• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WNWR AM 1540 (Philly) New Format

Wow, WNWR has filled up with brokered religious programming in just the past two months. I heard they got a 250 watt translator they will start rebroadcasting in July too. Anyone know who is behind this new venture in Philadelphia? It seems like they sure know what they’re doing to fill up 1540 in only two months…
 
Wow, WNWR has filled up with brokered religious programming in just the past two months. I heard they got a 250 watt translator they will start rebroadcasting in July too. Anyone know who is behind this new venture in Philadelphia? It seems like they sure know what they’re doing to fill up 1540 in only two months…
You don't know what they're charging and if it's enough to make it profitable or if the idea is just to avoid dead air. That makes it impossible to know if they know what they're doing.
 
The programs they are airing are all paid religious programs. I work in the industry and know of most of their programs except a couple locals.
 
The programs they are airing are all paid religious programs. I work in the industry and know of most of their programs except a couple locals.
Yeah, I got that. But you don't know if they know what they're doing without knowing what they're charging and whether that's enough to pay the bills.

I could fill slots by offering them to preachers at an "introductory rate" of a buck an hour. I'm not sure if that would qualify as knowing what I was doing.
 
And now they acquiring a 250 watt translator. It sure seems like they know what they’re doing.
My only point is it’s too soon to tell.

I’ve seen broadcasters fill the logs by selling too cheap and then encounter resistance on renewals when they try to gradually increase rates.

Let’s see how they’re doing in a year or two. I agree that $330K keeps the debt service nice and low.
 
That’s true, but they only paid $330K for it and it’s covering over 5 mil in the .05mV/m.
Because of the level of world wide terrestrial noise, the ITU standard for acceptable listening quality on an MW/AM station is 10mV/m, not .05mV/m. Counting population outside of even 5mV/m wouldn't be a valid representation.
 
Because of the level of world wide terrestrial noise, the ITU standard for acceptable listening quality on an MW/AM station is 10mV/m, not .05mV/m. Counting population outside of even 5mV/m wouldn't be a valid representation.
What does the FCC consider interference free? I know it’s not 10, 5 or even 2 mV/m.
 
Correct, but in car I can pick it up clear inside the 1.0-.05mV/m. My wife’s minivan is a new Honda odyssey and it has an exceptional AM radio. May it wouldn’t be so clear In all cars and I acknowledge that, but the 2mV/m is very good reception IMO (as long as the station has decent equipment and knows how to have it all set up properly.
 
I live here and I pick it up in my car outside of the .05mV/m….all I’m saying.
Most car AM radios have a tuned RF stage (that is, RF amplification ahead of the mixer and a 3 gang tuning capacitor) and most home radios and battery portables do not. The TRF improves sensitivity. So a better test of receivability would be to bring two or three portable radios with you and stop here and there and tune in the station from outside your car.
 
That’s true, but they only paid $330K for it and it’s covering over 5 mil in the .05mV/m.
What does the FCC consider interference free? I know it’s not 10, 5 or even 2 mV/m.
The FCC does not "consider" anything to be interference free. The ITU has stated that 15 mV/m on Medium Wave (AM) are needed to overcome noise in populated (metro) areas.

Analysis of fixed location listening in diary markets confirms this... at least 10 mV/m is needed.

There are less than 2 million in the 10 mV/m contour.
 
wilkins commnunications bought it and i guarentee theyre makign some kind of money on it... paid religious programming is all that they do elsewhere
 
So let's see. The same story was covered twice on the Philly board, but that wasn't enough. So now its a local station on the national board.

Look, this isn't brain surgery. They bought a small AM, and run brokered religious. It happens everywhere. Not just this one station. Its not a 'new format' or a 'new approach.' It's been going on since the 1920s. Why the fascination? Unless your name is Wilkins. There are people here who do the same thing in their towns.
 
They bought a small AM, and run brokered religious.
Still we have participants on this site that don't know that 50 kw on 1540 is about the same as 1 kw on 550. It is a limited coverage station, and with the incredibly low night power, it's really a daytimer.
 
Last edited:
My wife’s minivan is a new Honda odyssey and it has an exceptional AM radio.

What year is your Odyssey? We have a 2022 and the AM radio isn't that great, though it does have HD for the 2 stations in my area still doing that. Contrast that with our 2015 Civic which may be my best AM radio ever, great for DXing.
 
So let's see. The same story was covered twice on the Philly board, but that wasn't enough. So now its a local station on the national board.

Look, this isn't brain surgery. They bought a small AM, and run brokered religious. It happens everywhere. Not just this one station. Its not a 'new format' or a 'new approach.' It's been going on since the 1920s. Why the fascination? Unless your name is Wilkins. There are people here who do the same thing in their towns.
What year is your Odyssey? We have a 2022 and the AM radio isn't that great, though it does have HD for the 2 stations in my area still doing that. Contrast that with our 2015 Civic which may be my best AM radio ever, great for DXing.
It’s a 2023, we just got in Feb. Where are you from?
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom