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Long-gone class III-A AM stations

J

joebtsflk1

This is another "useless list" thread. Topic: add to this list those AM stations that once operated with NIGHT power of 5 kW but that today are completely defunct.

First entry:
former KGCX, 1480 5 kW-U DA-1 Sidney MT. The last listing I could find in AmericanRadioHistory.com's Broadcasting Yearbook listings was from 1992. The legacy of this long-gone full-time 5 kilowatter is reflected in the current night pattern of KLMS 1480 Lincoln NE 1 kW-D, 750 w-N. The KLMS night pattern is best described as "rabbit ears" with a major null in the middle towards the northwest. But looking towards the northwest, there isn't a station on 1480 at night. This means whatever KLMS was protecting was there before it signed on, sometime before 1950.

It's a little surprising to see a 5 kW AM in a town of some 5,000 people, even more so a town of 2,000 people, which was Sidney's population in 1930. KGCX dates back to 1926. The 1930 population of Richland County MT, of which Sidney is the county seat, was just shy of 10,000.

So, some further digging is in order. The inaugural 1935 Broadcasting Yearbook shows KGCX licensed to Wolf Point MT, some 30 miles north of Sidney, as a graveyarder on the pre-NARBA frequency of 1310.
 
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This is another "useless list" thread. Topic: add to this list those AM stations that once operated with NIGHT power of 5 kW but that today are completely defunct.

First entry:
former KGCX, 1480 5 kW-U DA-1 Sidney MT. The last listing I could find in AmericanRadioHistory.com's Broadcasting Yearbook listings was from 1992. The legacy of this long-gone full-time 5 kilowatter is reflected in the current night pattern of KLMS 1480 Lincoln NE 1 kW-D, 750 w-N. The KLMS night pattern is best described as "rabbit ears" with a major null in the middle towards the northwest. But looking towards the northwest, there isn't a station on 1480 at night. This means whatever KLMS was protecting was there before it signed on, sometime before 1950.

It's a little surprising to see a 5 kW AM in a town of some 5,000 people, even more so a town of 2,000 people, which was Sidney's population in 1930. KGCX dates back to 1926. The 1930 population of Richland County MT, of which Sidney is the county seat, was just shy of 10,000.

So, some further digging is in order. The inaugural 1935 Broadcasting Yearbook shows KGCX licensed to Wolf Point MT, some 30 miles north of Sidney, as a graveyarder on the pre-NARBA frequency of 1310. The licensee was in the person of E.E. Krebsbach, who by 1938 had upgraded to the pre-NARBA frequency of 1450 (or 1480 post-NARBA) with 1 kW fulltime. KGCX made the move to Sidney by 1944, and eventually upgraded at Sidney to the full-time power of 5 kW.
 
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WHGR, 1290 Houghton Lake MI. was 5kW day, non directional, and 5kW at night with three towers pointed almost directly north. The dropped they night system at some point, and then were bought and made silent by Clear Channel to make way for WOOD.

I think the three tower DA is now a Walmart.
 
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Strange thing is, if they had done conductivity studies for both the new WOOD and the WHGR sites, they wouldn't have had to take WHGR off. Look at the 20 kW WOOD application and the 50 kW WCCW application, with extensions of the WOOD proof radials, and you'll see it. At the most, they might have had to cut WHGR power, but perhaps not even that. Not saying it was that valuable of a facility. Many other AMs in the region have disappeared, such as WBMB 1060 and others. Part of the problem is the low conductivity, and it may be a factor in mountainous areas also. FM was the best thing to happen to such areas.
 
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This could turn out to be an interesting and fun topic....albeit a useless one :)

I can think of a couple that may or may not qualify. The first one that comes to mind is also on 1290. Wasn't there a 5kw 1290 in Ocala, FL that ultimately went dark. Not sure if they were 5kw at night, however. Then there's the 1260 in Springfield, MO. They were 5kw fulltime, and it seems to me they went dark...at least for a while. Maybe I'm thinking of something else, but I should be able to come up with a few "correct answers" over the next few days.
 
Quite a few stations had to operate at 5 kW Night because a lesser power would not put an NIF contour over enough of the Community of License. Many stations also changed COL to achieve this when going from Daytime only to Fulltime. Allowing more power on Regional channels has allowed some to have enough power to not have to change COL.
 
Schroedingers Cat said:
Quite a few stations had to operate at 5 kW Night because a lesser power would not put an NIF contour over enough of the Community of License. Many stations also changed COL to achieve this when going from Daytime only to Fulltime. Allowing more power on Regional channels has allowed some to have enough power to not have to change COL.
Click to expand...

1290 WTMC. Yes, I believe 5kW night. A good 5kW at night. It talked well at night
 
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