• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

AM Frequency of the Week: 1250

Status
Not open for further replies.
cyberdad

cyberdad

40 miles northwest of Downtown Chicago....

Days: WSSP from Milwaukee. 5kw with pattern that's unfavorable to my direction.. Weak signal from a transmitter site about 60 miles to my northeast.

Night: 1250 definitely not what it used to be.

Milwaukee (then as WEMP) was audible 24/7). Now, as WSSP, the signal gets swallowed up by the "swamp". Most likely to rise to the top is KCUE from Red Wing, MN. But KCUE is far from being reliable. WGL from Fort Wayne, IN is an occasional visitor. WJMK from Bridgeport, MI (Saginaw) has also been able to sneak in on a very rare basis. I can't remember the last time I heard WSSP at night.
 
Last edited:
East Tennessee: Days-Really nothing, unless far rimshot WNTT, Tazewell TN makes it in. Sometimes WBRN, Marion NC makes it over. My stepdaughter lives in Marion so I know where the studio is. Night: the usual mix of stuff and junk.

Retro/other: Dayton, Ohio area is WCHO, Washington Court House, Ohio, days and the former WTAE coming out of the muck at night.
West Central Ohio: Mostly WGL (I don't know WGL's current status. I had heard the towers on Lower Huntington Road in Fort Wayne came down, and apparently Brian Walsh was trying to diplex it on 1450's tower).
 
KLLK Willits, CA about 2000 miles away is my most common on 1250
 
From Pickerington, Ohio, a weak but quite listenable WCHO. It's been oldies for several years anyway.
I've heard WGL in northwest Ohio, but never listened much.
Can't remember much if anything around here at night.
 
DFW, Texas

Daytime: Winter skywave KYYS Kansas City with regional Mexican, otherwise, nothing.
Sunset/sunrise: KZDC San Antonio with sports talk.
Nights: KZDC or unid Spanish (maybe KYYS), or nothing. Rarely heard - KZHN Paris, TX with classic country, KFOG Little Rock with urban AC, and KDEI Port Arthur, TX with Catholic programming.
 
From the southwest suburbs of Chicago:

1250 is/was usually a jumble, but one station stood out in the 1980s. I often picked up WTAE Pittsburgh on late Sunday afternoons in the fall and early winter when traveling into the city. It would wobble in and out, but when it was in, it was obvious from the distinctive voice of Jack Fleming, voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, plus sidekick Myron Cope. It was pretty easy to follow the action even when others got in the way for a few seconds.

Otherwise, the 1250 list is short and ancient: WGL Fort Wayne; WREN Topeka, Kan.; CHWO Oakville, Ont.; WEMP Milwaukee (I've not heard it as WSSP), and KCFI Cedar Falls, Iowa, all 500 watts of it.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WSSP Milwaukee with weak signal.
Nighttime: Besides WSSP the other semi-regular station is WGL (Ft. Wayne, IN). WPGP (ex WTAE, Pittsburgh, PA) also a frequent log on this frequency in the past, but not lately

DX/RETRO: Some other DX catches on this frequency in the past include KBRF (Fergus Falls, MN), KYSS (Kansas City, KS), KCUE (Red Wings, MN), KCFI (Cedar Falls, IA), WRAY (Princeton, IN). WLCK (scottsville, KY). Two Canadians also logged: CHWO (Oakville, ON), CBOF (Ottawa, ON). The most recent new log on this frequency is WKBL Covington (TN) in January of 2022.

And then there is WSPL, Streator, IL one of my closest unheard stations at just 71 miles away from me. As much as I try I am not able log them. After some digging I found out the reason why. This is an excerpt from the Extension of Existing Engineering STA document at FCC (http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/pr...timportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=101746):

April 2022 Update: The licensee is continuing to operate WSPL(AM) pursuant to Special Temporary Authority in FCC File No. BSTA-20200228AAJ, as most recently extended in FCC File No. BESTA- 20210921AAG.

WSPL(AM) is licensed to operate from a two-tower directional array. However, as noted in the licensee's underlying STA Request, the towers were partially dismantled after a tower inspection reported that the towers were unsafe and should be immediately dismantled. A 40-foot section of the south tower was retained for temporary operations pursuant to the STA.

Because replacement of the 2-tower directional array is not economically feasible, the licensee had been searching for an alternative site. That search, however, has not resulted in any economically feasible options.

The licensee is now considering converting one of its co-owned FM stations to digital and relocating WSPL(AM)'s programming to an HD2 subchannel. The licensee is evaluating which of its FM stations would be most suitable for digital broadcasting and is exploring options for an HD transmitter and HD Radio® licensing. If the licensee determines that relocating WSPL(AM)'s programming to an HD2 subchannel is the best option under the circumstances, in connection therewith the licensee will either take WSPL(AM) silent or seek to license WSPL(AM)'s current non-directional reduced-power operation.

For the foregoing reasons, the licensee respectfully requests extension of STA to continue operating WSPL(AM) non-directionally from its licensed site with the existing shortened tower and a reduced daytime power of 0.11 kW (day) and 0.035 kW (night). Further extension of STA will allow the licensee to continue to provide WSPL(AM)'s service to the public while it continues to evaluate its options for WSPL(AM) long-term.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Not too much has changed here since the last 1250 roundup, hi.
WQYK downstate York day, WPEL Montrose PA one SSS, WMTR NJ one SSS, WTAE PGH at night, w/the occasional CHWO.

Retro from the JFK Airport days:
We had carried Long Island GYer WGBB unusually well into the Queens Midtown Funnel one night en route to a friend's place in Manhattan. Back out of the tunnel to Queens, WGBB had signed off. Tuning to 1250 we heard a faint but steady WTMA Charleston SC, a neat rock station. No WTAE at all.
That clear GY WGBB reception should've been a loud Auroral alarm. Such has been duly noted and adhered to since.
I only caught W*D*AE Tampa once, overnight, again very faint but steady.
 
CADXER said:
And then there is WSPL, Streator, IL one of my closest unheard stations at just 71 miles away from me. As much as I try I am not able log them. After some digging I found out the reason why. This is an excerpt from the Extension of Existing Engineering STA document at FCC (http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/pr...timportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=101746):
Click to expand...
Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing. I can say from my travels that WSPL (ex WIZZ) never got out all that well. Even at 500 watts, and away from their null to the north. in an area with good ground conductivity. The R-L map, in my opinion, is something of a pipe dream.

CADXER said:
DX/RETRO: Some other DX catches on this frequency in the past include KBRF (Fergus Falls, MN), KYSS (Kansas City, KS), KCUE (Red Wings, MN), KCFI (Cedar Falls, IA), WRAY (Princeton, IN). WLCK (scottsville, KY). Two Canadians also logged: CHWO (Oakville, ON), CBOF (Ottawa, ON). The most recent new log on this frequency is WKBL Covington (TN) in January of 2022.
Click to expand...
I've also heard the Kansas 1250 as WREN before they moved to Kansas City and became KYSS. Also heard WRAY (once). I've never heard WTAE at my location, although I know it is....or was....not uncommon in the Chicago area.

Finally....a 1250 "Fun Fact": CHWO eventually moved to 740 and became CFZM. Meanwhile the 10kw 1250 in Oakville, Ontario (Toronto auburb) is now CJYE, with a brokered religion format.

And speaking of Canadian 1250s. CHSM from Steinbach, Manitoba, has been on my "wanted" list seemingly forever. Co-Owned with CFRY and CFAM. 10kw. DA-1, with a deep null to the south. Tough duty even in Minnesota and North Dakota let alone here. (But sounds like a local 40 miles away from Steinbach in Winnipeg.)
 
Last edited:
TXPH97 said:
DFW, Texas

Daytime: Winter skywave KYYS Kansas City with regional Mexican, otherwise, nothing.
Sunset/sunrise: KZDC San Antonio with sports talk.
Nights: KZDC or unid Spanish (maybe KYYS), or nothing. Rarely heard - KZHN Paris, TX with classic country, KFOG Little Rock with urban AC, and KDEI Port Arthur, TX with Catholic programming.
Click to expand...
Exactly the same list, except no KYYS daytime and KDEI a regular here.
 
KCFI Cedar Falls, IA daytimes. Nighttime is usually a swamp here, too. Most often I hear KYYS Kansas City, have also heard WGL Fort Wayne, and I think I have heard KCUE from Red Wing, MN recently (although I'm relying on my imperfect memory and I see that they are running 110 watts at night, a little over 200 miles away from me). I would think KCFI would be a likelier catch at night than the Red Wing station, but I don't hear it.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
KLLK Willits, CA about 2000 miles away is my most common on 1250
Click to expand...


Here's one clip clip that is KLLK with just a song:
www.mediafire.com

KLLK-AM 1250 Willits, CA Wed. Nov 18, 2020 728pm AK Time

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.
www.mediafire.com


Another KLLK clip with a liner:
www.mediafire.com

KLLK-AM 1250 Willits, CA Wed. Nov 18, 2020 856pm AK Time

MediaFire is a simple to use free service that lets you put all your photos, documents, music, and video in a single place so you can access them anywhere and share them everywhere.
www.mediafire.com
 
icybluelake said:
.... I think I have heard KCUE from Red Wing, MN recently (although I'm relying on my imperfect memory and I see that they are running 110 watts at night, a little over 200 miles away from me). I would think KCFI would be a likelier catch at night than the Red Wing station, but I don't hear it.
Click to expand...
I'm reluctant to make any accusations...but I'' go so far to say that KCUE being as widely and as frequently as it is, makes the premise of 110 watts "just a little suspect." Especially on a fairly crowded channel.
 
South Mississippi:

Day: nothing inland, WHNZ Tampa can be heard along the coast
Sunrise/sunset: WZOB Fort Payne, AL - Number One Country 1250
Night: KDEI Port Arthur, TX - Radio Maria
also once heard WTMA Charleston, SC - News Talk 1250
 
ente said:
South Mississippi:

Day: nothing inland, WHNZ Tampa can be heard along the coast
Click to expand...
Yep! It;s aa daytime regular om the beach at Perdido Key. Weak, but audible Have not ever heard WHNZ on the beach at night, but I have heard WTMA there at night a few times.
 
1250 is a weird one here in WA state. KWSU Pullman and KKDZ Seattle have a "share-time" which I believe exists to this day. Both are class Bs. KWSU runs from 5AM to Midnight. From local Pullman sunset to midnight the Seattle station had a directional array pointing away from Pullman. After midnight it is free to go omni at night power. Until the last decade, that directional signal came from a separate site well east of Seattle, pointing west. The suburban land became too valuable, so was sold and 1250 Seattle had to limp on lower power omni from their "city" tower from sunset to midnight. They are in the process of moving to two new arrays well south of Seattle so will see what that brings, but for now from my perch in Western WA near the Canadian border, I hear a weak KKDZ Seattle during the day, a weak KWSU (sometimes) in the evening, and then sometimes KLLK mixing with KKDZ after midnight. Often KLLK will be dominant.
 
The New Chico said:
1250 is a weird one here in WA state....
Click to expand...
Indeed.

There used to be something along those lines on 1250 in the '60s and for some years beyond them in Kansas. Shared time between WREN in Topeka with KFKU, the University of Kansas station at Lawrence. WREN eventually moved to Kansas City and became KYSS. If I'm not mistaken, KFKU in one form or another, ended up on FM.
 
Last edited:
Northeast NJ: WMTR Morristown. Moderate/Strong daytime. It's there at night but weaker with graveyard stations mixing in.

I've picked up WMTR at night on Cape Cod
 
Central Kansas:
Daytime is typically decent reception from KYYS/KCK. Nighttime, it’s a jumbled mess. Closer to the Wichita area, ‘YYS can be heard mixing with hash from adjacent channel KFH.

North Iowa:
A very weak to non-existent KCFI/Cedar Falls during the day; like in Kansas, it’s a mix at night, though I’ve never been able to actually ID anything. KCUE/Red Wing is too far from my location.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.


Back
Top Bottom