BEST NC STATIONS OF ALL TIME

The Maestro · Sep 21, 2011

And, what were the best places to work in NC? I sure hate all these corporations and conglomerates ruining the ol' radio air waves these days.

knoxbob · Sep 21, 2011

A couple come to mind, not from work experience but from people who have lived in the area and the longevity of their air staffs, they must be doing something right:

WPAQ and WKSK.

secondchoice · Sep 22, 2011

WBRM Marion has done well for an old daytimer now with flea power at night. Not at lot of local FM signals, selling against them.

secondchoice · Sep 22, 2011

secondchoice said:
WBRM Marion has done well for an old daytimer now with flea power at night. Not at lot of local FM signals, selling against them.

Sorry I pushed the post button too so.

IMHO the best non Charlotte station was WISE 1310 AM Asheville when they were top 40. I remember going up there (the studios were with at the xmitter and tower site at that time) to pick up a copy of a commercial in 1980. The PM (IIRC Smokie?? it has been over 30 years) showed me the station. Nice studio, nice building, and an old refrigerator fill of beer in the back! He offered me one but I do not drink and drive.

knoxbob · Sep 22, 2011

Speaking of WBRM, they most be doing OK because they have a CP for a new tower in a new location. I don't know what facilitated the move but if the old one didn't get blown down then this is out of their own pocket. Most AM stations these days, especially the small town stations, don't have the extra cash to have a new antenna installed. They don't have a web site or I couldn't find one for them.

secondchoice · Sep 23, 2011

knoxbob said:
Speaking of WBRM, they most be doing OK because they have a CP for a new tower in a new location. I don't know what facilitated the move but if the old one didn't get blown down then this is out of their own pocket. Most AM stations these days, especially the small town stations, don't have the extra cash to have a new antenna installed. They don't have a web site or I couldn't find one for them.

1979 or 1980 was the last time I was at the old WBRM tower site some the brush should have been cut from around antenna by now. IMHO it was not the perfect site. IIRC there was a ridge or hill between it and "downtown". Or course the ground conductivity not line of site is was makes AM work.

knoxbob · Sep 23, 2011

I am unfamiliar with the old tower site but if you go to the FCC's web site and read the engineering study for the new site there are photos of the new leased site for the tower, you might have an idea where it is at. According to the site coordinates it's not too far from the old one.

jtudor · Nov 3, 2011

secondchoice said:
1979 or 1980 was the last time I was at the old WBRM tower site some the brush should have been cut from around antenna by now. IMHO it was not the perfect site. IIRC there was a ridge or hill between it and "downtown". Or course the ground conductivity not line of site is was makes AM work.

That tower site has been out of use for many years, I don't know exactly when they moved away from it, but it is now a housing development.

The ground system at that site was pathetic, the entire field had overgrown for years and most of the radials were broken so that really affected the signal. When I first went to work there, they were still using open wire transmission line from the transmitter building to the tower. How long since anyone here has seen that?

I worked there from 1977 - 1980.

awsherrill · Nov 3, 2011

When I first went to work there, they were still using open wire transmission line from the transmitter building to the tower. How long since anyone here has seen that?

Not as uncommon as you might think. KFBK in Sacramento still uses open-wire feeders. I believe WSM in Nashville used them until a few years ago.

When I worked in Omaha in the 90s, KFAB had open wire line. I understand they have since upgraded the site and installed coaxial cable.