In 2001, KJUN moved to Portland from Tillamook. Now, things are in the works for KBNW and KTIL to move to Portland. Do we really need this many FM radio stations? Will the market be better served with these extra signals? How will the markets losing these signals be impacted?

someone do a report on past/future coastal/mountain move-in's to PDX...I would think quite a list...come on you kids have plenty of time to do!

Craig has his hands full already. Since you are in need of a new hobby, perhaps you can undertake this mission!

Do we really need this many FM radio stations?

The answer is NO! Local market being underserved, Metro area over saturated, the only competition is for ad revenue, and every station is feeding from the same trough. So the value add is bonus spots on sister stations in the cluster. That Blows the rate integrity leading to additional staff cuts to shore the margin which of course degrades the product and sends the listener to other alternatives.

So in a nutshell.....

Too many undervalued ads on too many stations with no compelling content between the music, equals a recipe for listeners to sample other venues. Some don't come back.

ANY station moved in will generate a listener. That listener comes at the expense of another station. Look at the ratings. Sure a move from 3.5 to 5.5 is a nice jump, but it sure isn't so attractive to a potential advertiser. Not when there was a time stations delivered well over 10. You could deliver bigger numbers in a metro with fewer competitors. But the way of thinking now is: "We can put you on 5 stations with a combined 12.8 more than the #1 station, AND we can do it for less money!" Of course, it's a shotgun approach.... you give the advertiser spots on stations that do not target their potential buyer. But hey it was free! Free, but not effective, the business gets less than promised/expected results and takes the bulk or all of his ad dollars elsewhere, or the cluster throws more freebies to keep the client.

But you knew that. Of course there are people who believe that people are leaving not because of content, but because they are facinated by technology and gadgetry. Unfortunate many of those are the decision makers in radio. Radio needs content, entertainment, information, and local connection between the music. The boys in the suits won't write the check for that, but they can let you Wake up with Whoopie, and throw ridiculous sums at an El-Rushbo,think dozens of markets want to hear the Bob and Tom gigglefest, or get the celebrity dirt from Ryan Seacrest, and then figure that for the rest of the day voicetracked 8 dollar an hour card readers will hold your attention between the next 12 in a row and the 6 minute block 'o spotz.....

WOW 40k for the college education, and the degree, and all you learned was to color inside the lines of the pre-approved coloring book.

>>Since you are in need of a new hobby

36+ years hobbying...so says my wife...no time here either...

Back to the original question:

1. "Do we really need this many FM radio stations?"

No.
As a Dxer, I would welcome some "move outs".

2. "Will the market be better served with these extra signals?"

No.
Likely to become more same-sounding "Portland" stations, splitting chunks of a smaller "pie"

3. "How will the markets losing these signals be impacted?

Negative Impact.
Look at the schedule for KTIL... lots of good local stuff that the residents will never hear from a Portland station:

http://www.ktil-kmbd.com/fmsched.htm

KTIL (94.3 mHz) is an easy Dx catch from Hillsboro, I know that I will miss the OTR program at 6:00!

Don't forget KWLZ 96.3 and KNRQ 97.9, both with CPs to move into Portland. That makes at least four new move-ins.

> Look at the schedule for KTIL... lots of good local stuff that the residents will never hear from > a Portland station:

This is the part that I had in mind. A few years ago, The Oregonian had a story about how great KTIL was because it was a mom-and-pop operation that understood how to serve the Tillamook community. Those days will soon be over! I hope that the current ownership (Oregon Eagle) has the good sense to allow Tillamook Today and the Spanish programming to move sister station KMBD 1590 AM.

AND THIS IS WHY THE FCC IS ALL FAQ-ed TUP.

These move in are a big reason radio is in trouble.

They are still going to have an FM station down in the Tillamook area in Netarts on the same frequency, I believe. That was in the proposal which I have part of below:

List of Coordinated Facility Modification Applications
This application is being filed simultaneously with, indexed with and is contingent upon the grant(s) of the following other minor modification applications:
Call FCC Facility ID Community Channel File Number
NEW N/A Netarts, OR 232C3 -
KTIL 82538 Government Camp, OR 232C2 -
RSV 166023 Talent, OR 225A -
NEW N/A Butte Falls, OR 290A -

You notice that Netarts and KTIL are both on the same frequency.

Do we need more FM's? Yes. Why? Cuz I can't find anything to listen to now. Maybe a new station will take a chance on a format tha ISN'T offered in the market. That could send people like me to listen to the radio. Not taking away from other stations, but keeping the ipod off a bit longer.

Maybe the format wheel will stop spinning somewhere where it hasn't yet, and that might be a good thing. What I am worried might happen is that these stations will cost so much that the buyers will decide to "play it safe" and go up against an existing station instead of trying something different.

OK, what format is viable from a revenue standpoint and how do you want it staffed?

I still maintain the Russian folk music is the way to go. I couldn't get it on KSND no matter how hard I tried.

.......Russian folk music.......


You should have tried that idea in Blaine to broadcast to the immigrants living in shabins and trailers around Maple Falls.

Yeah, I should apply for one of those LPFM's that are going to be 10 watts. That should about cover the area needed.

two words: Punk Country

How about a station that plays only cylinder records (c.1890-1920)?

Seriously, I love this site:

http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/radio.php

Try the "American Vaudeville" playlist.

two words: Punk Country

NO

two words: Plas ticks.

I saw the movie "Mrs. Merkinson", where Dustbin Hoffbert gets lessons in life from an older woman and business advice from her husband.

Everybody sing......

Stations moving out,
Stations moving in,
Why? because of the money they can skim.

Ball of confusion, That's what radio is today.
HEY HEY!

>>Punk Country

Does anyone remember that "format" mentioned in a futuristic spoof production call Tomorrow Radio by TM productions late 70's era?

A very funny/love to get copy...any old LP's around?

> two words: Punk Country
"I wanna whip your cow (show me how, show me how)"

The "Tomorrow Radio" satire play is included at the end of Ernie Hopseker's History of Portland Radio documentary.

Hey there radioheads,let's take Punk Country seriously here....Call it what you want--Americana,alt.country--in my feeble mind it's the best new music format there is,encompassing quite a wide variety--Son Volt,the Jayhawks,some Neil Young,even the latest work by Loretta Lynn...there are many others...A few years ago on this board I wrote that my burning ambition in life was to be for Americana on this board what Wayne was for Smoooth Jazz--its primary advocate,its chief honk,if you will,

I'll agree with you, Greenway.

P.s. You forgot My Morning Jacket, Old 97s, Brandi Carlile, and Ryan Adams. The latest projects from all of them are outstanding.

The sign in a vet's office reads "You can never have too many cats."

Right...

Same goes for radio stations?

Punk Country...

Let your freak flag fly!

Dial up KPIG on your internet radio appliance

There is also a KPIG translator from Monterey,I think,at 1670 AM. Kinda fun to DX it

Great! The KPIG website lists KNRO 1670 in Redding. I have logged that station before, will give it a try tonight.

http://www.kpig.com/affiliates/

Also note:


Syndicate KPIG in Your Hometown!
KPIG radio 24/7 format is now available for syndication from Dial-Global if you own, operate, and or program radio stations.
661-294-6222
kpig@dial-global.com

Update 5:15 :

Got it! (4.5 ft outside loop/ICOM 8500)... Interesting music!

Cool that you could receive the station... I've received both KPIG and KGED "Legends 1680" Fresno for a few nights about a month or two ago with just a simple walkman-style digital tuning radio.
Now since the weather/seasons are changing, all I get is Spanish from Seattle...

By 6:15 or so, KPIG/KNRO Redding was an easy catch from Hillsboro with almost any small battery-operated radio. At 7:45 they dropped to night power, and are mostly covered by another station.

I think that I'm hearing the pig on 1670 right now. They announced, "The Hog Call number is 724-PORK!"

The Pig is now playing Timbuk3's "The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)!" :-0

Yep! I just heard them on a 1940 RCA 45x1 "Little Nipper", that I was aligning. Many sets of this era tune past 1700 kc, as local Police departments used these frequencies. The 5-tube little nipper indicates 172 (1720 kc) at the top end of the dial.

At first, I was listening to them on a DX-390 connected to a 45' folded monopole vertical. The DX-390s sensitivity with its built-in ferrite rod is so lousy that nothing intelligible could be heard on 1670 without the aid of an external antenna. The vertical brought in a strong signal but its non-directional pattern caused some co-channel interference to be heard. I switched to the modified Technics SA-929 on an outdoor loop, pointed south. This cleaned up the co-channel interference, but the adjacent channel signals were still strong enough that I had to listen with a narrow IF (about 3kHz audio response).

Jr tech: Is this your radio?

http://www.adclassix.com/images/38rcanipper1.jpg

I wish... The fancy Catalin cabinets are very expensive now. Mine is the plain old brown Bakelite:

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~srs/Antiques/Radios/templ.php?pid=212&collection=Radi os

KPIG just played an interesting tune "Snake Farm" followed by "Treetop Flier", what a contrast!

I'm impressed that they could pack that much performance into a five-tube radio!!

KPIG just played... "Treetop Flier..."
We'd better alert the radio playlist police!

As someone who has been listening to The Pig for seven years now online, and have the Lard Card to prove it, I can highly recommend the format. The free-spirited "free-range DJs" get to pull their own music, and have wide latitude: alt-country, roots, blues, zydeco, folk, reggae, vintage rock, bluegrass, et-freaking-cetera, not to mention comedy bits, fake commercials and live music in the studio.

What's more, the website says they're preparing to interview for a dj position. For my money, the best radio job in America. I suspect a lot of the talent that hangs around this board would be delighted with such a gig.

From the KPIG website:

KPIG is planning to conduct interviews for potential on-air DJ positions. Requirements include the responsibilities for real time, practically free-form on-air work. Applicant must have a working knowledge of Americana, A3 and classic rock music, and a passion for music and radio. Production skills and commercial writing are valuable assets to bring to work in this position. A working knowledge of computers is preferred, because the system we have is not what I would call overly user friendly. We only accept applicants who have heard the KPIG product and are comfortable with our unusual format. Only those interested in becoming a part of part of a great radio team need apply. Long hours, low pay, crabby boss, great job, one of the last in real radio. Applicant must have a valid US drivers license and reliable transportation.
Inquiries/resumes for this position by FAX or mail to:
KPIG radio
1110 Main St. Sweet 16
Watsonville, Ca. 95076
Attention: PD/Laura
831-722-7548 (FAX)
Mapleton Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Hmmm, on reading with more insight, this is probably a standing ad, since the PD Laura in question died last year, and more's the pity.

Still, it would be worth a shot, I believe.

Carpe mike!

Yes we need more FM's we have too many stations on here with the same formats. I know that smooth jazz has been tried but the format hasn't worked because it wasn't promoted and it didn't have much variety. Maybe one of the new stations could try it. I am back by the way.

Smooth Jazz is running into the age factor that killed B/EZ, Standards and Oldies.

If Smooth Jazz is a relic of the 1990s, due to its audience becoming too old, then what, if anything, will fill the niche for instrumental background music?

KIJZ's format, though branded as Smooth Jazz, was slightly different than the Smooth Jazz formats of the 1990s. KIJZ incorporated a good deal of 1970s R&B vocals, and 80s soft pop, making the station sound more like soft R&B/pop. 1990s era Smooth Jazz had more instrumentals, with very prominent saxophones and drum machines.

but who is to say that the younger listeners only like modern contemporary rock? I bet many of them want something else. I remember when I was in high school I listened to KYXI and later KPOL in LA when it played standards. I bet an FM with that would be a welcom change. Maybe also some station could have an accoustic format that would cover the old and the newer music like what BoomerRadio plays.

"I remember when I was in high school I listened to KYXI and later KPOL in LA when it played standards."

Wow, that does NOT surprise me at all.

Welcome back, by the way.

Also, don't forget about the new AM 1130 construction permit.

Smooth jazz is broadcast on KKCW HD-2 (103.3) .. perhaps it is time to buy a HD radio?

>>the new AM 1130 construction permit

did anyone see a few new sticks west of Mt Angel this last weekend at Octoberfest?

Thanks Warner, I missed everybody! I just get tired of rock and roll on the radio. I listen to the internet anyway because there is too much garbage on the radio. I don't know why 105.9 needed to play the exact same music as K Hits. I have heard the same songs at the same time. If Kool played the earlier hits they might have more variety.

It isn't the same music! 75% of the music on Kool is from the 60s. K-Hits usually plays between 3 and 5 per hour. K-Hits has more variety but mostly from the 70s. I'm pretty sure K-Hits would play even fewer 60s at this point, if it weren't for Kool. Anything before 1962 is really vague for me and I'm now over the age limit so anything pre-Beatles is mostly out of the question and the mid-60s don't have much time left either!

Now......if we can move KFIS from 104.1 to 104.3 and KKCW from 103.3 to 103.5, we can easily add KYTE 102.7 from Newport to PDX area.

I had forgotten that Clear Channel mooved the Smooth Jazz to a HD subchannel. They didn't give up on it after all! To be honest, it is my opinion that there are two kinds of people who ask about programming formats or styles on this board:
1) People who genuinely want to find said programming and will go almost anywhere to find it once they know where to look.
2) People who probably know where to find what they want to hear but secretly want broadcasters to acknowledge that said programming has mainstream appeal. Often these people are also looking for affirmation of their tastes and views. When these people are told that their sought after programming can be found on the Internet, on AM, or on an HD subchannel, their reaction is to whine, "why isn't this being carried on a full-powered FM signal?"

Moochie I have heard the same songs on KOOL repeated at the same time on K-Hits. I wish one station would do the 70s and the other the 60s and late 50's.

So Alfredo it sounds like there should be some room for smooth jazz on FM. At least KINK should start playing that again. That was what got me interested in it.

Traditional Oldies time has passed. We will not be hearing anymore of it on a full powered FM and I'm quite surprised we even have Kool!

105.9 should be choosing a new format, under the direction of Tommy Austin!

>>it sounds like there should be some room for smooth jazz on FM<<

Sorry Wayne - smooth jazz as a format is dying just as Oldies is. There are a few stations (like KWJZ in Seattle) still doing OK with SJ but I wouldn't bet even one of the move-ins will pick up the format.

Thats why I am on the internet listening there. I find a lot more variey there then on the radio.There are great stations on there like KD radio and NetOldies.com and Radio Bop.

The station my wife and I voice track for is about 70 percent smooth jazz. The rest is classic R&B, A/C, and some oldies. We don't mention smooth jazz in any of the imaging. We're known as The Wave, which seems appropriate being a coastal city we broadcast from.

When I am old and sitting in the Senior Center listening to the radio, the radio will be playing "Music of your Life", or rather, of my life and the lives of those folks there.

The station locally will be known as "Sunny 92.3" and will feature a lot of Led Zeppelin.

On weekend evenings, we will look forward to a mostly retired team of Marty and Iris, who will regale us with tales of how life used to be, while playing the old standards (like The Who and Pink Floyd). Of course, we will hear them during the week too, as they will likely be doing recorded spots for medical supply companies.....

Someday those guys will be old standards folks. They sound great compared to some of the new stuff I keep hearing.

> So Alfredo it sounds like there should be some room for smooth jazz on FM.

Please don't get too offended, but I think that you're looking for affirmation here. You have Smooth Jazz available on the Internet, as you stated, and you can hear it on an HD-Radio subchannel. I'm sure that you could find it on satellite radio, too. These are two (and potentially three) different options for listening to Smooth Jazz. For the record, I don't think that any format inherently "belongs" on FM.

Another thing: I had a roommate in college who got me into listening to Smooth Jazz in the late 1990s glory days of the format. The Smooth Jazz radio sound of that day was made up of a lot records featuring a prominent saxophone with drum machines; alternately, a jazzy guitar could be the lead instrument (Slash of Guns and Roses had just hopped aboard the Smooth Jazz train at that point). Occasionally, one might hear an older Herb Alpert or Bob James record thrown in the mix. There were "thundering mics" that gave the DJs a God-like sound. Last, but certainly not least, many of the commercials advertised goods and services that appealed to an upscale white collar audience. I thought that this was a beautiful sound. It was a soundtrack for the American Dream being broadcast on the radio. Unfortunately, the music industry and the broadcast industry have changed since those days of ten years ago. I believed that KIJZ's attempt at the format showed that the amount of Smooth Jazz being made today is very small compared to what was being produced 10 years ago, and that is why KIJZ had to mix so much R&B and older Smooth Jazz tracks into their format. In short, KIJZ did not have the same magical sound as the Smooth Jazz stations that I remember from the 1990s.

I thought the reason KINK did so well earlier was that it added jazz in with the rest of their sound. My complaint is that the station plays way too many commercials.

Popular music in general has trended more uptempo. Perhaps "Smooth Jazz" killed itself off by moving in the opposite direction.

We have 88.7, 89.5, 90.3 and soon, 91.1 and 94.3 transmitting from Mt. Hood. How many more stations do you think will locate up there? By the way, I noticed that Cornelius is now over 10,000 in population. There's another possible COL for first local service.

Soooo, when is KNRQ 97.9 scheduled to move to Portland ?? Will it be a Cumulus station ??Is it being bought by someone else ?? Is Cumulus buying other property in Portland ???

With all of these Portland move-ins, I think that the following lyrics from The Dead Milkmen are apropos:

Poke out your eyes
And move to Portland!
Kill your wife
And move to Portland!
Burn down your home
And move to Portland!
Come on everybody!
We're movin' to Portland!

The group must be from California.

The Dead Milkmen were from Philadelphia, PA (I would have never guessed). In that song they were apparently satirizing some now-obscure news events of the mid 1980s, wherein Portland, OR became notorious for attracting psychopaths, murderers, and arsonists from other parts of the country. Some time ago, I was at a dinner, and somebody pointed out that Portland had gained that dubious distinction in the 80s. The person did not know about the Dead Milkmen's lyrics, so I was thrilled that after all these years, I finally understood what this song was about. Now, back to radio...

We need more conservative-talk radio stations in Portland. There just isn't enough. Screw that! We need more conservative-talk all over the US.

How about moving 95.1 KSND from Mommouth OR to Mt. Hood, 105.5 Hood River to Mt. Hood

Portland's 95.5 being a class C, would keep 95.1 at very low power. Longview's 105.5 KUKN would keep KCGB from covering Portland.

Maybe the group is talking about the Californians who moved up here. There have been many.

maybe they meant Portland Maine?

Actually, 95.5 KXTG is in the same type of situation as KZEL (as discussed in the other thread)... KXTG (as well as other stations on Stonehenge) is 100 kW at 386m, which technically puts it in class C0 territory:
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmclasses.html

The difference is only a few kilometers of space between the stations, but nonetheless it is a difference:
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/spacing/73207.html

Longview's 105.5 KUKN would keep KCGB from covering Portland.
I'm thinking KEUG being a C2 on 105.5 could also affect that, too.

Portland's 95.5 being a class C, would keep 95.1 at very low power.
There's also a 95.1 Trout Lake, WA allotment.

88.3 KBVM
88.7 KLVP (rim-shot)
89.1 KMHD
89.5 KPFR (rim-shot)
89.9 KBPS
90.3 KZRI (rim-shot)
90.7 KBOO
91.1 KZME (rim-shot)
91.5 KOPB
92.3 KGON
93.1 KTRO
93.9 KPDQ
94.3 KTIL (rim-shot)
94.7 KNRK
95.5 KXTG
96.3 KWLZ
97.1 KYCH
97.9 KNRQ
98.7 KUPL
99.5 KWJJ
100.3 KKRZ
101.1 KUFO
101.9 KINK
103.3 KKCW
103.7 KXPC (rim-shot)
104.1 KFIS
105.1 KRSK
105.9 KQOL
106.7 KLTH
107.5 KXJM

Awww, you're complaining about too many stations.
It's happening everywhere.

Boise:

1 88.3 KARJ (rim-shot)
2 88.7 KTYY
3 89.5 KTSY
4 90.3 KBSU (rim-shot)
5 90.9 KIDH
6 91.5 KBSX
7 92.3 KIZN
8 93.1 KZMG
9 94.1 KBXL
10 94.9 KRVB
11 96.1 KSRV
12 96.9 KKGL (rim-shot)
13 97.7 KPHD (rim-shot)
14 98.7 KARO (rim-shot)
15 99.1 KTPZ (rim-shot)
16 99.5 KWEI
17 100.3 KQXR (rim-shot)
18 100.7 KAYN (rim-shot)
19 101.1 KMCL
20 101.9 KDBI
21 102.7 KQFC
22 103.5 KSAS (rim-shot)
23 103.7 new
24 104.3 KTMY
25 105.1 KJOT (rim-shot)
26 105.5 new
27 105.9 KCIX (rim-shot)
28 106.3 KQTA
29 107.1 KTHI
29 107.9 KXLT

...And that is only FM.

1. 550 KOAC (rim-shot)
2. 590 KUGN (rim-shot)
3. 620 KPOJ
4. 660 KXOR (rim-shot)
5. 750 KXL
6. 800 KPDQ
7. 860 KPAM
8. 880 KWIP (rim-shot)
9. 910 KTRO
10. 940 KWBY (rim-shot)
11. 970 KCMD
12. 1010 KOOR
13. 1040 KXPD
14. 1080 KFXX
15. 1130 -new- (rim-shot)
14. 1150 KXMG
15. 1190 KEX
16. 1220 KPJC (rim-shot)
17. 1230 KSZN
18. 1260 KLYC (rim-shot)
19. 1330 KKPZ
20. 1360 KUIK (rim-shot)
21. 1390 KKSN (rim-shot)
22. 1430 KYKN (rim-shot)
23. 1450 KBPS
24. 1480 KBMS
25. 1520 KGDD
26. 1550 KKAD
27. 1600 KOHI (rim-shot)
28. 1640 KDZR

1410 KBNP

Oops!! Make that 29 AM signals in the Portland metro area.

Would it be possible to add 91.9 FM in the Portland area?

We have translator K220IN on 91.9 at 5 Watts.

E-dawg was referring to a class A (or higher) signal coming to the Portland area. This would bump the 91.9 translator off the air.

Should Portland radio station be like Mexico City(in terms of radio dial, not format)?

http://www.mexicoradiotv.com/

The way that those guys pack in the AM stations at 20 kHz intervals seems wacky! However, I don't know the geographic proximity of these stations to one another or anything about directional patterns that these stations might use. For instance, if we count some of our rimshots, we have 1390, 1410, 1430, and 1450 all as greater Portland stations. We will soon also have 1130 and 1150!

Note also that in Mexico, the low end of the FM band is not reserved for exclusive non-commercial use.

Boy the power bills/coverage maps for those 100kw AM's!

Are too many radio stations moving to Portland...bottom line, Yes!

Is Van Moe (owner of TIL/MBD) gonna continue owning the station, or is he buying up the new station in Netarts in exchange?

What the frequency of the Netarts station? where will it be located?

You think Portland has too many radio stations, lets try Rome, Italy and tell me about it.

http://www.frequenze-radio.it/rm.htm

Are all of those Roman stations licensed operations, or are some of them pirates? Years ago, I saw multiple accounts that loopholes in Italian law had led to a large number of pirates going on the air, without the authorities being able to do much about them. With that kind of crowding on the FM band, are there a lot of AM broadcasters in Rome, as well? I couldn't find an AM list.

It may not be as bad as it looks. Those channels might only be 100Khz wide but still...

We have too many stations that have the same format in Portland. We have way too many rock and talk stations. What would be wrong with a station with an accoustic format? It would be like the accoustic storm. That would be a nice change of pace. Plus with that format we could hear both the old and new music.

I can tell formatic differences between every music station in Portland and I'm way out of the demo for most of them!

Alfredo--

If you count the fact that the news station CKWX in Vancouver, BC has been receivable here for years, you might as well figure that we already hear a rimshot station on 1130......

But by my experience with CKWX so far, I have only been able to intercept it at night. I assume you mean night *and* day, do you??

My take on a rimshot is a station that is located outside of a metro area but intentionally beams its signal that way and tries to program to its environs. A very good example would be 105.1, when the antenna was on a Cascade foothill. All of the stations on Mt Hood would qualify as will the 1130 in Mt Angel, since the signal will be beamed directly at us in the daytime. 1230 and 1360 don't count as they are simply suburban stations and the remaining Salem stations don't count either as they don't program to the metro area and barely reach it if at all.

With the AM stations, I was using the term simply to mean radio stations that are close enough that their groundwave signal reaches the Portland area and can be received reasonably well in some parts of the city but not in others. I the contexts where I have seen the term "rimshot" used before, this refers purely to the station's marketing or the management's wishful thinking. In other words, if a suburban station calls itself a "Portland" station, then it is a rimshot. I may have been using the term too loosely because only a few of the "rim-shots" that I listed try to identify themselves with the Portland area--namely KUIK and KOAC (years ago, the 550 frequency appeared in bus billboard ads for OPB radio). A directional signal that "beams" into a metro area is not really necessary.

When I lived in the Austin TX area, I had my first experiences with the lackluster listening experience of FM rimshots (in the marketing context that I had previously heard the term used). In the greater Austin area, there were several radio stations with transmitters located 20-30 miles from downtown Austin. In some cases, the 1mv/m contour did not entirely cover the city. For example, see:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KXXS&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

and

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KHZS&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

I remember that in the far southwestern part of Austin, listening to 107.7 (which was "Alternative" KNNC at the time) was difficult because of San Antonio's 107.5. On manually tuned radios, 107.5 would try to pull the AFC. When KROX 101.5 went on the air with an almost identical format broadcast from an antenna farm in town, they quickly destroyed 107.7 because of the superior signal. Within one year, 107.7 was simulcasting 101.5, and then it was "wheel of formats" time for 107.7

You should be lucky to have plenty of radio stations in Portland. Try living in London England or Toronto Canada.