WDAS-AM is back!

[chrish]

Julius, if a station has nightime and cover the city of license such as Philadelphia, why would they want to become a daytimer when a lot of listeners
can enjoy them... especially with a great format like this. I am amazed at the lack of logic some of the writers on Radio Info seem to have. Board should be limited to radio professionals only.

 

[musichead1029]

To be heard reliably anywhere beyond a few miles from the towers with the 1,000 watts at night, one must rely on the webstream. Perhaps eventually they'll acquire the services of an FM translator if they can swing it. CC is programming it right for where it goes at least.

 

[FightingIrish]

To be heard reliably anywhere beyond a few miles from the towers with the 1,000 watts at night, one must rely on the webstream. Perhaps eventually they'll acquire the services of an FM translator if they can swing it. CC is programming it right for where it goes at least.

The webstream sounds really good. I think CC's best bet is to promote it heavily via the IHeart phone app and website.

 

[jhguthlac]

I have been amazed at how good both the webstream AND on-air audio sounds.

I expect it will remain all automated through Christmas. But I wonder if there will be any "live" or V/T jocks in January?

 

[klutch00]

There's a reason for WDAS' poor night signal. They're pretty boxed in, having to protect 1480's in NYC and MA during the day.
At night, they cut power to 1 kW to protect, I believe, WHBC Cincinnati.

Dave, WHBC is licenced to Canton Ohio. ....1480 Philadelphia is sadly a crippled night signal these day's. In some instances it may be poorer or as poor as 1340 Philadelphia.

When I was a kid the night signal seemed to have much better performance. There actually is a creek the runs right through the antenna system which gave it a nice water table reflection. Maybe the dang thing dried up. I don't know.

I remember as a kid the Butter (Joe Tamburro) used top have me run behind the station, across the antenna system, hop the creek, and get him has daily afternoon pizza steak at USA Pizza in the old Balwynne Park rd. shopping center. I wonder if it's still there.

I've heard that there are ways for AMs with compromised signals to be able to get the most out of their signals without having to boost power. If WDAS's signal has indeed diminished and improvements can be made, hopefully CC's big-wigs are willing to invest the necessary effort in improvements.

I might suggest that the powers-that-be offer a very diverse playlist with no less than 1,500 on-air titles. About double that would be ideal. I would also suggesting sponsoring dances, concerts and maybe even antique car shows.

 

[Radio Wreck]

This is interesting to say the least. But is it going to turn a profit? Oldies 950 couldn't do it, and that was 8 years ago. WHAT 1340 couldn't do it either.

It's cool to see everyone excited about the return of a heritage station, but what will 1480 do differently to be successful playing music on a limited AM in the year 2012? The school of thought here has been that music on AM is dead.

 

[imhomerjay]

At least they aren't coming into it having just paid way too much off the bat.

Run it on the cheap, and even if it generates pennies, it rolls up into the larger business. It's never going to amount to much, but with the somewhat different circumstances in play, it could simply earn its keep, a step more than WPEN or WHAT could.

 

[Irishfl]

Its been playing music as rumba.

They can package sales deals with das-fm, and keep inmind even before they went Spanish, back when it was "amen" they carried the Spanish Phillies broadcasts. That will probably continue despite the change and that like the eagles on YSP will be enough for das-am to be profitable.

 

[rtetro]

Sam can probably speak to this better than I, but in so far as I have been able to determine by looking at the FCC databases, there has not been a major upgrade to the WDAS-AM signal for many, many years. The antenna was most likely designed long before the advent of contemporary directional designs.

With newer design techniques it may be possible to improve their night signal. Both of their current arrays are in-line types. By moving to a non-symetrical night pattern using a different combination of towers that already exist, they may be able improve things somewhat by filling in the nulls.

Just speculation.....

 

[DanStrassberg]

Sam can probably speak to this better than I, but in so far as I have been able to determine by looking at the FCC databases, there has not been a major upgrade to the WDAS-AM signal for many, many years. The antenna was most likely designed long before the advent of contemporary directional designs.

I was doing a co-op assignment at the old General Electric switchgear plant in southwest Philly (6901 Elmwood Ave) during the summer of 1955 when WDAS left 1400 and signed on on 1480. I lived in a furnished room around the corner from the plant (7022 Paschal Ave). Back in that day, there were no such things as NIF (nighttime interference-free) contours for what were then Class IV AMs, which is what WDAS was when it was on 1400. I don't know where WDAS's transmitter was when the station was on 1400, but the night signal was unlistenable and barely audible. (Remember, Class IVs were limited to 250W-U in those days.) When WDAS signed on on 1480 as a Class IIIB, its 5 kW daytime signal, which is directional to the south, was a noticeable improvement over the previous 250W ND signal on 1400, but at night, the signal was totally nonexistent. If you look at the night pattern, you can see why; it's a four-in-line teardrop aimed southeast. 7022 Paschal Ave sits in a null to the southwest that was designed, I assume, to protect the (then) co-channel station in Richmond VA. It had the WLEE calls and shared time on 1480 with WBBL Richmond, which I believe operated only on Sundays. I suspect that, to move to 1480 from the site in Fairmount Park, WDAS had to get a waiver of the FCC rule that required (and still requires) full-time AMs' NIF contours to enclose an area in which resides at least 80% of CoL's the population. WDAS's operation on 1480 was really shoehorned in. IIRC, back in the '50s, there was a now-dark station on 1480 in Hazelton PA. To the north during the daytime, WDAS had to protect not only the 1480 station in New York City but also the Hazelton station. And I believe that there was (and probably still is) a 5-kW-U first-adjacent in Allentown.

 

[qtpieislit]

I was driving through Ardmore at night over the weekend and WDAS AM faded out. It was non existant, Bryn Mawr and west. Ardmore can't be more than 2 or 3 air miles from the tower site.

 

[klutch00]

Sam can probably speak to this better than I, but in so far as I have been able to determine by looking at the FCC databases, there has not been a major upgrade to the WDAS-AM signal for many, many years. The antenna was most likely designed long before the advent of contemporary directional designs.

I was doing a co-op assignment at the old General Electric switchgear plant in southwest Philly (6901 Elmwood Ave) during the summer of 1955 when WDAS left 1400 and signed on on 1480. I lived in a furnished room around the corner from the plant (7022 Paschal Ave). Back in that day, there were no such things as NIF (nighttime interference-free) contours for what were then Class IV AMs, which is what WDAS was when it was on 1400. I don't know where WDAS's transmitter was when the station was on 1400, but the night signal was unlistenable and barely audible. (Remember, Class IVs were limited to 250W-U in those days.) When WDAS signed on on 1480 as a Class IIIB, its 5 kW daytime signal, which is directional to the south, was a noticeable improvement over the previous 250W ND signal on 1400, but at night, the signal was totally nonexistent. If you look at the night pattern, you can see why; it's a four-in-line teardrop aimed southeast. 7022 Paschal Ave sits in a null to the southwest that was designed, I assume, to protect the (then) co-channel station in Richmond VA. It had the WLEE calls and shared time on 1480 with WBBL Richmond, which I believe operated only on Sundays. I suspect that, to move to 1480 from the site in Fairmount Park, WDAS had to get a waiver of the FCC rule that required (and still requires) full-time AMs' NIF contours to enclose an area in which resides at least 80% of CoL's the population. WDAS's operation on 1480 was really shoehorned in. IIRC, back in the '50s, there was a now-dark station on 1480 in Hazelton PA. To the north during the daytime, WDAS had to protect not only the 1480 station in New York City but also the Hazelton station. And I believe that there was (and probably still is) a 5-kW-U first-adjacent in Allentown.

Yes, the Allentown adjacent is WSAN at 1470 kHz. Don't forget that there is also a station in Dumfries VA; WPWC which is also at 1480 kHz. They are 5-kw-D and 500-w-N with what I believe to be a DA-2 signal pattern with the daytime signal targeted mostly east, north-east and southeast and the nighttime signal is mostly 'pointed' south-east.

 

[klutch00]

Sam can probably speak to this better than I, but in so far as I have been able to determine by looking at the FCC databases, there has not been a major upgrade to the WDAS-AM signal for many, many years. The antenna was most likely designed long before the advent of contemporary directional designs.

I was doing a co-op assignment at the old General Electric switchgear plant in southwest Philly (6901 Elmwood Ave) during the summer of 1955 when WDAS left 1400 and signed on on 1480. I lived in a furnished room around the corner from the plant (7022 Paschal Ave). Back in that day, there were no such things as NIF (nighttime interference-free) contours for what were then Class IV AMs, which is what WDAS was when it was on 1400. I don't know where WDAS's transmitter was when the station was on 1400, but the night signal was unlistenable and barely audible. (Remember, Class IVs were limited to 250W-U in those days.) When WDAS signed on on 1480 as a Class IIIB, its 5 kW daytime signal, which is directional to the south, was a noticeable improvement over the previous 250W ND signal on 1400, but at night, the signal was totally nonexistent. If you look at the night pattern, you can see why; it's a four-in-line teardrop aimed southeast. 7022 Paschal Ave sits in a null to the southwest that was designed, I assume, to protect the (then) co-channel station in Richmond VA. It had the WLEE calls and shared time on 1480 with WBBL Richmond, which I believe operated only on Sundays. I suspect that, to move to 1480 from the site in Fairmount Park, WDAS had to get a waiver of the FCC rule that required (and still requires) full-time AMs' NIF contours to enclose an area in which resides at least 80% of CoL's the population. WDAS's operation on 1480 was really shoehorned in. IIRC, back in the '50s, there was a now-dark station on 1480 in Hazelton PA. To the north during the daytime, WDAS had to protect not only the 1480 station in New York City but also the Hazelton station. And I believe that there was (and probably still is) a 5-kW-U first-adjacent in Allentown.

Yes, the Allentown adjacent is WSAN at 1470 kHz. Don't forget that there is also a station in Dumfries VA; WPWC which is also at 1480 kHz. They are 5-kw-D and 500-w-N with what I believe to be a DA-2 signal pattern with the daytime signal targeted mostly east, north-east and southeast and the nighttime signal is mostly 'pointed' south-east.

Also, don't forget that there are two stations at 1490; one is WBCB in Levittown, the other is WLPA Lancaster.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Also, don't forget that there are two stations at 1490; one is WBCB in Levittown, the other is WLPA Lancaster.

Lancaster might be far enough away that it's not a problem. WDAS's day pattern does appear to protect Lancaster, however. I suspect that WBCB didn't come along until after 1955 when WDAS moved to 1480. That's only a guess, however.

 

[EasyBakeOven]

I have no inside knowledge, but I'm sure we can expect plenty of Clear Channel's Premium Choice Network. Butter will probably voice-track some local content and the rest will be national. It will still be cool to hear on AM though.

 

[fennessy]

If WDAS went onto 1480 in 1955, WBUD in Trenton was operating on 1490. When it migrated to 1260, that opened up the channel for WBCB to sign on in December of 1957.

WDAS at 1480 never put any signal north of Cottman Avenue. Back in pre-historic times ( when all black folks lived in a relatively small radius), WDAS probably didn't care how much of the Philly city limits it didn't cover.