www.kdfc.com and click on “Listen Live” at the top right corner of the screen.

iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad App: Stream KDFC via our app, available at the iTunes app store.

Internet radio: Listeners in the South Bay and elsewhere are reporting great success with the Squeezebox, a device that works like a radio but picks up the KDFC web stream. It is available at Fry’s, Best Buy or any other electronics retailer.

How can I support the nonprofit KDFC?

We have formed a new nonprofit that is operating KDFC. The entire KDFC staff is now employed by the nonprofit. To contribute write a check payable to:

The Classical Public Radio Network
201 Third Street
12th Floor
San Francisco CA 94103

Or if you prefer, click here to make a contribution online with your credit card.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Together we’ll make the best Classical KDFC ever.

Sincerely,

Bill Lueth
President
Classical KDFC

[BigJon]

Why are the stations at the ends of the dials considered lesser? I thought that only had to do with marketing not technical performance.

[ai4i]

We hope the new KDFC, or whatever they morph into, will air a more diverse blend than the old casual and comfortable, or whatever it was called, format.

KDFC was the last commercial classical station in a major US city still being operated by a commercial radio company.

He had to add that last part about a commercial radio company so we couldn't hit you with Chicago, Dallas, and even little Cleveland!

Why are the stations at the ends of the dials considered lesser?

The sub-band below 92 is called the "reserved band" and is reserved exclusively for non-comms. Because of the way stations are licensed in this area, many low power stations are broadcasting that would not be allowed above 92. Also, stations are separated by actual transmitted coverages, not classes of license.

[Shapley]

Why are the stations at the ends of the dials considered lesser?

The sub-band below 92 is called the "reserved band" and is reserved exclusively for non-comms. Because of the way stations are licensed in this area, many low power stations are broadcasting that would not be allowed above 92. Also, stations are separated by actual transmitted coverages, not classes of license.

I haven't listened to radio in some time, nor bought a receiver, but I have it in the back of my mind that, while most FM receivers start at 88, some did not run that far down the range.

[ai4i]

I have it in the back of my mind that, while most FM receivers start at 88, some did not run that far down the range.

Never happened in North America. Shortly after WW2, the FM band at 42-50 MHz was replaced by the modern one at 88-108 as lobbyists with interests in AM radio and the emerging TV service, petitioned the FCC to slow FM's growth. During the transition period, some receivers included both 42-50 and 88-108, but none dissed either end of either band.

In Europe and the UK, things were a tad different, as the top of the FM band crept up to the modern top at 108. I had a Britt radio from the late seventies or early eighties which tuned 88-104.
Australia had an FM band which was replaced with TV channels which were then replaced with an FM band again.

The AM band began with one frequency, 833 KHz (360 meters), then 750 KHz was added (400 meters).
If memory serves me correct, the first full AM band ran 550-1500, then 540 and 1510-1600 were added, then 530 and 1610-1700 were added during our lifetimes.

Canada and various other parts of the world currently have terrestrial digital radio band at 1,452-1,492 MHz.

Have I missed anything?

[Shapley]

The reason I recall this is that WPSD-TV (out of Paducah, Kentucky) has an audio signal that can be heard on FM radio recievers in our area. However, when I was younger, it was not audible on all FM Radios.

Since the television reception was rather poor in our college dorm, we would frequently tune the television antenna to pick up the best video signal, turn down the television audio and tune in the audio signal on our stereo receivers.

I believe it was mostly car radios and/or clock radios that could not pick up the signal. Since the signal was generally strong, I attributed that to a lack of range on the radios, but I suppose I could be mistaken and it could be a lack of antenna capability.

[BigJon]

Is there any performance difference at the ends of the bands?

[ai4i]

WPSD-TV...has an audio signal that can be heard on FM radio recievers in our area.

Not any more.
Most FM receivers would get analog channel six audio, which is at 87.75 MHz, just below the FM band.
Not so with HDTV, although 'PSD actually transmits on channel 32 now, virtual channel 6.

Is there any performance difference at the ends of the bands?

No.
Just depends on the individual station and your receiving antenna.