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OH! OH! OH! WHERE DID WILD-AM GO?
- Thread starter blackgold
- Start date
blackgold said:
I heard it on the air the last time I checked just a few days ago, but the feed was constantly cutting in and out like it was coming over a bad link, and at times the modulation was extremely low, barely audible.
It's been on but very low volume and when you
get near sunset WBAL comes in with much
higher levels
get near sunset WBAL comes in with much
higher levels
I noticed this tooraccoonradio said:
Where have you posters been? This has been going on since Radio One has been leasing the programming to the Chinese government, which is well over a year now. It has been brought up in several threads, including one started by yours truly not long ago. I know Eli has known about this, because he has posted replies in the past.
How the mighty have fallen. 1090/WILD was, at one time, a powerful voice to the community. To what WLIB/1190 was, at one time in the African-American Community of New York City, WILD was the same for Boston. It's ironic that predominately a African-American owned broadcasting group relegated this well known station to second class status. In its' heyday, WILD had a sound that really stood out on the AM dial. It was cranked "just right". When they added stereo, it sounded great! Fast forward to now...... you can't hear practically any modulation 99% of the time. That is a shame. That's a 5,000 watt signal just languishing. I cannot understand how anyone could let a station deteriorate to that. So much opportunity, just sitting there, to gather dust. At least put SOME modulation on there. At least show some semblance of effort. (*soapbox mode out*) ;/
Peter Q. George (K1XRB) said:
Isn’t that an FCC actionable violation (if not a facilities violation, just in terms of “serving the public interest”...or lack thereof)?
Peter Q. George (K1XRB) said:
Then after they shut off the C-Quam analog AM stereo, it went IBOC HD for a very short time. That was in early 2006 at the beginning of the "black talk" format when it seemed, for a few months, like they may have planned to put some effort behind it, there was a local morning show for a short time, but that all only lasted a few months. When they sold 97.7, they let 1090 go downhill on its final long decline from there.
Jumping The Gun To Sign-On?? (Was: Re: Oh! Oh! Oh! Where Did WILD-AM Go?)
I thought that in January, daytime-only AM stations in the Boston area could not sign-on until 7:15 A.M.
I ask this because on Tuesday morning of this week (January 22nd), WILD-1090 signed-on at 7:08 A.M. EST (according to my digital clock next to a radio in my bedroom), seven minutes sooner than they should have.
They were using the 1,900-watt "critical hours" power, so at sign-on in Norwood, you could hear them "battling it out" with Baltimore's WBAL.
I thought that in January, daytime-only AM stations in the Boston area could not sign-on until 7:15 A.M.
I ask this because on Tuesday morning of this week (January 22nd), WILD-1090 signed-on at 7:08 A.M. EST (according to my digital clock next to a radio in my bedroom), seven minutes sooner than they should have.
They were using the 1,900-watt "critical hours" power, so at sign-on in Norwood, you could hear them "battling it out" with Baltimore's WBAL.
Re: Jumping The Gun To Sign-On?? (Was: Re: Oh! Oh! Oh! Where Did WILD-AM Go?)
WILD has even a lower power tier, I believe it's called a "Post-Sunset Authority" or something like that, where they broadcast for a half-hour after the usual daytimer sunset signoff time at a very low power. These authorities are not listed in the FCC database so I don't know the wattage during that period, but I believe it's less than 100 watts, just enough to barely cover the Boston metro, maybe not even that if WBAL is coming in strong. (WILD broadcast illegally all night at that low power for a couple of weeks back when the format first flipped to CRI).
I don't know whether they also have authorization to use that low power level for a half-hour before sunrise.
Joseph_Gallant said:
WILD has even a lower power tier, I believe it's called a "Post-Sunset Authority" or something like that, where they broadcast for a half-hour after the usual daytimer sunset signoff time at a very low power. These authorities are not listed in the FCC database so I don't know the wattage during that period, but I believe it's less than 100 watts, just enough to barely cover the Boston metro, maybe not even that if WBAL is coming in strong. (WILD broadcast illegally all night at that low power for a couple of weeks back when the format first flipped to CRI).
I don't know whether they also have authorization to use that low power level for a half-hour before sunrise.
Re: Jumping The Gun To Sign-On?? (Was: Re: Oh! Oh! Oh! Where Did WILD Go?)
WILD's PSRA & PSSA are listed in the "imported letters" section of the CDBS entry for WILD. April is the only month with a PSRA (10W) & all months but June have a PSSA of either 14, 18 or 25W for a ½ hour (presumably Baltimore's sunset). WILD's sign-on time in January is 07:15 & its sign-off is 17:00 (the last ½ hour being at 25 watts).
So, assuming your clock is accurate, WILD should not have yet been on at 07:08.
WILD's PSRA & PSSA are listed in the "imported letters" section of the CDBS entry for WILD. April is the only month with a PSRA (10W) & all months but June have a PSSA of either 14, 18 or 25W for a ½ hour (presumably Baltimore's sunset). WILD's sign-on time in January is 07:15 & its sign-off is 17:00 (the last ½ hour being at 25 watts).
So, assuming your clock is accurate, WILD should not have yet been on at 07:08.
Blackgold commented: said:
WILD has carried China Radio International programming for a couple of years now.
Blackgold, I wished you had the financial resources to buy WILD and perhaps then it could again be the proud voice of the African-American community.
It would be tougher to do than in the "old days", but since you seem to be quite intelligent and creative, maybe you can create a compelling on-air product that would truly serve Black New Englanders.
blackgold said:
I'm not sure what the FM translator regulations would be for rebroadcasting the programming of a daytime-only AM station at night, after the AM station has signed off. I would think that to be a legitimate translator, its parent station would also have to be on the air at the same time somewhere.
If it's broadcasting the programming without the parent station being on the air, then it would be (effectively) broadcasting its own original programming, which would be a new original station, not a translator. I'm not sure whether a new original station can be licensed in all cases in which a translator can be licensed.
Pretty sure the FCC is allowing daytimers to have FM translators broadcast fulltime, even if the AM is off. From what I've heard if you've got an AM and want to add an FM translator, the FCC will bend over backwards to help you with one, even if it means moving the translator several times.
If the AM station is off, then the translator must be off. WILD would have to broadcast with the 1 watt it was given in the FCC's 1986 authorization, in order to have a translator on at night. They could purchase a low-power transmitter to switch to that at power-down times. Of cuordse, no one would be listening to that 1 watt signal, but such would allow the FM translator to operate. But no single translator would cover all areas inside Rt 128, nor get anywhere near it. - Those monthly powers shown in the "Correspondence Folders" on the FCC website.... Those were issued about 5 years ago, then the FCC realized many of them were faulty. Whether a station can use those shown powers is iffy. So why are they shown on all AM daytimers' FCC authorizations? Good question.
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