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WCGO AM 1590 applies for STA

WCGO AM 1590 Evanston, Illinois has applied for an STA. Apparently they lost their 4-tower transmitter site on McCormick Blvd in Skokie. In their STA application they are requesting 8.7 kW daytime/0.625 kW from their original transmitter site at 2100 Lee Street in Evanston. They are planning on filing for a CP to operate from this site as well.

 
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I get the land value, but Chicago is one of the few markets in the USA that has some listeners on AM. One would think they would try to reclaim the 10 kw daytime signal when they get a CP from their own site. The translator isn't the greatest either. Of course if they owned the site they might be slowly be cashing out. I don't blame them
 
One of the exhibits says they plan to apply at the same site for a permanent move. Unless they plan to build and use a directional antenna there, the Night power allowed will probably only be allowed 10 to 20 watts. 1590 was a new frequency under NARBA, and stations like WAKR have NIFs on the order of 2.5 mV/m. WAKR was a Class III-A under older rules
 
One of the exhibits says they plan to apply at the same site for a permanent move. Unless they plan to build and use a directional antenna there, the Night power allowed will probably only be allowed 10 to 20 watts. 1590 was a new frequency under NARBA, and stations like WAKR have NIFs on the order of 2.5 mV/m. WAKR was a Class III-A under older rules
I don't live that far from the WAKR towers. For about the last year or so I've been hearing a station coming in just under their signal, loud enough to hear talking/music but not clear enough for me to get an ID. This happens whether I'm nearby or if 20 miles away from the towers. This is occurring even during the daytime but not as loud as at night. If WCQO has gone silent that takes them out of the equation. First I thought it was WFBR out of Baltimore, MD but now I'm not that sure.
 
One of the exhibits says they plan to apply at the same site for a permanent move. Unless they plan to build and use a directional antenna there, the Night power allowed will probably only be allowed 10 to 20 watts. 1590 was a new frequency under NARBA, and stations like WAKR have NIFs on the order of 2.5 mV/m. WAKR was a Class III-A under older rules
That site (2100 Lee Street) already has the original tower that the station used before they moved to the 4 tower array on Mccormick Blvd. I don't see how they could build additional antenna to make the site directional.
 
I get the land value, but Chicago is one of the few markets in the USA that has some listeners on AM. One would think they would try to reclaim the 10 kw daytime signal when they get a CP from their own site. The translator isn't the greatest either. Of course if they owned the site they might be slowly be cashing out. I don't blame them
I thought that site was next to a water or sewage treatment plant on McCormick Blvd. ... and it looks like I remembered correctly. If you zoom in close enough on the fccdata.org map, you'll also see "Mount Trashmore" across the street next to a Pace bus garage. Even though there is retail nearby on the Evanston-Chicago border, I wonder if there's that much development potential there.

When I lived in Chicago, it was WONX, with lots of ethnic programming, including Argentine tangos in Saturday mornings!
 
When I lived in Chicago, it was WONX, with lots of ethnic programming, including Argentine tangos in Saturday mornings!
Funny! When I was working on Emmis's rock FM in Buenos Aires, I could scan the dial on both AM and FM and only find one station playing tangos... and that was a subsidized government station!
 
Funny! When I was working on Emmis's rock FM in Buenos Aires, I could scan the dial on both AM and FM and only find one station playing tangos... and that was a subsidized government station!
I live in the Chicagoland area, and the only good Argentine steakhouses in the USA I've had were in San Juan, PR. Including the chain one with a location next to Plaza Las Americas.
 
I heard it as WNMP 1590 when I visited relatives in the NWC/ORD area in the 1960s. The Chicago American always had a list of all the AMs and FMs in the region, and we always took a radio to listen in the back seat of the car. Reception was better near the pillar of the body. Then I listened to all the stations and AM BC DXed near Sunset on Thanksgiving, 4:30 PM CST. They had a local AC Full Service format as I recall. Came in well. Also heard WYLO 540 with just 250 watts from Jackson, WI. That had to be close to 90 miles away.

I was also impressed that WMTH 88.5 came in well with just 10 watts 3 miles away on my new Sony AM FM Cassette in the 1970s. The most famous Alumnus is Harrison Ford. Never heard him, it was after he graduated from HS. Wonder if there airchecks. Both WMTH and WNWC 92.7 have quite a few Music Surveys on ARSA. They broke a lot of records 1 to 3 weeks before WLS and WCFL.
 
I heard it as WNMP 1590 when I visited relatives in the NWC/ORD area in the 1960s. The Chicago American always had a list of all the AMs and FMs in the region, and we always took a radio to listen in the back seat of the car. Reception was better near the pillar of the body. Then I listened to all the stations and AM BC DXed near Sunset on Thanksgiving, 4:30 PM CST. They had a local AC Full Service format as I recall. Came in well. Also heard WYLO 540 with just 250 watts from Jackson, WI. That had to be close to 90 miles away.

I was also impressed that WMTH 88.5 came in well with just 10 watts 3 miles away on my new Sony AM FM Cassette in the 1970s. The most famous Alumnus is Harrison Ford. Never heard him, it was after he graduated from HS. Wonder if there airchecks. Both WMTH and WNWC 92.7 have quite a few Music Surveys on ARSA. They broke a lot of records 1 to 3 weeks before WLS and WCFL.
That's WNTH, for New Trier High. Chuck Heston, Rock Hudson and Ann-Margaret also went there.
 
That's WNTH, for New Trier High. Chuck Heston, Rock Hudson and Ann-Margaret also went there.
Actually, three of my relatives went to Maine Township High Schools, where WMTH is. Oddly enough, one kid of theirs works for the New Trier School District now. None of them were or are directly connected to WMTH or WNTH.
 
WMTH Park Ridge started on 88.5 but later moved to 90.5 sometimes in 1980's. Few of my nieces and nephews went to that high school. That station is a striking distance from the WYLL (and soon WBBM, WSCR) transmitter site.
WNTH Winnetka was always on 88.1.
 
One of the exhibits says they plan to apply at the same site for a permanent move. Unless they plan to build and use a directional antenna there, the Night power allowed will probably only be allowed 10 to 20 watts. 1590 was a new frequency under NARBA, and stations like WAKR have NIFs on the order of 2.5 mV/m. WAKR was a Class III-A under older rules
My first station, WDBL 1590 was on what we call a "regional" channel. It had a pre sunrise of 500 watts which IIRC was the minimum power on regional channels pre 80 90.

I never realized the Canadians now would get all bent out of shape about a high band AM signal on an non clear channel, but whatever. They most likely could stay "legal" with less than 10 kw daytime if "feeding" a translator is the only consideration.
 
I live in the Chicagoland area, and the only good Argentine steakhouses in the USA I've had were in San Juan, PR. Including the chain one with a location next to Plaza Las Americas.
Off-topic:
One of my Chicago favorites was "Tango Sur", on Southport a few blocks north of the Southport Brown Line (Ravenswood line) station. They used to bring the parillada to your table. Last time I was there, about 13-14 years ago, they had stopped doing that. It was still good, but nothing like having the grill at your table.

Looks like there are several Argentine restaurants in "Chicagoland". Chicago generally is a great food town.
 


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