WBNW

[DanStrassberg]

Is AM 1120 WBNW operating at night with its day power and pattern? I can't prove that that is the case, but where I live, 12 miles due east of the E Acton transmitter site, the night signal seems a lot stronger than it has been traditionally. IIRC, a year or more ago, after a listener (not me) filed a complaint with the FCC, the station escaped punishment for a similar infraction because the contract engineer testified that the problem had resulted from an equipment malfunction, which had subsequently been corrected.

I note that the unbuilt CP for an AM 1120 outside of Augusta ME is listed as being for sale for relatively few $$$ on a radio stations for sale Web site. I assume that the CP has been tolled because I think it otherwise would have expired by now. Getting that unbuilt station out of the way could simplify a night power increase for WBNW, although it is unclear to me whether even that move would enable such an increase because tower construction might be necessary. Even though the site is a Superfund toxic-waste site, the neighbors strongly resisted the (four) towers before they were built in 1989.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

I caught a broadcast of Brother Stair on WBNW at noontime today (Sunday 09/19). If he's also on at night, maybe they're trying to be heard in Scandinavia, a la WWZN.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I caught a broadcast of Brother Stair on WBNW at noontime today (Sunday 09/19). If he's also on at night, maybe they're trying to be heard in Scandinavia, a la WWZN.

Stair is on WBNW from 10PM-mid at least Monday thru Friday and maybe seven days. I was was going to say that he was HEARD on WBNW, but he can't be heard if nobody is listening, and you have to wonder if anyone listens. If a tree falls in the forest...

 

[JIBGUY]

I note that the unbuilt CP for an AM 1120 outside of Augusta ME is listed as being for sale for relatively few $$$ on a radio stations for sale Web site. I assume that the CP has been tolled because I think it otherwise would have expired by now. Getting that unbuilt station out of the way could simplify a night power increase for WBNW

That must be an older broker listing.... unless its for sale AGAIN!!! Someone from down south (as in Florida) bought it for just over $13,000. a few months back.... bought it from the guy from St Louis who originally filed that CP almost 4 years ago. Prior to 4 years ago, WBNW had no more advantage to increase night power than it does now with that "halfway between Bath and Augusta CP". WBNW's nighttime limitation, as is daytime, is 1150 (whatever the call letters are now). 1120 in Maine is licensed to Richmond Maine, a tiny town, and requires at least 4 towers. Setting up a new 4-tower AM in small-town Maine in 2009......

 

[DanStrassberg]

WBNW's nighttime limitation, as is daytime, is 1150 (whatever the call letters are now). 1120 in Maine is licensed to Richmond Maine, a tiny town, and requires at least 4 towers. Setting up a new 4-tower AM in small-town Maine in 2009......

I beg to differ, Bob. I agree that, during the daytime, WBNW is limited by 1150 (I think the call letters this week are WWDJ). However, another limitation is the co-channel Bristol CT station (WPRX?). Take a look at WBNW's day pattern; it is slightly restricted to the west or west-southwest. That was done to protect the CT station. At night, WWDJ cannot be the primary limiter of WBNW's signal. At night, WWDJ's radiation to the west (toward WBNW) is less than during the daytime; WWDJ's day pattern does not have the very deep minima that the station's night pattern does. So if all that WBNW had to worry about at night were WWDJ, the signal to the east could be AT LEAST as great as its daytime signal in the same direction. With 1 kW at night and a night pattern broader than the day pattern, the inverse-distance field along the radial of maximum intensity (due east) is (IIRC) ~560 mV/m @ 1 km, whereas during the day, the maximum signal (to the east-southeast) is (again, IIRC) 1319 mV/m @ 1 km. It just happens that 1319 is almost exactly 560*sqrt(5), which is not surprising. What it means is that if WWDJ were the limiting factor for WNBW at night, WBNW could increase its night power at least to 2.5 kW (probably actually closer to 5 kW) without causing prohibited overlap with WWDJ. In fact, though, besides Maine, there are a lot of 1120s that WBNW has to protect at night and it is unclear to me that, even if the neighbors in E Acton were to give their blessing, there would be room for the additional towers that would very likely be required to implement a night power increase.

 

[LA_Guy]

Their main nighttime problem is KMOX, St Louis, MO

Their night pattern goes directly east (90 degrees) at night, with practically nothing to the west at all. Straight at the North Shore.

http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/132210-8104.pdf

Their day pattern has a maxima at 115 degrees-straight down route 2 into Boston:

http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/132210-8102.pdf

 

[DanStrassberg]

Their day pattern has a maxima at 115 degrees-straight down route 2 into Boston:
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/132210-8102.pdf

Right, Dana--except "into" is a mite optimistic, I'd say. "Toward" would seem to be more accurate;>(

 

[OreoJoe417]

All I can say Dan is WOW.....I gotta get out of this club! Since reading your words consistently bashing WBNW, I started tuning in more often and I must say, it sounds pretty good....they are doing some local stuff and seem to care about "true" radio. As a matter of fact, I've even passed word around the office and started spreading the word to get others opinion......so far, pretty good! Sad you can't find anything positive to say, I wish them well....hopefully people like you don't continue to make it more difficult for WBNW than it probably already is!!! Maybe help them with your knowledge!!! Now, there's an idea.....

 

[DanStrassberg]

All I can say Dan is WOW.....I gotta get out of this club! Since reading your words consistently bashing WBNW, I started tuning in more often and I must say, it sounds pretty good....they are doing some local stuff and seem to care about "true" radio. As a matter of fact, I've even passed word around the office and started spreading the word to get others opinion......so far, pretty good! Sad you can't find anything positive to say, I wish them well....hopefully people like you don't continue to make it more difficult for WBNW than it probably already is!!! Maybe help them with your knowledge!!! Now, there's an idea.....

WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU???? You keep accusing me of saying bad things about WBNW's programming. With the exception of jokes I've made about "Brother" Stair, I can't think of any negatve remark that I've posted about the programming since Scott McCall took over as GM. I've consistenly commented on the lousy signal, but NOT the programming. And you keep bashing me for bad-mouthing the programming. Show me some examples of negative comments I've made about the programming.

 

[Alex Reimer]

I have hosted a weekend show at the station since March of this past year. And I would agree that WBNW has really grown over the past month or so especially.

WBNW offers some tremendous financial/business programming during the week, and we really are the only station in the Boston market that does this, thus, I do believe that we have the market monopoly in that respect.

Plus, with the acquisition of Harvard football, that gives the station some notoriety, and a good "jumping board" for some of the weekend programming, which on Saturdays, is primarily sports (for example, my show, "The Alex Reimer Show," airs every Saturday from 4-6. Joey Murr, who used to host the morning show, also will host a sports show on Saturdays).

Yes, the signal is not very strong, but you cannot hold that against programming managment at the station or personalities. And I believe that WBNW, for a local 5,000 watt or so station, does a nice job.

 

[Don Juan]

As a matter of fact, I've even passed word around the office and started spreading the word to get others opinion......l....hopefully people like you don't continue to make it more difficult for WBNW than it probably already is!!! Maybe help them with your knowledge!!! Now, there's an idea.....

I have hosted a weekend show at the station since March of this past year. And I would agree that WBNW has really grown over the past month or so especially.

Apparently it's part of your responsibilities if you work for WBNW to regularly check out this BB and defend the job you are doing.

 

[Alex Reimer]

As a matter of fact, I've even passed word around the office and started spreading the word to get others opinion......l....hopefully people like you don't continue to make it more difficult for WBNW than it probably already is!!! Maybe help them with your knowledge!!! Now, there's an idea.....

I have hosted a weekend show at the station since March of this past year. And I would agree that WBNW has really grown over the past month or so especially.

Apparently it's part of your responsibilities if you work for WBNW to regularly check out this BB and defend the job you are doing.

Regularly check? I log on maybe once per week, if that. I scroll through the threads, and read the threads that are of interest to me. Obviously a thread about the radio station where I host my show would qualify as a thread that is of interest to me.

A message board is a place where people spout off their opinions, I spouted mine. You're welcome to give yours

 

[Don Juan]

As a matter of fact, I've even passed word around the office and started spreading the word to get others opinion......l....hopefully people like you don't continue to make it more difficult for WBNW than it probably already is!!! Maybe help them with your knowledge!!! Now, there's an idea.....

I have hosted a weekend show at the station since March of this past year. And I would agree that WBNW has really grown over the past month or so especially.

Apparently it's part of your responsibilities if you work for WBNW to regularly check out this BB and defend the job you are doing.

Regularly check? I log on maybe once per week, if that. I scroll through the threads, and read the threads that are of interest to me. Obviously a thread about the radio station where I host my show would qualify as a thread that is of interest to me.

We have three, three employees of WBNW here...can we try for four, four anyone? ;-)