FULLTIMERS THAT BECAME DAYTIMERS

[Bob E. Nelson]

Here's another bit of minutiae to awaken some cells in a forgotten corner of our brains.

Fulltime stations that opted to become a daytimer: In the two cases I can recall, the tradeoff was losing nighttime service on a graveyard frequency in order to get a better signal or end a time-share situation.

1). WTEL in Philadelphia was a class IV on 1310 (later 1340) sharing time with WHAT. WTEL moved to 860 with 10,000 watts as a daytimer with no chance of night service due to proximity to a Canadian clear on that frequency.

2). KXL in Portland was another class IV on 1420 (later 1450) sharing time with KBPS. KXL relocated to 750 with 10,000 watts, daytime only. Subsequently, they added night service and now operate with 50 kW day and 10 kW night.

Any others?

 

[fybush]

Want to go way, way, way back into the depths of history? How about WKEN in Buffalo, which was a fulltimer on 1470 in the mid-twenties. The "General Order 40" realignment of the AM dial in 1928 was set to force WKEN to share time on 1470 with WKBW (which had been a fulltimer on 1380) - but WKEN instead became a daytimer on 1040, though it didn't last very long there, going silent by 1932.

There are plenty of recent examples of fulltime class B stations losing tower sites (either voluntarily or not) and downgrading to nondirectional class D operation from a cheaper tower site. WBMQ 630 in Savannah GA comes to mind as one instance.

 

[pqgeorge]

I believe WLFJ (660 kHz, Greenville, SC, formerly WESC) also is also a part of that unique club, former full-timers gone daytime only. This station operates with 50,000 watts daytime and 10,000 watts "Critical Hours", in essence a "Limited Hours" operation. According to an old WRTH (World Radio/Television Handbook), the former WESC was changed to daytime only operation due to "economic issues" and can return to full time operation later. Unusual as the old WNBC (now WFAN) pretty much owned the 660 frequency at night until the breakdown of the clears in the 1980's. But, apparently WESC did (at one time) have nighttime authority, years ago. SO, here's another full timer gone day timer.

 

[joepa4ever]

WMRF(AM) in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Somewhere around 1980 (?) WMRF gave up a Class IV (1-kw U) in order to shift to 670 kHz with 5,000 watts, daytime only. Much bigger signal--helpful in a mountainous area like central PA--but no night signal. The licensee kept the WMRF calls on the co-owned FM and the AM became WIEZ, as it is today.

 

[fybush]

Peter, I can find no evidence that WESC/WLFJ ever had full-time authority on 660. That was a I-A clear channel for New York, and it's hard to imagine that fulltime operation would ever have been granted as close as South Carolina. As best I can tell, the station was authorized in 1947 as a 5000-watt daytimer, and upgraded to 10,000 watts, still daytime-only, in the sixties.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

KXL relocated to 750 with 10,000 watts, daytime only. Subsequently, they added night service and now operate with 50 kW day and 10 kW night.

The 10 kw DA-1 (later 50 kw DA-1) was perhaps a bit better than "daytimer"
status, as KXL 750 was noted as being "L-WSB."

 

[w9wi]

KXL relocated to 750 with 10,000 watts, daytime only. Subsequently, they added night service and now operate with 50 kW day and 10 kW night.

The 10 kw DA-1 (later 50 kw DA-1) was perhaps a bit better than "daytimer"
status, as KXL 750 was noted as being "L-WSB."

"L-WSB" means "limited time".

From http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/octqtr/47cfr73.1725.htm (FCC regulation 73.1725):
..."Operation of the secondary station is permitted during daytime and until local sunset if located west of the Class A station on the channel,...
Operation is also permitted during nighttime hours not used by the Class A station or other stations on the channel."...

KXL could broadcast during the day, and during any nighttime hours when WSB was off the air. If WSB was off, say, between midnight and 5am Atlanta time, then KXL could come back on at 9pm Pacific and stay on until 2am.

There are still "limited time" stations today, but I doubt there's any significant difference from daytimer status in most cases. (because to my knowledge, every Class A station operates 24/7)

A curiousity, not relevant to KXL but to some other stations...

The intervening clause in 73.1725 reads:

"...or until local sunset at the Class A station if located east of that station."

So if KXL were the Class A station, WSB could operate from Atlanta sunrise until Portland sunset. (which could be as late as 11pm Atlanta time or later)

Why couldn't a limited time station located west of the Class A operation come on the air at sunrise at the Class A station? (KXL sign on at Atlanta sunrise, possibly as early as 2am)

Or was it just that nobody felt a station would want to be on the air before sunrise?

 

[gr8oldies]

No point in being on the air in the wee hours irregularly.

 

[radiorob2.0]

No point in being on the air in the wee hours irregularly.

&

KXL could broadcast during the day, and during any nighttime hours when WSB was off the air. If WSB was off, say, between midnight and 5am Atlanta time, then KXL could come back on at 9pm Pacific and stay on until 2am.

There are still "limited time" stations today, but I doubt there's any significant difference from daytimer status in most cases. (because to my knowledge, every Class A station operates 24/7)

KGBS Los Angeles would do a late Sunday Night/Monday Morning program when KDKA was down for transmitter maintenance.

Add WKIC Hazard, KY to the list of full timers becoming daytime operators. They started on 1340 and moved to 1390. There was a power increase but they lost night time operations.

 

[gr8oldies]

Guess I wonder how that worked with stations being allowed to sign back on whenever the dominant station was off. In the 40s an LA station could return to the air when 1100 in Cleveland signed off at 1am

 

[oldiesfan6479]

In the 40s an LA station could return to the air when 1100 in Cleveland signed off at 1am.

You are probably thinking of KJBS (now KFAX) San Francisco.