WBAA-FM Begins Antenna Upgrade for Increased Power

(Tuesday, June 30, 2009) Employees of Dybedock & Associates from Kankakee, Illinois have arrived at the WBAA-FM Transmitter site to begin upgrades of the station antenna. (see article below) Weather permitting the work will be performed on Wednesday and Thursday. Climbers will remove the antenna from the 400' tower and bring it to the ground. They will make modifications to the antenna, climb the tower again and re-mount the antenna. WBAA-FM will be 'off-the-air' during this time but you can still listen on-line at wbaa.org.

Click on each photo for a larger image

WBAA-FM Granted Construction Permit for Higher Power

WBAA-FM has been granted a construction permit by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its power from 5,000 watts to 14,000 watts. We will begin construction of the increased power facility as well as moving to HD Radio Technology on FM later this year.

The power increase will allow WBAA Radio to increase its audience area.  General manager Tim Singleton says “It will increase the size of the coverage area a few miles but, more importantly, it will increase the strength and quality of the signal in Tippecanoe County.”

Another radio station moving its transmitter led WBAA to seek an increase in power.  “When the FM station went on the air in 1993, 5,000 watts was the maximum power we could get because of a station on the same frequency in Richmond, Indiana” Singleton said.  “Last winter we found out the station in Richmond moved its transmitter” allowing us to petition the FCC for an increase in power.

WBAA-FM will also be able to broadcast using HD Radio Technology in addition to its conventional FM signal.  WBAA received grant funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to pay for approximately 50% of the additional HD Radio conversion costs.   The increase in power for the FM will increase the costs of the transmitter.  Station funds from listeners have been allocated to make the conversion to HD Radio technology and increase power.

Converting WBAA FM to digital will allow the possibility of more programming.  Singleton says “For FM, digital will allow us to add one or two channels to the main channel.  The main channel will carry the current FM programming, but the addition of HD Technology will allow us to add additional programming on the supplemental channels.  As with digital TV, you can get more channels and programming.  We have not yet determined what programming we will add to the supplementary FM channels . Unlike TV, you will not need to buy a new receiver unless you want to listen to the supplementary channels on FM or the high-fidelity signal on AM.”

Art in New York City
Join WBAA and the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette November 12-15, 2009 for a special guided tour of New York City art museums including the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Click for a PDF flyer about this trip

Hosted by Kendall Smith, Executive Director of the Art Museum and art appraiser Sharon Theobald, the 4-day, 3-night trip will include ideal accommodations in the heart of New York City, tours of three museums, behind-the-scenes tours of Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses, and dining at award-winning restaurants. The price of the trip is $1,350 plus airfare. A 50% deposit is due by July 30th.

Space is limited, so make your reservations early by calling 494-5920 or email dbootsma@purdue.edu. At your request, we will forward a more detailed packet of information.

Upcoming Events

Uptown Jazz and Blues Festival - August 22
The annual Uptown Jazz and Blues festival will take place from 5:00 pm until midnight along Fifth Street in downtown Lafayette. This is where the "cool cats" will gather to hear some of the best jazz and blues groups in this region!

Global Fest - September 5
WBAA will embrace the diversity of cultures in our community by having our booth at the annual Global Fest. The City of West Lafayette hosts the annual Global Fest at the Morton Center from 9am - 9pm.

Art on the Wabash - September 20
The annual fair will be held in Tapawingo Park along the Wabash River in West Lafayette from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The focus of the day will be on art created right here in this area.

Feast of the Hunters' Moon - October 10-11
The 42nd annual Feast of the Hunters' Moon will take place along the banks of the Wabash River at Fort Quiatenon in West Lafayette. WBAA will again host a booth that gives out educational trade beads.

HD Radio Technology

What is HD Radio?

HD Radio is a new technology that enables radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally, providing listeners with improved audio quality and reception. You need a special receiver. Currently there are a few models available. More are expected in the future. The entire radio industry is moving to HD Radio, and WBAA-AM is in the vanguard of stations in this area making the transition.

Benefits of HD Radio:

* Static-free CD-quality sound
* Unlike satellite radio, HD Radio Technology does not require a special subscription (though we encourage you to contribute to WBAA so we can provide this service)
* Easy transition: With your new HD Radio set, you can continue listening to other stations still broadcasting in analog, as well as to AM920 with HD Radio Technology.

How can you get AM920 on an HD Radio receiver?

To hear an HD radio broadcast of AM920 you'll need a new HD Radio receiver tuned to AM920. AM920 started broadcasting with HD Radio Technology experimentally on September 30, 2008.

The NPR Shop has a nice selection of HD Radios.
http://shop.npr.org

Here's a list of where you can purchase HD radio receivers. http://hdradio.com/buyers_guide.php

Thanks to iBiquity Digital Corporation, the sole developer of HD Radio technology. For more info, see www.ibiquity.com.

WBAA PROGRAM NOTES

The Summer 2009 issue of WBAA's Program Notes is available in PDF format. This edition contains stories about Evening Concerts, Tulip Time Festival, NYC: 4 Days/3 Nights, Dog Days of Summer and upcoming Summer events in the community.

View the PDF File.