"FM 88.7MHz" in Perak

The "FM 88.7 MHz" in Perak is Radio Klasik (Klasik Nasional), but it covers only Tapah and can be heard in some areas like Bidor, Langkap and Temoh. Radio Klasik 88.7MHz is transmitted from Changkat Rembian and its output power is only 0.1kW (100 kW, only can cover up to about 25-30 km), only can be heard clearly in Tapah, meanwhile Bidor, and Sungkai are not clear.

Alternatively, Radio Klasik still can be received on 98.3MHz from Gunung Ulu Kali (for Selangor and Kuala Lumpur) or 88.3MHz from Gunung Kledang (for Ipoh and Central Perak) in Tapah (depends on area). The Gunung Ulu Kali transmitter signal in Tapah is clearer than Gunung Kledang.

Current radio stations which have Changkat Rembian, Tapah transmitter:
1. ERA FM (102.0MHz; previously carried by THR Raaga before 2009)
2. Perak FM (97.3MHz; covers South Perak areas up to Terolak with 0.5kW output power)
3. Radio Klasik (88.7MHz; Tapah only with 0.1kW low output power)

Former radio stations with Changkat Rembian transmitter:
1. 988/Redi FM 98.8 (94.1MHz; ended service since June 2000)*
2. Red 104.9/Red FM/RFM (101.2MHz; ended service since July 2000)*

*References: www.asiawaves.net

Basically, setting up a radio frequency in Tapah is not needed if the radio station has Gunung Ulu Kali and Gunung Kledang transmitter unless it is regional radio station like Perak FM because Tapah still can receive radio signal from Gunung Ulu Kali.

In my opinion, RTM should replace its "Radio Klasik 88.7MHz" with Asyik FM because Asyik FM has no Perak frequency (mainly Ipoh) yet. At the same time, RTM should place "88.7MHz" transmitter site in Gunung Kledang, instead of Changkat Rembian to cover Perak areas. Consequently, listeners in Tapah still can tune to Radio Klasik on 88.3MHz or 98.3MHz.

Currently listeners in Perak receive Asyik FM on 105.1MHz from Cameron Highlands (mainly Central Perak) and 102.5MHz from Gunung Ulu Kali (mainly in South Perak), two transmitter are quite weak in Perak areas because both of them are "adjacent channel interference" with other radio station like IKIM.FM 102.7MHz and Red FM 104.9MHz. If RTM fully replaces "88.7MHz" with Asyik FM and transmits from Gunung Kledang, the listeners can receive Asyik FM on 88.7MHz in many areas of Perak (Ipoh, Kampar, Sungai Siput, Gopeng, Batu Gajah, Tronoh, Tapah, Bidor, Teluk Intan, Sitiawan, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping, Sauk, Padang Rengas, Seri Iskandar, Lumut, Bota, Pulau Pangkor, Ayer Tawar, Sungkai, Langkap, Kampung Gajah and some areas of Parit Buntar/Bagan Serai/Kamunting/Selama/Batu Kurau).

To cover many areas in Perak, the transmitter power of "88.7MHz" from Gunung Kledang should be full power (5kW or 10kW). May be Lenggong can receive 88.7MHz, but not confirm there can receive or not.

As I mentioned before, the 4 empty frequencies in Taiping (88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.2MHz, and 105.7MHz). Once if SKMM want to keep 88.7MHz and 93.3MHz for radio stations in Ipoh, the empty frequencies in Taiping only remain two (92.4MHz and 105.7MHz).

Empty FM frequencies in Ipoh, Taiping and North Perak

Since Johor Bahru FM frequencies is officially full there because there has many radio stations there, including Singapore and Batam, Indonesia. The empty frequency 89.3MHz is belonged to Singapore after its Mobile TV was closed down since 2010, meanwhile 107.9MHz is belonged to Batam Indonesia. 105.3MHz was the last frequency that used by one FM, but transmitter site in Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru, instead of Gunung Pulai to avoid from Johor FM Gunung Ledang.

MCMC said that Taiping frequencies will be full, but there has only 3 empty frequencies in Taiping, there are 88.8MHz, 92.4MHz, 93.2MHz, 97.3MHz and 105.7MHz.

88.2MHz- Hot FM (Gunung Jerai)
88.5MHz- Kedah FM (Bukit Sungai Kechil Hilir; Bandar Baharu only) & Traxx FM (Bukit Genting; Balik Pulau only)
88.7MHz- Radio Klasik (Bukit Palong; Baling, Klian Intan & Pengkalan Hulu only)
88.7MHz- (empty in Ipoh; transmitter is suitable to be set up in Gunung Kledang once Radio Klasik Changkat Rembian, Tapah transmitter is no longer operated)
88.8MHz- (empty; suitable for half power transmission in Bukit Larut)
89.0MHz- IKIM.FM (Gunung Jerai)

92.1MHz- Ai FM (Gunung Kledang; Ipoh and Central Perak)

92.4MHz- (empty; suitable for half power transmission in Bukit Larut)

92.4MHz- hitz.fm (Gunung Raya; for Langkawi and Perlis only)

92.5MHz- Ai FM (Bukit Palong; for Baling, Klian Intan and Pengkalan Hulu)

92.7MHz- hitz fm (Gunung Kledang; Ipoh and Central Perak)

92.8MHz- hitz fm (Gunung Jerai)

93.0MHz- Radio Thailand Betong (Betong, Baling, Gerik and Pengkalan Hulu only)

93.1MHz- Nasional FM (Gunung Brinchang; Cameron Highlands only)
93.1MHz- (empty, but only suitable for Bukit Genting transmitter)

93.2MHz- (empty in Taiping; suitable for half power transmission in Bukit Larut)
93.3MHz- (empty in Ipoh; transmitter is suitable to be set up in Gunung Kledang)

93.3MHz- Minnal FM (Bukit Palong; for Baling, Klian Intan and Pengkalan Hulu)

93.6MHz- hitz.fm (Bukit Larut)

97.1MHz- SINAR FM (Gunung Jerai Penang, Kedah and Perlis)
97.3MHz- (empty; but only suitable for low transmission in Bukit Larut only; min: 0.1kW max: 0.25kW)
97.5MHz- Kedah FM (Gunung Jerai; Penang and Kedah only)

102.7MHz- IKIM.FM (Gunung Kledang; Ipoh)
102.7MHz- IKIM.FM (Bukit Genting; Balik Pulau)
102.9MHz- Perlis FM (Padang Pauh; Perlis)
103.0MHz- <empty; transmitter is suitable to be set up in Bukit Larut unless Radio Klasik Bukit Larut transmitter frequency changed to 103.4MHz>
103.3MHz- Radio Klasik (Bukit Larut)
103.5MHz- Ai FM (Gunung Brinchang; Cameron Highlands)
103.6MHz- ERA FM (Gunung Jerai)

105.3MHz- Traxx FM (Bukit Larut)

105.7MHz- (EMPTY; suitable for full power transmission in Bukit Larut)

105.7MHz- Kedah FM (Gunung Raya; for Langkawi and North Kedah only)

106.1MHz- AI fm (Bukit Larut)

Somehow the frequencies 88.8MHz, 92.4MHz and 93.2MHz may be closed 0.1MHz frequencies band distance with radio station from Baling, Kedah 88.7MHz, 92.5MHz and 93.3MHz, which can cause interference in Penang, South Kedah, Pengkalan Hulu and Klian Intan, but these affected areas has alternative frequency from Gunung Jerai.

The FM frequencies, 88.7MHz and 93.3MHz are empty in Ipoh, but these frequencies' transmitter are suitable to be set up in Gunung Kledang if RTM Radio Klasik Changkat Rembian transmitter 88.7MHz is no longer service and suggested to be replaced with Asyik FM in Ipoh. Therefore, the empty FM frequencies in Taiping remain two only, there are 92.4MHz and 105.7MHz. If one FM and IKIM.FM use 92.4MHz and 105.7MHz in Bukit Larut, Taiping respectively, there has no empty frequencies in Taiping anymore because it is almost full.

Empty FM frequencies in Ipoh: 93.3MHz, 93.9MHz, and 107.3MHz.

97.3MHz is the narrowest frequency in Taiping, but it is only suitable for the low power transmission broadcast, although transmitter site can be placed in Bukit Larut, but only cover certain areas of Northwest Perak such as Taiping, Changkat Jering, Kuala Kurau, Kamunting, Semanggol..

105.7MHz is empty frequency in Taiping, but shared with Kedah FM Langkawi frequency and Lite FM Selangor 105.7MHz. This may not be a big interference since Kedah FM Langkawi 105.7MHz only covers Langkawi and North Kedah, meanwhile Lite FM only covers South Perak, Klang Valley and West Pahang. If any radio stations set up transmitter in Bukit Larut and the frequency is on 105.7MHz, the coverage of Lite FM 105.7MHz from Gunung Ulu Kali in most of Perak areas will be minimized until South Perak, but listeners still can tune to clearer 101.5MHz from Ipoh (Gunung Kledang). Meanwhile the coverage of Kedah FM 105.7MHz from Langkawi which still can be received in South Kedah and parts of Penang will be minimized until North Kedah and Alor Setar only. Just like Langkawi FM 104.8MHz, it can cover up to South Kedah and North Penang before Astro Xfresh (now Melody FM) having 104.9MHz in Bukit Larut.

Currently the reception of IKIM.FM in North Perak and Penang are very weak on 102.7MHz, meanwhile there has no signal on 89.0MHz from Gunung Jerai which can cover these areas. If they set up Bukit Larut transmitter on 105.7MHz, the coverage can cover North Perak, and most of Penang areas rather than 92.4MHz and 93.2MHz. One FM currently doesn't set up frequency in Taiping, perhaps the reception there on 87.8MHz is considered ok than 87.6MHz from Ipoh. They can use either 92.4MHz or 93.2MHz for Taiping and North Perak areas because they have 87.8MHz to cover many areas.

92.4MHz and 93.2MHz from Bukit Larut can cover up to Central Perak, South Penang and Lenggong only, meanwhile 105.7MHz from Bukit Larut can cover up to Penang, South Kedah and North East Perak, even parts of Yala province like Betong, Thailand. The coverage of 105.7MHz from Bukit Larut is wider than 92.4MHz and 93.2MHz.

Another empty frequency, 103.0MHz may be suitable to be set up transmitter in Bukit Larut, but RTM Radio Klasik use 103.3MHz in Bukit Larut. The frequency distance between 103.0MHz and 103.3MHz is 0.3MHz. If 103.0MHz Bukit Larut use 2 kW power, this can cause interference to RTM Radio Klasik because RTM Radio Klasik 103.3MHz use only 0.5 kW power, unless RTM Radio Klasik Bukit Larut frequency is changed to 103.4MHz.

Anyway, the frequency usage is decided by MCMC (Malaysia Communication Multimedia Commission; Malaysia broadcast regulator).