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1110 New Format

There is no open filling window for NEW AM stations so if the 1110 license is turned in it can't immediately be rebuilt. A sale would be a faster solution to rebuilding at a new site with existing towers. In the case of a sale you may get some useful equipment like a transmitter, remote control, some caps and coils. Makes me think they are keeping it running to shop it around.
That begs the quesion of why not an open filing window for AMs. I don't think the FCC would be swamped with filings and there might be some oportunities for new stations in under-served areas or for stations to improve their facilities with the large number of AMs going away.
 
They run 1kw directional, it pops in and out with the other 1290 stations. In the early morning when they switch to day power sometimes blankets the not so far 1290 in Sheffield AL at my location for a little while.


Gotcha, wow, thanks.
 
WSB does come in a lot better here in KY at night, than WBT.
I should hope so. WBT AM is directional at night NE to SW. They are protecting a Omaha Nebraska station at night. If you look at the radio-locator.com coverage map there isn't much wattage going NW towards KY. If you really want an estimate of the wattage headed your way, you can go to FCCdata.org and do the math based on FCC filings or go to the FCC history cards. Somewhere there is the allowed power going towards you direction.

WSB has no directional limitations. Only the upper atmosphere temperature affecting the height of the ionosphere changing the angle of the "skip" at night.
 
I should hope so. WBT AM is directional at night NE to SW. They are protecting a Omaha Nebraska station at night. If you look at the radio-locator.com coverage map there isn't much wattage going NW towards KY. If you really want an estimate of the wattage headed your way, you can go to FCCdata.org and do the math based on FCC filings or go to the FCC history cards. Somewhere there is the allowed power going towards you direction.

WSB has no directional limitations. Only the upper atmosphere temperature affecting the height of the ionosphere changing the angle of the "skip" at night.


Roger on that, thanks for the info and suggested reading.
 
They run 1kw directional, it pops in and out with the other 1290 stations. In the early morning when they switch to day power sometimes blankets the not so far 1290 in Sheffield AL at my location for a little while.
I discovered "Dr. Demento" when I lived near Hickory. It was on Y-102.9, which was a rock station and at one point the only one of those anywhere in the Charlotte market. Then that station went off the air before coming back as a beautiful music station in Charlotte. They kept the good doctor on 1290 but I had a harder time hearing the signal. When I called to ask about the signal, they said I should have been able to hear it unless I was south of Hickory. I was more east of Hickory than south, but maybe I was far enough south.
 
did you ever listen to WRQK in Greensboro? It was 98.7, now WSMW. We ran Dr Demento in the late 70s.


Tying Greensboro and Dr. Demento a little bit more together, first place I ever heard DD, was his Christmas tape, that my best friend at the time (a blind guy across town) copied for me. Among other crazy things we did as kids, we swapped Christmas tapes every year at The Greensboro Lions Club Christmas Party, usually starting recording our findings as early as late June. :D) I've heard Ryan now lives in Fort Wayne, IN, but can't find a valid phone number and/or email address, but I'm rambling now. What's new there though? :O)
 
Oh and another blind friend, who passed away some years ago, taped me Who's On First, recorded off one of DD's shows, those are the only connections I have with him. On that Christmas tape, I got acquainted with some cool/funny songs though...
 
It's been almost five months now that 1110 AM has been stuck in a loop of instrumental music and announcements sending listeners over to 107.9 FM. A historic, 104-year-old, 50,000-watt signal just discarded like trash. Even the land under its three iconic Blaw-Knox towers is up for sale.

I don’t blame local management. It’s sad, but they honestly don’t know what’s going to happen with 1110 AM, or at least that’s what they tell me, and they’ve done the best they could with the hand they were dealt.

I’ve been trying to get the ball rolling on having the transmitter site designated as a historic landmark so it can’t be redeveloped. Someone may have already beaten me to the punch. I’ve been told a ruling is pending, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. If anyone wants to help with that effort, please reach out. We need to do what we can to save this piece of broadcasting history before it’s gone.
 
Let's try to reset a little here:

It's a pretty safe assumption that the 1110 site is worth several million dollars just for the land alone.

Where's the business case for any buyer to pay that much just for the land, plus whatever Urban One would take for the 1110 license, just to keep the signal on the air, when that same amount of money now can buy an FM signal that's going to be much more viable and less expensive to run?
Genuine question - given that the intention is clearly to turn in the license and sell the land, why not just turn off the signal and file an STA? It seems counter-productive to blast out 50kW of signal that is generating no commercial revenue for months on end.
 
It's been almost five months now that 1110 AM has been stuck in a loop of instrumental music and announcements sending listeners over to 107.9 FM. A historic, 104-year-old, 50,000-watt signal just discarded like trash. Even the land under its three iconic Blaw-Knox towers is up for sale.

I don’t blame local management. It’s sad, but they honestly don’t know what’s going to happen with 1110 AM, or at least that’s what they tell me, and they’ve done the best they could with the hand they were dealt.

I’ve been trying to get the ball rolling on having the transmitter site designated as a historic landmark so it can’t be redeveloped. Someone may have already beaten me to the punch. I’ve been told a ruling is pending, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. If anyone wants to help with that effort, please reach out. We need to do what we can to save this piece of broadcasting history before it’s gone.

So what happened to that new format they were promising?
 
It's been almost five months now that 1110 AM has been stuck in a loop of instrumental music and announcements sending listeners over to 107.9 FM. A historic, 104-year-old, 50,000-watt signal just discarded like trash. Even the land under its three iconic Blaw-Knox towers is up for sale.

I don’t blame local management. It’s sad, but they honestly don’t know what’s going to happen with 1110 AM, or at least that’s what they tell me, and they’ve done the best they could with the hand they were dealt.

I’ve been trying to get the ball rolling on having the transmitter site designated as a historic landmark so it can’t be redeveloped. Someone may have already beaten me to the punch. I’ve been told a ruling is pending, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. If anyone wants to help with that effort, please reach out. We need to do what we can to save this piece of broadcasting history before it’s gone.
I doubt that any such effort will yield any meaningful results, but if it does, hopefully the land owners receive market-rate compensation for the property. They own an obsolete AM facility, not a museum. The raw land is probably worth more than the actual radio station. If people are interested in preserving some historical relics, that’s great! But it shouldn’t be at the expense of the current owner if they don’t care to do so. They have an increasingly difficult business to run.
 
I’ve been trying to get the ball rolling on having the transmitter site designated as a historic landmark so it can’t be redeveloped.
Who would own that “historic landmark”? Who would pay for its maintenance and upkeep, as well as the electric bill for tower lighting? Don’t forget property taxes. Where does the money come from for all that?
Unless FEMA prefers that the AM stay online for some reason?
If FEMA wants to keep the 1110 signal active, then perhaps it should purchase the station’s license as well as the land for the transmitter site.

It could be an “All disasters all the time” format.
 


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