ANALOG VS. IBOC: KMJM 104.9 Columbia, IL

 

Frequency/Station                              Before KMJM Went IBOC                                 After KMJM Went IBOC

 

104.5 KSLQ Washington, MO           Semi-local signal in Stereo                               Minor interference to Stereo pilot*

104.7 WNSV Nashville, IL                  Good to fair signal                                               Moderate to severe interference from IBOC sidebands

105.1 MHz                                             Either WTAO Murphysboro, IL                           Wiped out by KMJM’s IBOC sidebands         

                                                                or WGEM-FM Quincy, IL

105.3 WAOX Staunton, IL                   Semi-local signal in Stereo                               Minor interference to Stereo pilot*

 

*denotes when the antenna is pointed in a southerly direction

 

KMJM is a Class C3 station…so the interference is not as pronounced as on KSD or KATZ-FM. Still, it would reduce KSLQ’s coverage to the east (toward areas like Kirkwood, Fenton and even Creve Coeur); it also reduces WNSV’s coverage to the northwest (toward Belleville) and WAOX’s coverage to the southwest into the very area they’re trying to serve (Edwardsville). The sidebands are clearly heard on 104.6 and 105.2 MHz. This is another waste of 800 kHz of spectrum.