The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“From Monarch to the Mesa on 88.7…”
A stronger, better signal for KBUT radio at the south end of the valley is on the horizon.
The Federal Communications Commission selected KBUT’s parent organization, Crested Butte Mountain Educational Radio, as the proposed recipient of a construction permit for a full-power transmitter to replace its translator in Gunnison. The FCC made its announcement on June 28.
“This basically means that KBUT will be able to build a new transmitter facility that will provide a stronger signal and HD signal to our listeners in Gunnison,” said KBUT general manager Dave Clayton. “This notification is only the first step in a long process that began with the submission of an application to the FCC in October of 2007. Going forward, if there is not a protest to the FCC’s decision, KBUT will be issued a new construction permit.”
KBUT board president Alex Fenlon said at that time, the station will begin fundraising for the construction. He estimated that would cost in the neighborhood of $150,000 to $200,000. “Under FCC regulations, we have three years from the issuance of the construction permit to complete the installation.”
Fenlon is excited at the prospect of improving the signal to Gunnison listeners. “This decision protects us as far as other radio stations coming in to use that frequency,” he explained. “Overall, it will provide better sounding signals and better coverage from Monarch Pass to Blue Mesa. It’s a great thing for us and a great thing for Gunnison.”
Fenlon described the quality difference as going from using a pencil and paper to using an iPhone. “The difference will be noticeable and it will be bigger, better, stronger and wider,” he said.
Clayton said this is something the station has been pursuing for years. “KBUT operates as a Non-Commercial Educational licensee and has been planning for about ten years to upgrade the Gunnison translator to a full-service transmitter. We had to wait for the FCC to open a filing window, which happened in October 2007. We filed for a transmitter for Gunnison and Almont,” he explained.
“The application for Gunnison was filed for the frequency of 88.7 and a total of 13 applicants on the Western Slope applied for that frequency that had overlapping service contours,” continued Clayton. “We were the ultimate application selected on a point system basis. We were selected because of a number of new persons covered and most importantly because we were the only applicant that had a local presence. We did not win the Almont application. It went to a new station in Silverthorne-Dillon area.”
Clayton also said that KBUT can upgrade to an HD signal and “We could actually send different broadcast streams to Crested Butte and Gunnison,” he said. “Crested Butte could hear a Candidate’s Forum while Gunnison could hear regular programming. It also means that we will be the only signal on the frequency so we won’t be fighting other signals like we currently do in Gunnison with a station out of Colorado Springs.”
The station will begin planning of the upgrade immediately.
