Likely, the only parts moving are construction vehicles towards the 1110 site so that the land can be cleared and put to more productive use.
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AM 1110 Off The Air?
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
Saving a Slice of Carolina Radio History
A sincere thank you to Nick Langan and Radio World for featuring our effort to preserve a piece of Carolina broadcasting history. Read the full interview here.
c.org
I guess "productive" is subjective. Clearing the towers and planting apartments removes an irreplaceable communication mechanism. In the event of "internet failure", having a 50,000-watt signal up and down the coast could save lives. Yes, there are hundreds of smaller stations that could pick up that torch. But they are mostly unmanned and automated. So there is little they would do to inform the public in an urgent manner. So why risk it? For monetary gain? What's money good for if there are no people around? There is a certain logic and reason that has been lost over the past 2-3 decades that is very concerning.
I hear what you're saying, but the market is saying something different. Staffing and maintaining a high-power directional obsolete AM broadcast facility is pretty big ask for a private company with no opportunity to earn revenue. The other problem is if this supposed "emergency" ever does arrive, fewer and fewer people own AM radios, let alone know that it exists.
Given the economics, it's sensible to put the land to alternate use (sell or develop), and either hand the license back to the FCC or sell it to someone who is appropriately incentivized to carry it forward.
I am a capitalist, not a corporatist. I believe with great power comes great responsibility. I do not believe in profit at any cost. I believe in personal and corporate responsibility.
If/when the power goes out... there is a whole generation that will be clueless precisely because fewer people own AM/FM radios. Who's fault is that? How do we correct it? Maybe build in AM/FM receivers into mobile devices. I think that was once tried... could be too bulky, but technology is advancing at such a pace, I don't see why it could not be achieved. (Laugh if you want. But it is not an unreasonable idea)
So, back to the power vs responsibility cliché, I believe the owners of the property and managers of the frequency (public ownership) have an obligation under the social contract to maintain the facility because nothing can replace it in the event of a severe emergency. By honoring their responsibility, progress and profits can be made in other ways. There are universal laws that cannot be changed just because someone wants more money.
Who said theres enough profits to keep that thing running?
AM recievers would never work in mobile devices like phones..
and anything we try and legislate will take years to get trough the system, then years to be approved and more years to be built and a few more years for the public to adopt it.
what says owning the land and operating the frequency says they have any more responsibility then operating legally?
I understand your point and agree with corporate responsibility and have a dislike for profit at any cost, etc. Nevertheless, to date, despite AM's obsolescence, Radio One has kept the WBT/1110 facility on the air and presumably in compliance with FCC regulations. If AM is such critical infrastructure, let the government pay for its upkeep. Most of the rest of the world has already moved on.
An FCC license does not (and should not) come with a perpetually unbreakable obligation, however. The owner is free to sell its right to operate the license, or facility itself, or some combination of those. If there are no interested parties, the license can be returned it to the FCC at any time. The only thing "public" is the license itself. Not the transmitter and towers, or the land beneath it.
An FCC license does not (and should not) come with a perpetually unbreakable obligation, however. The owner is free to sell its right to operate the license, or facility itself, or some combination of those. If there are no interested parties, the license can be returned it to the FCC at any time. The only thing "public" is the license itself. Not the transmitter and towers, or the land beneath it.
Unfortunately there wasn't a huge jump in the rating when they put BT on 107.9 like when Cox got when they moved 95.5 to an in town tower.
IMHO R1 / U1 is trying to recoup some misspent money in Charlotte. They will get percentage of the land sale for 1110's land. They have sold some signals for cash.
Personally I would have put would have put 105.3's programming on 107.9 and WBT on 105.3, if I even gave WBT a FM. I bet they will sell 107.9 soon unless it helps the sports sales wise.
Who says there isn't enough profit? And who says there isn't a broadcaster willing to buy it to do so? No one is suggesting forcing Beasley or Radio One to do it.
Corporate responsibility does not need legislation. In other words, you don't need a law to force you to do the right thing. You can just do the right thing. A foreign concept to many people.
Never say never... You are communicating on a device that at one point people thought "that will never work". As has happened many times throughout history. I specifically said technology is advancing at such a pace, I don't see how it could not be possible. Basically, add a transistor radio to the device in some capacity. Would you still need an antenna? Maybe. There's no reason not to make one that works, other than "market demand". But "market demand" can be swayed by features and benefits marketed properly. It may only be purchased by a niche audience, like many products. At least the option could be there.
This is all conversation anyway. Stop acting like someone is trying to force you to accept something you don't want to accept. Just move on.
No one has suggested the current owners be forced to do anything. Why do you all jump to conclusions?
What is being suggested and hoped for is someone who does want to maintain not only the legacy but also the signal to step up and purchase or partner with the current ownership to keep programming on the signal at the current power and location.
[editing to add] And the petition is really only to find a way to preserve the legacy, not even the station, towers, or facilities. Maybe just a marker on the property with a QR code that links to a historical preservation website. There could be a 360 video walk-through of what once was... that's all the petition is seeking. [end my edit]
This really is not rocket science. It's called hope. Why poo-poo on someone's hope just because "you don't think...". We all have opinions on the matter. And based on our own experiences and knowledge, we come to conclusions that we base our opinions on.
This is all conversation... a discussion. No one is trying to force anyone else to believe in anything or hope for the same.
That's an excellent point. We had AM/FM radios everywhere. Something better came along. Technology evolved. Is it actually better, or was it just "sold" to us as better? In any case, that horse is out of the barn. Other than nostalgia, what does AM now bring to the table in 2026 that will create consumer demand to the point where it becomes a desired medium? I'm not sure there is any. The fear that someday something might happen where all other means of communication fail for long periods of time? Is that compelling enough? I don't know.
At one point there were hundreds of millions of listeners and facilities traded for millions of dollars. Now there are few listeners, and the facilities are being scrapped or donated. It's sad.
Why are we still printing books in 2026 when reading an e-book on an electronic device is "better"? Because enough people are still buying them to keep the business viable. Heck, even typewriters have seen a resurgence in popularity lately, especially among Gen Z who wish to do a "digital detox".
Remember, Sears got rid of their catalog business just a few years before they could've continued it online and become what Amazon is today. You never know what "outdated" way of doing things might actually have a future after all.
@kevtronics @cabradio So when land becomes more valuable than the station can bill.. what do you do?
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Who in CT is going to listen to WBT when a hurricane hits CT? No one.
You're trying to use the argument because some small stations wont be doing their job, WBT should pick up the torch for people who wont even be listening to it
Its like saying, 4 stations like mine should have someone in the office/studio late at night for something that MIGHT, but likely wont happen
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
I didnt realize it didnt quote properly. oops
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
If you guys would like someone else to attack as "being wrong", Jerry Del Colliano (who has for years been publishing his own site ... with paid subscribers) had his commentary on the issue of taking AMs silent republished by Radio World:
www.radioworld.com
“An Outbreak of License Forfeitures” - Radio World
Radio groups are beginning to treat weak licenses not as irreplaceable assets, but as recurring liabilities.
www.radioworld.com
Those Gen Zs that think a typewriter is so wonderful have never had to manually type a report, essay, thesis or dissertation that can run dozens or even hundreds of pages, with proper numbering, tabs and margins, and completely without any errors. Whiteout liquid and correcting tape not allowed. How many times do they like to retype multiple pages to correct mistakes, or make edits and do rewrites? There is no “delete” key on a typewriter.
Gen Zs would be crying for their mommies if they had to use a typewriter for anything serious.
Old technologies can be just as odious as newer ones.
Perhaps instead of pushing mostly irrelevant AM stations to serve as emergency information sources, we should revive the idea of a purely emergency radio service, with dedicated receivers just for that purpose that people could have handy if the need arose. Such a scheme was proposed and tested in the past:
WGU-20 - Wikipedia
That is what corporate responsibility is all about, Paul. It is putting people, principles and purpose over profit. Crazy idea, I know, right?
No one should be forced to do what is right. People should do what is right because it is the right thing to do.
Profits will always come to those who give unconditionally. And "profit," like "success," means different things to different people.
BTW: Just because you can do something does not mean you should.
It's all about maturity, understanding, and true compassion for the world. Leaving the place better than when you arrived. Leaving a legacy for future generations to know and understand the past. Revere it, honor it, and learn from it. Leaving artifacts so the future can understand the past.
I speak too much philosophy for people stuck in the selfish "it's all about me, me, me" world of instant gratification and intolerance masquerading as a virtue.