1550 twins

[Prais]

Mr. A. Guy said;
If I were independently wealthy, I would just do it myself! Just to have the fun of putting something on the air that is "real", with live talent (even)! But I'm not, and I don't own a station, so I don't suppose this will ever happen. Back to my computer...

Fun? HA! You have a strange idea of fun, but you've never done this so you really don't know. Be careful what you wish for.

Well sir, when you realize the top sales staff you'd need for a station that gets no national dollars, (and have to hire good salespeople - they don't work cheap) the ascrap and bmi bills, the engineering expense your "talent may come from a satellite dish, and the headaches, (if you were wealthy) you'd say, "Radio stinks for the return on investment" and (like most people - myself included, do something else with your wealth.

I did. I sold my 4 (profitable) stations for good money and bought 2 funeral homs for a few years. THAT is a high profit business....Then, I sold them for a much better deal than my radio stations and THEN I retired.

My girls got a free ride in college, and my wife and I are very happy - with $ left over. I have a Lexus, radio is now a hobby, while I am a nursing home chaplain. No cares at all.

bwee doop.

 

[audioguy]

Fun? HA! You have a strange idea of fun, but you've never done this so you really don't know. Be careful what you wish for.

Haha, don't be too sure! You never know who you'll meet on this board!

I will say: I was in radio, but I am no longer in radio. At this point, I have no intentions of getting back in... except as a hobby.

 

[Link]

The San Francisco class A FM KNGY dropped in price from approx $34 mil to $7 mil in 5 years. If this keeps up, within a few years we will have an older focused music station in the Chicago Market. The main thing that will keep it from happening is those brokers using AM radio. I think demand for broker time is dropping, however I can't prove it. If no one buys the CP for 1550 in Northbrook(I don't think it will be cheap), that will be an indication that times are changing.

 

[Prais]

Link said;
The main thing that will keep it from happening is those brokers using AM radio. I think demand for broker time is dropping, however I can't prove it.

I CAN prove a big demand for brokered time in Chicago. 70 people showed up a couple of months ago at the time auction for a daily hour at wcev. This has been going on for 15+ years. LOTS of people (unsure of exact number) are on the WNDZ waiting list.

I think kngy is dance format. What has that got to do with this discussion?

Fact; New ethnic people are moving in to Chicago every day and need to be served. Fact; It's alot EASIER to serve them - than that older demographic you are after.

Link, you are looking for an older focused music station - to serve the 65 to death crowd. The days of playing "in the Mood" on the radio are over. I'd really love that station too, but its just not practical. It has already failed a few times in Chicago; remember wjjd, wait and (even
a bit lower age group targeted) wrll?

 

[radioman148]

Link said;
The main thing that will keep it from happening is those brokers using AM radio. I think demand for broker time is dropping, however I can't prove it.

I CAN prove a big demand for brokered time in Chicago. 70 people showed up a couple of months ago at the time auction for a daily hour at wcev. This has been going on for 15+ years. LOTS of people (unsure of exact number) are on the WNDZ waiting list.

I think kngy is dance format. What has that got to do with this discussion?

Fact; New ethnic people are moving in to Chicago every day and need to be served. Fact; It's alot EASIER to serve them - than that older demographic you are after.

Link, you are looking for an older focused music station - to serve the 65 to death crowd. The days of playing "in the Mood" on the radio are over. I'd really love that station too, but its just not practical. It has already failed a few times in Chicago; remember wjjd, wait and (even
a bit lower age group targeted) wrll?

I still think that WRLL could have succeeded if they had had a signal that more people could hear.

 

[radiotower40]

I would also like to see this station run one of the "Timeless" type of formats, but as Prais says, it probably won't
happen. If the station does get built, it will probably be a brokered station. However if you have ever listened to
WSQR they don't really have many paid commercials, they seem to run a lot of self-promotional ads and PSA's.
This is when I have been able to listen to the station, this might not be the case all the time.

I also wonder if this station will amend the CP eventually to get a nightime authorization to run at a very low power
at night like Nelson did when they moved WSQR from 1560 to 1180. It is only 1 watt at night, yet they use it. I ask
this because the 1550 in Morris ran 6 watts at night and the Lake Geneva ran 1 directional watt at night. So my guess
is they could probably get 2 or 3 watts for the new station, if they wanted it.

I also wonder after looking at the contours of the new station, and how close they are to WJJG, if they are going to try
and go after WJJG. Joe Gentile is not doing morning's anymore, and may possibly be looking to sell the station. This
would allow them to move the new station further south. WJJG is also about the worst critical hours station in the area.
WCKY completely takes 1530 over in my area during most of the morning and evening critical hours. That is what Kovas
did, could this merged company be thinking about this?

One more thing, WJJG did have a CP a few years back for 1,400 watts, and did actually use it for a while. It was up
on Radio-Locator, and Joe mentioned it on the air that they were using more power. The station was stronger and it
did help a lot during critical hours. I don't know why they went back to the current 760 watts.

 

[radioman148]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

 

[radiotower40]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

Using WSQR as an example, you get a clear signal on a car radio for about 1/2 mile, after that you start hearing
WHAM from New York in the background. It was still OK at about 2 miles, after that WHAM pretty much takes over
with WSQR still audible in the background, but, not a very good listen. This was my experience when I drove past the tower.
WHAM was coming in very strong that night. I'm closer to the city and there are a lot of nights where WHAM is not as strong
as it was that night, on those nights it might get out a little further.

I know WCSJ's 6 watts in Morris is(or was) good for about 4-5 miles and then the KXEL splatter from 1540 usually
blasts in and out. There are nights however where I have been able to listen to it about 15 miles to the east. At that
point it's not a good signal, you can hear it if your like me and trying to see how far you can catch it, I don't think
most people would listen to it at that point, especially in WCSJ's case when they're on 103.1 FM

 

[radioman148]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

Using WSQR as an example, you get a clear signal on a car radio for about 1/2 mile, after that you start hearing
WHAM from New York in the background. It was still OK at about 2 miles, after that WHAM pretty much takes over
with WSQR still audible in the background, but, not a very good listen. This was my experience when I drove past the tower.
WHAM was coming in very strong that night. I'm closer to the city and there are a lot of nights where WHAM is not as strong
as it was that night, on those nights it might get out a little further.

I know WCSJ's 6 watts in Morris is(or was) good for about 4-5 miles and then the KXEL splatter from 1540 usually
blasts in and out. There are nights however where I have been able to listen to it about 15 miles to the east. At that
point it's not a good signal, you can hear it if your like me and trying to see how far you can catch it, I don't think
most people would listen to it at that point, especially in WCSJ's case when they're on 103.1 FM

Thanks.

 

[Prais]

Radioman said; I still think that WRLL could have succeeded if they had had a signal that more people could hear

Me too. Well programmed music and top jocks on a Mr. Microphone.
Clear channel wrote it off.

The big band radio era is kaput. We are at the end of the 50's/60's
oldies era now. After about 1975 the music begins to really stink and has a lot less loyalty and ascrap and bmi prices are up.

I believe that type of format is probably done.

 

[radioman148]

Radioman said; I still think that WRLL could have succeeded if they had had a signal that more people could hear

Me too. Well programmed music and top jocks on a Mr. Microphone.
Clear channel wrote it off.

The big band radio era is kaput. We are at the end of the 50's/60's
oldies era now. After about 1975 the music begins to really stink and has a lot less loyalty and ascrap and bmi prices are up.

I believe that type of format is probably done.

I agree. The golden age of Rock & Roll is tougher & tougher to hear.
The only person who still plays any is Dick Biondi on WLS-FM and not nearly as much as he'd like.

 

[cyberdad]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

Using WSQR as an example, you get a clear signal on a car radio for about 1/2 mile, after that you start hearing
WHAM from New York in the background. It was still OK at about 2 miles, after that WHAM pretty much takes over
with WSQR still audible in the background, but, not a very good listen. This was my experience when I drove past the tower.

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

 

[radioman148]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

Using WSQR as an example, you get a clear signal on a car radio for about 1/2 mile, after that you start hearing
WHAM from New York in the background. It was still OK at about 2 miles, after that WHAM pretty much takes over
with WSQR still audible in the background, but, not a very good listen. This was my experience when I drove past the tower.

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

Maybe you need a new radio ;D

 

[radiotower40]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

Using WSQR as an example, you get a clear signal on a car radio for about 1/2 mile, after that you start hearing
WHAM from New York in the background. It was still OK at about 2 miles, after that WHAM pretty much takes over
with WSQR still audible in the background, but, not a very good listen. This was my experience when I drove past the tower.

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

If you did I think we might have some other questions for you..lol

 

[stormy01]

Out of curiosity, how much distance can you cover at night with one watt?

Using WSQR as an example, you get a clear signal on a car radio for about 1/2 mile, after that you start hearing
WHAM from New York in the background. It was still OK at about 2 miles, after that WHAM pretty much takes over
with WSQR still audible in the background, but, not a very good listen. This was my experience when I drove past the tower.

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

Maybe you need a new radio ;D

Did you mean: "I've never been able to hear WHAM in the background on nights when I've been near the WSQR stick. (?)

If you did really mean the former, you would need a helluva radio!

 

[cyberdad]

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???
[/quote]If you did I think we might have some other questions for you..lol
[/quote]

Three possibilities.....

(A) WSQR starts streaming and I have my iPhone with the Wunderadio app with me
(B) "Timeless Classics" is playing on some other station and I'm confused.
(C) I am indeed confused on account of my upstate NY friend, "Genny". ;D

I can use any of the above three for explaining to Mrs. Cyberdad why I need that new radio!

 

[radioman148]

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

If you did I think we might have some other questions for you..lol
[/quote]

Three possibilities.....

(A) WSQR starts streaming and I have my iPhone with the Wunderadio app with me
(B) "Timeless Classics" is playing on some other station and I'm confused.
(C) I am indeed confused on account of my upstate NY friend, "Genny". ;D

I can use any of the above three for explaining to Mrs. Cyberdad why I need that new radio!
[/quote]

We always need a new radio. ;D

 

[mimo]

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

If you did I think we might have some other questions for you..lol

Three possibilities.....

(A) WSQR starts streaming and I have my iPhone with the Wunderadio app with me
(B) "Timeless Classics" is playing on some other station and I'm confused.
(C) I am indeed confused on account of my upstate NY friend, "Genny". ;D

I can use any of the above three for explaining to Mrs. Cyberdad why I need that new radio!
[/quote]

We always need a new radio. ;D
[/quote]

That's right. You can never have enough go0d radios.

 

[radioman148]

For some odd reason, I've never been able to hear WSQR in the background on nights when I've been near the WHAM stick. ???

If you did I think we might have some other questions for you..lol

Three possibilities.....

(A) WSQR starts streaming and I have my iPhone with the Wunderadio app with me
(B) "Timeless Classics" is playing on some other station and I'm confused.
(C) I am indeed confused on account of my upstate NY friend, "Genny". ;D

I can use any of the above three for explaining to Mrs. Cyberdad why I need that new radio!

We always need a new radio. ;D
[/quote]

That's right. You can never have enough go0d radios.
[/quote]

Speaking of that, What's the best AM radio I can get for traveling? I hope to be Dxing again in Hawaii next Febuary.
Last time I used a grundig G5. Is there a radio of that size with a better AM receiver for my Dxpedition?

 

[cyberdad]

See if you can find a DX 375 on ebay or someplace.  Small enough for travel and fantastic for a.m.   My old beater no longer has an external antenna (but still works for fm and sw anyway) and the speaker doesn't work.  Still outperforms my Eaton E-10, Yacht Boy PE300, and Sony SRF37  for AM DX.  And those latter three are all damned good radios!