Listeners get static after Modesto station KHOP struck by lightning. Fix coming.
Do not adjust your dial. No, really, there’s nothing wrong with your radio.
Listeners to local station KHOP 95.1 FM have been frustrated by scratchy transmissions in recent weeks. But the Top 40 station is not going away or shutting down. Instead, it’s experiencing temporary technical difficulties resulting from a lightning strike of its transmitter tower in late January.
Bob Walker, executive vice president of operations for the Cumulus Radio Station Group, which operates KHOP, said the station tower site located on the outskirts of Jamestown “sustained material damage” to its transmission line and antenna. The station was able to remain on the air but must broadcast at a lower power, causing reception issues for some listeners.
Help is on the way, though. Walker said replacement transmission lines and a new antenna have been ordered and the issue should be fixed by mid-March.
“While most of the community can still hear the station, we are aware of the issues with the signal in some parts of the community,” Walker said. “Once we assessed the magnitude of the damage, we ordered the replacement transmission line and a new antenna and expect to have all that installed and be back to full power by no later than mid-March.”
KHOP has posted an alert to listeners about its transmission problems on its website and social media, as well as mentioning it regularly over the air. In the interim, the station’s fans have been encouraged to stream the channel over the Internet or download the KHOP app.
The issue is so widespread locally that if you type “95.1 KHOP” into Google, “not working” and “static” appear as two of the top-related search terms.
