I don't think the sale of WDTW's license will affect the value of WFDF at all. WFDF is a ready-built fully-operational and young facility whereas WDTW is a piece of paper that says you can try to build a radio station. While WDTW was 5kW on 1310 with an NIF of about 12mV/m, WFDF is 50kW day/19kW night with an NIF of about 6mV/m. While WFDF leaves something to be desired in much of Detroit and Macomb County, it absolutely aces Western Wayne and Oakland. It's arguably the fourth best AM signal in the market (behind WJR, WWJ, CKLW and tied with WXYT, the latter of which is worse than WFDF in some places but better in others). On the other hand, it's an impossibility to cover the whole area at night on 1310 without buying many (possibly more than a dozen) 1310s off the air to reduce the interference and allow softer nulls (and I don't think Canada would allow them to buy CIWW off the air).
I do worry that 1310 will not cover Southwest Detroit at night if they rebuild the WDTW facility as it was (it was deep in interference there when it was on before going silent). They will need 12mV/m at night in all parts of Detroit south of I-94 and west of 14th street. Zamora should really try to get a night (or full time) facility in the Downriver area (Ecorse would be excellent for the purpose). They should be able to increase their daytime power beyond 5000 watts (possibly the full 50kW day with a DA south of about King Road, but then they would probably want a second site closer to SWD for night).
One thing I certainly think about WFDF and WDTW is that the pending availability of ready-to-roll WFDF caused the asking price of the WDTW license to drop. Supposedly, they had been asking $500K for it, but it suddenly sold for $100K just days after Radio Disney announced its clearance sale.
@umfan: Yeah, it's less than 1kw, but it's about thirty times what would be allowed on 1310 in a non-STA facility with the need to protect "senior" station WIBA from interference at night. When the STA hits the air, WIBA listeners more than about 15 miles from the WIBA transmitter will hear Spanish in the background. Fortunately for WIBA, the Detroit-area 1310 will eventually have to build a DA that protects other stations on the frequency.
@FredLeonard: Even in its WKNR heyday, its inability to provide 24-hour coverage to Detroit's East Side, most of Macomb County, and some far west suburbs was a real handicap. In the 1970's, the mass migration of its most prized listeners - Detroit's far west side was middle class and higher and listened to top 40 - to suburbs where WKNR's signal was poor, sealed the station's fate. This is why CKLW became so successful by using a format similar to WKNR and even hiring away much of WKNR's air talent.
I do worry that 1310 will not cover Southwest Detroit at night if they rebuild the WDTW facility as it was (it was deep in interference there when it was on before going silent). They will need 12mV/m at night in all parts of Detroit south of I-94 and west of 14th street. Zamora should really try to get a night (or full time) facility in the Downriver area (Ecorse would be excellent for the purpose). They should be able to increase their daytime power beyond 5000 watts (possibly the full 50kW day with a DA south of about King Road, but then they would probably want a second site closer to SWD for night).
One thing I certainly think about WFDF and WDTW is that the pending availability of ready-to-roll WFDF caused the asking price of the WDTW license to drop. Supposedly, they had been asking $500K for it, but it suddenly sold for $100K just days after Radio Disney announced its clearance sale.
@umfan: Yeah, it's less than 1kw, but it's about thirty times what would be allowed on 1310 in a non-STA facility with the need to protect "senior" station WIBA from interference at night. When the STA hits the air, WIBA listeners more than about 15 miles from the WIBA transmitter will hear Spanish in the background. Fortunately for WIBA, the Detroit-area 1310 will eventually have to build a DA that protects other stations on the frequency.
@FredLeonard: Even in its WKNR heyday, its inability to provide 24-hour coverage to Detroit's East Side, most of Macomb County, and some far west suburbs was a real handicap. In the 1970's, the mass migration of its most prized listeners - Detroit's far west side was middle class and higher and listened to top 40 - to suburbs where WKNR's signal was poor, sealed the station's fate. This is why CKLW became so successful by using a format similar to WKNR and even hiring away much of WKNR's air talent.
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