AM RADIO

[PHIL Z]

Last Night in an old Joke Book. Boy 1 "Yesterday I bought a New AM Radio." Boy 2 Why would you Buy a Radio That can only be used in the Daytime? Got Me Thinking the Best AM Radio Stations Growing up were Daytime Only ie WAMO, WZUM, in Omaha KOWH, KLNG, And San Antonio KAPE.

 

[KeyTimes950]

There has always been wonder and magic in the concept known as AM radio. Some of the best sounds still are found DXing at night, though so many stations do nothing but serve as repeaters for nationally-syndicated talk shows. Many of my best memories are of daytime offerings, of WLOA when you could hear its beautiful music on crystal radios and teeth fillings, or WEDO when it carried a still-robust CBS daytime lineup in the day of Dear Abby and Art Linkletter and Arthur Godfrey and some off-the-wall stuff such as The Voice of Americanism and The World Tomorrow, or the aforementioned WZUM and its polkas in the morning and progressive rock in the afternoon. AM radio is becoming a joke, no thanks to Keymarket killing off what it sees as unnecessary stations that only would serve as potential rivals for the Frogs and Pickles, or the quacks who fill many of those aforementioned daytime signals today, or the broadcasters who have forgotten the public interest, convenience and necessity, never mind the ways such things could have been and usually were sold. But what do I know?

 

[FreddyE1977]

ahh, yes.....that thrill of building your first oatmeal box crystal set and realizing that it
ACTUALLY WORKS!

 

[kenhawk1160]

There has always been wonder and magic in the concept known as AM radio. Some of the best sounds still are found DXing at night, though so many stations do nothing but serve as repeaters for nationally-syndicated talk shows. Many of my best memories are of daytime offerings, of WLOA when you could hear its beautiful music on crystal radios and teeth fillings, or WEDO when it carried a still-robust CBS daytime lineup in the day of Dear Abby and Art Linkletter and Arthur Godfrey and some off-the-wall stuff such as The Voice of Americanism and The World Tomorrow, or the aforementioned WZUM and its polkas in the morning and progressive rock in the afternoon. AM radio is becoming a joke, no thanks to Keymarket killing off what it sees as unnecessary stations that only would serve as potential rivals for the Frogs and Pickles, or the quacks who fill many of those aforementioned daytime signals today, or the broadcasters who have forgotten the public interest, convenience and necessity, never mind the ways such things could have been and usually were sold. But what do I know?

You know, as much as I hate to admit it, I've learned to accept the fact that some of those stations that are disappearing needed to go away. The commission has learned its lesson by allowing too many stations to go on the air, and as the industry has evolved (or devolved?) it's getting more and more difficult to stay competitive. You have reps from radio stations licensed to Pittsburgh with high-power signals coming into the smaller markets and offering spot rates that are becoming more and more in step with what the in-towners are charging. That's an alarming trend, and local stations have to work harder than ever to put themselves out there and make the public know they're still around. If you don't, you're dead. Period.

Oil City has a daytimer AM, Grove City is served better than adequately with Pittsburgh, Youngstown, and even Erie radio signals to the point where it's oversaturated. Connellsville gets served well by both WCNS and WMBS. Charleroi and Brownsville get served well from WJPA and WMBS (in that order). So those licenses that are getting turned back in to the FCC by Keymarket aren't really players anymore, and if they could be, it would take a lot more work than anyone ever imagined to get them back to the stature where they once were.

One exception would be WSTV. But that's where WDIG can cash in...if they wanted to. You've got Wheeling right across the border, all the radio signals there, and two television stations. I'm not sure how a Jefferson County, Ohio-only radio station could survive in that market these days.

So I'm not entirely sure if Keymarket is turning in those licenses to silence competitors. You can't turn off the signals you don't own! And those signals are very aggressive to let their communities know they're still alive. Perhaps now they're getting a tax break that would collectively outweigh the stick values of what they're silencing.

 

[kenhawk1160]

There has always been wonder and magic in the concept known as AM radio. Some of the best sounds still are found DXing at night, though so many stations do nothing but serve as repeaters for nationally-syndicated talk shows. Many of my best memories are of daytime offerings, of WLOA when you could hear its beautiful music on crystal radios and teeth fillings, or WEDO when it carried a still-robust CBS daytime lineup in the day of Dear Abby and Art Linkletter and Arthur Godfrey and some off-the-wall stuff such as The Voice of Americanism and The World Tomorrow, or the aforementioned WZUM and its polkas in the morning and progressive rock in the afternoon. AM radio is becoming a joke, no thanks to Keymarket killing off what it sees as unnecessary stations that only would serve as potential rivals for the Frogs and Pickles, or the quacks who fill many of those aforementioned daytime signals today, or the broadcasters who have forgotten the public interest, convenience and necessity, never mind the ways such things could have been and usually were sold. But what do I know?

You know, as much as I hate to admit it, I've learned to accept the fact that some of those stations that are disappearing needed to go away. The commission has learned its lesson by allowing too many stations to go on the air, and as the industry has evolved (or devolved?) it's getting more and more difficult to stay competitive. You have reps from radio stations licensed to Pittsburgh with high-power signals coming into the smaller markets and offering spot rates that are becoming more and more in step with what the in-towners are charging. That's an alarming trend, and local stations have to work harder than ever to put themselves out there and make the public know they're still around. If you don't, you're dead. Period.

Oil City has a daytimer AM, Grove City is served better than adequately with Pittsburgh, Youngstown, and even Erie radio signals to the point where it's oversaturated. Connellsville gets served well by both WCNS and WMBS. Charleroi and Brownsville get served well from WJPA and WMBS (in that order). So those licenses that are getting turned back in to the FCC by Keymarket aren't really players anymore, and if they could be, it would take a lot more work than anyone ever imagined to get them back to the stature where they once were.

One exception would be WSTV. But that's where WDIG can cash in...if they wanted to. You've got Wheeling right across the border, all the radio signals there, and two television stations. I'm not sure how a Jefferson County, Ohio-only radio station could survive in that market these days.

So I'm not entirely sure if Keymarket is turning in those licenses to silence competitors. You can't turn off the signals you don't own! And those signals are very aggressive to let their communities know they're still alive. Perhaps now they're getting a tax break that would collectively outweigh the stick values of what they're silencing.

 

[KeyTimes950]

Points well taken. Still, as much as I concede agreement with you on just about every point, I still wonder what could have been different.

I also see the success stories in some areas. A ministry buys WTYM-1380 in Kittanning and turns it into a reasonably-good local station, with news and local talk among its features.

Regrettably, that didn't happen to WTYM's former siblings in Barnesboro and Ebensburg, but I also concede that west-central Pennsylvania isn't the market it was when Bill Bland ran WNCC-950 and WEND-1580 still operated under the Valley Dairy in the Cambria County seat.

Unity proved to be strength in Butler and Beaver counties. Otherwise I could see up to five more stations on their way to the ash heap of broadcast history.

I also agree that WDIG could take advantage ... if it can afford to ... of WSTV's demise.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I understand that in Canada the CRTC must by law weigh "economic impact" along with technical
and other factors when making decisions about approving construction permits or change of location.
Not so here.

 

[cingram]

Recently I read that Clear Channel is taking 1310 Dearborn-Detroit off the air. They're going dark at
the end of the year, scrapping the towers, and donating the license (which presumably will be simply
a piece of paper at that point) to a nonprofit minority group.

This is a 5kw fulltime station that covers four million people.

I predict we will see more and more of this as time goes on.

C.

 

[Parttimer]

Recently I read that Clear Channel is taking 1310 Dearborn-Detroit off the air. They're going dark at
the end of the year, scrapping the towers, and donating the license (which presumably will be simply
a piece of paper at that point) to a nonprofit minority group.

This is a 5kw fulltime station that covers four million people.

I predict we will see more and more of this as time goes on.

C.

This has as much to do with the state of AM itself as the inability of qualified buyers to get financing, although why you'd scrap it instead of just selling it for $250K is a good question. Maybe the accountants stepped in and said they can take a bigger write-off doing it this way. CC's history would also indicate that they would rather eliminate the facility than let a potential competitor have it.

 

[cingram]

This has as much to do with the state of AM itself as the inability of qualified buyers to get financing, although why you'd scrap it instead of just selling it for $250K is a good question. Maybe the accountants stepped in and said they can take a bigger write-off doing it this way. CC's history would also indicate that they would rather eliminate the facility than let a potential competitor have it.

Tax considerations and upkeep on the transmitter site (it's a six-tower array) no doubt figured into the
equation.

C.

 

[hypwr]

The real property may be worth alot also.

 

[cingram]

The real property may be worth alot also.

In Detroit?

C.

 

[Parttimer]

The real property may be worth alot also.

In Detroit?

C.

That would be the reason to shut it down and give away the license.... looks like it's prime real estate for a shopping center....

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=42.26389,+-83.25389+(WDTW-AM)&om=1

Also about 2 miles from the airport right along I-94... possible hotel location.... worth many multiples of the radio station's value in all likelihood.

 

[FreddyE1977]

This has as much to do with the state of AM itself as the inability of qualified buyers to get financing, although why you'd scrap it instead of just selling it for $250K is a good question. Maybe the accountants stepped in and said they can take a bigger write-off doing it this way.

You've never seen the movie Slapshot, have you?

 

[loeper]

This has as much to do with the state of AM itself as the inability of qualified buyers to get financing, although why you'd scrap it instead of just selling it for $250K is a good question. Maybe the accountants stepped in and said they can take a bigger write-off doing it this way.

You've never seen the movie Slapshot, have you?

Or "The Producers"

 

[kenhawk1160]

Recently I read that Clear Channel is taking 1310 Dearborn-Detroit off the air. They're going dark at
the end of the year, scrapping the towers, and donating the license (which presumably will be simply
a piece of paper at that point) to a nonprofit minority group.

This is a 5kw fulltime station that covers four million people.

I predict we will see more and more of this as time goes on.

C.

As a Detroit native, I hate to see a station like this one die, because there's a lot of history behind it. But Detroit is way oversaturated with radio signals right now. Not to mention the fact that AM radio in Michigan isn't all that impressive to begin with due to poor ground conductivity (a casualty of lots of sand in your soil). But when I lived in the Motor City most recently in the mid to late 90s, this station was struggling BIG TIME. Nothing management was trying was working even though they marketed the living daylights out of it.

And nobody wants to mess with those complex DA arrays anymore. Maintenance costs will wash out whatever profit you do make.

 

[cingram]

As a Detroit native, I hate to see a station like this one die, because there's a lot of history behind it. But Detroit is way oversaturated with radio signals right now. Not to mention the fact that AM radio in Michigan isn't all that impressive to begin with due to poor ground conductivity (a casualty of lots of sand in your soil). But when I lived in the Motor City most recently in the mid to late 90s, this station was struggling BIG TIME. Nothing management was trying was working even though they marketed the living daylights out of it.

And nobody wants to mess with those complex DA arrays anymore. Maintenance costs will wash out whatever profit you do make.

Well, it's dead, at least for now. The station's off the air, the audio stream is gone, and the web site
has been reduced to a thank-you page with links to some of the liberal talk-show hosts' home pages.

Almost, but not quite, 50 years since the debut of Keener 13 in 1963. It's a sad but not unexpected
end.

C.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Not to mention the fact that AM radio in Michigan isn't all that impressive to begin with due to poor ground conductivity (a casualty of lots of sand in your soil).

Really? I always found ground conductivity to be quite good when I lived up there. I assumed because
the place was so swampy (once went for a walk in the woods near Fenton and sunk in almost to my knees).
I could routinely get stations like 500 watt Honey Radio down in Monroe as far out as Saginaw. And until
KFB moved to 770 I could get WJR at my house here in the Burgh 24/7.

 

[cingram]

I could routinely get stations like 500 watt Honey Radio down in Monroe as far out as Saginaw.

560 Monroe is on a low frequency and very directional, sending most of its signal north and northeast.
It doesn't surprise me that you could hear it in Saginaw.

C.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Really? I always found ground conductivity to be quite good when I lived up there. I assumed because
the place was so swampy (once went for a walk in the woods near Fenton and sunk in almost to my knees).
I could routinely get stations like 500 watt Honey Radio down in Monroe as far out as Saginaw. And until
KFB moved to 770 I could get WJR at my house here in the Burgh 24/7.

Perhaps it's better in southeastern Michigan, but don't forget Honey Radio was at 560 and even at 500 watts was a blowtorch, and 770 was at 50k. I'm talking about the ones further up the dial and at lower power. Those were up north. A good example was 1230 WGRY in Roscommon. A Class C, it was almost unlistenable in Houghton Lake.

Another one was WSNQ 900 in Gaylord. Even at 101 watts at night, it was almost unlistenable outside of town! At a thousand watts during the day, it wasn't much better.

So many of those stations have now been silenced. They've got so many high-powered FMs up there and THEY have trouble making money these days. I look for more of those AM's to fall silent.