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AM 850- What are you doing Curtis?!

I

indystorm

AM850 has been a phenomenal station for the past 6 years. To quote them- It was "Just Right". You could listen all day at work and not get annoyed. they (rightfully) promoted AM850 first, and then the 104.7 translator second. Now they have switched to hippie rock and it's absolutely horrible. I have not listened for more than a few minutes at a time since the switch. They promote "We listened, and now play love songs at night" yeah? The Beatles? the Doors? Not night time music. No way, no how. It was damn near perfect just the way it was, and a unique station to the area. Put hippie rock on 104.7, but change AM850 back to Just right Radio! And get that lady announcer back! She was great! The guy announcer is extremely annoying! And for heavens sake promote AM850 FIRST.....! It's the stronger station by far! Hell you can hear 850 nearly all the way to the coast! Get with the program, Curtis! You know Radio! You can do better! I've since switched to listening to AM 740 WJIB in Boston on WebSDR. Bob Bitner has it right!
 
I get your frustration. The reality is if things were going well, they would not have changed a thing. AM is a dying radio band with consumers of radio. Radio listening, from figures I have seen, range from 5 to 15% of listening being on the AM band but 85 to 95% being on the FM band. Literally, the translator if that AM station likely has more listeners to the smaller FM coverage area than the total number listening to the AM that covers much more population. I don't know what the former format was but I can guarantee you that behind closed doors the income versus the potential income with a new format was weighed with lots of thought.
 
Well they lost me as a listener- and I buy from ads I hear on stations I like! I bought my last car based on an ad I heard on AM850 in fact!
 
They can't broadcast anything on 104.7 by itself.

As we've been told for years, any music that sounds good won't attract advertisers.
 
indystorm said:
Put hippie rock on 104.7, but change AM850 back to Just right Radio!
vchimpanzee said:
They can't broadcast anything on 104.7 by itself.
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@vchimpanzee Thank you for bringing this up. @indystorm By the FCC laws, a translator must not originate programming unless the attached AM station must sign off at night. Also, it looks like Just Right Radio might've moved to 94.7 WQDR HD2, and is still on the 104.7 translator.
b-turner said:
I get your frustration. The reality is if things were going well, they would not have changed a thing. AM is a dying radio band with consumers of radio. Radio listening, from figures I have seen, range from 5 to 15% of listening being on the AM band but 85 to 95% being on the FM band. Literally, the translator if that AM station likely has more listeners to the smaller FM coverage area than the total number listening to the AM that covers much more population. I don't know what the former format was but I can guarantee you that behind closed doors the income versus the potential income with a new format was weighed with lots of thought.
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Basically 850 in a nutshell. I will also add that more people would listen to music on AM if it was equal or higher quality to FM, and while it comes close, it isn't exact, without per se, AM Stereo. Or have a look at WWFD in Baltimore, the MA3 HD signal does provide Stereo similar to FM, thus it preforms well.
 
Make 104.7 an LPFM then. I prefer the sound of AM better than FM. When listened to on a suitable vintage Vacuum Tube receiver, the sound quality outperforms FM.
 
indystorm said:
Make 104.7 an LPFM then. I prefer the sound of AM better than FM. When listened to on a suitable vintage Vacuum Tube receiver, the sound quality outperforms FM.
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Maybe, if you're literally listening in the transmitter shack. For most listeners, the audio quality of Ancient Modulation degrades quickly as you get away from the tower.

The nigh service will of course get worse when WKIX completes their downgrade from 5kW nights to 120W nights.
 
indystorm said:
Make 104.7 an LPFM then. I prefer the sound of AM better than FM. When listened to on a suitable vintage Vacuum Tube receiver, the sound quality outperforms FM.
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why make 104.7 an lpfm? you cant convert a translator to an lpfm, that then cant air commercials.

and who else has a vintage vaccum tube reciever?

talk about being out of touch!!
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
Maybe, if you're literally listening in the transmitter shack. For most listeners, the audio quality of Ancient Modulation degrades quickly as you get away from the tower.

The nigh service will of course get worse when WKIX completes their downgrade from 5kW nights to 120W nights.
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Why would they do that?

I used to listen to 850 AM in Winston-Salem back when it played good music before back in the 90s. Now that's a good signal. The car I've had for 14 years now doesn't have nearly as good a radio because I tried listening in the country outside Thomasville where the road was new and didn't have power lines. Not as good a result.
 
vchimpanzee said:
Why would they do that?

I used to listen to 850 AM in Winston-Salem back when it played good music before back in the 90s. Now that's a good signal. The car I've had for 14 years now doesn't have nearly as good a radio because I tried listening in the country outside Thomasville where the road was new and didn't have power lines. Not as good a result.
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lower electric and maintenance costs... and the majority of people who arent a couple dozen radio geeks are listening on FM.
 
vchimpanzee said:
Why would they do that?
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It is coming with a change in location, so I would assume they sold the property where the towers currently are.
 
The current 850 transmitter site is right off Cary Parkway near the tawny Prestonwood neighborhood and a large shopping area in Morrisville. That land is a gold mine for development. Five towers--only one of which is used during the day-- for a severely directional nighttime signal no longer makes economic sense.
 
I love those old AM sites and hate to see them go, but it's sadly the way things are going. The WDNC site in Durham met the same fate four years ago.
 
@vchimpanzee I am sorry, but I don't see your response here. It just shows the quote. Anyways, the internet is crazy today, so that's alright.
 
RadioDaze said:
The current 850 transmitter site is right off Cary Parkway near the tawny Prestonwood neighborhood and a large shopping area in Morrisville. That land is a gold mine for development. Five towers--only one of which is used during the day-- for a severely directional nighttime signal no longer makes economic sense.
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I was recently in the Raleigh area and happened to drive right by the WKIX site. Very impressive five tower array; I was rather surprised to find it in what appears to be a growing, attractive area of the metro area. Appears WKIX‘s new site will be a single tower diplex with WPTF.

I was told that locals regard Cary as an acronym for “City Attracting Relocated Yankees.”
 
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