Gegar FM West Pahang coverage expansion review and personal suggestion

Gegar (formerly known as THR Gegar) is Malay radio station by Astro Radio Sdn Bhd to target east coast listeners in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

Currently Gegar has three frequencies, FM 88.1MHz for Kota Bharu from Bukit Panau, FM 106.8MHz for Kuala Terengganu from Bukit Jerung and FM 88.8MHz for Kuantan and East Pahang from Bukit Pelindung.

For Pahang areas, Gegar FM 88.8MHz Bukit Pelindung is only accessible in Kuantan, Gambang and Pekan, rest of Pahang areas cannot receive this radio station. Listeners within Pahang, but outside of East Pahang needs to tune via Astro CH863 and online in order to continue listening to Gegar.

Internet infrastructure is not completed and perfect yet in Malaysia, some of areas are only available in 3.5G or 3G, so Gegar listeners are not able to listen via online and mobile app due to unstable internet connectivity if they're outdoor. In addition, listening online may consume more data, this cause listeners to pay more on mobile data cost.

At the same time, I noticed the rival of Gegar, named Manis FM had expanded coverage to Central Pahang on FM 103.8MHz from Bukit Senggora to cover Maran, Temerloh, Jerantut and Bera, so Manis FM coverage expansion movement will make Gegar to "feel threatened" much since Gegar is not receivable in Central Pahang. Actually Gegar is still able to counterattack against Manis FM for coverage expansion, to make perfect and stiffer competition of East Coast radio station.

Because West Pahang cannot receive Gegar on radio, plus its sister radio station Raaga where broadcasts in Tamil already broadcasts in Gunung Ulu Kali, then there is also no available frequency there, therefore Gegar is not able to expand coverage to West Pahang by locating transmitter in Gunung Ulu Kali. Moreover, I did notice there are many people listening to Gegar via Astro CH863 in West Pahang, so a frequency exclusive for West Pahang is needed.

In my opinion, Gegar still can expand its coverage to West Pahang, but in new site, called as Fraser's Hill at least Gegar still can cover Bentong, Karak, Lanchang, Bera, Temerloh, Raub, Lipis, Benta and Chenor from Fraser's Hill, despite it is not wide as Gunung Ulu Kali.

Buki Istana and Bukit Senggora were used to become my research sites for Gegar personally, but I don't think they have commercial value for this radio station. Between Fraser's Hill, Bukit Istana and Bukit Senggora, Fraser's Hill has better commercial value and wider coverage than Bukit Istana and Bukit Senggora. Therfore, Fraser's Hill is suitable site for Gegar to expand in West Pahang.

As today, Fraser's Hill has four RTM radio stations such as Nasional FM 106.2, Pahang FM 102.2, Ai FM 97.1 and Radio Klasik 90.9 which operated since 2017/18 with transmission power not exceed than 0.2kW, these four radio stations mainly covered blind spot areas within Raub and Lipis, but they can still be receivable in Lanchang, Mentakab, Temerloh, Bera and Karak with weaker reception. For TV, Fraser's Hill has only TV1, TV2 and TV3 for analogue transmission, meanwhile digital terrestrial television MYTV will be available in Fraser's Hill by January 2019.

==Empty frequencies in Fraser's Hill==

* 89.4MHz, 91.9MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.5MHz, 104.4MHz, 107.9MHz 

==My suggestion regarding Gegar coverage expansion to West Pahang==
* Frequency: FM 92.4MHz
* Power: 1kW
* Transmission site: Fraser's Hill, Pahang
* Coverage: Raub, Kuala Lipis, Benta, Mentakab, Lanchang, Bentong, Temerloh, Bandar Bera, Kuala Krau, Teriang serta Kemayan. Other than West Pahang, Gegar may be able to be received in selected Selangor areas with weaker reception

== RF Analysis==

92.3MHz: Minnal FM Menara Kuala Lumpur
92.4MHz: Gegar Bukit Fraser
<100kHz, OK>

92.4MHz: Gegar Bukit Fraser
92.4MHz: Hot FM Bukit Pelindung
<0kHz, OK>

92.4MHz: Gegar Bukit Fraser
92.6MHz: Negeri FM Gunung Telapak Burok
<200kHz, OK>

92.4MHz: Gegar Bukit Fraser
92.7MHz: Pahang FM Bukit Istana
<300kHz, OK>

92.2MHz: Lite Gunung Ledang
92.4MHz: Gegar Bukit Fraser
<200kHz, OK> 

According to the coverage map of Gegar Fraser's Hill frequency FM 92.4MHz, the transmission will not give listeners' impact to Minnal FM 92.3MHz from KL Tower and other existing radio stations. Minnal FM's listeners in affected areas can tune to FM 96.3MHz from Gunung Ulu Kali loudly and clearly if 92.3MHz is interfered by Gegar FM 92.4MHz in Rawang, Serendah, Batang Kali and Kuala Kubu Bharu, meanwhile these affected Selangor areas are not main coverage of Gegar FM 92.4MHz Fraser's Hill.

If one day Astro Radio decides to expand Gegar coverage to West Pahang by transmitting from Fraser's Hill (suggested: 92.4MHz), its listeners can tune to Gegar loudly and clearly in West Pahang through the radio wave. In addition, this suggestion will also target listeners mobility, for Gegar listeners (from east coast who work in Klang Valley) who travel from Kuala Lumpur to East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia for "balik kampung" during festival or other functions, they can listen to Gegar on radio, beginning from Bentong.

First example, if Gegar listener, named Abang Arif travels from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu to visit his relatives, he can listen to Gegar from Bentong till Kuala Lipis on FM 92.4MHz Fraser's Hill.

Second example, if Gegar listeners, named Cik Aisyah goes from Gombak to Kuantan or Terengganu, she can listen to Gegar on FM 92.4MHz Fraser's Hill from Bentong after Bukit Tinggi till Chenor via East Coast Expressway (LPT). If Astro expands again for Gegar coverage in Central Pahang by putting transmitter in Bukit Senggora (example frequency: FM 102.0MHz), she can tune to FM 102.0MHz from Chenor till Sri Jaya to listen to Gegar. After that, when she leaves Sri Jaya while on her way to Kuantan, she can continue listening to Gegar by tuning FM 88.8MHz from Bukit Pelindung until her destination.

In conclusion, I believe Fraser's Hill will generate more commercial value to Gegar because West Pahang listeners will be attracted by this East Coast oriented radio station. I do hope Gegar will expand its coverage to West Pahang one day.