Pulse 87

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Pulse 87

Type	Audio broadcast television network
Country	United States
Owner	Mega Media
Dissolved	October 30, 2009

Pulse 87 was a American television franchise that operated as a radio branding. The brand is owned and operated by Mega Media.

Background and format

The network consisted entirely of low-power television stations that operate on channel 6; the audio subcarrier of that channel operates at 87.75 MHz, at the very low end of the FM radio spectrum in the United States, and can be picked up on FM radios provided the station broadcasts in analog television. Pulse 87 stations operated a dance radio format.

Mega Media did not own any stations, instead opting to lease time from the stations.

There are currently no "Pulse 87" affiliates. The network only ever succeeded in getting its programming on one station, WNYZ-LP in New York City, which ran the format from February 2008 through October 2009. Mega Media had announced plans to bring the "Pulse 87" brand to three other low-power stations, KSFV-LP in the San Fernando Valley (serving Los Angeles, California), WDCN-LP in Washington, DC and WLFM-LP in Chicago, Illinois, all of which would have started carrying Pulse 87 programming on June 1,^[1] but those plans were scrubbed after leasing deals with the owners of those stations fell through.

Since low-power television is unaffected by the digital television transition, the stations can continue to broadcast beyond the full-power analog shutoff date of June 12, 2009. If and when low-power stations are also forced to switch to digital, it will effectively bring an end to this format, unless the Federal Communications Commission frees up the Channel 6 frequency for radio broadcasting (digital television on the VHF low band, where channel 6 resides, has been very problematic and subject to interference), or accepts WRGB in Albany, New York's proposal to allow audio to continue broadcasting analog using a polarized subcarrier. Since WRGB's experiment failed (causing co-channel interference between the digital signal on channel 6 and the analog FM signal at 87.75 FM), this has become much less likely, and the FCC no longer is issuing any new analog licenses.

Financial Problems and Closure

Plans to expand Pulse 87 to other markets was canceled due to financial difficulties, most of which were unrelated to the creation of the Pulse 87 format and predated it significantly. On August 12, 2009, Mega Media filed for bankruptcy, reporting $3.5 million in liabilities against assets of just $180,000. Mega said it was hoping to continue operating Pulse while it restructures under Chapter 11.[1]. By Setember 2009 the station was still on the air. According to the Stipulation and Order Regarding the Time Brokerage Agreement agreed to by Mega Media and Island Broadcasting and approved by the bankruptcy judge, Mega Media was required to pay $500,000 by 5:00 PM on October 30 to Island Broadcasting. If that payment was not made in time, Island Broadcasting had the right to terminate the contract, and therefore Pulse 87 would have been off the air.

On October 15, 2009, the buyout deal was still not confirmed, and there were no signs that it will take place in the near future. Mega Media needed to receive a last-ditch infusion of capital by the following week in order for Pulse 87 to have a hope of staying on the air.

On October 25, 2009 at 8:30PM, WNYZ-LP suffered a studio-transmitter link outage caused by a Verizon fiber cut. The station was broadcasting silence, or "dead air", until 12:30 PM on October 27. Three days later on October 30, 2009, the lease between the Mega Media Group and Island Broadcasting ended after Island Broadcasting failed to receive the $500,000 it was owed under the terms of the contract. Island Broadcasting was under no obligation to continue letting Pulse 87 use their signal without paying for the lease.

On October 30, 2009, Pulse 87's New York station signed off at 5:00 PM. At this point the website continued to carry Pulse 87 online but WNYZ was at this point simulcasting WPTY, a semi-rival station on Long Island. By the end of the day, Pulse 87's web site streaming had also ceased, although the stream for their iPhone app was still active, with no other indication of any change or even a goodbye message, as if the station were still operating. That stream and iPhone app have been removed on November 3, 2009.

On November 3, 2009 the Pulse 87 web page appeared to be off-line for good. Mega Media has converted their bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 case, which means that all of their assets will be liquidated and all employees have been laid off. Most of its creditors will not receive anything and the corporation will no longer exist. The stock price is less than a twentieth of a cent.

References