By Kate Lochte
Murray, KY – Yesterday (Monday) the WKMS - HD transmitter failed and could not be restarted on site at the LBL transmission center. Consequently there is no WKMS classical service on either 92.5 FM Paducah or 105.1 FM Madisonville. Work on the HD transmitter resumes today, but in the interim, WKMS will put the 91.3 FM news and information channel on these translators. WKMS-HD2 Classical is still available streaming live online at wkms.org.
The entire WKMS transmission system sustained lightning damage during storms in late April. Weather interruptions and the slow, sequential pace of damage discovery have caused the station's extended repair period. Chief Engineer Allen Fowler says, "once we've fixed one thing, we've found another problem."
Last Friday the station completed and tested repairs on its 400 foot transmission line. The main antenna at the top of the tower that transmits 91.3 FM regionally must next be replaced and that process has begun. Until replacement of the antenna, the station is still reducing the power going through it, running at about fifty percent of normal signal strength.