Conor Flanagan works the board at the KKDJ station in Fresno in 2018. The station is looking to change channel numbers from 99.7 FM to 102.3 FM. Photo by Donald A. Promnitz.

A popular radio station is trying to make a move to a new frequency, but they have to work out some technical difficulties.

According to Chris White, the head of KKDJ 99.7 FM in Fresno, the issue surfaced not long after they went on the air last year. Complaints came in from KCIV 99.9 FM — a Christian radio station in the Mariposa County town of Mount Bullion — that the classic rock station’s transmitter antenna was interrupting their signal in the surrounding neighborhood in central Fresno. A station that far off, White said, wouldn’t normally broadcast that far out, however, KCIV’s location in the mountain gives their broadcast further reach.

White added that with adjacent stations (stations with similar channel numbers in the same area) interrupted frequencies are to be expected. This however, has not stopped KCIV from issuing a complaint with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

“Where there’s an antenna and you’re a block or two, or a quarter of a mile from the signal, you may have a hashing noise, or a little cutting noise out there when you’re trying to listen to the other station,” he said.

KCIV’s complaint is currently in limbo, with FCC not yet agreeing with it. Nonetheless, KKDJ, is looking to change frequencies to avoid further issues. Right now, they’re eying 102.3 FM, however, this comes with its own issue. White explained that this will make them co-channeled with 102.3 FM, a Spanish-language station that also broadcasts Christian programming.

The next course of action is uncertain, as are the prices. However, with three years to make their change, White says KKDJ will remain on 99.7 FM for the time being, and encourages listeners to stay tuned.

“So we certainly are going to make sure we make the right decision and not jump into it,” he said. “So we’re taking our time.”