CC turning off transmitters? Things worse than we can imagine?...

[nino]

KNFX and KMFX are dark, per CC (to the FCC), "due to financial performance issues". Not able to sell 'em?...

I hear they filed Notifications of Suspension of Operations and Requests for Silent Special Temporary Authority.

 

[davideduardo]

KNFX and KMFX are dark, per CC (to the FCC), "due to financial performance issues". Not able to sell 'em?...

I hear they filed Notifications of Suspension of Operations and Requests for Silent Special Temporary Authority.

On the other hand, hopefully many more signal challenged or daytime AMs will do the same and eventually allow for a few more AMs to improve facilities.

There are 1748 AMs in the top 100 markets yet only about 250 of them are "viable" in the sense of having a signal that covers 80% of the market or more day and night with a usable signal.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Viability

There are 1748 AMs in the top 100 markets yet only about 250 of them are "viable" in the sense of having a signal that covers 80% of the market or more day and night with a usable signal.

Could there be so many AMs in the top 100 markets, with so few with full-market coverage because so many of those AMs were originally licensed to smaller communities, and corporate raiders like Clear Channel have turned them into large-market rimshots?

Return the AMs to servicing their original cities of license. A lot of the problem will go away. I hope that the FCC takes the licenses away from Clear Channel and allows other broadcasters to apply for them so they can serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

 

[KFodor]

Re: Viability

There are 1748 AMs in the top 100 markets yet only about 250 of them are "viable" in the sense of having a signal that covers 80% of the market or more day and night with a usable signal.

Could there be so many AMs in the top 100 markets, with so few with full-market coverage because so many of those AMs were originally licensed to smaller communities, and corporate raiders like Clear Channel have turned them into large-market rimshots?

Return the AMs to servicing their original cities of license. A lot of the problem will go away. I hope that the FCC takes the licenses away from Clear Channel and allows other broadcasters to apply for them so they can serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

Blame Clear Channel if you want, but AM's been screwed up over the past 30 or so years. And Clear Channel has little, if anything, to do with it.

Too many "small town" stations, serving local communities who are not truly financially viable operations. I'm referring, specifically, to small town stations whose cities are already well served by bigger outlets in nearby larger markets.
There are good financially viable small town stations in areas well outside big cities, but I think if the FCC really asked if some small towns needed 2 fulltime 1 KW AM stations and a daytimer...with all 3 struggling to survive, it might well beg the question...should we shut 2 of them off?

By the way, there are also some big city AM's with lousy signals that don't make money either. Some of those, too should be shut down. All they are: are interference on the band and that affects everyone.

The FRC shutdown a bunch of stations way back when to reduce interference. It worked...and the band improved.

Interference is AM's achilles heel. And it's gotten worse in the past 30 years. (Especially since there's a whole bunch of AM operators not operating within the parameters of their licenses at night.) You know who you are...and you're part of the problem, too....

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Viability

[
Could there be so many AMs in the top 100 markets, with so few with full-market coverage because so many of those AMs were originally licensed to smaller communities, and corporate raiders like Clear Channel have turned them into large-market rimshots?

Very few AMs have been "moved in" because move-ins were prohibatative prior to the changes in the rules that spawned Docket 80-90 in the late 80's. By that time, AM was so in decline, nobody wanted to mess with them.

Most unviable AM stations are found in just a couple of categories. 1. Daytimers of any kind. 2. Stations that were viable in the 30's and 40's but whose markets outgrew them in the 50's and 60's. 3. Highly directional staitons that don't cover all the market day and night. 4. Low power stations in towns that are now suburbs which were separate communities 50 or 60 years ago.

Return the AMs to servicing their original cities of license.

Very very few AMs have moved. I can think of only a handful in the whole country. Most can't move because the band was pretty tightly packed by the 60's, and the costs would be to great anyway.

A lot of the problem will go away. I hope that the FCC takes the licenses away from Clear Channel and allows other broadcasters to apply for them so they can serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

Clear Channel just about reinvented AM. They developed talk at WOAI and KTOK and a couple of others, and then with Randy Michaels literally gave new life to the band. In the process, they rescued failing stations from WOAI and KFI to WTAM and WLW that were essentially dead before Clear got them. You can say many things about Clear, but they deserve credit for investing in AMs, rebuilding decrepit technical facilities and investing in programming and promotion when few others wanted to.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Revoke the License

It's very simple. Revoke the licenses since they've gone dark, and put them up for grabs. I'll bet that there are local broadcasters or community groups that can present programming that will serve the local community better than Clear Channel's syndicated pap and still pay the electric bill.

Why should Clear Channel hold a license that it doesn't intend to use? They've proven that they're far better as consolidators than they are as operators. It's time to put an end to the Clear Channelization of radio and get back to the business of broadcasting.

 

[pbf1]

Re: Revoke the License

It's very simple. Revoke the licenses since they've gone dark, and put them up for grabs. I'll bet that there are local broadcasters or community groups that can present programming that will serve the local community better than Clear Channel's syndicated pap and still pay the electric bill.

Why should Clear Channel hold a license that it doesn't intend to use? They've proven that they're far better as consolidators than they are as operators. It's time to put an end to the Clear Channelization of radio and get back to the business of broadcasting.

Or they could become K-Love repeaters. Would THAT be better??

 

[oaktree]

In my opinion, we don't need MORE -- we need less.

The AM band is already so crowded that it's a technical wasteland of interference, noise and distortion. Further, so many of the markets of today have, in fact, out-grown their communities -- and this includes not only large markets, but medium and small as well. I live in a market of 26 home-to-metro stations ... a market of 250,000. This isn't as unusual as one might thing, but it rates among the worst.

AM penetration technically and revenue-wise has vastly changed over the last 25 years. Today, AMers are making the switch to FM with programming because the upcoming generation has never heard of AM and few listen to it (20 percent of the total radio population)

Using AM as an "experiment" because of "availability" is still a very expensive proposition. It takes money to buy, more money to invest in, even more money to generate revenue for profitability and the technical problems make it very very difficult to compete.

If anything, there needs to be some "thinning" and reduce the number of AM stations by a thousand ... leaving about 800 and viable to enhance the technical side of expansion, while clearing the air of the clutter, noise and interference.

AM is doomed. Its survival will depend on ethnic, brokered and religious programming ... with talk a distant fourth. The revenues prove it, the decrease in service and popularity defines it.

 

[jh]

Take a look at the ratings for Little Rock... an AM/FM talk simulecast is 3rd, and no other AM even shows up.

As far as the CC AMs in Minnesota... the 5kw on 970 in Austin has never been successful. The other AM in Austin has always been the "local news" station. I think it's been off the air before, or at least in bankruptcy. The other one on 1190 is a daytimer that was simulecasting an FM, so it's no loss.

 

[smedge2006]

Re: Viability

Very few AMs have been "moved in" because move-ins were prohibatative prior to the changes in the rules that spawned Docket 80-90 in the late 80's. By that time, AM was so in decline, nobody wanted to mess with them.

Most unviable AM stations are found in just a couple of categories. 1. Daytimers of any kind. 2. Stations that were viable in the 30's and 40's but whose markets outgrew them in the 50's and 60's. 3. Highly directional staitons that don't cover all the market day and night. 4. Low power stations in towns that are now suburbs which were separate communities 50 or 60 years ago.

One factor left out is the "first or second audio service" exemption to FCC rules in the 70's and 80's. At that time, the FCC had a freeze on AM applications, unless one could show that a given application would be the first or second audio service to a given community. This led to a rash of daytimers assigned to larger cities (say, Tampa FL) applying the change COL to a suburb (say Temple Terrace FL) with just enough juice to cover 80% of the tiny suburb. This was more a "move-out" than a "move-in", but had a similar effect on AM band clutter and turned a lot of highly-rated daytimers into lower-rated fulltimers.

Clear Channel just about reinvented AM. They developed talk at WOAI and KTOK and a couple of others, and then with Randy Michaels literally gave new life to the band. In the process, they rescued failing stations from WOAI and KFI to WTAM and WLW that were essentially dead before Clear got them. You can say many things about Clear, but they deserve credit for investing in AMs, rebuilding decrepit technical facilities and investing in programming and promotion when few others wanted to.

This statement is so misleading as to suggest either prevarication or a phenomenal case of amnesia. Clear didn't build up KFI. Cox did -- because prior to the mid-90's they still invested in and built up AM stations. WOAI was a laggard in moving to talk -- in fact KTSA had Limbaugh first, for a decade, and the only way WOAI could get it away was when Clear bought Jacor and moved it. WTAM and WLW were rescued by Jacor -- a company with a different management and definitely a different style from the pre-98 or the current Clear Channel. Michaels had already done most of his AM-station rebuilding by the time Clear acquired Jacor and he became Darth Vader to the Mays' empire. AM station relaunches since then have not gone so well -- see WFLF, Orlando.

 

[smedge2006]

Re: Viability

Very few AMs have been "moved in" because move-ins were prohibatative prior to the changes in the rules that spawned Docket 80-90 in the late 80's. By that time, AM was so in decline, nobody wanted to mess with them.

Most unviable AM stations are found in just a couple of categories. 1. Daytimers of any kind. 2. Stations that were viable in the 30's and 40's but whose markets outgrew them in the 50's and 60's. 3. Highly directional staitons that don't cover all the market day and night. 4. Low power stations in towns that are now suburbs which were separate communities 50 or 60 years ago.

One factor left out is the "first or second audio service" exemption to FCC rules in the 70's and 80's. At that time, the FCC had a freeze on AM applications, unless one could show that a given application would be the first or second audio service to a given community. This led to a rash of daytimers assigned to larger cities (say, Tampa FL) applying the change COL to a suburb (say Temple Terrace FL) with just enough juice to cover 80% of the tiny suburb. This was more a "move-out" than a "move-in", but had a similar effect on AM band clutter and turned a lot of highly-rated daytimers into lower-rated fulltimers.

Clear Channel just about reinvented AM. They developed talk at WOAI and KTOK and a couple of others, and then with Randy Michaels literally gave new life to the band. In the process, they rescued failing stations from WOAI and KFI to WTAM and WLW that were essentially dead before Clear got them. You can say many things about Clear, but they deserve credit for investing in AMs, rebuilding decrepit technical facilities and investing in programming and promotion when few others wanted to.

This statement is so misleading as to suggest either prevarication, gross oversimplification or a phenomenal case of amnesia. Clear didn't build up KFI. Cox did -- because prior to the mid-90's they still invested in and built up AM stations. WOAI was a laggard in moving to talk -- in fact KTSA had Limbaugh first, for a decade, and the only way WOAI could get it away was when Clear bought Jacor and moved it. WTAM and WLW were rescued by Jacor -- a company with a different management and definitely a different style from the pre-98 or the current Clear Channel. Michaels had already done most of his AM-station rebuilding by the time Clear acquired Jacor and he became Darth Vader to the Mays' empire. AM station relaunches since then have not gone so well -- see WFLF, Orlando.

 

[smedge2006]

Re: Viability

Very few AMs have been "moved in" because move-ins were prohibatative prior to the changes in the rules that spawned Docket 80-90 in the late 80's. By that time, AM was so in decline, nobody wanted to mess with them.

Most unviable AM stations are found in just a couple of categories. 1. Daytimers of any kind. 2. Stations that were viable in the 30's and 40's but whose markets outgrew them in the 50's and 60's. 3. Highly directional staitons that don't cover all the market day and night. 4. Low power stations in towns that are now suburbs which were separate communities 50 or 60 years ago.

One factor left out is the "first or second audio service" exemption to FCC rules in the 70's and 80's. At that time, the FCC had a freeze on AM applications, unless one could show that a given application would be the first or second audio service to a given community. This led to a rash of daytimers assigned to larger cities (say, Tampa FL) applying the change COL to a suburb (say Temple Terrace FL) with just enough juice to cover 80% of the tiny suburb. This was more a "move-out" than a "move-in", but had a similar effect on AM band clutter and turned a lot of highly-rated daytimers into lower-rated fulltimers.

Clear Channel just about reinvented AM. They developed talk at WOAI and KTOK and a couple of others, and then with Randy Michaels literally gave new life to the band. In the process, they rescued failing stations from WOAI and KFI to WTAM and WLW that were essentially dead before Clear got them. You can say many things about Clear, but they deserve credit for investing in AMs, rebuilding decrepit technical facilities and investing in programming and promotion when few others wanted to.

This statement is so misleading as to suggest either prevarication, gross oversimplification or a phenomenal case of amnesia. Clear didn't build up KFI. They didn't own it until 2000. Cox did -- because prior to the mid-90's they still invested in and built up AM stations. WOAI was a laggard in moving to talk -- in fact KTSA had Limbaugh first, for a decade, and the only way WOAI could get it away was when Clear bought Jacor and moved it. WTAM and WLW were rescued by Jacor -- a company with a different management and definitely a different style from the pre-98 or the current Clear Channel. Michaels had already done most of his AM-station rebuilding by the time Clear acquired Jacor and he became Darth Vader to the Mays' empire. AM station relaunches since then have not gone so well -- see WFLF, Orlando.

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Viability

One factor left out is the "first or second audio service" exemption to FCC rules in the 70's and 80's. At that time, the FCC had a freeze on AM applications, unless one could show that a given application would be the first or second audio service to a given community. This led to a rash of daytimers assigned to larger cities (say, Tampa FL) applying the change COL to a suburb (say Temple Terrace FL) with just enough juice to cover 80% of the tiny suburb. This was more a "move-out" than a "move-in", but had a similar effect on AM band clutter and turned a lot of highly-rated daytimers into lower-rated fulltimers.

I can't find evidence in American Radio of a singe high rated daytimer (top 10) in any of the top 100 markets between 1975 and 1990. I, thus, don't see this as having any significance at all.

This statement is so misleading as to suggest either prevarication, gross oversimplification or a phenomenal case of amnesia. Clear didn't build up KFI. They didn't own it until 2000. Cox did -- because prior to the mid-90's they still invested in and built up AM stations. WOAI was a laggard in moving to talk -- in fact KTSA had Limbaugh first, for a decade, and the only way WOAI could get it away was when Clear bought Jacor and moved it. WTAM and WLW were rescued by Jacor -- a company with a different management and definitely a different style from the pre-98 or the current Clear Channel. Michaels had already done most of his AM-station rebuilding by the time Clear acquired Jacor and he became Darth Vader to the Mays' empire. AM station relaunches since then have not gone so well -- see WFLF, Orlando.

You have a point here. However, the fact is that Clear was the only major company broadly investing in AM, including continuing Michael's failed effort to create regional and statewide clusters including AMs in rather small markets.

KFI moved into the top 5 under Clear; it had been a top 10 performer with Cox most of the time, but nothing like today's revenue and ratings. My point on SA is that Clear bought AMs when such was unpopular... then they bought KTOK and other failing or marginal AMs and made them work. Few others were doing that, and none on Clear's scale.

WGLF back to its WGTO days has never been a real contender in Orlando. It has signal issues (low band where in the summer FL is the noisiest place in the US for AM with a site way out of town) and it does not put a usable signal over the whole MSA. WDBO, simply put, has a better signal over more people than 540.

[/quote]

 

[adma]

Look; aside from occupational concerns, sentimentality, or DX geekery, are we, in 2008 and henceforth, really worse off if AM stations or even the whole AM band goes dark? Maybe, as with other yesteryear gadgets like typewriters, we'd be better off with letting nature take its course.

Hey, even the medium's cheerleaders have pragmatically adjusted their argument for the future, so that it's less about "broadcasting" and more about "providing content", but as they put it, it's an organic continuation and all the same, really. (Yeah, so they have their parachutes and you don't, pfffhhht.)

 

[smedge2006]

Re: Viability

I can't find evidence in American Radio of a singe high rated daytimer (top 10) in any of the top 100 markets between 1975 and 1990. I, thus, don't see this as having any significance at all.

WTMP, early 1980's (before their 1981-82 full-time upgrade), Tampa market. Check it out. WANM, Tallahassee (not a top 100) used to pull nearly 20 shares as a daytimer.

WFLF back to its WGTO days has never been a real contender in Orlando. It has signal issues (low band where in the summer FL is the noisiest place in the US for AM with a site way out of town) and it does not put a usable signal over the whole MSA. WDBO, simply put, has a better signal over more people than 540.

The stick IIRC is on the Lake-Orange county line, and has the equivalent of a quarter-million or so watts beamed straight at Orlando, about 15-20 miles away. Florida has so many pop-up thunderstorms in the summertime, you'll get static all afternoon unless you're within the 100 mv/M range of a station -- so 580 would have those same problems in many areas. Yes, 540 is directional, but its 0.5 gets out to Ocala and St. Augustine, so it can't be too bad in the home counties. The NIF is high at night (and the engineering seems to be tweaked to overcome that to some extent), but it's ridiculous to assert that WFLF doesn't put a usable signal over the populated areas of the metro in the daytime. Remember, south Osceola county is swampland and gators. There is no real handicap to having 50,000 watts on 540 with a moderately directional signal. Most AM owners would kill to have that kind of facility. Signal is not the explanation of any problems at WFLF.