I would like to see the FCC allow this...

[Radio Dav]

A engineer I know don't like HD on FM or AM...
He said when a station is not making money they should turn off there analog and go HD on there analog freq. this would get rid of the hiss.

turn off the signal than CAN be heard...in favor of a signal that NO ONE is listening to?
yeah, that's the way to make save your failing station.

huh?

your idea of battery powered LED equipped portable DTV converters makes more sense!

Make all AM stations that has a FM translator, turn analog off and replace it with HD on the same freq.

They say HD AM sounds better than analog. They would have a FM translator for people that don't have a HD radio yet...

 

[w9wi]

Flip it to dead air like the week this summer. It's better for everyone involved. Cost
effective, as well.

Kinda like WNRZ?
(except it's been a lot more than a week...)

Do tell! I tried listening to WNRZ not too long ago, and was surprised that I could not pick up anything! What is the story with them?

I don't know, other than that the link from the studios in Nashville to the transmitter in Dickson hasn't worked properly in months. Either it's badly overmodulated, or it's badly undermodulated, or it's dead entirely and they're just broadcasting computer noise about 30dB down. The transmitter has been on the air every time I've checked, but often there wasn't any modulation.

There's got to be someone there reading this thread. Right now it's working fine -- I can't remember the last time that's happened.

(if they'd get rid of Focus on the Family I'd actually listen -- a lot of the music is pretty good...)

 

[w9wi]

I don't think WHEW in Franklin misses their former FM, since they are Spanish now.

Though one wonders if they would be Spanish if they still had the FM and could make money with an English format?

What about Lebanon? Doesn't 98.9 have an AM sister station?

Used to be associated with 900. Still the case? lost track...

 

[hamiltonsfolly]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? ..........

What about Lebanon? Doesn't 98.9 have an AM sister station?

It's 1490 WCOR..........

 

[firepoint525]

like WNFN --- i106. Right.

Well, that answers one of my questions about them, since I have yet to hear a legal ID, and I can't stay with their music long enough to hear one. And then there is that whole signal issue.

I say that their call letters DO match their mission statement: We have Nothing For Nashville!

 

[firepoint525]

I don't think WHEW in Franklin misses their former FM, since they are Spanish now.

Though one wonders if they would be Spanish if they still had the FM and could make money with an English format?

At some point, someone will be the first to take a Spanish-language format to FM here in Nashville. They just haven't been able to work out a deal to do it just yet. But those CumuClueless stations have been looking a bit shaky! ;D

 

[firepoint525]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? ..........
What about Lebanon? Doesn't 98.9 have an AM sister station?

It's 1490 WCOR..........

Are they simulcasting?

WANT was the Sounds' flagship station; not sure if they still are, but I would assume that they still are. Looks like the Sounds would "want" a better signal to cover all of Nashville.

 

[firepoint525]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? Well, there's Dickson's 1260, which gave up both 102.3FM and 93.7FM. Springfield's 1590, which gave up 94.3FM. I forget which Murfreesboro station gave up 96.3FM -- think it was 810. Manchester's 1320 gave up 99.7FM. Franklin's 1380 gave up 100.1FM. Russellville, KY's 610: 101.1FM. Gallatin 1010: 104.5FM. Lebanon 900: 107.5FM.

I'm curious as to how many of these AM stations are still under the same ownership as they were when they sold off their FM sister stations? I know of an AM/FM combo in western Kentucky which sold simultaneously, but separately.

At the same time, I'm wondering if broadcasting interests here in Nashville made these stations in surrounding cities "offers they couldn't refuse"! ;D

 

[scottwmro]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? Well, there's Dickson's 1260, which gave up both 102.3FM and 93.7FM. Springfield's 1590, which gave up 94.3FM. I forget which Murfreesboro station gave up 96.3FM -- think it was 810. Manchester's 1320 gave up 99.7FM. Franklin's 1380 gave up 100.1FM. Russellville, KY's 610: 101.1FM. Gallatin 1010: 104.5FM. Lebanon 900: 107.5FM.

I'm curious as to how many of these AM stations are still under the same ownership as they were when they sold off their FM sister stations? I know of an AM/FM combo in western Kentucky which sold simultaneously, but separately.

At the same time, I'm wondering if broadcasting interests here in Nashville made these stations in surrounding cities "offers they couldn't refuse"! ;D

Yep, money talks, and these owners took advantage of it when an offer was made to them. Some of these "movin ins” was a mistake, and they should have stayed in their hometown and stayed local on the FM dial!

 

[w9wi]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? Well, there's Dickson's 1260, which gave up both 102.3FM and 93.7FM. Springfield's 1590, which gave up 94.3FM. I forget which Murfreesboro station gave up 96.3FM -- think it was 810. Manchester's 1320 gave up 99.7FM. Franklin's 1380 gave up 100.1FM. Russellville, KY's 610: 101.1FM. Gallatin 1010: 104.5FM. Lebanon 900: 107.5FM.

I'm curious as to how many of these AM stations are still under the same ownership as they were when they sold off their FM sister stations? I know of an AM/FM combo in western Kentucky which sold simultaneously, but separately.

At the same time, I'm wondering if broadcasting interests here in Nashville made these stations in surrounding cities "offers they couldn't refuse"! ;D

I know Dickson was sold after their silent period earlier this year. I'm pretty sure Springfield has sold as well, and probably Franklin. On hindsight, I believe Manchester has since acquired another FM (101.5) and *think* they still have it.

Absolutely, it was an "offer they couldn't refuse". But I think it's a bit disingenious (sp?) for these stations to sell off their FMs and then blame the FCC rules for Dickson not having a nighttime radio station. The only way it's the FCC's fault is in establishing rules that allowed them to sell the FM station in the first place.
_________________________________________________
Firepoint525: yep, I'm a bit surprised we don't already have a Spanish-language FM and strongly suspect it's only a matter of time.

 

[romer979fm]

On hindsight, I believe Manchester has since acquired another FM (101.5) and *think* they still have it.

yep...Manchester's 101.5 is WFTZ "fantasy"...doing quite well:
BTW...their control room board is one of the old Ward-Beck consoles from the old WLAC-FM.

 

[firepoint525]

Good responses, everyone. I believe another factor (in the FM selloffs "back then" and the need for night-time radio now) is that we are more of a nocturnal society now than we were "back then." In Obion County in west Tennessee where I grew up, they have had an FM station since 1974 (owned separately from the AM that was also there), but I believe both stations signed off for at least a few hours overnight. The AM went 24/7 in the late '70s, I believe.

Still another factor was that, even though my local stations signed off, I could still listen to WLS at night. On nights when the weather was clear, they came in as though their tower was right next door to me! (Of course, WLS programming wasn't "local" for me, but I was only listening for the music.) Now, there just isn't anything "compelling" on AM radio anymore, especially at night, and even if there was something compelling, I probably wouldn't be able to hear it over all the "noise" on AM nowadays.

 

[K4WRF]

On hindsight, I believe Manchester has since acquired another FM (101.5) and *think* they still have it.

yep...Manchester's 101.5 is WFTZ "fantasy"...doing quite well:
BTW...their control room board is one of the old Ward-Beck consoles from the old WLAC-FM.

It was infact the WLAC-AM WBS-400 console that went there, Those things were indeed tanks.
w/

 

[scottwmro]

Good responses, everyone. I believe another factor (in the FM selloffs "back then" and the need for night-time radio now) is that we are more of a nocturnal society now than we were "back then." In Obion County in west Tennessee where I grew up, they have had an FM station since 1974 (owned separately from the AM that was also there), but I believe both stations signed off for at least a few hours overnight. The AM went 24/7 in the late '70s, I believe.

Still another factor was that, even though my local stations signed off, I could still listen to WLS at night. On nights when the weather was clear, they came in as though their tower was right next door to me! (Of course, WLS programming wasn't "local" for me, but I was only listening for the music.) Now, there just isn't anything "compelling" on AM radio anymore, especially at night, and even if there was something compelling, I probably wouldn't be able to hear it over all the "noise" on AM nowadays.

Everybody listen to WLS at night, even up to my high school days, in the early 80's. In 1980, 1981, 1982 up to about 1984. Parents always got the 16 year old kid a used car, but it had nothing but AM. AM at night was "KING" for Rock-n-Roll up to the early 80's. In Gallatin, WHIN & WAMG had to sign off at night. I couldn't get WMAK, due to its directional pattern towards the southeast, and WLAC was going downhill until the fall of 1980 when it when talk.

WLS was all we had at night. AM Daytime Station's didn't have the flea power they have now, and WLS boomed into Nashville. The music on the Big 89 was for everybody in America that could hear them. I could get WLS's groundwave signal during the afternoon hours until 1982 or 83, when Dr. Morgan Babb put on WMDB-AM on 880. Yes, WMDB had a big "overmodulated" mouth/processing & transmitter. In addition, it sounded muddy and Dr. Babb loved using that reverb. I can hear his sign off right now in my head. Since Dr. Babb sold WMDB to Peter Davidson, it sounds much better now.

 

[firepoint525]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? Well, there's Dickson's 1260, which gave up both 102.3FM and 93.7FM. Springfield's 1590, which gave up 94.3FM. I forget which Murfreesboro station gave up 96.3FM -- think it was 810. Manchester's 1320 gave up 99.7FM. Franklin's 1380 gave up 100.1FM. Russellville, KY's 610: 101.1FM. Gallatin 1010: 104.5FM. Lebanon 900: 107.5FM.

Add one to that list. There was the station in Shelbyville at 102.9, which we now know as The Buzz.

By "taking" stations in Russellville, Dickson, Manchester, and Shelbyville, Nashville has now "taken" stations from two counties away in at least four different directions! I'm sure they would have gone after Clarksville, too, except that Clarksville has apparently never had any (commercial) FM stations of their own.

 

[scottwmro]

I've been reading the trades, like Radio World, and it appears now with this new administration, the FCC now wishes it never allowed these "move ins". As local FM radio goes, we need more Class A, 3KW, FM stations in the rural areas, like WLCT-FM 102.1 in Lafayette, TN.

I can tell you Ivan Davis will never sell it. My buddy, Randy Swaffer is the G.M. up there. We are both close friends. If Ivan Davis wants to sell it, Randy and I would buy it together and keep it right where it is. WLCT-FM owns WEEN-AM 1460 in the same building. WEEN is Southern Gospel, and WLCT is Country.

Nobody like Cumulus would be interested in those stations, but you never know.

I like to see Lew Dickey screw up one time and throw his butt in prison! He is a threat not just to the radio world, but a threat to society, brainwashing people in believing his trashy mouth and format changes. He has no morals!

 

[secondchoice]

How about here in Middle Tennessee? Well, there's Dickson's 1260, which gave up both 102.3FM and 93.7FM. Springfield's 1590, which gave up 94.3FM. I forget which Murfreesboro station gave up 96.3FM -- think it was 810. Manchester's 1320 gave up 99.7FM. Franklin's 1380 gave up 100.1FM. Russellville, KY's 610: 101.1FM. Gallatin 1010: 104.5FM. Lebanon 900: 107.5FM.

Any one of these stations could have had a full FM signal today if they'd kept what they once had. I don't have much sympathy for their current daytime-only plight.

About the “selloff” of Springfield’s 94.3. Springfield has been a “stop off” for a couple of signals. AM 980 started there. WDBL use to have 101.1 in the 60’s but they swapped with Russellville KY to save on the power bill. That is partly why the 101.1 move in worked so well and 94.3 ended up back in the mainly in KY. They should have moved the COL to Greenbrier in the 1970’s and with only 3KW and a tower south of Greenbrier and the elevation difference you have a Nashville Station. WDBL was a small town station that happens to be next to Nashville. They use to have 500 watt PSA on 1590. WDBL have a hard time selling their FM at night in the early 1970’s. If it were not for sports they could have signed off at 7PM and save some money. That gave me my first air radio experience when I was really bad and should not have been on the air and I am thankful.