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Ways am 1500 Macon

Unless something has changed since I was there (left in 2009 as PD of WPEZ [Z93.7]/WIFN [former ESPN affiliate]/WAYS [then carrying the True Oldies Channel], WAYS was granted a nighttime authorization of something like 1 watt (or less, I can't recall exactly; I believe there were some "critical hours" requirements in there too). A former engineer and I figured out that at 1 watt, you wouldn't even be able to pick up the station at the studios on Mulberry Street. It was pointless to try to even implement it, because the transmitter wouldn't even drop power that low without just shutting down.

Not that Cumulus corporate (or anyone at Cumulus/Macon for that matter) gives a rip about 1500, but it would be interesting to see if they could line up a translator to simulcast the WAYS programming on FM.

Or maybe they'd be better off to just donate it to Mercer or something like that. Or just turn in the license to the FCC and say, "enough!" The power bill savings alone would be worth it, along with the telco line from 544 Mulberry to the tower.

TDO
 
I know what your saying. But espn radio is the only sports station that's good. Clear channel has fox sports 1670. But it's a piece of junk station. Cumulus should have left it at 105.5. From what I here sports was doing better then what rock is doing now. They should have never fire bill shanks. That was a big mistake in my opinion.
 
Probably not with Sandersville within 50 miles on 1490. It would probably be better to work on getting a translator up there. There's one that appears to be moving its way north with an application for a site west of Macon on 105.1 that is listed as translating WROK.
 
Neil Griffin said:
Probably not with Sandersville within 50 miles on 1490. It would probably be better to work on getting a translator up there. There's one that appears to be moving its way north with an application for a site west of Macon on 105.1 that is listed as translating WROK.
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Thats for rock 105.5. Which is the former espn radio but on September 4th 2009 they changed it to rack and moved espn radio to 1500.
 
How long will it be before these AM stations disappear altogether? They are less and less viable with each passing year - or so it seems.
 
Witchlover said:
How long will it be before these AM stations disappear altogether? They are less and less viable with each passing year - or so it seems.
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I searched on this forum for a general radio. I have been wanting to ask about AM radio. It seems alot of AM stations are translating on FM. Why is that? What is going to happen to AM? FM sounds a whole lot better than AM. I turn my car radio on AM and on most stations I hear loud static and popping eletrical ground noise. I used to be able to get the big Atlanta stations 640 AM 680 AM and 750 AM and even 790 AM. Now all I hear is static. I even heard WSM 650 in Nashville TN at 2 PM once. Something is about to happen to AM soon with most already having translators on FM. But then the FM ban is also crowded.
 
Over the years AM radio, has become more and more technologically obsolescent, I think. To begin with, the system of regulation could not foresee that there would be such a demand for spectrum space for everything from nursery monitors to public safety radio. International agreements and adjacent- and co-channel protection considerations certainly don't help, either. Daytime signals have been further degraded by the sheer volume of electromagnetic clutter - pollution, if you will. Electric utilities are not required to filter their transmission lines as they once were; in short, the signals simply cannot punch through and go as far as we remember in the not-so-distant past. Broadcasters are using FM translators to hopefully fill in gaps in areas where they believe potential audiences are to be found. A few years ago, the government mandated a total transition to digital television: On Date Certain, analog television broadcasting ceased to exist, and save for a few exceptions, millions of television sets were suddenly obsolete. This is inevitable for radio as well; in fact, if it were not for all of those radios in all of those cars, this transition would have surely occurred by now. As happened with digital television, the government could totally recast the radio industry in a way which cannot occur otherwise. Output powers could be reduced, for example, and directional antenna systems could be mandated so that we would see more stations operating on fewer frequencies with fairly standard coverage areas throughout the system. Cell phone companies do this as a matter of routine business today. AM radio today is essentially the same system begun about a century ago. Were the FCC to mandate a cessation of AM broadcasting on, say, January 1, 2020; most of the stations would go dark before that date, I believe. In reality local AM radio - that is, the 1-kw stations which serve towns outside those large metropolitan centers - is virtually extinct now. I see the AM band being given over to other uses - mostly low-power, limited range, utilitarian uses - while the FM band is transitioned to digital signals. If my vision of more stations is correct, stations will serve smaller audiences with more finely tuned programming: Broadcasting will become less broad, so to speak. Eventually, I think we will even see radio programming sold much like cable or satellite programming is sold today. Listeners subscribe to the stations they want, and a digital code on a smart card will be plugged into a slot on the back of the receiver to unlock the stations purchased. This is already being done, just not over the air on the so-called free radio bands. Eventually, the over-the air signals will disappear altogether, in fact. AM radio will be the first to go.
 
I'm kinda of the opinion that once WIFI/4G becomes more and more prevalent, Broadcasting as we know it will not exist. FCC has dropped the ball on digital just like they did on AM stereo. I just don't see how a linear medium will be able to compete for audience among "yutes" used to getting the content they want when they want it,as opposed to "you'll take what we give you in the order we give it and like it". Sirius/XM tries to overcome this by having multiple channels, but it's still linear. Maybe a TIVO type device for car radios and home units, I dunno. Somehow I think the end is near. You see the divide around 45 years old; over that still listens, under not so much, and I think that divide is also prevalent among income/education groups--higher doesn't listen, lower still does. Plus the lazy. Of course, like all industries, the cry will be "more buggy whips!"
 
I think the FCC will always maintain some sort of over-the air service regardless of where the technology takes society otherwise. This will be done ostensibly to keep those, who do not have access to the system that production described, "informed." Government very much operates on public perception, after all; so an appearance of concern for the public interest and welfare will always be mounted.
 
Witchlover said:
I think the FCC will always maintain some sort of over-the air service regardless of where the technology takes society otherwise. This will be done ostensibly to keep those, who do not have access to the system that production described, "informed." Government very much operates on public perception, after all; so an appearance of concern for the public interest and welfare will always be mounted.
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IMHO there will be some kind of On The Air service for many years. The big three Cell providers (Verizon, AT&T and Sprint) would have to spend literary hundreds for billion$ of dollar$ (if not Trillions) to build out a cell networks to handle the current OTA radio usage and coverage footprints. There are still areas of the US with spotty or no coverage. Satellite radio has not made the long-term shareholders rich like Microsoft or Google. I am surprised at the number of my neighbors that have dropped cable and gone with OTA TV supplemented with Hulu (because it is free). Radio being "free" has a financial and coverage footprint edge that will be hard for any service to displace.
 
Some observations/thoughts:
1. Radio is a very efficient method to deliver unicast programming. In other words, the bandwidth required is finite no matter how many listeners.
2. Spectrum is limited which limits competition.
3. Future radio will probably be a hybrid of over the air and wireless Ethernet.
4. Someone mentioned a radio "TIVO" device - I believe future radios will download listener specific commercials, music, and information based on their demo profile and commute patterns. This download will occur overnight while the listener sleeps. This will help "spread out" the bandwidth load. If you think about it, the music could still be delivered traditionally - OTA - and the rest could be waiting locally on a storage device.
5. Future radio will be two way interactive. In all kinds of ways we have never even thought of. That includes on the fly ordering of news, weather, or any other type of content. Severe weather in the area? Order a "package" of weather coverage created specifically for your local area. Same for traffic. If the interstate is closed down due to a fatality accident you could order specific information for that occurrence.
6. The real goal is to expand content delivery and most importantly, expand CONTROL of content delivery. No longer will the Mays and Dickey family control the flow of news and entertainment. Of course these guys will start cutting throats before they allow this to happen. Stay tuned.....
7. AM radio should choose a system to improve audio quality, be it digital, analog, or a hybrid utilizing both analog and digital, and analog should be eliminated (sunset analog.)And do it immediately.
8. Congress should develop tax incentives for AM operators to turn in their licenses. Eliminate 75 percent of the existing AM stations. Those who remain will use the new technology.
 
If you think about it, the music could still be delivered traditionally - OTA - and the rest could be waiting locally on a storage device.

Exactly what XDS does.
 
I guess expanding the FM band (ch. 2-6) to accommodate present AM stations makes too much sense? ::)

(Japan's FM band is 76-90 mHz, and many radios are set for 76-108 ... just a few adjustments over a few years, and ... naahh - too simple.)
 
trusty said:
I guess expanding the FM band (ch. 2-6) to accommodate present AM stations makes too much sense? ::)

(Japan's FM band is 76-90 mHz, and many radios are set for 76-108 ... just a few adjustments over a few years, and ... naahh - too simple.)
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True!
 
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