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Overachieving AM's

S

secondchoice

Back in the day radio was a “local” business. Many markets had a dominate signal station(s). A lot of markets had “over achieving” AM stations which didn’t have the biggest signal but had a lot of local listeners.



An example was Nashville TN in the 1960’s and early seventies: WSM and WLAC were heard in many states at night. Yet locally stations like WMAK (5KW daytime directional at night) owned the local top 40 market for years. IIRC WENO (5KW daytime 1KW directional night) was the only 24 hour country station in the market until WKDA (1 KW day 250 watts at night) flipped from top 40 to country. I never listened to WSIX but apparently it was an Adult favorite. I can only guess the underdogs did well in Nashville because WSM played chicken rock during the days and WLAC was news during the day and blues at night. Both 50 KW signals in Nashville were owned by Insurance Companies which do not always have the same goals as regular broadcasters. 1510 eventually went top 40 around 1972ish.



There are bound to be other AM “over achievers”.
 
Do you mean actual, current AM stations who are overachievers, or back when people other than 60+ year old white males listened to AM?
 
I know it is hard to believe but prior to 1980 most people listened to AM. I was going for the past but if there are any current non class A AM's without translators doing well that would be cool.
 
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secondchoice said:
I thought the post was self exclamatory. But if there are any current non class A AM's without translators doing well that would be cool.
Click to expand...
There are some, but in medium markets and with heritage good and not too directional signals. WBEN in Buffalo has no translator, has good 12+ numbers and is first or second in market billing.

And that is just one example.
 
secondchoice said:
I thought the post was self exclamatory. But if there are any current non class A AM's without translators doing well that would be cool.
Click to expand...
There are some, but in medium markets and with heritage good and not too directional signals. WBEN in Buffalo has no translator, has good 12+ numbers and is first or second in market billing.

And that is just one example.
 
I just thought of 2 both in Tennessee. Currently WDIA Memphis (Sort of they are on 101.1 HD2) #7 (6+) and the old WDXB Chattanooga TN.
 
secondchoice said:
Back in the day radio was a “local” business. Many markets had a dominate signal station(s). A lot of markets had “over achieving” AM stations which didn’t have the biggest signal but had a lot of local listeners.



An example was Nashville TN in the 1960’s and early seventies: WSM and WLAC were heard in many states at night. Yet locally stations like WMAK (5KW daytime directional at night) owned the local top 40 market for years. IIRC WENO (5KW daytime 1KW directional night) was the only 24 hour country station in the market until WKDA (1 KW day 250 watts at night) flipped from top 40 to country. I never listened to WSIX but apparently it was an Adult favorite. I can only guess the underdogs did well in Nashville because WSM played chicken rock during the days and WLAC was news during the day and blues at night. Both 50 KW signals in Nashville were owned by Insurance Companies which do not always have the same goals as regular broadcasters. 1510 eventually went top 40 around 1972ish.



There are bound to be other AM “over achievers”.
Click to expand...
You're certainly right that power isn't everything. Back in the day in the 60s, one of the top billing stations in Los Angeles was "little" KGFJ 1230, 250 watts full-time except all day Sunday 100 watts 6 am to midnight, and Wednesday evenings 7 pm to 11 pm. (They had to reduce power to protect "specified hours" station KPPC 1240 Pasadena which only operated two days a week - All day Sunday and just Wednesday evenings with only 100 watts. "K- Pasadena Presbyterian Church").

One of KGFJ's positioning statements was "L.A.'s favorite radio station - KGFJ!" Another was a recorded jingle: "KGFJ the Sound of Success!"
KGFJ was successful and a really good station that served its target urban audience well.

Its interesting that when the FCC finally let Class IV local area type stations increase their full time power from 250 watts to 1kw, KGFJ for a time had to run just 400 watts at night and all day Sunday, as the FCC allowed KPPC to become a night time only station operating from sunset to sunrise with 400 watts in addition to their normal all day and night Sunday. The owners of AM 1240 who bought the station for $50,000 soon found out that there was no audience for a night time only station and turned the license in to the FCC and went off the air.
 
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