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MW Frequency of the Week - 1390 kHz

1390 here is historic WCSC, now WSPO. For the last year or so, it has been languishing as a tourist information station playing about a 30 minute loop of information about Charleston's attractions.

It is probably the second best AM signal in the market behind WTMA, and matches it during the daytime.
 
Some years ago, when 1390 was still WCSC, we spent a week on Kiawah island. WCSC and WTMA (1250) were easily the most reliable Charleston signals there....day and night. WSCS was satellite-delivered oldies, which drove my kids nuts. I loved it!
 
1390 here has flipped back to a gospel format, as "Heaven 1390." It just happened a few days ago. They were gospel from 1997-2009. Before, they were business talk for a few months.
 
I thought I had answered this thread but maybe on the other board.
East Tennessee, nothing days, and I've heard a couple of Ohio stations skipping in near sunrise, WMPO. Middleport-Pomeroy (there buddy), and WNIO.
In Ohio I used to pick up WCSC, not good enough for listening but definitely there in the mess. Also WVON/WGCI in Ohio and Indiana off that slight SE beam.
 
Both WTMA and WCSC towers are in the swamp of the Ashley River near Northbridge. So their ground system performance is excellant. But at night they are directional to the Charleston peninsular. As a consequence, they get most of their nighttime DX reports from Europe.
 
Picayune, MS:

Daytime: WROA Gulfport, MS "Merle 100.1" (Classic country)
Night: WMER Meridian, MS (gospel)
 
ente said:
Picayune, MS:

Daytime: WROA Gulfport, MS "Merle 100.1" (Classic country)
Night: WMER Meridian, MS (gospel)
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, WROA is known for having a monster signal at night in some parts of Central America.
 
cyberdad said:
If I'm not mistaken, WROA is known for having a monster signal at night in some parts of Central America.
Click to expand...

Not really. For DXers, perhaps. But 1390 is widely used in all the Central American nations except, I believe, Costa Rica.
 
AM Frequency of the week: 1390

40 miles morthwest of downtown, Chicago....

Days: WCGO. 10kw non-directional from Evanston, IL which borders Chicago immediately to the north. The result at my locstion is a signal that's somewhere between fair and good (as well as, in my opinion, slightly underperforming). WCGO was notable some years back for its ownership buying up rimshot signals on adjacent channels to clear the way for the 10kw upagrade. The 10kw singal is somewhat competitive in the city and the close-in suburbs Radioman is undoubtedly a better source than me on the history of WCGO and it's predecessors.

Nightsw:WCGO drops to 2,500 watts (directional north) and disappears at my location.. WAKR used to own the channel around here at night, but it's now a jumble of mostly unidentifable signals. I checked out the channel one morning last week just before sunrise and was unable to hear anyuthing rise to the top until a spanish language station powered up wiith a good signal. I couldn't ID it, but I presume Indianapolis' 5kw non-directional.

Retro: As stated, WAKR used to own 1590 at night. A good top 40 station with a good signal from Akron, OH. but it has become increasingly scarce in recent years.
 
In the near north Chicago suburbs WCGO dominates day & night at my location. I'm not all that far from their towers so even though they reduce power at night, WCGO still dominates here. This frequency was originally licensed to WNMP. Which BTW was the first radio station I ever visited. They changed call letters a few times. The WCGO calls were in Chicago Heights. Eventually the ownership bought out the Evanston station on 1590 and the Aurora station on 1580 and moved WCGO to Evanston with greater power.

Retro: At night back in the 1960s WAKR was a good night listen if you liked Top 40 music. Lots of good DJs came out of Akron and eastern Ohio. Charlie Greer of WABC fame once worked at WAKR. Art Roberts of WLS once worked at WCUE Akron in the 50s. Dick Biondi got his Rock & Roll start at WHOT Youngstown, Oh.
 
Assuming we're talking about 1590...

East Tennessee: A weak WBHM, Bryson City, NC.
Daytime skip and/or sunset skip. WABV, Abbeville SC (didn't this have higher power than 1000 watts at one time? They've had several periods of being off the air. I seem to remember them loud with a big band format around 2:30 in the afternoon. Otherwise, I'll get WAKR thanks to that pipeline I have to Northeast Ohio. Also WNTS now and then.

Night: A hodge podge that has included the former Galesburg, IL station and WCGO

Retro/other: Dayton, OH area, WNTS or WSRW, Hillsborough OH. WAKR most often at night
 
Ah, 1590. Got it.

These days in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, it's WCGO, which comes in well enough during the day and sometimes atop others at night. Listenable for DXers, but otherwise only for a dedicated fan of a show. It's as much out as in as I type this at 7:30 p.m. CT. Three other stations (WKKD 1580 and two 1600s, WCGO Chicago Heights and WMCW Harvard, Ill.) were killed off to make this un-powerhouse happen.

As cyberdad and radioman148 have noted, way back, this was the province of WLTD, the Mutual-affiliated 1 kw daytimer where Chuck Schaden got his start. Nighttime catches then included WNTS Indianapolis, WAKR Akron, WTVB Coldwater, Mich., and WAIK Galesburg, Ill., the latter just before signoff. WAIK closed up shop in January 2019.
 
AAARGHH....Sorry guys! 1590. Two typos in two weeks. This one even worse than last week! My bad! Maybe it's time for me to retire these series. Or turn it over to someone who knoww what he's doing.
 
cyberdad said:
AAARGHH....Sorry guys! 1590. Two typos in two weeks. This one even worse than last week! My bad! Maybe it's time for me to retire these series. Or turn it over to someone who knoww what he's doing.
Click to expand...

Not necessary Cyberdad. Please keep up the good work. Anyone can make a tipe-oh.
 
tvnut said:
Ah, 1590. Got it.

These days in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, it's WCGO, which comes in well enough during the day and sometimes atop others at night. Listenable for DXers, but otherwise only for a dedicated fan of a show. It's as much out as in as I type this at 7:30 p.m. CT. Three other stations (WKKD 1580 and two 1600s, WCGO Chicago Heights and WMCW Harvard, Ill.) were killed off to make this un-powerhouse happen.

As cyberdad and radioman148 have noted, way back, this was the province of WLTD, the Mutual-affiliated 1 kw daytimer where Chuck Schaden got his start
Click to expand...

I believe Frank Kovas, who started Chicago's WKFM (103.5) also owned WLTD and later changed the call letters to WCGO. Either that or he bought WLTD and changed the call letters, then upgraded the power. I interviewed at WLTD in the early 70s, and came to thre conclusion that even if I moved back in with my parents, I couldn't afford to work there! LOL
 
cyberdad said:
I believe Frank Kovas, who started Chicago's WKFM (103.5) also owned WLTD and later changed the call letters to WCGO. Either that or he bought WLTD and changed the call letters, then upgraded the power. I interviewed at WLTD in the early 70s, and came to thre conclusion that even if I moved back in with my parents, I couldn't afford to work there! LOL
Click to expand...

Kovas got it in 1975, after it went from WNMP to WLTD (when it was still Evanston-centric, I think still carrying Northwestern football until WMAQ made its commercial rights exclusive) to all-Spanish WONX. Kovas' company (he died before the deal was complete) then bought up the two 1580s and the original WCGO in Chicago Heights on 1600 and folded them to create the new 1590. Kovas sold to William Pollack a few years ago.

I've thought that the big upgrade included moving to a new transmitter site, but I'm not sure. Anyone have definite info on that?
 
1*5*90 in Ellensburg WA...

KLFE Seattle by day (weak, with conservative talk 'The Answer', Hugh Hewitt, Sebastian Gorka, Larry Elder etc.)
and by night a mix of KLFE, KTIL Tillamook OR (Oldies/Talk) and KVGB Great Bend KS (News/Talk) here and there.

The now defunct KLIV San Jose was heard as well with their old all-news, then country format. And KVTA Ventura CA (News/Talk) has been heard once in aurora.
Still hoping to hear Grand Forks one of these nights.
 
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WCGO with good signal
Nightime: weak WCGO with WAKR sometimes making it through

DX/RETRO: some other catches include WNTS (Beech Groove, IN), WAWA (West Allis, WI), WCCL (Jackson, MS), WAIK (Galesburg, IL), WTVB (Coldwater, MI), WIXK (New Richmond, WI), WSWW (Platteville, WI), WTVB (Coldwater, MI). Also two station received via DX tests WJSO (Johnson City, TN in 1984) and WGBW (Denmark, WI in 2011).

@ tvnut, WCGO (ex WONX, WLTD), still uses their original 4-tower array on McCormick Boulevard in Skokie, Illinois.

@cyberdad, keep up the good work with the series. Always looking forward for the new frequency each week. Mistakes can happen. BTW shouldn't an administrator be able to make corrections in such cases?
 
CADXER said:
Here in Wood Dale, IL in the near NW suburb of Chicago:

Daytime: WCGO with good signal
Nightime: weak WCGO with WAKR sometimes making it through

DX/RETRO: some other catches include WNTS (Beech Groove, IN), WAWA (West Allis, WI), WCCL (Jackson, MS), WAIK (Galesburg, IL), WTVB (Coldwater, MI), WIXK (New Richmond, WI), WSWW (Platteville, WI), WTVB (Coldwater, MI). Also two station received via DX tests WJSO (Johnson City, TN in 1984) and WGBW (Denmark, WI in 2011).

@ tvnut, WCGO (ex WONX, WLTD), still uses their original 4-tower array on McCormick Boulevard in Skokie, Illinois.

@cyberdad, keep up the good work with the series. Always looking forward for the new frequency each week. Mistakes can happen. BTW shouldn't an administrator be able to make corrections in such cases?
Click to expand...

Thanks. Back down to 482 stations.
And Cyberdad, keep going. Typos are part of online life.
 
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