I ran across some interesting info while looking at articles on line about the setting up of North America's Clear Channel stations, which happened with the NARBA agreement of 1941. At least seven and possibly more Clear Channel stations requested even more than their 50,000 watts. An engineering committee of the FCC had been organized to determine if these stations should be given Super-Power authorization. All the stations would be in the interior of the country, so their superpower wouldn't be wasted, leaving stations on the East and West Coast out of the running.
I guess most of us know that 700 WLW Cincinnati was authorized to broadcast at 500,000 watts from 1934 to 1939. Its owner, Powel Crosley, Jr., was a force in those days, as an inventor, as the owner of a radio and appliance manufacturing company and as someone who funded political campaigns. He got the FCC to give his WLW that super power and even got President Roosevelt to press the button that started the high-power transmitter on its first day. My dad, who grew up in central Ohio, 150 miles from Cincinnati, remembers everyone in town having their radios tuned to 700 to hear Amos & Andy every evening on WLW. He can't remember his local stations but he remembers WLW to this day.
The stations that sought Superpower status were...
--WSM Nashville asked for 500,000 watts
--WSB Atlanta asked for 500,000 watts
--KSL Salt Lake City asked for 500,000 watts
--WHO Des Moines asked for 500,000 watts
--WHAS Louisville asked for 500,000 watts
--WOAI San Antonio asked for 750,000 watts
--WLW originally sought 650,000 watts
--WGY Schenectady experimented with 150,000 and 200,000 watt broadcasts
The FCC committee believed these Superpower stations would not just serve America's rural communities, which was why the 50,000 watt Clear Channel stations were set up in the first place. But much like our Interstate highway system was sold to skeptical members of Congress concerned about the cost, the defense aspect was also argued. In a national emergency, everyone would be able to hear these stations for news and information.
Of course, when WLW went on the air with its 500,000 watt transmitter, its competitors complained about the sales disadvantage WLW put them at. Stations in Canada even complained that WLW was interfering with them which forced WLW to install a directional antenna array pointed away from the border. In 1938 the Senate passed a resolution saying no U.S. station should operate with more than 50,000 watts so WLW went back to its original power in 1939. (I'm sure those Senators were lobbied by the big broadcasters who didn't want WLW or anyone else with that much power. Read how NBC's David Sarnoff squelched FM broadcasting for years, fearing NBC's investment in AM stations would be hurt if the public heard FM's superior audio.)
There are some Superpower AM stations operating around the world and some DXers have picked them up in North America, from Asia, the Middle East and Europe. 900 XEW in Mexico City still supposedly operates at 250,000 watts. But Superpower stations in the U.S. never came to be. So I guess we'll never hear WLW, WHAS, WSB, WHO, WOAI and KSL as nighttime regulars around the U.S., at least not easily.
I guess most of us know that 700 WLW Cincinnati was authorized to broadcast at 500,000 watts from 1934 to 1939. Its owner, Powel Crosley, Jr., was a force in those days, as an inventor, as the owner of a radio and appliance manufacturing company and as someone who funded political campaigns. He got the FCC to give his WLW that super power and even got President Roosevelt to press the button that started the high-power transmitter on its first day. My dad, who grew up in central Ohio, 150 miles from Cincinnati, remembers everyone in town having their radios tuned to 700 to hear Amos & Andy every evening on WLW. He can't remember his local stations but he remembers WLW to this day.
The stations that sought Superpower status were...
--WSM Nashville asked for 500,000 watts
--WSB Atlanta asked for 500,000 watts
--KSL Salt Lake City asked for 500,000 watts
--WHO Des Moines asked for 500,000 watts
--WHAS Louisville asked for 500,000 watts
--WOAI San Antonio asked for 750,000 watts
--WLW originally sought 650,000 watts
--WGY Schenectady experimented with 150,000 and 200,000 watt broadcasts
The FCC committee believed these Superpower stations would not just serve America's rural communities, which was why the 50,000 watt Clear Channel stations were set up in the first place. But much like our Interstate highway system was sold to skeptical members of Congress concerned about the cost, the defense aspect was also argued. In a national emergency, everyone would be able to hear these stations for news and information.
Of course, when WLW went on the air with its 500,000 watt transmitter, its competitors complained about the sales disadvantage WLW put them at. Stations in Canada even complained that WLW was interfering with them which forced WLW to install a directional antenna array pointed away from the border. In 1938 the Senate passed a resolution saying no U.S. station should operate with more than 50,000 watts so WLW went back to its original power in 1939. (I'm sure those Senators were lobbied by the big broadcasters who didn't want WLW or anyone else with that much power. Read how NBC's David Sarnoff squelched FM broadcasting for years, fearing NBC's investment in AM stations would be hurt if the public heard FM's superior audio.)
There are some Superpower AM stations operating around the world and some DXers have picked them up in North America, from Asia, the Middle East and Europe. 900 XEW in Mexico City still supposedly operates at 250,000 watts. But Superpower stations in the U.S. never came to be. So I guess we'll never hear WLW, WHAS, WSB, WHO, WOAI and KSL as nighttime regulars around the U.S., at least not easily.
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