VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Many of our listeners from the Fraser Valley to the Tri-Cities have been hearing a Spanish language station broadcasting on News1130. The signal that has been bleeding through our airwaves is coming from Mt Angel, Oregon.
After a meeting between our engineers and those from the American station, here's the real deal: It's not just simple signal skipping or a strong signal drowning out News1130. We're told it's a rare atmospheric anomaly, stronger than it's been in years. A few things have converged to create conditions not seen in decades, some of which are weather-related.
News1130 Meteorologist Russ Lacate has been talking about an enormous high-pressure ridge for some time now. "It's been influencing the coastal weather from Prince Rupert to L.A. and what's really happening is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere is becoming very stable, very stratified. [That's] creating a channel between the layers of the atmosphere through which radio waves can travel unobstructed."
Lacate says in rare conditions like these, radio waves can travel across abnormally long distances. It is called a "skywave" and it seems to peak between 7am-9am and 6pm-8pm.
The good news is it's expected to return to normal soon. So, adios la Mexicana, hola News1130! And muchas gracias to all our listeners for being patient.