Why 107.1
Note: 107.1 is significantly higher up in the air. While 91.1 reaches the areas within this map, it has far more opportunities for interference while listeners are driving through town, and may be inconsistent. This means that 107.1 is almost always the better listening experience within our signal range.
107.1 FM nearly quadruples the number of households in our signal range compared to 91.1 FM.
And it's not at its max power.
"KXRY as a Class D will never have citywide coverage. Their only options are to purchase or lease a translator already in service, and that is unlikely at this time, although it could be possible in the future." - March 2014 Portland Mercury Interview with Andrew Brown, local multimedia engineer working in Portland radio since the '70's.
Well, finding a translator already in service was unlikely. But, it happened, just 6 months later.
That translator? It's 107.1 FM.
Importance of Ownership with 107.1 FM
1) 107.1 is 4x the size of our 91.1 signal. Without a strong signal, the ability we have to fulfill our mission is severely stunted.
We know you understand what quadruple means, so this perhaps doesn't require much explanation. But, we do often get folks asking why terrestrial broadcast (i.e. FM radio) even matters in the age of streaming, and if it's just tech-resistant folks we're serving then.The short answer is: terrestrial radio listening remains substantial, with 82% of Americans over 12 years old listening to it every week. Radio is uniquely accessible, free, and available widely. If the FM model wasn't worth it, then why do so many streaming services keep copying it?
2) Because we don’t own 107.1, if we don't buy it, we likely won't be the ones that are operating it anymore. In short, we do this or we lose it.
No different than renting versus owning anything in this country, you can't take for granted something that you rent will be available in perpetuity. 107.1 is a very very rare asset, and nothing like it has been available in Portland in the past decade we've been operating.
The fact that we got the 107.1 license in the first place was a major, and extremely unlikely, event. Basically, our use of this license was entirely dependent on another station, KZME, ceasing operations. We're not wishing that on anyone and certainly not counting on another rare opportunity like that.
3) 91.1 has serious limitations.
As a Class D license, 91.1 is an old license type that has been grandfathered into modern broadcast rules by the FCC. Originally, Class D licenses were only intended to serve a college campus and no further. The FCC ended new Class D applications in the United States in 1978 (aside from in Alaska for whatever reason) and in turn offered a one-time Class upgrade to current Class D license holders. The then license holders, Reed College, declined to upgrade to a Class A, and the option is no longer available today. The current equivalent of a Class D license is a Low-Power FM license. However, these also have several additional limitations, so we've opted to stick with our Class D vs. switch to LPFM. Notably, 107.1 cannot legally originate content, it must be used with a license like 91.1 that it rebroadcasts. It’s the pair of these signals together that allows XRAY to be heard by the population center of Portland.
4) If we own 107.1, we are able to explore modifying the coverage area and increasing listener reach.
The shape of the broadcast landscape can change suddenly and without notice. If XRAY owns this asset we can respond to and potentially take advantage of opportunities when they arise. As an asset not owned by XRAY, any of these maneuvers would need to be approved by the current owner, Metro East, and be mutually beneficial for both organizations.