1550 Returns to the air this Saturday 3/19

[KML0224]

I live in New Britain and even I get almost nothing from WFIF-AM 1500. I don't get a peep from WKND-AM 1480 of Windsor. WMMW-AM 1470 of Meriden is barely there. I do get a weak signal of WCTF-AM 1170 of Vernon though.

 

[GlennO]

Tolland County is actually part of the Hartford market, and most of Hartford County is right in the path of the WCTF signal. Arbitron markets don't really mean much to religious broadcasters, though. With its 1000 watts, WCTF may not seem as strong next to 2500-watt 1150 WMRD, which booms in nicely from Middletown up through Hartford County.

 

[KML0224]

I get a decent night time signal of WMRD-AM 1150. Last night, they were carrying the U-Conn NCAA basketball tournament game. Although the connection sounded like an old phone line compared to the (marginal) sound of WTIC-AM 1080, they were actually 7 to 8 seconds of the call heard on WTIC-AM.

 

[KML0224]

OK...just to update my previous posts: I just checked again around 10:30 AM. Although it's weak, I am now receiving the station, close to how it sounded in the previous Radio Disney times.

 

[progressivetalk]

The signal seems to be better this morning in the Windsor Locks area,but the programming is the pits. Heard a guy this morning all but tell me that women need to stay home, and be barefoot and pregnant and that women who work instead of being at home leads to increases in delinquencies in children. Women working outside the home is called reality.

BTW, I forgot to mention WJMJ (88.9) in my earlier lists of religious stations in the Hartford market and why we don't need any more of them.

 

[GlennO]

WJMJ is mostly standards interspersed with relatively brief messages from the archdiocese and Father John. The air staff is comprised mostly of seasoned market pros. While the audience may be older than what most commercial stations would want today, it is substantial by the looks of the PPM Arbitron numbers. It fills a void.

Back to 1550, it's easier for the new owners to put on something that already has a track record in other markets where they operate stations. They have a business blueprint, even if we don't think Hartford needs what they're offering. There are other niche formats I'd like to hear, but I couldn't assure you they'd do any better on this AM. Time will tell.

 

[progressivetalk]

True. Besides, WJMJ being on the "far-left" side of the dial has a decent signal especially when you compare it to the college, non-commercial and high-school stations that populate the 88-92 range on the FM dial.

 

[necrat123]

True. Besides, WJMJ being on the "far-left" side of the dial has a decent signal especially when you compare it to the college, non-commercial and high-school stations that populate the 88-92 range on the FM dial.

WJMJ is a full B1 (25,000 watt equivelant) signal from Burlington, CT., located at an excellent transmitter location. A lot of non comms are typically a few hundered watts, and below grade or at grade.

 

[KML0224]

Sometimes it makes me wonder how WFCS-FM was assigned 107.7 FM? Was no other spot available for them on the non-commerical section? I know they were at 97.9 FM until about 1990. They moved to make way for WPKX-FM 97.9 of Enfield/Springfield. As for WJMJ-FM 88.9, didn't they have to place the transmitter in Burlington to help on short-spacing issues with WRTC-FM 89.3 of Hartford?

As for the new 1550 AM station, how far is their transmitter from WDRC-AM 1360? I haven't been up that way in several years. I'm only aware of WDRC-AM/FM's studio on Blue Hills Avenue.

 

[CTListener]

Sometimes it makes me wonder how WFCS-FM was assigned 107.7 FM? Was no other spot available for them on the non-commerical section? I know they were at 97.9 FM until about 1990. They moved to make way for WPKX-FM 97.9 of Enfield/Springfield.

Boston has two similar anomalies: WHRB 95.3 (Harvard) and WRBB 104.9 (Northeastern). Not sure what the story is behind either, but the left side of the dial is mighty crowded up there, so maybe that's it. Funny thing about WRBB, which only runs 10 watts, is that you can drive into Boston from the south and west and listen to oldies on 104.9 WBOQ Gloucester only to lose the frequency to WRBB for a few miles in Boston ... and then get WBOQ back (if you're going north) before you leave the city limits.

 

[KML0224]

The other reason I could never understand the assignment of WFCS-FM at 107.7 FM is the situation with WWRX-FM 107.7 of Pawcatuck, CT, a.k.a. Jammin' 107.7. I just know that when I go to the Mohegan Sun Casino, the two strongest signals when I get to the bus lobby are WWRX-FM and WCTY-FM 97.7 (knowing their transmitter is close to CT Route 2A on the way into the casino grounds from I-395).

 

[progressivetalk]

WACC from Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield is also on 107.7. They have their transmitter atop the Enfield Fire District's #1 antenna,which gives them a good signal for about twenty miles around the Enfield area.

 

[progressivetalk]

When I was a student at CCSU in the 80's, the WFCS signal was so weak that once you left the campus, it would just fade out totally. I hear the signal is better now.

 

[KML0224]

The WFCS-FM signal still sucks for me...and I'm in the south end of New Britain! I'm aware of the Enfield station, but have never received a peep from them, even when WFCS-FM was off the air.

Bringing this thread back to 1550 AM...one poster said he heard the station up until Greenfield, MA on his car radio. Anybody else have their reception reports? I'm getting a so-so signal here, but I need to keep my AM antenna on one of two "sweet spots"...one for decent daytime reception of WCBS-AM 880 from New York City and intentionally making WPOP-AM 1410 of Hartford a bit weak. Otherwise, their daytime signal pattern wipes out nearly the upper third on the dial. I use an old Sony stereo with a 5-disc CD carousel from Christmas 2002.

 

[progressivetalk]

Naw, the WACC signal at 100 watts is just too far away from NB and would get blasted by WFCS, no matter how weak it is.

 

[WPHA]

Blount owns several other stations in New England including WFIF in Milford, CT. I put the new studios together for WSDK right across the hall from where Radio Disney used to be in Manchester. The new guys are true broadcasters and the station will be doing a good amount of local programming as time goes on.

One could only hope for more local programming. A quick review of the site for WFIF shows only a fraction of local programming. It seems more and more stations are losing focus on their communities as they focus more on the bottom line.

Hey, Bill D! Long time, no communicate!

For the benefit of all:
I worked for Mr Blount for 20 years, at WFIF. You will be hard-pressed to find a man with more integrity than he. He also CARES about keeping his facilities FCC-Compliant. I know, because I was the CE at WFIF for about 15 of my 20 years there, and was present when the FCC made a surprise inspection in the 90's. I am happy to say, we passed with flying colors. ;D

I was downsized in 2007, as Bill was forced by economic conditions, to let roughly 1/2 of his total staff go. Most of the stations he owns are AM's, and it is not like the "Good Ol' Days" when a Daytimer could actually afford a staff of 10~15 people. It is very difficult just to SURVIVE, let alone "focus on the bottom line".

Unfortunately, I cannot hear 1550 from West Haven, not even with an outdoor longwire antenna on a good receiver. There is just too little signal, and too much noise. They actually have something THERE that none of the OTHER stations in the Blount Communications Group have: A LIVE MORNING SHOW. I give Bill HUGE KUDOS for making that happen! I just wish I could actually hear it!

 

[freightliner]

Agreed WPHA...

Especially in this day and age, it's only right to wish Blount (or any other true broadcaster) success. You mentioned being a long-time CE of WFIF... Just curious, did WFIF ever make any adjustments in their pattern when WNLC (AM) disappeared ? (As you probably know, Boston's WWZN did--I believe on both their day & night pattern.)

Just curious... who was CE before your tenure ? (I have a QSL letter dated 11/11/68 on WFIF letterhead signed by a fella named James (can't make out the last name..) The station was owned by Colonial Broadcasting at the time. Get this: The station's phone # at the time was listed as TRULY15. I just called it. It still exists !!

 

[Ed B]

Back in the 60's WFIF transmitter was manned by
engineers with a first class FCC ticket. The station was not allowed at that time by the FCC to be operated by remote control. One of the Engineers that work at the site at that time
was James Elmore. That might be the James that signed your card.

 

[freightliner]

Thanks Ed B...

Upon closer examination, it looks like that it's indeed James Elmore that signed the letter. Thanks !

Jim

 

[WPHA]

Agreed WPHA...

Especially in this day and age, it's only right to wish Blount (or any other true broadcaster) success. You mentioned being a long-time CE of WFIF... Just curious, did WFIF ever make any adjustments in their pattern when WNLC (AM) disappeared ? (As you probably know, Boston's WWZN did--I believe on both their day & night pattern.)

Just curious... who was CE before your tenure ? (I have a QSL letter dated 11/11/68 on WFIF letterhead signed by a fella named James (can't make out the last name..) The station was owned by Colonial Broadcasting at the time. Get this: The station's phone # at the time was listed as TRULY15. I just called it. It still exists !!

No, WFIF did not change anything with the demise of 1510. We really didn't need to. The benefit was that our signal became listenable all the way along I-95 into RI! Boston's station did, because it was protecting the now-defunct 1510 in CT, and no longer needed to.

I was working with Terry Smith when I started at WFIF, back in summer of 1987. I don't know for sure who was CE before that, as Terry started there just about the same time I did. I lost pretty much ALL contact with him the the mid 1990's, and would love to get in touch with him, again!

Yes, the station WAS owned by "Colonial Broadcasting" under the "care" of one Blair Walliser. (R.I.P.) Let's just say that he didn't just "cut corners", he made SPHERES! OOOOHHHhhh, the STORIES I could tell of the HORRIFIC "shortcuts" he took, that I discovered, one-by-one, as we upgraded equipment along the way! Enough to make your HAIR stand up on end! Things like the *LIVE* 220v lines, wrapped only in friction tape, BURIED under PILES of junked equipment, in the back of the transmitter room! Or the rack of studio equipment, powered by LAMP CORD, that was cracking and falling apart! I shudder at the thought of these things!

Then, there was the FCC violation report... THIRTEEN PAGES long, that actually resulted in Mr Walliser being forced to sell the station, making it available for Bill Blount to purchase! Poor Bill... one of the towers fell soon after, and there were numerous other technical issues that had to be addressed just to get the station back into FCC compliance! He did it, though, and it was an HONOR to work for and serve with a man of such integrity!

One of those FCC violations was worded something like this: "Transmitter meter readings are arbitrary and meaningless." Why? Because under Mr Walliser's command, the engineer was directed to build a system whereby the meters would give the correct indications. IOW, a rig of switches and pots, with a DC power supply. The FCC Agent was NOT fooled or impressed. :

As for the phone number, yes, (203) 878-5915 has been and still is their number. I can never forget it, reciting it on the air for 20 years! When you called, you probably spoke to my former boss, Jon Vaught. A good man. I miss him.

BTW, I was more than just WFIF's CE, I was also the morning announcer and music director for most of those 20 years. I'd go back TOMORROW, if I could!