Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, who shares the following guest post:
Channel 6 Radio Stations
By Bob Colegrove
Even after all these years, I still find occasional surprises while playing with radios. How did I miss this one? I recently did what I thought was a definitive audit of the available FM stations in my area. Then, just the other day I happened to tune down below 88.1 (FM Channel 201). At 87.7 MHz I came across some delightful Latin music in clear stereo and proceeded to park the tuning knob there for a listen. At first, I thought I might simply have some intermodulation from a strong local station, but the stereo signal was much too clear. So, I resorted to the internet to determine what was going on. Turns out, according to their website, I was listening to DC 88.7FM in Fairfax, Virginia – no call letters, just “DC 88.7FM.”
Further investigation indicated that the station is officially WDCN-LD a low-power operator, but you won’t find it listed on the FCC FM Query site. That’s because it is something of a legacy station, a carryover from analog TV days when the audio for Channel 6 was broadcast with the carrier centered on 87.75 MHz, within the range of most FM receivers. Having discovered this, I retuned the radio slightly to 87.75 MHz and found the signal strength peaked. Wikipedia describes the history of WDCN-LD at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WDCN-LD.
Of further interest is the history of so-called “Channel 6 FM radio stations.” The evolution of present-day stations is long and involved. Over several years, the FCC formed committees, requested comments, held hearings, wrote reports, published proposals, rendered rulings, and ultimately granted waivers. For the full story, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_6_radio_stations_in_the_United_States. What resulted are legacy stations dating back to analog TV days which continue to operate sans video as de facto FM stations. For all practical purposes, we have a modest extension of the FM band. There are, in fact, 14 such stations currently spread across the lower 48 states. It is unlikely that the circumstances which created these stations will ever result in more stations being added. As of July 20, 2023, an FCC report and order restricted these stations to those already licensed and current licenses untransferable.
Do you live near a Channel 6 FM radio station?
Just to complete the picture, there is also officially an FM Channel 200 at 87.9 MHz, which was established in 1978, but to my knowledge is not used. Does anyone have any information on FM Channel 200?
As an historical aside, the present-day FM band, 88 to 108 MHz, is located directly between analog TV Channels 6 and 7. In 1958, to foster FM use, Regency Electronics, Inc. marketed a converter, Model RC-103, in a handsome Bakelite case, which could be attached between the antenna (generally “rabbit ears”) and the TV set. The converter contained a single transistor and was powered by three AA batteries. By tuning the TV to Channel 6, turning on the TeleVerter to FM, and rotating its dial, one effectively detuned the Channel 6 audio frequency upward, and could listen to the entire FM band. As this converter was manufactured prior to the advent of stereo broadcasting, the sound was in mono, and fidelity was limited to the audio quality of the TV. My dad bought one of these. It was connected to our Arvin 12”, B/W tabletop TV, and it served as our first FM radio for a few years. There were only a few stations at that time, mostly classical as I recall. Thus “FM” came to stand for “fine music.”
Source: Sams Photofact Folder, Set 397, Folder 11, Regency Model RC-103, May, 1958.
In Australia, 87.5 to 88 MHz is reserved for LPON stations (low power, open narrowcast) and is widely used in each of Australia’s capital cities and many regional towns. There are over 1600 of them across Australia.
Here’s a map of them as at 2017:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1TGvL0kswK0KlWvnyzL9lBI8R1ao&usp=sharing
Similar to the FCC exemption for Channel 6, historical licenses were granted to 7 stations who held LPON licenses between 88.1 and 108MHz on FM. I don’t have a list of where/what these are.
Thanks for the info! Just a couple of days ago I was wondering whatever happened to the TV audio on radio from the days of yore and whether or not it could still be possible to receive it! I’ll have to try it in my locality. I have been able to listen to TV audio from a childhood favorite radio/TV station, WKRG (now 250 miles away), on my iPhone, which introduces a staggering amount of possibilities.
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Somehow their existence escaped me. Turns out I can get WTBS-LD in Atlanta. Never knew it was there.
Sacramento’s PBS affiliate is KVIE channel 6. In 1975 a PBS show called Not For Women Only discussed women’s issues be it political, medical, societal, etc. The show aired on channel 6 Friday nights at 11:00 pm. I was able to hear channel 6’s audio on my Midland AM/FM/SW/VHF-hi portable, One night the panel was discussing women’s sexuality and the physiology of attaining an orgasm. That was the first time I had heard that word, let alone learned that women could experience such arousal. I was 15 at the time — my parents had no idea their teenage boy was receiving such an education.
Used to hear a thumpin’ beat rock station in NYC area on what was Channel 6. Have to check the list to see if it’s still there…d
87.9 MHz was designated as a potential assignment for existing 10-watt “Class D” stations which were unable increase their power to at least 100 watts, and also could not be moved to the adjoining commercial channels of 92.1 to 107.9 MHz. Currently, a translator for KAWZ in Nevada uses this frequency.
The day of licensing new Class D stations is long gone, however, there is a station in Ohio recently licensed on 105.5 at 6 watts.
I really like 87.9 for home bound Part 15 transmitters to transmit audio to household radios. Legal units are limited to about a range of 200 feet, and this frequency really comes in handy for a clear channel for part 15 use
A number of folks call them FrankenFM stations…
Bob,
You’ve done it again. Now I’m going to check that frequency in my area.
Cheers, Jock
My mom (who would have been 94 today had she not died in 2019) knew of this. Growing up in Montreal in analog days, she would often crank the tuning knob on the kitchen radio all the way to the low end of the dial in order to listen to the CBMT channel 6 (CBC Montreal TV station) news at the supper hour.
As noted elsewhere, many of the digital tuners today don’t allow tuning of 87.7 MHz let alone the actual 87.75 carrier.
I have several radios with digital tuners that go to 87.7, including C.Cranes CC Pocket Radio. Those suppliers in the know have not forgotten about the Franken FM stations on 87.7. Search Wikipedia for a very nice description of how these stations need to operate in order to skirt existing FCC rules.
Forgot to mention that 87.7 is close enough to tune in a station on 87.75. Also, most car radios go down to 87.7 as well.
In the Americas the ‘FM broadcast band’ is 88 – 108 MHz. In the rest of the world it is 87.5 – 108 MHz according to the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union. In analog NTSC Television channel 6 is 82 – 88 MHz with an FM sound channel at 87.75 MHz.
As of 10th November 2024, there are currently 115 licenced channel 6 transmitters. Within that number there are 7 ATSC1.0 DTV transmitters and 6 Low power DTV stations. These transmitters will not be audible on any FM receiver including HD radios. The rest are very low power NTSC analog transmitters. which may be audible on 87.75 MHz if you are very close.
I have noticed that very few new TV antennas are designed for any frequency below channel 7 which includes the TV transmission channels 2 – 6.
WDCN-LP https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?list=0&facid=20450 It is only 3 kW all in a Westerly direction and is authorised to go digital at 700 W
87.9 MHz is part of channel 6 and digital will require the whole channel width.
Back in the early 80s when I moved to southern Maine, i discovered this phenomenon with the local NBC TV affiliate WCSH Portland. When running late I, and thousands of others would tune our FM car radios to catch the beginning of the 6 o’clock news. The station was well aware of this and eventually advertised this phenomenon when big weather events were forecast with the potential for power outages. they encouraged viewers to tune in on their radios to get the latest news and information. Of course, when things went digital it all went away. Fun while it lasted.
The plot thickens. After I submitted the article, I realized that to my knowledge, there had never been a Channel 6 in either Washington or Baltimore. VHF channels 4, 5, 7, and 9 were assigned in Washington and 2, 11 and 13 in Baltimore. Thus, the prerequisites for DC 88.7FM would seem to be missing. How did this Channel 6 FM radio station evolve when there was apparently nothing for it to evolve from?
John, regarding WCSH, it sounds like a case where a technological loophole turned out to provide a genuine community service. Why not open up 87.7 and 87.9 to low-power regional weather, TIS, etc. services?
Fascinating, thanks for the article!
Very interesting, Bob, great article! Unlikely I will ever hear anything where I live, but in perfect FM DX conditions, who knows!!
Cheers! Robert
Living in DC, we share the same “Frankenstein” station. That’s the only one I’ve ever heard in all my travels! Another FM band treat are the “LP” stations of which there are quite a few. I believe more are wending there way through the FCC process.
Currently wrapping up an extended trip and now in Rome where I can count Radio Algeria in English as a log entry via the minimalist D-220. That at the bottom of the AM band and in their weekly English programming.
Ciao.