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Fan Boost Set for April

J

jetfli

That long-planned power boost for the Fan is now set for April. Haven't heard if all of the dominoes related to the change will have fallen by the time it powers up, though.

Didn't someone here say they would start a pool for how long after the boost it would stay sports, once it's realized more power's not gonna increase the ratings by much?
 
Power boost? Super!!! That'll help.

Does anyone on this forum remember back in 1972 when WKDA FM took it's modest 20,000 mono signal and went 1000,000 full stereo? Remember how their ratings soared after that? I was hoping that Jim Eskew was lurking around on this forum so he could tell that story again. It is a great story!
 
I had been there since November of 1969 and remember the increase and what went into what made it very well. To satisfy the FCC, it was necessary to do a number of things. For one of them, Mac Allen, KDA AM/FM's O.M. and I had to go to the metro counties around Davidson to do assertainment interviews. We interviewed mayors, city leaders and citizens so with an increase in power we could cover problems these cities and counties also had to deal with. Mac, having been raised in New York, and having come to WKDA by way of Miami, had never been to towns like Fairview (1 redlight) Hartsville (1 redlight) and a number of others. Although I had been raised in Nashville a brief stay in Hartsville (2 months) and Gallatin (3 years)had prepared me. It was fun watching Mac work. He and I remain friends even now. Jim and/or Mac could tell the rest of the story better than I. I still don't understand all the engineering stuff, just enough to explain to an engineer what the equipment I was working with would..and would not do. No way I'd ever be able to fix it or understand how it works.
 
OleBud, After that power boost, I mean almost overnight the entire middle Tennessee, Nashville area was tuned into 103. Back in the summer of 1970 and 71, I would listen to KDA FM as I traveled north to Gallatin. Gallatin is now pretty much a suburb of Nashville, but back in 1970, Galatin was like out in the boondocks. I remember hearing WKDA FM pretty strongly until I got just south of where Rivergate mall is now. Back in 1970 Rivergate mall was under construction. The signal sounded good up to that point and would start fading fast. Once that 100,000 watts power came in, you could hear that signal clear north of the Kentucky line. Anyway, ty for your input.
 
i hadn't joined the world of radio when that happened, but i do remember listening to kda underground, sitting in a darkened living room with a long ago girl friend here in gallatin in 1970. as a kid that grew up on wmak/wkda am along with whin..it sounded so different and ..must i say it ? yes..you must, you must..dangerous... ;D
 
deltas69 said:
i hadn't joined the world of radio when that happened, but i do remember listening to kda underground, sitting in a darkened living room with a long ago girl friend here in gallatin in 1970. as a kid that grew up on wmak/wkda am along with whin..it sounded so different and ..must i say it ? yes..you must, you must..dangerous... ;D
Click to expand...

Ahhhhh, KDA FM those first two years. Man o man, that was radio bliss. Now I enjoyed WMAK, but KDA FM, which I understand was modeled after WNEW FM in NYC, was just wonderful, but that ole Chevy I had would drop signal right around the Rivergate area (before the mall). You were hearing up there? Hmmnnn, oh well.

As I said Rivergate was not there. There was a fishing hole I usetah like to fish at just close to where Vol State is now. Now that entire area has been built up. No longer the sticks up there is it?

I know I remember those concerts in Centianial park on Saturdays in the summers of 70 and 71. Do you remember when Mac Gaiton and Barefoot Jerry did a live show from there. I know it has ben almost 40 years since that happened, but those shows were special.

Did I say radio bliss?
 
When I was serving out my 2 weeks at WHIN to leave and go to WKDA in 69, Charlie Brewer, one of the best GMs you'd ever want to work for, said. "Buddy, you know they're talking about building a college here in Gallatin. Down there where Harry Sadler Chevrolet (no kin) is at Gallatin Road and Two Mile Parkway, there's talk about building a big shopping center, One day you won't be able to tell where Nashville ends and Gallatin begins."
I thought Charlie was dreaming. At the time, once you crossed the railroad tracks coming out of town at Randy's Record Store --- then the Ford dealership a little ways up, you were in the country again. I can't be sure, but Hendersonville didn't have many lights and that one shopping center and bowling alley down the street from the First Baptist Church. Drive that way now. Charlie wasn't dreaming.

When I drive in now I can still recall the thrill I had going down I-65 at 5am and seeing the L & C Tower. the tallest building in Nashville at the time, --- coming into view, along with the WKDA red lights on top of the Stahlman Building where we were located and thinking, how in the world did I get so lucky. I'm having a ball, getting paid for it, and people coming into town can see both places I've been paid to work. I'd almost done it for free if someone would pay my bills. You know, the thrill is still there . At 6am now, I'm driving in, I can still pick out the L & C tower, amongst all the other tall buildings and the red lights are still there, but now they say KDF.

That was more than 38 years ago, but the old thrill is still there. Yea, the music, the news, the business has changed. Those now doing it will one day look back and talk about the good old days just as most of us now do when we get together -- or at least I hope they will. It's those friendships I've made in all these years that keep me in it now. Why should I retire when I can still run into Doc Damon, Jim Escue, Dave Walton, Keith Bilbrey or someone I've crossed paths with over the years and say, "hey, how are you, have you heard from --- and have a fun conversation." The morning guy I was doing news for at KDA back on that Monday morning in November of 69 was Mac Allen --he and I still get together for lunch. Rather than thinking, boy am I somebody or what? --- I still think it's cool that I know not only the air personality and news folks --- but they know me.....wow --- that's the same thrill I had when I first got into the businee in 1965. Still a fan of these people I listen to on the air. Even Romer...........
Thanks for letting me ramble on....I've got a million tales, like most of the senior citizens around.
Have a happy :) day. [and don't even ask me about that campaign at KDA]

PS:
I only mentioned a few of the folks I have worked with and met through the years, there's not room for them all, but hopefully they all remeber me as fondlly as I do them === even romer
 
One of the things I remember about when WKDA Good guys went country and the KDA FM went underground or progressive rock was something I heard one of my older friends say when the change took place. He said: Damn, KDA pulled the rock n roll for country and the FM guys are playing "Doper" music. I kid you not, he said Doper music. LOL I was about 16 years old at that time and I enjoyed calling the hipster jocks at KDA. I remember talking to Bob Cole a few times as he was doing his 7- midnight gig. He seemed to be somewhat grouchy though, but warmed up " a little" bit as time went on. I knew I dug hearing him spin up some live John Mayall or Peter Green Fleetwood Mac. Amazing music.

Based on something I heard Jim Eskew post somewhere, that power boost had been in the works for quite awhile. I can not remember the DJ who flipped the switch that day, but once he did and the 100,000 watts of 2 and 4 Chanel stereo was blasting out, he put on live Jimi Hendrix "Purple Haze". Well, the rest is history I guess
 
jetfli said:
That long-planned power boost for the Fan is now set for April. Haven't heard if all of the dominoes related to the change will have fallen by the time it powers up, though.

Didn't someone here say they would start a pool for how long after the boost it would stay sports, once it's realized more power's not gonna increase the ratings by much?
Click to expand...

This is not really much of a power boost. According to the FCC database, the antenna will be moved to cover the new City of Licensee, Millersville, and the power will go from 1100 watts to 2,950 watts. The south end of town will loose coverage somewhat, the way I see it.
 
You were hearing up there? Hmmnnn, oh well. i don't know what the power was at that time, but i can recall the dates would have been summer of 69 through summer of 70 uring that particular romantic involment. we would listen to it (lights out of course), on one of those gigantic home entertainment systems..a cabinet six feet long filled with an AM/FM tuner and a turntable. got one just like it in my living room... a lady was going to toss out..very nice retro and works..but i digress..we could hear kda underground as it was called loud and clear..i specifically remember hearing "bridge over troubled water"..during that time..i also remember hearing NO..NO..NO..but not from KDA.. :eek:
 
deltas69 said:
You were hearing up there? Hmmnnn, oh well. i don't know what the power was at that time, but i can recall the dates would have been summer of 69 through summer of 70 uring that particular romantic involment. we would listen to it (lights out of course), on one of those gigantic home entertainment systems..a cabinet six feet long filled with an AM/FM tuner and a turntable. got one just like it in my living room... a lady was going to toss out..very nice retro and works..but i digress..we could hear kda underground as it was called loud and clear..i specifically remember hearing "bridge over troubled water"..during that time..i also remember hearing NO..NO..NO..but not from KDA.. :eek:
Click to expand...

I remember when the Bridge over Troubled Waters album came out and yes, the underground KDA jocks did play that for awhile. LOL They would play that and then it might be two or three hours before anyone heard anything remotely familiar again, but hey I loved that and certainly would not have that any other way. My Brother gave me his old Fisher 17 watt receiver, Advent speakers and BIC turntable, along with a heath-kit reel to reel. That system was absolutely wonderful. I heard the big 103.3 great from inside the city quite fine. Oh I wish I had more air checks from that KDA FM era of 1970 and 1971. A Buddy of mine did tape those old Clark Rodgers midnight shows back in 1974 or 75 and man I'd love to get those airchecks. Back to what they played: I remember hearing "Six was nine" by Jimi about 1 in the afternoon and I knew that we had radio bliss!! LOL Glad your hearing up there in Gallatin was loud and clear.
 
strange, but thats the only song i remember from those days, although i do remember listening to clark rodgers. in the mid sixties, i lived 200 yards from the only park in gallatin, and the pool always had wmak or wkda playing through one of those atlas horns. the lifeguards always were arguing over which station was better..i can take you to the exact spot where i heard "I'm henry the eighth, i am" for the first time....life on the edge ..that was me in '65 ;)
 
[/quote]

This is not really much of a power boost. According to the FCC database, the antenna will be moved to cover the new City of Licensee, Millersville, and the power will go from 1100 watts to 2,950 watts. The south end of town will loose coverage somewhat, the way I see it.
[/quote]

Scott......

You are overlooking HAAT....thats Height above average terrain. The current HAAT/power combo equals around 3KW...the power is de-rated because the antenna is higher than spec for a a Class A station.

The new HAAT is over 900 feet if I recall correctly. That will be a HUGE improvement. With 2950 watts at that height, it will have the equivalent coverage of a 25 KW station. Congrats & good luck to my friends back there.

Gary Z
Chief Engineer
Cumulus Nashville errr.....no I moved
Radio-One
Cleveland
 
Looking at the FCC's "Curves" program (no relation to the business of the same name...), WNFN's interference-protected coverage contour goes from 28.4km (a bit less than 18 miles) to 39.3km. (a bit shy of 24 miles) To look at it another way, their signal at a point 20km (12 miles) from the transmitter goes from 66.5dBu to 72.7dBu.

On the other hand, since the transmitter is also moving, this entire coverage area moves with it. I would imagine it will be more or less a wash in areas west of town, considerably stronger to the east - H'ville, G'ville, etc...

On the other hand, the "Curves" program assumes flat terrain. Obviously, the programmer is not from Tennessee ;) . I might wonder if the signal will be considerably poorer around Bellevue and considerably better than predicted in the aforementioned Rivergate area?
 
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