Big and Little Stations (power, not ego)

[KyDXIn]

WULF was playing country as of last week.

They stayed talk for about a year before returning to country. I don't think the rural locals would support talk and the city advertisers didn't know the country owners.

 

[cspotrun]

Before you give WFBQ the FM prize, take a look at WTTS 92.3 Bloomington. Their 37000 watts at 1089' might trump WFBQ's 58000 watts at 804'.

Were these stations started in the 1940s so they are grandfathered powerhouses?

its a shame WTTS-FM wastes all that power & great coverage on a 'Niche' format, that cannot crack much over a 3 share.

 

[cspotrun]

Before you give WFBQ the FM prize, take a look at WTTS 92.3 Bloomington. Their 37000 watts at 1089' might trump WFBQ's 58000 watts at 804'.

Were these stations started in the 1940s so they are grandfathered powerhouses?

its a shame WTTS-FM wastes all that power & great coverage on a 'Niche' format, that cannot crack much over a 3 share.

may i add, THINK what that signal could do with what 101.9 is doing..... Sarkes is doing great with the format with a pea shooter in Ft. Wayne.

 

[schmave]

Driving from Muncie to St. Marys, Ohio back in 2000, I carried WFBQ all the way to Celina, Ohio, right on 100 miles northeast of Indianapolis as the crow flies.
I am surprised no one has mentioned Fort Wayne's WBYR/98.9 "The Bear." Maybe that's because a lot of its signal goes into Ohio as well, but it still can pack a punch. It's a solid signal practically from Bowling Green, Ohio down toward Dayton on I-75 until the 99.1 from Dayton covers it, and is listenable on 30 from west of Warsaw toward Bucyrus, Ohio, a good 80 miles from the Indiana border.
Its Radio Locator maps don't do the signal justice.

 

[skippertthomas]

I loved my 67' Cougar and the Pioneer Powerplay I had with a Radio Shack 7dBU antenna booster in the antenna line... I would cruise around Evansville and the Tri-State on a foggy night, or on a night with a cold front or warm front passing... Even at home on my Radio Shack VHF antenna outside of my bedroom window (I woul open and hand turn to the direction I wish to DX) hooked to my nice Realistic Analog tuner/amp... I remember picking up WFBQ at times.....WNAP came in on my car tuner...KSLQ St.Louis, when WRAY would kick off the FM at midnight.... Gallitan/Nashville's KX-104 would be a regular.. And I fell in love with the under modulating but, new and fun Top-40 that came in from 90 miles west...."Rockinradio-101.5/CIL-FM"....I said to myself, I would work there, one day..... Three years later, I became a really tight and happy teen jock in the prime of that station.... 27 share in our first 'ever' book... My shift with a 49 share and about 15 stations listed! What a time! All because I got the DX bug while in high school at FJ Reitz/Evansville....

 

[amfmxm]

For "Little" honors, kindly don't dismiss Crawfordsville's 1550/WCVL. For at least 35 years, Super 'CVL ran-or-has-run 250 watts unlimited at 1550, non-directional daytime but with a 4-tower DA rig at night.

In my miss-spent youth I vividly recall trudging from tower to tower in knee-deep snow and zero temps to scrawl the nightly (hourly?) meter readings required to keep it burning up Downtown Crawfordsville. We're talking early seventies--for a princely $110 a week and all the records I could steal.

I noticed that the current owners have a CP to scrap three of the sticks and go non-DA night with 5 watts. Maybe they've already done it--I'm way too far from Western Indiana to eyeball the thing.

But five (5) watts at 1550 should take the prize, shouldn't it?

 

[gr8oldies]

That signal along with WCTW in New Castle, also on 1550 with a similar pattern, actually has been reported frequently by DXers. I remember from living in the area they put a great lobe into Lebanon, just due east, at night but otherwise didn't even cover all of the home county.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I had always thought WCVL was on a 2 tower DA near NorthMont high school. Looks like I was wrong about that, it's significantly to the west of US 231.

Anyway, I think the weakest nighttime station in the state is 1580 WAMW, with five watts omnidirectional.

 

[Rowdy1234]

I had always thought WCVL was on a 2 tower DA near NorthMont high school. Looks like I was wrong about that, it's significantly to the west of US 231.

Anyway, I think the weakest nighttime station in the state is 1580 WAMW, with five watts omnidirectional.

The two towers you're thinking about are owned by WCVL's parent company. WIMC is on the newer stick. The one right next to it used to be used by WIMC, but is leased out.

WCVL's towers are located at the studios northwest of Crawfordsville.

An interesting thing about WCVL's night pattern...as one poster said, it booms in to Crawfordsville at night, but if you drive two miles north of the site with the towers still in view, the station nothing but static. At least that was the case when I worked there about 10 years ago.

 

[amfmxm]

An interesting thing about WCVL's night pattern...as one poster said, it booms in to Crawfordsville at night, but if you drive two miles north of the site with the towers still in view, the station nothing but static. At least that was the case when I worked there about 10 years ago.

LOL! When I'd sign the thing off at midnight and loop up to I-74 and head back home to Danville, I'd always look back to my left toward the towers and think "America's only station you can see but can't hear!"

I'm guessing they must have CHS football and hoops games on one of the FMs, nowadays. If not, they're gonna have some pissed-off locals when winter comes and they fire up those 5 inaudible watts...

 

[kentuckymedia]

5 watts, maybe thats Forcht just tryin to save a buck or two. I mean, he is a banker and all.

A couple great signals I think are WAZY Lafayette, you can hear that all the way to Huntington and even LaPorte at times. Surprisingly little sister WBPE does well too, for a Class A you wouldn't imagine that thing getting out to Frankfort and Peru like it does.

I was surprisingly disappointed by WMGI. I thought it would have better coverage, it serves the market and thats what matters in the end.

As for a signal that I am shocked by is WXCH Hope. WTF? I saw that Korn Country just bought it and I assume its to simulcast his AM or something. Wow, that thing shouldn't even be on the air its so small!

 

[Buckeyes2001]

From where I live in Vermilion, OH, along Lake Erie and about 135 miles from the Indiana border, I have heard WMEE 97.3 from Ft. Wayne on numberous occasions. I've also heard WXXC 106.9 from Marion, IN multiple times. I'm impressed at how far those signals get out. WOWO 1190 has a listenable signal from here too daytime (nighttime I've gotten a country station on the frequency) once you get away from sources of electrical interference.

 

[cspotrun]

do you know what AM station has the largest Daytime coverage in the America?.. KFYR 550am non-directional @ 5000 watts in Bismarck North Dakota.

 

[gmradio]

Worst signal has to be the AMP'er owned 1490. It is dark right now they go kicked off the ND campus. The shiny new tower they put up after a long stint with a long wire was plowed under to build a new ice arena.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

WIFE 1580 Connersville,IN has 4.6 watts at night on 1580...but that 4.6 watts made it to Greenland or Finland where there was a winter DXpedition a decade or so ago. It carries about 3 miles at night under 'normal' conditions.

 

[hipporadio]

I'd have to give the FM prize to 92.3 WTTS. That signal always followed me – even when I lived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on frequent occasion Over Memorial Day weekend, I was at my parents' home in Connersville – WTTS "lit-up" the red "tune" LED on my $23 Sony portable radio and had a solid signal as I walked that radio around. KUDOS for WTTS' audio quality, also – it has always been exceptional!
AM is more difficult, as Indiana seems to have been "cheated" in wide-coverage low-end-dial AM stations. 560 [Chicago/with a Calumet TX site] covers the northern half like a glove. 1070 does the best statewide, but ONLY-by-day. I'd need to give an honorable mention to 1190 WOWO—always a good [daytime] signal.
The "lowest" – but THE BEST is 1580 WIFE Connersville. At a mere 250-watts, they really "cook" with their recent upgrade of a BE transmitter and capable processing. Even the post PSSA 4.6-watt signal rivals many Class 4s [sorry, I'm stuck in the past]. They are also one of a very-few remaining AM stations that PLAY MUSIC [Oldies] and they SOUND AWESOME—as good as many FM stations on a capable radio. I LIKE THEM!

 

[Ted Cramer]

I'd have to give the FM prize to 92.3 WTTS. That signal always followed me – even when I lived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on frequent occasion Over Memorial Day weekend, I was at my parents' home in Connersville – WTTS "lit-up" the red "tune" LED on my $23 Sony portable radio and had a solid signal as I walked that radio around. KUDOS for WTTS' audio quality, also – it has always been exceptional!
AM is more difficult, as Indiana seems to have been "cheated" in wide-coverage low-end-dial AM stations. 560 [Chicago/with a Calumet TX site] covers the northern half like a glove. 1070 does the best statewide, but ONLY-by-day. I'd need to give an honorable mention to 1190 WOWO—always a good [daytime] signal.
The "lowest" – but THE BEST is 1580 WIFE Connersville. At a mere 250-watts, they really "cook" with their recent upgrade of a BE transmitter and capable processing. Even the post PSSA 4.6-watt signal rivals many Class 4s [sorry, I'm stuck in the past]. They are also one of a very-few remaining AM stations that PLAY MUSIC [Oldies] and they SOUND AWESOME—as good as many FM stations on a capable radio. I LIKE THEM!

And we thank you for your support and are glad you enjoy our programming...

 

[hipporadio]

I'd have to give the FM prize to 92.3 WTTS. That signal always followed me – even when I lived in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on frequent occasion Over Memorial Day weekend, I was at my parents' home in Connersville – WTTS "lit-up" the red "tune" LED on my $23 Sony portable radio and had a solid signal as I walked that radio around. KUDOS for WTTS' audio quality, also – it has always been exceptional!
AM is more difficult, as Indiana seems to have been "cheated" in wide-coverage low-end-dial AM stations. 560 [Chicago/with a Calumet TX site] covers the northern half like a glove. 1070 does the best statewide, but ONLY-by-day. I'd need to give an honorable mention to 1190 WOWO—always a good [daytime] signal.
The "lowest" – but THE BEST is 1580 WIFE Connersville. At a mere 250-watts, they really "cook" with their recent upgrade of a BE transmitter and capable processing. Even the post PSSA 4.6-watt signal rivals many Class 4s [sorry, I'm stuck in the past]. They are also one of a very-few remaining AM stations that PLAY MUSIC [Oldies] and they SOUND AWESOME—as good as many FM stations on a capable radio. I LIKE THEM!

And we thank you for your support and are glad you enjoy our programming...

...'And I DO enjoy the programming on 1580 WIFE, Ted – as much as I enjoy the EXCEPTIONAL AM audio! IT IS OUTSTANDING, btw! Out of over two-dozen signals offering music formats available in the metro Cincinnati area [and most large markets for that matter], I can't admit that I appreciate any of those more than the offering of WIFE. [OK – that may be "cause for concern" for the management of WIFE.]
Seriously, the challenges facing "little" radio stations such as WIFE in their small economically-depreciated markets are VERY DIFFICULT to contend with – Connersville in particular—that has lost much of its high-wage employment base, and has suffered the same "Walmart-ization" – and reduction in viable LOCALLY-OWNED business that can feed a monthly radio advertising investment. No-matter how many sales folks a station is willing to hire, there are a shrinking number of prospects who can pay their advertising invoice at the end of the schedule.
In fact, I have MORE regard for management at these demur stations who manage simple survival under these conditions, than I do for the "BMW-driving, Carmel-living, maxed-out credit card" Corporate Radio Cabool—who requires a visit to the "$100/hr COUCH" to ease their decrease in sacred revenue – LOL!
I LIKE "LITTLE RADIO STATIONS", and I always WILL!

 

[hipporadio]

I have to add my accolades to another "little" FM—operating far from the banal R&R "rag" coverage. The stick for this gem is at the juncture of the Indiana/Ohio/Michigan borders – WLKI FM – Angola [formerly on 100.1 – now on 100.3]. I can attest without any reservation whatsoever that this operation is THE FINEST that has ever graced Indiana small market radio!!! In fact, WLKI could claim fame for being one of THE FINEST small market Class A FM radio stations in this Nation, and it's right here in our Hoosier State!
Purchased in bankruptcy in the late 1970s, a group headed by Tom Andrews and Bill Kerner, bailed this "loser" out – fired-up with an entry-level 100-series SpotMaster audio console, two Russco turntables, and a couple mono cart machines from the North Wayne Plaza [a strip center] north of the square in tiny Angola, and made radio revenue and small market local radio impact history. There are NO SHORTAGE of "radio types" that view the industry beyond their market that will not agree with this observation. WLKI IS one of our industry's truly-EXCEPTIONAL radio stations—regardless of market rank. For over THIRTY YEARS, it has been exemplary in both technical and programming regards. It has always sounded great! Some of the finest folks I have had the pleasure to meet, know, and become friends with have worked for WLKI. Interestingly, the typical employee at this un-rated small market station has enjoyed their experience for MANY-MORE YEARS than are the usual stint for an employee at a small-town station. I'd guess that ownership/management there did A LOT of things RIGHT!
They are to be commended!

 

[soundsandsports]

WTTS makes the trip down here to Nashville occasionally.

I wish "Lightning 100" had that kind of power...Yes, I'm from that "other" Nashville!