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WFLF 540 In SE Michigan

So they broke up WJR's I-A exclusivity first. They had an agreement between the FCC and WJR that KFMB could never be more than 10000 watts Night. We see what good an agreement that turned out to be. Not. WNYC did an end run around their agreement with WCCO to not go full-time by moving to 820.
 
This is the condensed history of WGTO.
The station was first licensed to Haines City, FL in 1955, with 10kW using a two tower array. They were licensed for daytime operation only.
In 1958, the station changed their city of license to Cypress Gardens and increased their daytime power to 50kW into a four tower array. At that time, they were required to reduce power to 10kW during critical hours, the first two hours after local sunrise and the last two hours before local sunset. For this mode, they used the original two tower array.
In 1971, the FCC removed the critical hours requirement and the station operated 50kW from sunrise to sunset.
In late 1973 and early 1974, because of the fuel shortage, the USA stayed on daylight savings time. This prevented daytimers (in central Florida) from signing-on until 8:15AM, losing much of morning drive.
WGTO appealed to the FCC for pre-sunrise authority. They received the authority to operate into the two tower array at a power level of 250 watts. Since pre-sunrise was not technically legal on the frequency, the FCC authorized that period of operation as "specified hours."
About 1978, still using the "specified hours" loophole, the FCC granted WGTO fulltime status with 1kW at night using the four tower array with a slightly different pattern.
It's surprising how well the 250 watt and 1kW power levels got out. The station could easily be heard in Tampa, about 50 miles from the transmitter site.
 
When I occasionally operated WGTO with 50kW at night, primarily due to hurricanes, or when testing the daytime facilities, I received listener reports from all over the country. These are two of them.WGTO_QSL_Card_Colorado_Springs.jpgWGTO QSL 1980.jpg
 
Dr. Berry, October 13, 1980 must have been some special broadcast as my QSL card from you is from the same date.

WGTO.jpg
 
I was testing the daytime array after doing some minor adjustment. As I recall, I was adjusting the sideband performance ... equalizing the sidebands. It worked. The next day, the station sounded much better. Less high frequency distortion and flatter frequency response.
 
Interesting stuff there Frank. I was just looking at the old NRC night pattern
book from the early 70s. I had thought all along WGTO was non directional during the day. I guess it was what, almost East? Amazing back then how good the signal was way up near Lake City!
 
The WGTO call letters are now on 910 kHz in Cassopolis, MI. The station is owned by Larry Langford, Jr. from Chicago. He is the media spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department, and one of the last voices heard on WMAQ 670 before it became WSCR.
 
Larry says he can hear WGTO near certain buildings on Lake Shore Drive. You aren't close to WLS, right? I know I had a hard time getting WLS in Genesee County when WFDF 910 was on Day power about 4 1/2 miles away at the old site. You could get WLS and WOKY pretty well on the Delco in the nulls though. Strange thing though, the subdivision across the street from the WFDF towers in the major lobe was named "Radio Acres", and the Main Street in the subdivision is "Ellis Park Drive". Which is ironic since you couldn't hear WLS in the sub except when WFDF was off the air, as the entire sub was within the 1 V/m Blanketing Contour.
 
Schroedingers Cat said:
Larry says he can hear WGTO near certain buildings on Lake Shore Drive. You aren't close to WLS, right? I know I had a hard time getting WLS in Genesee County when WFDF 910 was on Day power about 4 1/2 miles away at the old site. You could get WLS and WOKY pretty well on the Delco in the nulls though. Strange thing though, the subdivision across the street from the WFDF towers in the major lobe was named "Radio Acres", and the Main Street in the subdivision is "Ellis Park Drive". Which is ironic since you couldn't hear WLS in the sub except when WFDF was off the air, as the entire sub was within the 1 V/m Blanketing Contour.
Click to expand...
Yes I can hear the current WGTO-AM near the lake. As soon as I go a few blocks west I can't hear it. I don't live near the lake so I can't hear it at home.
 
radioman148 said:
Unfortunately I never received WGTO in the Chicago area. I guess I didn't try hard enough. Great stuff thanks for posting.
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Same goes for me. For both the Michigan and Florida incarnations. Although I know there's no shortage of DXers around here who've heard one or the other, if not both. Still, I appreciate Frank's history lesson, and I thank him for posting. I've been intrigued by WGTO (the one in Florida) ever since I was a teenager and couldn't figure out why I could never hear it.

Then somebody told me about directional antennas....LOL, :)
 
On a slightly different area, I've always been confused with 690 Jacksonville. I noticed this
in the "Big Ape" era. Maybe Frank can explain it. They are non directional during the day, but
the signal doesn't go very far inland, Florida, Georgia. I understand the coastal signal, way up past NC, and far down the FL coast. Why is it not great West and Southwest of Jacksonville, ground conductivity, or other reasons?? To be 50kw on that frequency, it's odd that it acts like it's directional!! Thanks for any feedback.
 
Q95oldies said:
On a slightly different area, I've always been confused with 690 Jacksonville. I noticed this
in the "Big Ape" era. Maybe Frank can explain it. They are non directional during the day, but
the signal doesn't go very far inland, Florida, Georgia. I understand the coastal signal, way up past NC, and far down the FL coast. Why is it not great West and Southwest of Jacksonville, ground conductivity, or other reasons?? To be 50kw on that frequency, it's odd that it acts like it's directional!! Thanks for any feedback.
Click to expand...
I defer to Frank for a more complete answer, but I can vouch from experience for the fact that the ground conductivity to the south and west of Jacksonville is pretty bad.
 
WGTO 910 Cassopolis, MI and W246DV 97.1 South Bend, IN now carry MeTV FM. I don't think it's the same exact playlist as WRME-LP 87.75 Chicago, IL. I don't think you can hear either well in the Michiana Lake Michigan Coast area, especially with WDRV on 97.1. But you might get WRME-LP well on an old VHF-Low TV antenna they used for WBBM-TV 2 and WMAQ-TV 5.
 
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2 more down there in FL I've never caught up here in Western NC in over 50 years of trying, 580 WDBO, or 970 WFLA! I'm sure it's that night pattern.
 
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