WBCQ To Buy WHRI

[kf4rca]

It was recently announced on WBCQ (SW) that they would be buying WHRI (also SW) for $1.25M.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/195902/station-sales-week-of-8-14/

This is not good for either of the parties. WBCQ is a shoestring operation with volunteers for employees. Their revenue covers the electric bill and some maintenance items.
WHRI is a 500KW facility in Cypress Creek SC. It has regular full time employees whose pay comes from the ministry, not the SW operation. Furthermore, WHRI gets it's power from South Carolina Electric & Gas which is not known for low-priced electricity.

Stay tuned.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

It was recently announced on WBCQ (SW) that they would be buying WHRI (also SW) for $1.25M.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/195902/station-sales-week-of-8-14/

This is not good for either of the parties. WBCQ is a shoestring operation with volunteers for employees. Their revenue covers the electric bill and some maintenance items.
WHRI is a 500KW facility in Cypress Creek SC. It has regular full time employees whose pay comes from the ministry, not the SW operation. Furthermore, WHRI gets it's power from South Carolina Electric & Gas which is not known for low-priced electricity.

Stay tuned.

I know a broadcast engineer whos very good at what he does and is also a ham, he wanted to visit WBCQ and offer any help they might need.. i dont remember who he heard it from, but it was suggested to him to stay away

 

[channel99]

WHRI appears to have two 500 kW transmitters and at least one 100 kW. It's not going to be cheap to run 2 locations.

Maybe the deal included some guarantee of continued use by World Harvest. Perhaps World's Last Chance wants a second signal?

WBCQ certainly seems to be running on a shoestring, having even cut back on their web site.

 

[boombox4]

WHRI still has some religious programming, according to their website. All of it apparently on two transmitters from SC. I'm sure not all of that programming will go away, although some of it may, as religious organizations are feeling the economic pinch due to corona, just like most businesses are.

So, at least (if their program schedule is any indication) some revenue is coming in, WHRI may be able to survive a while under Weiner's ownership. Who knows.

 

[channel99]

On Wavescan today (Adventist World Radio on WRMI), they presented some of the history of WHRI. The speculation was that Allan Weiner plans to put World's Last Chance there apparently in addition to the transmitter in Maine.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

On Wavescan today (Adventist World Radio on WRMI), they presented some of the history of WHRI. The speculation was that Allan Weiner plans to put World's Last Chance there apparently in addition to the transmitter in Maine.

like, DUH.. anyone who thinks Worlds Last Chance didnt pay for WHRI is dillusional. Alan and WBCQ have no money on their own.

 

[channel99]

like, DUH.. anyone who thinks Worlds Last Chance didnt pay for WHRI is dillusional. Alan and WBCQ have no money on their own.

World's Last Chance can't really license or operate a shortwave station on their own. Since their fundamental principle is that the earth is flat, they would run into some propagation and pattern differences with the FCC....

 

[Mediafrog+]

like, DUH.. anyone who thinks Worlds Last Chance didnt pay for WHRI is dillusional. Alan and WBCQ have no money on their own.

In SWDX forums there is general agreement that WHRI (or whatever the call will be) will turn into additional outlets for World's Last Chance programming, probably beamed at Africa and Latin America. There is no way that Weiner had that kind of money when, just a couple of years ago, he was begging for donations to keep WBCQ on the air (he wanted $500,000, apparently only raised around $5,000.)

I could go on and on about how U.S. based private shortwave has gone down the toilet, but I won't waste any keystrokes on that.

 

[CTListener]

World's Last Chance can't really license or operate a shortwave station on their own. Since their fundamental principle is that the earth is flat, they would run into some propagation and pattern differences with the FCC....

Wouldn't FM be much more attractive than SW for a flat-earth sect? Put the transmitter on the highest mountain you can find and let line-of-sight do the rest! No skip zones either.

 

[channel99]

Wouldn't FM be much more attractive than SW for a flat-earth sect? Put the transmitter on the highest mountain you can find and let line-of-sight do the rest! No skip zones either.

You're right. With no curvature in the earth those signals would go on forever. No need to depend upon reflections from the ionosphere. Of course co-channel interference would be a problem...

 

[RFCCRadioAudio]

Now we might can hear the good stuff on WBCQ better!

I surely hope all the 7490 and 5110 programming moves to 7315 and 7385...World's Last Chance is fine on 9330.

 

[channel99]

I surely hope all the 7490 and 5110 programming moves to 7315 and 7385...World's Last Chance is fine on 9330.

For this to make sense financially, at least one of the WHRI transmitters has to be used for World's Last Chance.

 

[Wimmmex]

1.) Did this sale ever go through?

2.) Was trying to find the Cyrpress Creek TX facility on Google Maps/Earth....anyone know the address or coordinates?

Thanks!

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

1.) Did this sale ever go through?

2.) Was trying to find the Cyrpress Creek TX facility on Google Maps/Earth....anyone know the address or coordinates?

Thanks!

No

and the site is in Cypress Creek, South Carolina

 

[Wimmmex]

and the site is in Cypress Creek, South Carolina

What happened to the sale? Lack of cash to close?
(I saw a note on the Asian DX Review that it was for sale, and inquiries should go to Family Radio, not the WBCQ Folks.)

The "TX" was shorthand for Transmitter Site. (Not Texas)

 

[CADXER]

Was trying to find the Cyrpress Creek TX facility on Google Maps/Earth....anyone know the address or coordinates?

32°41'03.0"N 81°07'50.0"W

 

[ZantennaG1]

In my experience, WBCQ's 9330 khz frequency can be strong and consistent here in Cheyenne, WY during the evening hours, and for about 1/2 an hour in the morning. 7490 is occasionally good in the late afternoon, but it is weaker than the 9330 signal. I haven't had any luck getting WBCQ on any other frequencies, however I do get WHRI on 5920, 11835, and 21630, with varying degrees of success. Honestly speaking, I think the old rule that broadcasters in the US could not broadcast directly to the states kind of killed shortwave over here, and then the BBC World Service gave up on North America because no-one had shortwave. I think possibly David could confirm, as he brought it up once, but during the Cold war, Shortwave was removed as a standard option on radio sets so people could not hear Russian propagation? Well, now that it is the 21st century (and with Shortwave not that full anymore), it's time to let that rule go. Judging by the coverage area of WRMI, for example, they might have already.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

In my experience, WBCQ's 9330 khz frequency can be strong and consistent here in Cheyenne, WY during the evening hours, and for about 1/2 an hour in the morning. 7490 is occasionally good in the late afternoon, but it is weaker than the 9330 signal. I haven't had any luck getting WBCQ on any other frequencies, however I do get WHRI on 5920, 11835, and 21630, with varying degrees of success. Honestly speaking, I think the old rule that broadcasters in the US could not broadcast directly to the states kind of killed shortwave over here, and then the BBC World Service gave up on North America because no-one had shortwave. I think possibly David could confirm, as he brought it up once, but during the Cold war, Shortwave was removed as a standard option on radio sets so people could not hear Russian propagation? Well, now that it is the 21st century (and with Shortwave not that full anymore), it's time to let that rule go. Judging by the coverage area of WRMI, for example, they might have already.

A.) WBCQ's 9330 is 1/2 megawatt
B.) its got a better beam pattern over the US then WHRI does form SC

3.) WHRI stuff is 250 kw or 100kw.

WRMI is so listenable out that way because 7730, 5850 and 7570 are beamed at 315 degrees which is vancouver

 

[ZantennaG1]

A.) WBCQ's 9330 is 1/2 megawatt
B.) its got a better beam pattern over the US then WHRI does form SC

Yep, that's a lot of power! What is the highest powered shortwave station?

WRMI is so listenable out that way because 7730, 5850 and 7570 are beamed at 315 degrees which is vancouver

I have recieved all of those frequencies, and 7570 can be a beast at night in terms of signal strength. I like 5850 the best though, because it's got Voice of the Report of the Week (reviewbrah) and takes song requests through g-mail. So, technically WRMI could say "I'm broadcasting to Western Canada and Russia" and get away with it?

 

[Mediafrog+]

What happened to the sale? Lack of cash to close?
(I saw a note on the Asian DX Review that it was for sale, and inquiries should go to Family Radio, not the WBCQ Folks.)

The WHRI sale fell through as it had not received FCC approval within one year of the sale agreement date. Apparently the FCC was advised that WBCQ owner Allan Weiner was supposedly acting as a front for the "World's Last Chance" religious group that was the $$$ behind the construction and programming on the 500kw 9330 kHz transmitter, and that group was allegedly behind the proposed purchase of WHRI. As some of the accusations came from Weiner's sister (from questionably obtained emails) plus other suspicions about the financing of the deal, rather than making a decision that could result in a legal fight, the FCC just sat on it long enough for the sale to die.

The WHRI site is back on the market from Family Broadcasting Corporation, the former LeSEA. It is not currently on the air, and no idea who might buy it. The transmitters are all from the mid-1980s, so possibly nearing the end of their service life. I also understand electric service at the transmitter site is expensive, another consideration for any potential owner.