Strong spanish station on 810khz around 10:20PM EST 9/23

[Icangelp]

I'm assuming I was hearing WKVM in PR, but I wasn't able to get an I.D. Up tempo music and advertising including a Burger King vs. McDonalds burger for a "un dollar". At times like a Cincinnati local last night & this AM during drive to work. It was late enough that the midwest spanish daytimers would not have been broadcasting. Heard Puerto Rico mentioned, but thought I also heard Mexico.

I don't have an SDR, nor do I tape record, and I wasn't around for the top of the hour...so no I.D.

Anyone else here them?

 

[gar hi]

I get a Spanish station on 810 a lot of the time at night as well but it usually doesn't get too strong.

I assumed it was the San Juan station too as the direction of the signal strength seems to point right to Puerto Rico.

If it's the same one you're hearing, I'm surprised it makes it out that far north.

 

[radioman148]

I'm assuming I was hearing WKVM in PR, but I wasn't able to get an I.D. Up tempo music and advertising including a Burger King vs. McDonalds burger for a "un dollar". At times like a Cincinnati local last night & this AM during drive to work. It was late enough that the midwest spanish daytimers would not have been broadcasting. Heard Puerto Rico mentioned, but thought I also heard Mexico.

I don't have an SDR, nor do I tape record, and I wasn't around for the top of the hour...so no I.D.

Anyone else here them?

That had to be a pretty strong signal if you were getting it over WGY.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

I was hearing what sounded like spanish love songs on 819 last night,,, I usually get the Albany new york station at night on that freq... we do have a local spanish station here in Indianapolis, but they sign off at sunset, or they are supposed to anyway... signal was pegging the dial.

 

[radioman148]

I was hearing what sounded like spanish love songs on 819 last night,,, I usually get the Albany new york station at night on that freq... we do have a local spanish station here in Indianapolis, but they sign off at sunset, or they are supposed to anyway... signal was pegging the dial.

Hmmm, a little more mystery thrown in.

 

[Icangelp]

The spanish station I was hearing was definitely on 810khz, and was either WKVM, or a midwest or southern spanish daytimer on way past sunset.

 

[davideduardo]

The spanish station I was hearing was definitely on 810khz, and was either WKVM, or a midwest or southern spanish daytimer on way past sunset.

Historically, going back to the 60's, WKVM has been a relatively rare catch on the manland, as it's protection of WGY and Tampico creata a very sharp null to anywhere in the continental US. The "dolar" mention seems to rule out a Mexican or the 250 kw Caracol Bogotá.

Spanish on 810 includes Grand Rapids, Odessa, Denver, Baltimore, Indianapois and Nashville metro area stations.

 

[Icangelp]

David.

I've been DXing from the midwest since 1960, and I have never heard a Puerto Rico station. However, I used to regularly hear Columbia on 810khz when it was R. Sutatenza. Haven't heard Columbia (Caracol) for several years. Thought I heard they were using a directional antenna these days.

 

[davideduardo]

David.

I've been DXing from the midwest since 1960, and I have never heard a Puerto Rico station. However, I used to regularly hear Columbia on 810khz when it was R. Sutatenza. Haven't heard Columbia (Caracol) for several years. Thought I heard they were using a directional antenna these days.

From NE Ohio in the early 60's I had veriefied PR on 580, 680, 740, 850, 870, 940, 760, 1370, 1390, 1140, 1480 but never on 810.

The only directional Caracol AM is 820 HJED in Cali, but it is possible that 810 has simply reduced power, given the declining state of AM radio in Colombia.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm assuming I was hearing WKVM in PR, but I wasn't able to get an I.D. Up tempo music and advertising including a Burger King vs. McDonalds burger for a "un dollar".

Another thought... neither BK nor McD in PR advertise on stations without a strong 18-34 core audience, something no AM there has.

 

[Icangelp]

David,

The music was single male or female and up tempo. No groups. In general, the instrumental back-ups included brass and what sounded like a tuba, plus accordian.

It was strong again this morning during my commute, from about EST 6:45AM through 7:15AM when I arrived at my business. It was mixing with another much weaker SS station, and again WGY was very weak.

At about 7:07AM, there was a man and woman doing comedy complete with an audience. This was also the case yesterday.

Again today, the station faded at the hour, but I do think I heard a spanish 'W' begining the call letters. I could definitely be mistaken, but I do think I heard Puerto Rico mentioned a couple of times during breaks.

I guess it's time for me to enter the world of SDR and or at least audio recording.

 

[gar hi]

Historically, going back to the 60's, WKVM has been a relatively rare catch on the manland, as it's protection of WGY and Tampico creata a very sharp null to anywhere in the continental US.

For some reason I thought they were non directional but I see you're right.

That would pretty much drop the chances I'm hearing it or anyone else up north.

But then again, sometimes signals don't always act the way they're expected to.


Icangelp, I too have spent a lot of time attempting to get an ID from the station I'm hearing on 810 but no luck.

 

[Icangelp]

Mystery solved.

The station is WMGC in Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN. Finally heard the station I.D.

They are supposed to be running non directional 5KW days, .5KW pre-sunrise, and 6 watts nights. It would seem they are running 5KW, 24 hours.

Amazing how strong their signal is. I have to null them in order to hear WGY, although the WMGC signal is subject to deep fades. .

 

[radioman148]

Mystery solved.

The station is WMGC in Murfreesboro (Nashville), TN. Finally heard the station I.D.

They are supposed to be running non directional 5KW days, .5KW pre-sunrise, and 6 watts nights. It would seem they are running 5KW, 24 hours.

Amazing how strong their signal is. I have to null them in order to hear WGY, although the WMGC signal is subject to deep fades. .

Yeah I don't think 6 watts would make the trip.

 

[KG6VSW]

I live in Murfreesboro, and WMGC has not been on their nighttime pattern the last few nights. Normally they barely make it across town on 6 watts, but the last two nights they've had a much better nighttime signal locally, and are overloading my portable radio as they do during the daytime.

Their IDs can be very difficult, they run a lot of promos, but tend to speak very fast with a lot of special effects, making it hard to pick out the station slogan "La Sabrosita".

 

[radioman148]

I live in Murfreesboro, and WMGC has not been on their nighttime pattern the last few nights. Normally they barely make it across town on 6 watts, but the last two nights they've had a much better nighttime signal locally, and are overloading my portable radio as they do during the daytime.

Their IDs can be very difficult, they run a lot of promos, but tend to speak very fast with a lot of special effects, making it hard to pick out the station slogan "La Sabrosita".

It would appear another station is ignoring their nighttime limits.

 

[Icangelp]

I live in Murfreesboro, and WMGC has not been on their nighttime pattern the last few nights. Normally they barely make it across town on 6 watts, but the last two nights they've had a much better nighttime signal locally, and are overloading my portable radio as they do during the daytime.

Their IDs can be very difficult, they run a lot of promos, but tend to speak very fast with a lot of special effects, making it hard to pick out the station slogan "La Sabrosita".

Thanks for the info. At times, it was coming in like a local.

That is about as blatant a violation as you can have. It is one thing for the carrier to remain on, but quite another when they continue to play music, ads and give station IDs.

I'll never tell, though. Makes for good DXing, and the programing is better than WGY! I can hear talk radio right here in Cincy.

I should have recognized that the music had a Mexican flavor just from the instruments being played. I guess I was wishing too hard for Puerto Rico.

 

[radioman148]

I live in Murfreesboro, and WMGC has not been on their nighttime pattern the last few nights. Normally they barely make it across town on 6 watts, but the last two nights they've had a much better nighttime signal locally, and are overloading my portable radio as they do during the daytime.

Their IDs can be very difficult, they run a lot of promos, but tend to speak very fast with a lot of special effects, making it hard to pick out the station slogan "La Sabrosita".

Thanks for the info. At times, it was coming in like a local.

That is about as blatant a violation as you can have. It is one thing for the carrier to remain on, but quite another when they continue to play music, ads and give station IDs.

I'll never tell, though. Makes for good DXing, and the programing is better than WGY! I can hear talk radio right here in Cincy.

I should have recognized that the music had a Mexican flavor just from the instruments being played. I guess I was wishing too hard for Puerto Rico.

More & more stations seem to be ignoring their night restrictions. Maybe the FCC doesn't care.

 

[KG6VSW]

If anyone else is looking to log WMGC, try tonight - as of 9:35 PM central they're still running their daytime pattern as far as I can tell (and just played a Spanish McDonald's commercial as described in one of the original posts!).

It is unfortunate that the FCC has become so lax on enforcing their rules, especially when these operations cause interference, as I'm sure many of these stations "forgetting" to switch to their nighttime patterns do. I recently moved from Southern California where there was a pirate on a first adjacent frequency to a local FM station (pirate was on 92.1) in the LA metro area, with enough power to be heard 60 miles away in the mountains. This went on for at least 2-3 months with no action from the FCC, when the pirate was frequently advertising a website with a street address and other contact information on it, so locating the pirate shouldn't have been difficult, just a matter of complete inaction.

 

[radioman148]

If anyone else is looking to log WMGC, try tonight - as of 9:35 PM central they're still running their daytime pattern as far as I can tell (and just played a Spanish McDonald's commercial as described in one of the original posts!).

It is unfortunate that the FCC has become so lax on enforcing their rules, especially when these operations cause interference, as I'm sure many of these stations "forgetting" to switch to their nighttime patterns do. I recently moved from Southern California where there was a pirate on a first adjacent frequency to a local FM station (pirate was on 92.1) in the LA metro area, with enough power to be heard 60 miles away in the mountains. This went on for at least 2-3 months with no action from the FCC, when the pirate was frequently advertising a website with a street address and other contact information on it, so locating the pirate shouldn't have been difficult, just a matter of complete inaction.

The FCC doesn't seem to care anymore.