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Update on Alabama AM's

One has been resurrected...while the other, declared dead by the FCC, is now on life support...
I noticed a few days ago that WCOC in Dora was back on the air doing regional mexican. WBYE in Calera is a different matter. It has been running a dead carrier for almost 3 wks now. I went by the station this afternoon...nobody's home.
 
I noticed a couple weeks ago that WCOC was back on the air... I had assumed they were just keeping it on air long enough to keep the license active. I figured it would be back off air by now, lol...

I was driving down to Auburn today via Clanton and noticed WBYE was off air, too. I thought it was just a dead carrier which may had been on for only a couple hrs or so. Sounds like things are getting grim for WBYE.


In addition, WWWH AM 1230 in Haleyville is back on. They have been off for a long time now it seems. I heard them airing Alabama football while driving through Natural Bridge.

AM 1300 WKXM in Winfield is off air as well; I haven't heard them in some time...

-Travis
 
What can any one tell me about the AM in Bridgeport, Alabama near Chattanooga? History, reception, formats of the past etc.
 
1250WTAE said:
What can any one tell me about the AM in Bridgeport, Alabama near Chattanooga? History, reception, formats of the past etc.

I for one know very little about this station, as evidenced by the scant history page I have on my website. All I know is they do Christian programming plus Dave Ramsey, and target the South Pittsburg, Tennessee area with an FM translator.
 
1480 Bridgeport was originally WBTS; came on air around 1961 or 62. The 1480 in Irondale (originally WIXI) also came on about the same time.
 
I was in high school, in Atmore, at the time ... In 1960 I could listen to WABB at sunset until pattern change, but after these other two 1480 stations came on, they would come in atop WABB via twilight skip.
 
Had to think a little harder and now I remember that in 1960, WABB was the only station in Alabama on 1480 ... within 2 years, there were four Ala stations on that freq ... the other one was WARI in Abbeville, which came on about the same time as the other two (1961-63). Of course they were far enough apart not to overlap, but the last 30 minutes before daytime sign-off it turned into a zoo.
 
J Alex Bowab said:
Had to think a little harder and now I remember that in 1960, WABB was the only station in Alabama on 1480 ... within 2 years, there were four Ala stations on that freq ... the other one was WARI in Abbeville, which came on about the same time as the other two (1961-63). Of course they were far enough apart not to overlap, but the last 30 minutes before daytime sign-off it turned into a zoo.

What year did 1480 come on the air in Panama City?
 
1480, licensed to Panama City Beach, was on the air with 500 watts in the late 50s, as WTHR... but maybe its tower was somewhat inland, as I don't remember it clashing with WABB along the coast. It was off the air for a couple of years, then came back on about 1964-65 as WGNE (Genie). Tho it was a daytimer, it was a very hot top 40 station. I speculate its tower was moved closer to the water's edge, as suddenly WABB was unlistenable in Gulf Shores or Dauphin Island. The Genie signal went across the salt water path and was actually stronger in those areas than WABB. I seem to remember Bernie Dittman protested to the FCC, but engineering studies showed the action was in compliance with FCC interference standards.

Back then, those of us who listened to WABB while in town had to change over to WTIX or WNOE when we went to the beach. The PCB 1480 station, now WKGC, has been a simulcast of a non-commercial FM for some time now, and I knew they had a CP to increase power and move inland. Not that anyone listens to WABB AM anymore, either in Mobile or at the beach, but the inland move did reduce WKGC's incursion into WABB territory. I vaguely remember seeing WGNE's tower back in the 70s, and recall it being very close to the shoreline in Panama City Beach. That was a great way to send the signal 100+ miles westward along the coast, but it wasn't the most advantageous way to make a 500 watt station strong in Panama City proper.
 
Found this......WBYE
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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WBYE WBYE-AM logo.png
City of license Calera, Alabama
Broadcast area Birmingham, Alabama
Slogan "Sounds of Joy"
Frequency 1370 kHz
First air date January 12, 1958
Format Defunct
Power 1,000 watts (day only)
Class D
Facility ID 71243
Transmitter coordinates 33°5′26.00″N 86°46′37.00″W
Owner Progressive United Communications, Inc.

WBYE (1370 AM) was an American radio station formerly licensed to the community of Calera, Alabama, and serving the greater Birmingham, Alabama, area. The station was owned by Progressive United Communications, Inc. It aired a Gospel music format.[1] The station was assigned the WBYE call letters by the Federal Communications Commission.[2]
History

In June 1983, Shelby County Advertising Corporation reached an agreement to sell WBYE to B.M. Murchison. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 18, 1983, and the transaction was consummated on December 12, 1983.[3]

In January 1986, B.M, Murchison reached an agreement to sell WBYE to Thomas Ellsworth Leighton. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 24, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on March 20, 1986.[4]

In March 1989, Laura Lou Roberts Leighton, executrix of the estate of Thomas Ellsworth Leighton, reached an agreement to sell this radio station to WBYE Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on MArch 2, 1989, and the transaction was consummated on April 10, 1989.[5]

In November 1999, WBYE Broadcasting Company, Inc., reached an agreement to sell WBYE to Progressive United Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 4, 2000, and the transaction was consummated on April 28, 2000.[6]

On April 6, 2012, the station's license was cancelled and its callsign deleted from the FCC's database.[7]
 
WBYE is still running a dead carrier, as of today. I have not seen anyone at the studios when I pass by. I did stop by the station about 2 wks ago. There was no one there at that time, either.

WCOC is off the air again, so as Tallred surmised, they probably just went on the air long enough to keep the license active.
 
Love to have that old transmitter out of there 1958 collins I think. Bet someone could get it for $100 now
 
Also, WCOC is still on the air. I had assumed they would stay on a couple weeks and then go back dark, so I stand corrected. However, their signal strength is very weak. One cannot even receive them until they are north of Birmingham. It is almost like they are running .5 kW rather than 5kW :D

-Travis
 
Status
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