Anyone know what's with the 1280 station out of Lancaster KY? Their modulation has been less than 5% for months. Out of respect for AM radio I would be willing to help, if I knew where to start. Any other volunteers?
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1280 Station in Lancaster KY
- Thread starter RadioDave160
- Start date
Looks like the first thing you can help them with is a license. According to the FCC database they don't have one. And they would have to file for a CP. That's a much bigger problem than modulation....
DWKYY KY LANCASTER USA Daytime
Deleted facility record.
Deleted facilities cannot be reactivated. Interested parties must file an
application for construction permit during the approprate AM application
filing window.
Licensee: LANCASTER BROADCASTERS, INC.
1280 kHz Licensed
Domestic Station Class: D Region 2 Station Class (corresponds to W. Hemisphere): B
Coordination Status: Canada: - Mexico: - Region 2: -
File No: BL-- Facility ID No.: 36476
CDBS Application ID No.: 311667
37° 37' 56.00" N Latitude Power: 1.0 kilowatts (kW) Daytime
84 ° 34' 2.00 " W Longitude (NAD 27)
ND2 - Non-directional Antenna: Different constants day and night
RMS Standard: 0.00 mV/m at 1 kilometer
RMS Theoretical: 283.24 mV/m at 1 kilometer
1 tower CDBS Ant. System ID: 16463
DWKYY KY LANCASTER USA Daytime
Deleted facility record.
Deleted facilities cannot be reactivated. Interested parties must file an
application for construction permit during the approprate AM application
filing window.
Licensee: LANCASTER BROADCASTERS, INC.
1280 kHz Licensed
Domestic Station Class: D Region 2 Station Class (corresponds to W. Hemisphere): B
Coordination Status: Canada: - Mexico: - Region 2: -
File No: BL-- Facility ID No.: 36476
CDBS Application ID No.: 311667
37° 37' 56.00" N Latitude Power: 1.0 kilowatts (kW) Daytime
84 ° 34' 2.00 " W Longitude (NAD 27)
ND2 - Non-directional Antenna: Different constants day and night
RMS Standard: 0.00 mV/m at 1 kilometer
RMS Theoretical: 283.24 mV/m at 1 kilometer
1 tower CDBS Ant. System ID: 16463
Thanks for the update! This may be a good one to stay away from.
Thought they were gone from the dial as I haven't heard them in my trips to Lexington. I can receive WGBF Evansville until the end of the Bluegrass Parkway on most trips where the slop of 1300 overcomes the signal.
WKYY had the distinction back in the eighties of having an all female staff.
WKYY had the distinction back in the eighties of having an all female staff.
cardradio said:
maybe they think if they are real quiet, the FCC won't find them. ;D
I did a little digging on the FCC AM Query site. Looks like they let their license expire on August 1, 2012. Then upon receiving the expiration letter they discontinued station operations and applied for a STA to resume operations pending the commission's consideration of a license renewal application.
The FCC granted the STA on September 14, 2012, for 180 days or action on the pending license renewal application, whichever was sooner.
http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=35951
The FCC granted the STA on September 14, 2012, for 180 days or action on the pending license renewal application, whichever was sooner.
http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=35951
I saw that as well, Dave. The Commission really gives a lot of leeway on this. There was a guy in Battle Creek that operated YEARS after losing their license, due to not filing the renewal. It was their second time and the Commission let them drag the process on. The licensee was a lawyer and used some pretty flimsy excuses about being old and not having a computer...
It took a while but, they're deleted.
It has been over 180 days and 1280 is still on?
It took a while but, they're deleted.
It has been over 180 days and 1280 is still on?
WKYY in Lancaster has been pretty much the same for several decades. The staff consists of the owner Lejune Renfro and perhaps her daughter. The facility is co-located and continue to have many technical problems especially audio. Format is religion and when there are no programs they sign off. During the 80-90 days they being the only station in Lancaster had THE shot at the 105.1 drop in but they choose not to file.
jry said:
YUP! It was definitely on last Saturday around noon with low modulated preaching...just like it has been for years. In fact, it is on-the-air right now, 12:35 PM, Monday, with gospel music (& extremely low modulation and distortion). The RF level is also lower than usual at my SW Lexington location, which probably means they have even more technical issues than before... On my Icom IC-746, their signal level is S-9. They are usually 10db over S-9 on this rig/antenna setup.
When I first posted, I had full intention of helping them at no cost. Now, with their doubtful legality, I think it's better to pass on the offer. A friend, in broadcasting, said he stopped by the studio and the lady wouldn't let him in or talk about their situation. Another engineer friend said he phoned and offered to help and she said she had all the help she needed. Very sad indeed. Let's hope this is not a sign of things to come for AM Radio for which I have always had great respect.
DaveatWCYO said:
As mentioned this operation has been like this since at least the mid eighties. It at least had some modulation back then.
DaveatWCYO said:
I'm starting my 10th year of contracting (wow, has it been that long?!), after working in broadcasting for over 30 years, anyway, I've learned one thing. That is you NEVER offer your services for free. What happens is the old adage of "you touch it and it's yours". Since you are free to them, they will call you for EVERYTHING. At all hours of the day and night. If your service is not of some value to them, you are better off leaving them alone. And watching how this is playing out with this particular station, you see why now. Also, the FCC comes in and busts them for what they are doing, and they now have someone to blame and possibly file a lawsuit against. And the fact that people offering their service for free cheapens it for the rest of us trying to make a living at it.
Thanks, Bengalsfan, for the advice, which was well thought-out and makes perfect sense, especially the potential legal consequences. I decided, ten-minutes after my first post, not to touch them with a 10 foot 5-kilovolt Simpson 260 lead.
Bengalsfan said:
Remember, no good deed goes unpunished.
radiorob2.0 said:
That summs it up nicely, Rob.
Just an update...Shortly after 3 PM today (7/26), I visited the 1280 frequency. WKYY is still on-the-air (barely), playing gospel music and operating with 5-10% modulation as has been the norm for many months, if not years, now. Their signal (RF) level seems to be slowly decreasing here at my location in SW Lexington. I really wonder when was the last time anyone with any technical expertise did any service to this facility? WKYY has (had) the potential of being a nice community oriented station which is (WAS?) licensed for non-directional operation with 1 kw day and 88 watts at night. Radio-Locator still lists it, but according to the FCC files, it's license has been Deleted.
I wonder how long it will continue to meander on like this ?
I wonder how long it will continue to meander on like this ?
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