WATO gone for good...

[radioguybroadcasting]

I would hate to see that license gone for good but given the scenario that Scott gave us, A would be the best choice.

I am a believer in the old saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Translated meaning is, that if you are going to be in America, speak English.

The other option about Oprah, the most-over-rated woman in America Media,......gee.....scary. Imagine the Oprah Radio Network. On second thought, No lets don't. Not even funny.

Now this is just a rumor I heard about Doug Horne, so don't take it as the Gospel Truth:

Doug Horne owns the property the WATO towers are on. It's not lease deal. Horne ownes land everwhere, even in my town of Gallatin. He had property to let Home Depot build here, but I was told that deal fell through. I was told he was in to buying and selling land "BIG TIME"!

I was also told that one of the WATO towers was blown down. Is this true? If so, yes it can go back on with an STA. I was told that Doug Horne could make more out of selling the property than what the radio station was bring in.

Now Ladies & Gentlemen, if what I just told you "IS" the Gospel Truth. This doesn't shock me at all. We all know AM is almost a dead horse, except on Friday Night Football games, which now can be put on FM or streamed.

I know that WIRY-AM 1340 in Plattsburg, NY was approched by "Walgreens" to build a Super Drug store on the stations property. The owner, Bill Santa, played it smart. He sold the property to Walgreens, found him another site in an industrial area, and told Walgreens they can not start construction until the station's studio and transmitter was moved. The city will get a new Walgreens, the town's radio station will remain on the air, and everyone will be happy.

Why can't station owners who have thier sites sitting on prime property use thier head. If they want to sell the property, they should find another site, sell the property, then sell the station at it's new site. You would be really rolling in the doe then.

Interesting information.. I hadn't heard anything about the deal collapsing yet.

ANd Yes, one of the towers fell down.. that's pretty well known.

However, once they expected to sell the land and everything, I'm not sure the towers that were left still stand..... there's alot alot of work that would need to be done to that land before it could house a transmitter site again.

 

[scottwmro]

I would hate to see that license gone for good but given the scenario that Scott gave us, A would be the best choice.

I am a believer in the old saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Translated meaning is, that if you are going to be in America, speak English.

The other option about Oprah, the most-over-rated woman in America Media,......gee.....scary. Imagine the Oprah Radio Network. On second thought, No lets don't. Not even funny.

Now this is just a rumor I heard about Doug Horne, so don't take it as the Gospel Truth:

Doug Horne owns the property the WATO towers are on. It's not lease deal. Horne ownes land everwhere, even in my town of Gallatin. He had property to let Home Depot build here, but I was told that deal fell through. I was told he was in to buying and selling land "BIG TIME"!

I was also told that one of the WATO towers was blown down. Is this true? If so, yes it can go back on with an STA. I was told that Doug Horne could make more out of selling the property than what the radio station was bring in.

Now Ladies & Gentlemen, if what I just told you "IS" the Gospel Truth. This doesn't shock me at all. We all know AM is almost a dead horse, except on Friday Night Football games, which now can be put on FM or streamed.

I know that WIRY-AM 1340 in Plattsburg, NY was approched by "Walgreens" to build a Super Drug store on the stations property. The owner, Bill Santa, played it smart. He sold the property to Walgreens, found him another site in an industrial area, and told Walgreens they can not start construction until the station's studio and transmitter was moved. The city will get a new Walgreens, the town's radio station will remain on the air, and everyone will be happy.

Why can't station owners who have thier sites sitting on prime property use thier head. If they want to sell the property, they should find another site, sell the property, then sell the station at it's new site. You would be really rolling in the doe then.

Interesting information.. I hadn't heard anything about the deal collapsing yet.

ANd Yes, one of the towers fell down.. that's pretty well known.

However, once they expected to sell the land and everything, I'm not sure the towers that were left still stand..... there's alot alot of work that would need to be done to that land before it could house a transmitter site again.

Don't be surprised one day that you'll see those towers gone and some building being erected for another form of business. I've seen this happen too many times over the years with AM Stations where the property is worth more than the license. The upkeep of an AM station is terrible vs. an FM station. With AM, especially directional, land for towers, acres and acres used for ground systems that will end up being stolen by the crack heads, and billing with AM stations are terrible these days, unless you own WLS, WABC, etc.

With FM, multiple antennas can be placed on one tower for several FM, TV, and now cell phone repeaters. No can do with AM. Well....I'll take that back, but in reallity, it just a waste of time because most of these FM Towers need to be at the highest point possible, and no AM ground system will work well on those ole rocky hills.

 

[jimking]

If the property has access to the Turnpike, I can guarantee that a commercial business will locate there. If not, it may not be that valuable as a commercial property.

In any case, the loss of WATO is sad, as I used to listen growing up back in the 50's and 60's when Oak Ridge had two popular AMs. Remember WOKE and the Skeemo Special? I enjoyed many hours at the poker games at the WATO transmitter, mystical phasing cabinet and all.

 

[knoxbob]

The property is located in a residential area, It was probably there before most of the houses and they were built around it. If it is purchased it might make a small sub-division. I worked there in the early 80's, shortly, with the rats climbing on the foam sound insulation on the walls.

 

[jimking]

The property is located in a residential area, It was probably there before most of the houses and they were built around it. If it is purchased it might make a small sub-division. I worked there in the early 80's, shortly, with the rats climbing on the foam sound insulation on the walls.

I saw the WATO transmitter building about a year ago, and it was pretty much a mess.

Actually, all the houses there on East Drive near the transmitter site were built as part of the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, with the transmitter going in about the same time. It's unlikely that new homes would be built in that bog near the railroad tracks and Hwy 95, maybe condos.

1290 was originally WOKE, with WATO licensed to 1490. Around 1960, there was a deal to move 1490 to Fountain City (Knoxville) as WROL, and WATO took over the 1290 transmitter. 1290 was originally 1kw/DA-1, and about the same time the (then) owner applied and was granted 5kw/500w DA-2. I remember the original Gates transmitter with 2-833's modulated by 2-833's. I can't remember why the nighttime pattern was so restrictive, whether it was Paducah or the ownership limits then, as the same owner had 1450 in LaFollette as well as WROL in Fountain City at the same time. I guess ownership pattern limitations must seem quaint in the current radio conglomerate environment.

In any case, it was a long time ago, so I may have some of my facts confused.

 

[jimking]

I can't remember why the nighttime pattern was so restrictive, whether it was Paducah or the ownership limits then, as the same owner had 1450 in LaFollette as well as WROL in Fountain City at the same time.

I meant Manchester, not Paducah.

 

[RadioGaGa75]

Anybody know if the tower #3 is still laying right where it fell? I'll be in the K-Town area for Thanksgiving next week, and I'd like to swing out to WATO to take some "disaster" photos. ;D

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Anybody know if the tower #3 is still laying right where it fell? I'll be in the K-Town area for Thanksgiving next week, and I'd like to swing out to WATO to take some "disaster" photos. ;D

I think all 3 towers are still there.

Wasn't it the middle tower that fell?

as I recall, the outter most tower on the left and right were used by day and all 3 at night

 

[RadioGaGa75]

I went out to WATO today to take my "disaster" photos. It was definitely tower #3 (the back one that collapsed). In fact, nothing has been done in the way of a clean up. It's laying in pieces right where it fell.

Here's what's really ironic: The tower is still laying in shambles months after it fell over. The other two towers are one good strong wind away from keeling over themselves. The building is spray-painted with grafitti and has broken windows. There are two junked cars out at the site and trash all over the place. Yet, they still manage to keep the grass nicely trimmed. Heck, their mow-job looked better than the mow-job at my own tower site!!! ???

 

[scottwmro]

I went out to WATO today to take my "disaster" photos. It was definitely tower #3 (the back one that collapsed). In fact, nothing has been done in the way of a clean up. It's laying in pieces right where it fell.

Here's what's really ironic: The tower is still laying in shambles months after it fell over. The other two towers are one good strong wind away from keeling over themselves. The building is spray-painted with grafitti and has broken windows. There are two junked cars out at the site and trash all over the place. Yet, they still manage to keep the grass nicely trimmed. Heck, their mow-job looked better than the mow-job at my own tower site!!! ???

Then the station "in fact" can go back on with an STA with just 2 towers, but a study must be done to show the FCC. It's just a pure & simple fact, Doug Horne doesn't care about WATO itself, to him, the property is worth more than the station's license, so he figures he can sell the license, the new licensee would have to find new property for the towers. Doug Horne is not that dumb. He "WILL NOT ALLOW" the WATO license to expire and go back to the FCC. The license is worth $$$, and he'll get it, somehow or another. He knows how far the FCC will let WATO remain silent until he has got to put it back on, if he doesn't sell it.

My prediction, WATO will be back, either under Doug, because the FCC starts to put pressure on him to get it back on, OR somebody will give him 25 grand for it.

He wants to sell that property for big commerical dollars and that's a smart move with the shape AM Radio is in today. I had a lot of property that came with my station when my dad and I bought it in 1991. Dad is gone now, but he told me if I wanted to, sell all the property I wanted and keep just enough for the radio station, which I have.

Oh by the way, don't worry about Ground Radials, for heaven's sake! Here in Tennessee, with the ground conductivity at a .01, just put a folded unipole on that tower and just use the property you can get! Go the the Nott, Ltd website and read up on folded unipoles and monoples.