Any 50,000 Watt AM Stations in Florida?

[gr8oldies]

What about the old WGTO? Werent they ND before the Pine Hills move?

 

[jmtillery]

I often wondered about that myself, but, no, I don't think WGTO as a 50kw was ever non-directional although I could be mistaken. As far as I can remember, 540 was always directional after it upgraded to 50kw. I think it may have been non-directional when it was licensed to Haines City and operated with 10,000 watts. This would have been back in the late 50s.

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

 

[drt]

I often wondered about that myself, but, no, I don't think WGTO as a 50kw was ever non-directional although I could be mistaken. As far as I can remember, 540 was always directional after it upgraded to 50kw. I think it may have been non-directional when it was licensed to Haines City and operated with 10,000 watts. This would have been back in the late 50s.

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

Greeting and Salutations, Mark (Mark, not Jim, Mark, not Jim, Mark......; there I think I have it now!! --hopefully)


If my memory serves me correctly, WGTO was directional during the 60's and 70's and also seems to me, that due with the Treaty at that time with Mexico, that they were 10,000 watts during critical hours.

As far as WINZ 940 goes, I believe they have been 50,000 watts non-directional during the day for a least a decade (maybe longer) WINZ's towers are barely inside Miami/Dade county just south of Hollywood; not that far south of Hallandale Beach Blvd, so their signal penetrates Ft. Lauderdale (w/o having to be directional) and all of Broward county (and even southern Palm Beach county well during the day); at night with reduced power and a directional pattern, northern Broward has spotty reception (or so I'm told)......, but WINZ comes in very strong in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Davie, Dania Beachand Hallandale at night.

I can't confirm reception at night in Fort Lauderdale, but I suspect it's good even at night there, but spotty in Deerfield and Pompano and points north.

drt

I'm hoping someone more familiar with the Miami/Ft Lauderdale market can give us more details

 

[tanner]

Mark,

check my post for Orlando regarding 540.

 

[jmtillery]

Mark,

check my post for Orlando regarding 540.

I read your post regarding 540, and I also commented

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

 

[KR4BD]

I know for a fact that WGTO-540 had multiple towers when their transmitter was at Cypress Gardens, south of Orlando. Their towers (can't remember exact number) were visible from the Cypress Gardens Park. This would be back into the 1970's. Also, at one time, WGTO operated with only 5,000 watts Daytime but still had a fairly good, but directional signal in Central FL. I know when I originally visited the Orlando area (early 1970's), they were playing Top-40 Rock and had a good signal in Orlando daytime, but at night, it disappeared. When nighttime operation began, they moved their towers to North of Orlando and most recently moved them again to West of Orlando. There may have been another location for their towers in recent years besides the ones I was aware of.

Today, late at night, I can usually WFLF (ex-WGTO) very weakly here in Lexington, KY mixing with several other weak signals on 540.

It would be interesting to see a complete history of this station.

 

[Bored Op]

Wax nostalgic on WGTO here:

http://www.radioyears.com/other/content.cfm?id=22

 

[Jenny Woo]

All of this brings back some real memories....I was hired by Howard Hoffman the GM for Florida Media to build the new studios near Orlando in Ocoee on Marshall Farms Rd, just North of Hwy 50 and the Turnpike....I also built the new 6 tower array and transmitter plant west of US Highway 27 in the "Green Swamp" next to the Jhana sand mine. I recently drove past the studio building in Ocoee and it was empty and looked like it hadn't be occupied for many years (I guess since Paxson bought them in the mid 90s). 540 got one of the first Harris DX50 solid state 50kw transmitters and we even built the studio and transmitter plant for stereo (C-Quam AM Stereo).

If they haven't done it already, Clear Channel is in the process of combining the 740 and 540 transmitter sites to the 740 site....

Charlie Wooten
Director of Engineering
Clear Channel Radio
Panama City
aka cceng (I am on my wife's laptop making this post hence Jennywoo)

 

[redneckriviera]

... and I'll toss in some even older memories of Great Country Music 54/WGTO. I did mid-days during GTO's "Glory Days" in country under Hubbard in the late seventies. I was Mike McCoy back then.

During that period, 1977-78, GTO's xmtr site was the 4-tower rig up north of LA (Lake Alfred). Actually closer to Polk City--out in the swamp. Had a 6AM pre-sunrise of a killowatt (?) non-directional before kicking up to 50kw DA. The station may have had CH authority, too, but didn't use it (something like 15 minutes pre-sunrise and post-sunset @ 10kw--not worth the trouble).

Doing mid-days, I was the only jock with 50kw behind me all the time (during the winter, AMD had the low-power sign-on & PMD had an early sign-off), so I racked up the big numbers. Tried to tell management it was because I was such a great talent, but they knew better...

When GTO finally did get unlimited hours, initial night-time power was just a killowatt using the same 4-tower rig--basically shooting a weak primary lobe at south Orlando and effectively missing Lakeland-Winter Haven where all their listeners were.

For the record, WGTO did hit #1 in L/WH with a 12 share in Spring '79, if I recall correctly, knocking WPCV from its perch atop the market for the only time in about 40 years. I believe it served to startle Hall enough to fire up the engines at 97.5 and take advantage of that "FM thing" they had going for them...

RNR/MM

 

[MN Maniac]

Charlie,

I saw those studios when they were brand new. Just before the station became active. You did a hell of a job with that facility!

In December, 1989, Terry Mason (PD of WGTO) flew me down from Minneapolis and offered me the 7-Midnight slot. The money was decent, but I turned it down because I had serious concerns about whether a new AM music station would be able to make it in a market that was already saturated with FM signals. Especially since Scott Sherwood & Co. were posting big numbers across town on WOCL. Turns out I was right. I later worked with Terry at WOTS and he told me about "Black Monday" less than a year later. The day the axe fell on Florida Media.

I'll never forget walking into the Ocoee studios. The place was a palace! EVERYTHING was top notch. First time I'd ever seen Denon cart CD players. Otari multitrack reel-to-reels. Soundproof production rooms. This was before digital, so everything in that building was state-of-the-art for the time. Looked like money was no object...which I'm told was part of the reason for WGTO's early demise.

The building on Marshall Farms Rd. has been vacant for many years. I drove by it a few times in 2001-2002. No signs of life whatsoever.

All of this brings back some real memories....I was hired by Howard Hoffman the GM for Florida Media to build the new studios near Orlando in Ocoee on Marshall Farms Rd, just North of Hwy 50 and the Turnpike....I also built the new 6 tower array and transmitter plant west of US Highway 27 in the "Green Swamp" next to the Jhana sand mine. I recently drove past the studio building in Ocoee and it was empty and looked like it hadn't be occupied for many years (I guess since Paxson bought them in the mid 90s). 540 got one of the first Harris DX50 solid state 50kw transmitters and we even built the studio and transmitter plant for stereo (C-Quam AM Stereo).

If they haven't done it already, Clear Channel is in the process of combining the 740 and 540 transmitter sites to the 740 site....

Charlie Wooten
Director of Engineering
Clear Channel Radio
Panama City
aka cceng (I am on my wife's laptop making this post hence Jennywoo)

 

[cceng1]

I built that station at the time when digital technology was just becoming available to broadcasters....but at the time I had to order equipment, the Denon CD players were the only "digital" equipment that was tried and proven....I am a pretty conservative person and I usually don't jump at the chance to be first on the block with a new piece of equipment....I like for the bugs to worked out before I purchase it. I always wondered what happened to all those jocks who worked there....they seemed like a bunch of talented people.

cw/cceng

 

[tanner]

JENNYWOO,

I HAVE A QUESTION ON ANOTHER THREAD FOR 540 NULL. COULD YOU READ THE RESPONSES AND MAYBE HAVE AN ANSWER. I WILL BE IN ST PETE TOMORROW EVENING SO I WILL CHECK THE NIGH TIME SIGNAL AGAIN. IF IT IS WEAK FROM TAMPA TO ORLANDO AGAIN THAT WOULD PROBABLY MEAN THEY HAVE CHANGE TO 740'S TOWER ARRAY. WHAT A STUPID MOVE. BEFORE THERE WAS A LOCAL GRADE SIGNAL FROM THE 275 AND I-4 INTERCHANGE ALL THE WAY TO ORLANDO.

 

[tanner]

THE THREAD IS THE ORLANDO THREAD.

 

[cceng1]

I am pretty sure they are now broadcasting from the new site and they might not have everything zero'd in yet....I would give them a couple of months....this 540/740 combined deal was VERY complicated and it may take a while for the patterns of both stations to be where they need to be.

 

[Ai4i]

As far as WINZ 940 goes...I'm hoping someone more familiar with the Miami/Ft Lauderdale market can give us more details

I worked as a transmitter engineer and then a board op at the then, "All News Radio" WINZ, in the middle 1970's.
Their day pattern was, shall we say noncompetative for their power level, in that it was a very broad three tower northeast/southeast-due west pattern with 43.5Kw protecting an FCC monitoring station with not more than 33mV/m at Pine Island Rd. and Griffin Rd. due north and a Cuban station (remember NARBA?) to the south.
Their six tower 10kw night signal did much better into (Miami)Dade county.
Yes, they have been non-da days for several years since the FCC vacated the old WGBS site and relocated to the Keys and El Presidente Castro became "uncooperative", but it would have been much better if they had been able to change their endfire array to a broadside array and go north-south.
Their night pattern protects WIPR(San Juan, PR), WMAC(Macon, GA), and a station or stations Mexico and, with nulls in West Broward, is clean from Northeast Broward to extreme South Dade.

 

[Ai4i]

"All News Radio" WINZ

What? I can't edit my post fifteen minutes after I create it?
Make that, "Winz, All News Radio", pronounced, "wins".

 

[drt]

As far as WINZ 940 goes...I'm hoping someone more familiar with the Miami/Ft Lauderdale market can give us more detailsThanks for all the info, Ai4i; an interesting post.

I think WINZ's daytime signal is awesome and recently I've noticed that sometimes WINZ comes in over WMAZ at night, here in St. Petersburg, they don't always come in, but from time to time and I don't recall that being the case back in years past.

drt

I worked as a transmitter engineer and then a board op at the then, "All News Radio" WINZ, in the middle 1970's.
Their day pattern was, shall we say noncompetative for their power level, in that it was a very broad three tower northeast/southeast-due west pattern with 43.5Kw protecting an FCC monitoring station with not more than 33mV/m at Pine Island Rd. and Griffin Rd. due north and a Cuban station (remember NARBA?) to the south.
Their six tower 10kw night signal did much better into (Miami)Dade county.
Yes, they have been non-da days for several years since the FCC vacated the old WGBS site and relocated to the Keys and El Presidente Castro became "uncooperative", but it would have been much better if they had been able to change their endfire array to a broadside array and go north-south.
Their night pattern protects WIPR(San Juan, PR), WMAC(Macon, GA), and a station or stations Mexico and, with nulls in West Broward, is clean from Northeast Broward to extreme South Dade.

 

[jmtillery]

Wasn't WINZ-AM a music station, possibly Top 40, back in the 60s? If I'm not mistaken, I believe WINZ went ALL NEWS sometime around 1973...Am I close? When did AM 940 drop All News in favor of adding talk and sports progamming to the mix? I realize that All News is expensive to program correctly, but it seems all the "real" All News stations (not the ones that claim to be news stations) are dissappearing. KYW Philadelphia, KNX Los Angeles, WINS and WCBS both New York, WWJ Detroit and WTOP Washington are excellent examples of a well programmed All News radio station.

Other than CNN Headline News affilates, are there ANY All News radio stations left in Florida? If so, which ones?

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

 

[Ai4i]

Wasn't WINZ-AM a music station, possibly Top 40, back in the 60s?

One of Cousin Brucie's first stations, but just a few years before I discovered that magic box with the dial on it.
For a fifty kw AM station during the hay day of AM radio, WINZ went through a lot of formats. I remember them mostly as a station that played grownup music; pop or MOR while I had my WQAM, WFUN, and then WSRF.

 

[cflamfm]

Here's what the FCC has to say:


WFLF AM 540 kHz DA2 Daytime B B CP PINE HILLS FL US BP-20051101ABN 50.0 kW 51970 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
WFLF AM 540 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B CP PINE HILLS FL US 2P-20051101ABN 46.0 kW 51970 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
WMEN AM 640 kHz DA2 Daytime B B CP BOCA RATON FL US BMP-20061127AEJ 50.0 kW 61080 JCE LICENSES, L.L.C.
WMEN AM 640 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B CP BOCA RATON FL US 8MP-20061127AEJ 25.0 kW 61080 JCE LICENSES, L.L.C.
WNFS AM 660 kHz DA2 Daytime B B CP WHITE SPRINGS FL US BNP-20041029AGT 50.0 kW 160410 THE DIANNE A. MAYFIELD-HARDER TRUST
WNFS AM 660 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B CP WHITE SPRINGS FL US 1NP-20041029AGT 0.25 kW 160410 THE DIANNE A. MAYFIELD-HARDER TRUST
WWFE AM 670 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19890601AC 50.0 kW 21391 FENIX BROADCASTING CORP.
WWFE AM 670 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19890601AC 1.0 kW 21391 FENIX BROADCASTING CORP.
WOKV AM 690 kHz DAN Daytime B B LIC JACKSONVILLE FL US BL-20060511ACG 50.0 kW 53601 COX RADIO, INC.
WOKV AM 690 kHz DAN Nighttime B B LIC JACKSONVILLE FL US 7L-20060511ACG 25.0 kW 53601 COX RADIO, INC.
WAQI AM 710 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19850910AA 50.0 kW 37254 LICENSE CORPORATION #1
WAQI AM 710 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19850910AA 50.0 kW 37254 LICENSE CORPORATION #1
WQTM AM 740 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC ORLANDO FL US BL-19910401AC 50.0 kW 51982 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
WQTM AM 740 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC ORLANDO FL US BL-19910401AC 50.0 kW 51982 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
NEW AM 770 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP BALDWIN FL US BMAP-20050110AAY 50.0 kW 136128 NORTHEAST FLORIDA RADIO, LLC
NEW AM 770 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B APP BALDWIN FL US 0MAP-20050110AAY 0.5 kW 136128 NORTHEAST FLORIDA RADIO, LLC
WWCN AM 770 kHz DA2 Daytime B B CP NORTH FORT MYERS FL US BP-20050920ACU 10.0 kW 4437 WJPT LICENSE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
WWCN AM 770 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B CP NORTH FORT MYERS FL US 3P-20050920ACU 0.63 kW 4437 WJPT LICENSE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
NEW AM 780 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP JUNE PARK FL US BNP-20040130AHA 1.0 kW 160965 STAR DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC.
NEW AM 780 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B APP JUNE PARK FL US BNP-20040130AHA 0.25 kW 160965 STAR DEVELOPMENT GROUP, INC.
NEW AM 780 kHz ND2 Daytime B B APP MULBERRY FL US BNP-20040130BAC 0.25 kW 161404 RADIO 780
NEW AM 780 kHz ND2 Nighttime B B APP MULBERRY FL US BNP-20040130BAC 0.25 kW 161404 RADIO 780
NEW AM 780 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP MULBERRY FL US BNP-20071231AAK 0.25 kW 161404 RADIO 780
NEW AM 780 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B APP MULBERRY FL US 1NP-20071231AAK 0.25 kW 161404 RADIO 780
WMGG AM 820 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC LARGO FL US BL-19870219AA 50.0 kW 51971 MEGA COMMUNICATIONS OF ST. PETERSBURG LICENSEE
WMGG AM 820 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC LARGO FL US BL-19870219AA 1.0 kW 51971 MEGA COMMUNICATIONS OF ST. PETERSBURG LICENSEE
WJFA AM 830 kHz DA2 Daytime B B CP HILLIARD FL US BNP-20050118ABJ 50.0 kW 160193 THE DIANNE A. MAYFIELD-HARDER TRUST
WJFA AM 830 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B CP HILLIARD FL US 6NP-20050118ABJ 4.0 kW 160193 THE DIANNE A. MAYFIELD-HARDER TRUST
WFTL AM 850 kHz DA2 Daytime B B CP WEST PALM BEACH FL US BP-19990521AI 50.0 kW 29490 JCE LICENSES, L.L.C.
WFTL AM 850 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B CP WEST PALM BEACH FL US BP-19990521AI 24.0 kW 29490 JCE LICENSES, L.L.C.
860331AU AM 890 kHz DAD Daytime D B APP LONGWOOD FL US BP-19860331AU 50.0 kW 21025 FAMILY STATIONS, INC.
WINZ AM 940 kHz DAN Daytime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19880317AB 50.0 kW 51977 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
WINZ AM 940 kHz DAN Nighttime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19880317AB 10.0 kW 51977 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
WDYZ AM 990 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC ORLANDO FL US BL-20070413AHC 50.0 kW 23442 RADIO DISNEY GROUP, LLC
WDYZ AM 990 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC ORLANDO FL US 1L-20070413AHC 14.0 kW 23442 RADIO DISNEY GROUP, LLC
WQYK AM 1010 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC SEFFNER FL US BL-19881130AG 50.0 kW 28629 CBS RADIO INC. OF TAMPA
WQYK AM 1010 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC SEFFNER FL US BL-19881130AG 5.0 kW 28629 CBS RADIO INC. OF TAMPA
WJXL AM 1010 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC JACKSONVILLE BEACH FL US BL-20071019BFU 50.0 kW 63600 SEVEN BRIDGES RADIO, LLC
WJXL AM 1010 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC JACKSONVILLE BEACH FL US 9L-20071019BFU 30.0 kW 63600 SEVEN BRIDGES RADIO, LLC
WONQ AM 1030 kHz NDD Daytime B B LIC OVIEDO FL US BL-20050907ACE 45.0 kW 21760 FLORIDA BROADCASTERS
WIXC AM 1060 kHz DA3 Daytime B B LIC TITUSVILLE FL US BL-20051209AGK 50.0 kW 54505 GENESIS COMMUNICATIONS I, INC.
WIXC AM 1060 kHz DA3 Nighttime B B LIC TITUSVILLE FL US 2L-20051209AGK 5.0 kW 54505 GENESIS COMMUNICATIONS I, INC.
WIXC AM 1060 kHz DAD Critical Hours B B LIC TITUSVILLE FL US BL-20051209AGK 17.0 kW 54505 GENESIS COMMUNICATIONS I, INC.
WMCU AM 1080 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC CORAL GABLES FL US BL-19800513AA 50.0 kW 74165 CARON BROADCASTING, INC.
WMCU AM 1080 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC CORAL GABLES FL US BL-19800513AA 10.0 kW 74165 CARON BROADCASTING, INC.
NEW AM 1100 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP FORT MYERS VILLAS FL US BNP-20040129ATM 50.0 kW 160232 HILL & GLOVER BROADCASTING, LLC
WQBA AM 1140 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19840425AA 50.0 kW 73912 WQBA-AM LICENSE CORP.
WQBA AM 1140 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-19840425AA 10.0 kW 73912 WQBA-AM LICENSE CORP.
WPTK AM 1200 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP PINE ISLAND CENTER FL US BP-20081103ACC 50.0 kW 48329 FORT MYERS BROADCASTING COMPANY
WPTK AM 1200 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B APP PINE ISLAND CENTER FL US 0P-20081103ACC 1.0 kW 48329 FORT MYERS BROADCASTING COMPANY
WNMA AM 1210 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC MIAMI SPRINGS FL US BL-20031028AEK 47.0 kW 61642 MULTICULTURAL RADIO BROADCASTING LICENSEE, LLC
WSUA AM 1260 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC MIAMI FL US BL-20070102AAC 50.0 kW 55403 WSUA BROADCASTING CORPORATION
WSUA AM 1260 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC MIAMI FL US 2L-20070102AAC 20.0 kW 55403 WSUA BROADCASTING CORPORATION
WNLS AM 1270 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP TALLAHASSEE FL US BP-20031231ABV 50.0 kW 51592 CLEAR CHANNEL BROADCASTING LICENSES, INC.
INC.
WBOB AM 1320 kHz DAN Daytime B B CP JACKSONVILLE FL US BP-20060914ACV 50.0 kW 29736 CHESAPEAKE-PORTSMOUTH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
WBOB AM 1320 kHz DAN Nighttime B B CP JACKSONVILLE FL US 1P-20060914ACV 5.0 kW 29736 CHESAPEAKE-PORTSMOUTH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
INC.
WWNN AM 1470 kHz DA2 Daytime B B LIC POMPANO BEACH FL US BL-19950901AB 50.0 kW 73930 WWNN LICENSE, LLC
WWNN AM 1470 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B LIC POMPANO BEACH FL US BL-19950901AB 2.5 kW 73930 WWNN LICENSE, LLC
WWBC AM 1510 kHz DA2 Daytime D B LIC COCOA FL US BL-20070503ACZ 50.0 kW 3071 ASTRO ENTERPRISES, INC.
WWBC AM 1510 kHz DA2 Critical Hours D B LIC COCOA FL US BL-20070503ACZ 25.0 kW 3071 ASTRO ENTERPRISES, INC.
WYMM AM 1530 kHz DAD Daytime D B LIC JACKSONVILLE FL US BL-14237 50.0 kW 11127 WORD BROADCASTING NETWORK, INC.
WVOJ AM 1570 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP ORANGE PARK FL US BMAP-20000201AHL 50.0 kW 49214 NORSAN CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT, INC.
WVOJ AM 1570 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B APP ORANGE PARK FL US BMAP-20000201AHL 7.0 kW 49214 NORSAN CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT, INC.
WVOJ AM 1570 kHz DA2 Daytime B B APP ORANGE PARK FL US BMAP-20000201AHL 50.0 kW 49214 NORSAN CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT, INC.
WVOJ AM 1570 kHz DA2 Nighttime B B APP ORANGE PARK FL US BMAP-20000201AHL 3.3 kW 49214 NORSAN CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT, INC.
WVOJ AM 1570 kHz ND2 Daytime D B LIC FERNANDINA BEACH FL US BL-20011030ADP 10.0 kW 49214 NORSAN CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT, INC.
WVOJ AM 1570 kHz ND2 Nighttime D B LIC FERNANDINA BEACH FL US BL-20011030ADP 0.03 kW 49214 NORSAN CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT, INC.