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WTRI AM 1520 Deathwatch

R

RF101

The regional daytime, WTRI, has lost its transmitter (and alt studio) site. The Hindi station had been suffering a lot of transmitter problems, such as low modulation and low output power. It's been quite awhile since it was running its full legal 17kw. The station had a translator with good coverage into the Leesburg-Ashburn area.

With high land prices in the area I don't see WTRI coming back in its former configuration. As a daytime co-channel with WWKB, the Brunswick station really had reception issues at sunrise and sunset. Even worse, the directional beams towards DC was hampered by the adjacent Catoctin Ridge which diminished the signal.

My suggestion: Radio Asia should cut a deal with WCTN 950. W269DH's 60 dBu contour is fully inside the 25-mile radius for WCTN so the WTRI translator could be saved too. Both parties win.

--- Filing-------
Silent Status STA Request Supporting Statement
Radio Station WTRI-AM & FRM Translator W269DH

" On September 22, 2023 the WTRI-AM transmitting site was sold to the City of Brunswick, Maryland. The land will be repurposed so WTRI-AM ceased operating at that time. In the near future, the WRTI tower structure will be disassembled."

"Since WTRI-AM is the Primary Station for W269DH, broadcast operations have also ceased for W269DH."

" 1520 Radio Asia, LLC has commenced efforts to find a buyer for WTRI-AM and W269DH. Both broadcast stations will remain silent while such efforts proceed forward. Accordingly, a silent status STA is requested for both stations."
 
RF101 said:
My suggestion: Radio Asia should cut a deal with WCTN 950. W269DH's 60 dBu contour is fully inside the 25-mile radius for WCTN so the WTRI translator could be saved too. Both parties win.
Click to expand...
I've got a better idea. Shut them both down. Another step in reducing band congestion.
RF101 said:
" 1520 Radio Asia, LLC has commenced efforts to find a buyer for WTRI-AM and W269DH. Both broadcast stations will remain silent while such efforts proceed forward. Accordingly, a silent status STA is requested for both stations."
Click to expand...
Hopefully, their STA will lapse and the license will be canceled.
 
Louden County VA has a population of 420k. If it was individual market it would be about the size of Jackson MS. Market #127. Leesburg has around 48k. The mean income in Leesburg is over $148.k. The translator could have some value. I guess you could file an engineering STA for 25 percent power and hang a wire off some tower you can't find another legal way to "feed" audio to the translator.
 
secondchoice said:
Louden County VA has a population of 420k. If it was individual market it would be about the size of Jackson MS. Market #127. Leesburg has around 48k. The mean income in Leesburg is over $148.k. The translator could have some value. I guess you could file an engineering STA for 25 percent power and hang a wire off some tower you can't find another legal way to "feed" audio to the translator.
Click to expand...
Don't bother. Louden County is a high end community. They aren't listening to some derelict AM station, even with a translator.
Chances are the property is worth more than the station will ever be.
 
Loudoun County did have its own radio station at one point, WAGE AM 1200. It last had a news/talk format with a local morning show. It signed off in 2009 citing "tough economic conditions". The license returned later with power bump to basically be a DC radio station, today iHeart's sports talker 1190.
 
Kelly A said:
Don't bother. Louden County is a high end community. They aren't listening to some derelict AM station, even with a translator.
Chances are the property is worth more than the station will ever be.
Click to expand...
If you had bothered to read the the whole thread including my post you would have known there is no property. The county took it. I stated using the AM with STA only if there is no other way to legally feed audio to the translator. Compare the average mean income Loudoun county verses $45k in Jackson MS, I would take my chances with the rich folks in Maryland.

I believe the translator has value. The only reason anyone would fool around with this AM is the FCC requirement.

2009 was a bad year in Suburbia with the Mortgage crisis still messing up just about everything. WAGA 1200 / 1190 coming back as a Sports Talk Station and being able to pay the electric bill and land cost without a FM translator (according to radio - locator) in a PPM market is rare these days.
 
secondchoice said:
I believe the translator has value. The only reason anyone would fool around with this AM is the FCC requirement.
Click to expand...
Even with a translator, the juice of trying to cobble together an AM, isn't worth the squeeze. Louden County is already well-served by plenty of competent D.C. and Maryland stations. Having some peanut whistle translator try and compete in an already saturated radio market, is a fool's errand.
secondchoice said:
2009 was a bad year in Suburbia with the Mortgage crisis still messing up just about everything. WAGA 1200 / 1190 coming back as a Sports Talk Station and being able to pay the electric bill and land cost without a FM translator (according to radio - locator) in a PPM market is rare these days.
Click to expand...
iHeart rolling up the old WAGE to a syndicated sports talker means it has the national power of being rolled-into a larger D.C. group. They aren't trying to just sell in Louden County like a stand-alone would have to. Owning a stand-alone station, let alone a crappy translator, not a full market signal surrounded by group owners amounts to feeding yourself to the lions.
 
Isn't D.C. a bad market for AM? WTOP was one of the first 50 kW Class A stations to get an FM simulcast, and then move its programming entirely to FM. When they tested HD Radio in the early 2000s, the digital signal only covered about a 15-mile radius at night.
 
Worse yet, when now-WFED was running, it clobbered WTRI in much of the DC target area, despite the 20kHz difference.
 
kevtronics said:
Isn't D.C. a bad market for AM? WTOP was one of the first 50 kW Class A stations to get an FM simulcast, and then move its programming entirely to FM. When they tested HD Radio in the early 2000s, the digital signal only covered about a 15-mile radius at night.
Click to expand...
Between terrestrial noise and a dying audience, that's the case with AM everywhere. If you want to continue having listeners in the long run, better be on FM.
 
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