Patent ID: 7778645

Claim:
A computerized method of evaluating a radio transmitter, the method comprising: analyzing with one or more computer processors potential changes in a signal coverage of a target area of a first radio transmitter, wherein the first radio transmitter is an existing radio transmitter that broadcasts signals associated with at least one of the group consisting of an AM, FM, and television broadcast facility by automatically evaluating with one or more computer processors multiple potential alternative locations of the first radio transmitter; automatically varying with one or more computer processors the potential operational characteristics of the first radio transmitter at each of the potential alternative locations, wherein automatically varying the potential operational characteristics comprises: automatically varying potential alternative classes of the first radio transmitter at each potential alternative location, automatically varying potential alternative frequencies of the first radio transmitter at each potential alternative location, and automatically varying potential alternative channels of the first radio transmitter at each potential alternative location; automatically predicting with one or more computer processors changes in the signal coverage of the first radio transmitter associated with the potential alternative locations, the potential alternative classes, the potential alternative frequencies, and the potential alternative channels of each potential alternative location; automatically determining with one or more computer processors whether the potential alternative locations, potential alternative classes, potential alternative frequencies and potential alternative channels of each potential alternative location conflict with one or more operational parameters of at least a second radio transmitter based on AM, FM or television broadcast regulations, wherein the second radio transmitter is an existing radio transmitter that broadcasts signals associated with at least one of the group consisting of an AM, FM, and television broadcast facility; and automatically determining for each conflict whether the operational parameters of the second radio transmitter can be varied to remove the conflict; and storing the operational parameters of the second radio transmitter that are determined to remove each conflict.