eacalhoun1 said:
Preacherdude...good to see you back lurking the boards. You should remember this (or Mr Neese, if he's around)... wasn't it just a mere 15-20 years ago that BRB did a complete overhaul of the WFGW AM antenna system? Until NOW, I believe they've always had 50kw directional days, observed at least half that for critical hours, and in the early days were daytime only. Sometime around 1980 (maybe?), it seems they were able to stay on all night at maybe 18 watts? Then around the mid 90s, I believe the entire AM facility was razed and a new 4-tower (formerly 3 towers) array arose giving them 500watts night. Relatively speaking, I would still consider that a fairly new AM facility -- which is sad given that it has now vanished from the old airstrip (the now former BRB facilities were in an old airport facility) and the signal has really been downgraded to a single AM stick -- sharing AM 1350 WZGM's tower. I guess we cannot deny that AM is dying, but stations downgrading their facilities certainly doesn't help the cause.
By the way, an Asheville Citizen Times article from over a year ago I believe stated that BRB (Blue Ridge Broadcasting) was approached by Ingles (Grocery Stores) to expand their distribution facility which is adjacent to the BRB property. BRB stated that they felt this was opportunity to use their facilities more efficiently to move to the Cove implying that the ministries of both The Cove and BRB would complement each other. Economically and minsterially (is that a word?), I must agree that it makes sense. But, my nostalgic side misses the way it was.
Eric
Eric,
We did the rebuild in the early 1990s, and if I remember correctly, went back on the air with 50KW day, 19KW critical, and 500 watts on October 1992. Added a new tower and increased nighttime. Didn't help too much in coverage with the critical and night increase, but Harold Munn, the consultant and a board member as well, was insistent on directionals, so that's what we did. Tim Neese can give you more technical details.
Programming was my job, and I talked the board into a "classy" southern gospel (no twangy singers or dollar a holler preachers, just smooth quartets and good soloists, like Cathedrals and Squire Parsons.) Did pretty good, faithful listeners loved it, never really financially held its own, as was non-commercial and there was no way we could get enough donations from listeners to even pay its power bills. It was pretty much supplemented by the fm. Started getting more notice locally when I asked Little Joe Brown to bring his Sunday morning show from WSKY to WFGW. He had tons of faithful followers who were always mad they couldn't get him from Asheville west until sunrise! He was a hoot to get to know, and an encyclopedia of WNC radio.
I must admit, the 90s were not as much like work as it was play! I did the fm morning show, no pressure just playing music and having a good time praying, reading scripture, and laughing with the news guys and others who dropped in. Then at 9am, I put on my am pd hat, and "played" radio the rest of the day. I could write a book about the pranks we pulled on each other, our "wrestling league" among the announcers, hiding under the am board and grabbing Louis Grant's leg while he was on the air, kicking a hole in the studio door while chasing David Carmichael through the building, and on and on! But i know we reached a lot of people for Christ, and more times than I can remember we prayed with folks, helped them through the tough times, and shared Jesus with joy. Never fought for ratings, but pulled pretty good numbers anyway, especially on fm in Charlotte.
It is sad, but those simple fun days of radio, secular or Christian, will probably never return.
