1410 WLVV Mobile still off the air

[WLLHofyore]

According to eyewitness reports the other night, the studios of WLVV 1410 Mobile, AL are in shables. Thier two-story building is still standing, but the AM control room was smashed back and into the production room by the incredible storm surge produced from Hurricane Katrina. An engineer (visitng the site) remarked that the two towers are still standing and seemed that de-watering the bottom of the transmitter cabinet and drying out a transformer might do the trick to get the xmtr back in service. Don't look for this station to be back on anytime soon. Studios and xmtr are in Spanish Fort, AL on a causeway just easterly of downtown Mobile.

1360 WMOB is back on the air, a pulled coax feed cable going into an antenna tuning unit damaged a capacitor, and the roof of the studios = transmitter bldg lost some shingles that were promptly replaced, a small amount of sheetrock needs replacement inside. I noted them last night on DX here in Palm Coast, FL... (between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, along the Atlantic coastline).

 

[Braswell]

> WLVV 1410 Mobile, AL

And so it goes. This was Mobile's first radio station. The former WALA radio went on the air in February, 1930. Following the sale which split WALA-TV (channel 10) from radio, 1410 became WUNI (home of the Woonie Bird), which became the city's first fulltime modern country station. Country music star Mel Tillis bought the station years later, changing the calls to WMML (he always stuttered his name M-Mel), but it was a loosing proposition. I'm not sure how long it's been WLVV, but I was definitely surprised that those rusty, old self-supporters are still standing, following both Ivan and Katrina. It'll be interesting to see what happens. <P ID="signature">______________
Jay Braswell - Moderator
Atlanta/North Florida/South Carolina/Georgia Boards</P>

 

[Nate Wesley]

> > WLVV 1410 Mobile, AL
>
> And so it goes. This was Mobile's first radio station. The
> former WALA radio went on the air in February, 1930.
> Following the sale which split WALA-TV (channel 10) from
> radio, 1410 became WUNI (home of the Woonie Bird), which
> became the city's first fulltime modern country station.
> Country music star Mel Tillis bought the station years
> later, changing the calls to WMML (he always stuttered his
> name M-Mel), but it was a loosing proposition. I'm not sure
> how long it's been WLVV, but I was definitely surprised that
> those rusty, old self-supporters are still standing,
> following both Ivan and Katrina. It'll be interesting to see
> what happens.
>

You're right...I'd love to meet the engineers who put those towers up back in the day. WLVV has about the worst location imaginable as far as dodging hurricanes, save for maybe WCSN-FM in Orange Beach.

I wonder how old 1410's towers are? While not caring for the programming, that setup still put a well listenable signal thoughout the Alabama coast. I've caught it as far as Excel during the daytime.



http://www.porch.org/html/causeway/images/wlvv.jpg
http://www.porch.org/html/causeway/images/wlvv.jpg</P>

<P ID="signature">______________
Note to hip-hop haters: Kanye West doesn't care about you.

 

[MonsterFM-KBKH]

> > > WLVV 1410 Mobile, AL
> >
> > And so it goes. This was Mobile's first radio station. The
>
> > former WALA radio went on the air in February, 1930.
> > Following the sale which split WALA-TV (channel 10) from
> > radio, 1410 became WUNI (home of the Woonie Bird), which
> > became the city's first fulltime modern country station.
> > Country music star Mel Tillis bought the station years
> > later, changing the calls to WMML (he always stuttered his
>
> > name M-Mel), but it was a loosing proposition. I'm not
> sure
> > how long it's been WLVV, but I was definitely surprised
> that
> > those rusty, old self-supporters are still standing,
> > following both Ivan and Katrina. It'll be interesting to
> see
> > what happens.
> >
>
> You're right...I'd love to meet the engineers who put those
> towers up back in the day. WLVV has about the worst location
> imaginable as far as dodging hurricanes, save for maybe
> WCSN-FM in Orange Beach.
>
> I wonder how old 1410's towers are? While not caring for the
> programming, that setup still put a well listenable signal
> thoughout the Alabama coast. I've caught it as far as Excel
> during the daytime.
>
> http://www.porch.org/html/causeway/images/wlvv.jpg
> http://www.porch.org/html/causeway/images/wlvv.jpg
>




Uh... One of those "rusty old self-supporters" was replaced back in 1979 when hurricane Frederic toook off the top half of one of the original towers.
<P ID="signature">______________
Terry Keith Hammond

Message Boards: http://www.monsterfm.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi</P>

 

[wditto]

mobile alabama first radio station was weap 833kz it operated june 30 1922 till june 30 1924 mobile radio co shut it down because he was not selling enough radios there was another radio station in mobile by aleast 1908 call wmb

 

[yankeefan]

Does WLVV still broadcast from that bunker on the causway?