Radio World Buyer’s Guide articles are intended to help readers understand why their colleagues chose particular products to solve various technical situations. This month’s articles focus on transmitters.
The combination of WRTH(LP) in Greenville, S.C., and translator W299BO(FM) in Berea goes by the moniker “Kool FM 101.5 and 107.7.” Together they serve an audience of listeners age 50+ in upstate South Carolina.
Owned by Quality Radio Partners, the stations fill a gap left by commercial broadcasters who often overlook this demographic in pursuit of more advertiser-friendly — read: younger — audiences.
Created, maintained and operated by Dave Solomon, “Kool FM” is a passion project, one he sees as a gift to his community. “Nothing brings back memories more than music,” Solomon said of the “Carolina Super Hits” format.
“No audience relies on FM radio as their primary entertainment source more than this one.”
WRTH has been in service since 2014 and reaches a potential audience of approximately 200,000 listeners.
Upgrading for the future
After years of reliable service, WRTH’s original transmitter was beginning to show its age. Solomon saw the opportunity to upgrade to a more modern unit featuring digital MPX and a DDS exciter to take full advantage of the station’s modest 25-watt ERP.
In 2024, Solomon contacted Brendan Lofty of Aqua Broadcast to discuss acquiring a Cobalt C-300 transmitter. Aqua Broadcast says it has seen a growing business in the LPFM market.
The transmitter was ordered. When the unit arrived, Solomon wasted no time installing it, capturing the process on video before heading out for a drive to test the signal.
Solomon said overall signal strength was noticeably stronger. He said he immediately heard an improvement, especially in fringe coverage — “something every LPFM licensee is acutely aware of.” Also, the C-300 includes a dynamic RDS generator, and Kool FM’s RDS coverage has improved.
Eager to take full advantage of the digital MPX capability, Solomon invested in AES/EBU dongles and transitioned the entire station — from studio to transmitter — to a fully digital signal path. He said improved sound fidelity has resulted. The station’s translator, which rebroadcasts WRTH’s over-the-air signal, also became noticeably quieter.
Solomon notes that Cobalt transmitters include a four-band processor as a standard feature, although WRTH uses Stereo Tool processing wrapped into its audio server at the station.
After more than a year of continuous operation, Solomon is comfortable giving a verdict on Kool FM’s C-300 transmitter. “Best purchase we ever made,” Solomon said with a grin. “This is the Cadillac of LPFM transmitters, no doubt.”
