The FCC on November 15, 2021 published a list of applicants for the latest non-commercial educational FM station filing window, and San Diego County was well-represented. It appears as though some applications used software that failed to take into account Mexican licensees, and those applications will likely be dismissed. Keep in mind, too, that some applicants get cold feet after considering the time and money commitment of a radio station, or may have requested more stations than they can outfit, or may have not yet negotiated to occupy the space they have applied for. Any of these filers may ask to have their applications canceled. Here’s a list of San Diego County applications that the FCC has received and marked as “pending”:
Descanso (Monument Peak), 88.1 MHz, 250 W, Calvary Chapel of Pearl Harbor, HI. Religious broadcaster. Chance of success: high.
Dulzura (Gaskill Peak east of El Cajon), 89.1, 300 W, Activist San Diego. You might remember this group as the ones who gave up their KUMI (FM) license when the FCC questioned their facility after John Fox of KPRI (FM) Pala complained that KUMI had never been constructed. The new facility would be co-channel with their own KNSJ (FM) Descanso station as well as with the KPBS translator in La Jolla, K206AC. We’re not sure if this is a replacement for KNSJ because a substantial interference zone is likely. Chance of success: high.
Warner Springs, 89.9 MHz, 300 W, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association. This is on Hot Springs Mountain in the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation near where Activist San Diego had said they constructed KUMI by the group that said they hadn’t. Mutually exclusive with the following app. Chance of success: unknown.
Romona (Warner Springs), 89.9 MHz, 3.1 kW, Center for Economic Justice, George Gastil, Lemon Grove. Mutually exclusive with the previously listed application up the mountain. Presumably serves a higher pop count with the higher power and directional antenna, so this app could have an advantage in competition. Chance of success: unknown.
San Diego (KGB site), 90.3 MHz, 50 kW. Mocha Cares Foundation “supporting organizations working to improve the lives of women and their families.” Co-channel with XHITZ Tijuana. Chance of success: 0%
Escondido (Mt. Woodson), 90.3 MHz, 13 kW, Community Public Radio, a Christian media organization in Athens, GA. Co-channel with XHITZ-FM Tijuana. Chance of success: 0%
San Diego (KGB site), 91.1 MHz, 5 kW, Mocha Cares Foundation. Co-channel with XETRA Tijuana. Chance of success: 0%
Carlsbad (Black Mountain), 91.1 MHz, 15 kW, Community Public Radio. Co-channel with XETRA-FM Tijuana. Chance of success: 0%
La Jolla (Parsa Peak, Lakeside), 91.7 MHz, 5.6 kW, Community Public Radio. Co-channel with XHGLX-FM Tijuana, which the FCC appears to be unaware of itself. Chance of success: near zero.
CORRECTION: Deleted incorrect statement that the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association owns KPRI (FM) Pala. John Fox, GM of KPRI, is associated with SCTCA, but they are not the same organization. —Gary Stigall 11/30/21