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What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?

B

brewaskew

Guest
The term "coffeepot frequencies" was mentioned in an earlier thread on "dead sticks" The only thing that most of the frequencies had in common was they were above 1400kHz.

What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?
 
> The term "coffeepot frequencies" was mentioned in an earlier
> thread on "dead sticks" The only thing that most of the
> frequencies had in common was they were above 1400kHz.
>
> What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?
>

I believe that was my post.

The FCC used to assign high-powered regional and clear-channel stations on the lower frequencies. The upper channels were reserved for 'local' stations, usually 1000 watts or less.

A "Coffeepot" was a deragatory (with tongue in cheek) term which the managers / owners / staff of the big flamethrowers used to use to tick off the managers / owners / staff of smaller stations.

Don't know your age, so I suppose I should add that real coffee pots used to be metal, and didn't drip. They had to percolate with a quiet bubbling sound before you got coffee.

Now where's my Metamucil ??






<P ID="signature">______________
Never hold a cat and a dustbuster at the same time.</P>
 
> > What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?

> The FCC used to assign high-powered regional and
> clear-channel stations on the lower frequencies. The upper
> channels were reserved for 'local' stations, usually 1000
> watts or less.

Not entirely true, as evidenced by 1210/WCAU, 1500/WTOP, 1500/KSTP, 1510/WLAC, 1520/WKBW, 1520/KOMA, 1530/WCKY, 1540/KXEL, and 1560/WQXR.

The frequencies generally referred to as "coffeepot frequencies" were the "local channels", also then called "Class IVs" --- 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490. In the old days, they were 250-U, later 1kw-D/250-N, then ultimately 1kw-U.

Larry F.
 
> > > What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?
>
> > The FCC used to assign high-powered regional and
> > clear-channel stations on the lower frequencies. The upper
>
> > channels were reserved for 'local' stations, usually 1000
> > watts or less.
>
> Not entirely true, as evidenced by 1210/WCAU, 1500/WTOP,
> 1500/KSTP, 1510/WLAC, 1520/WKBW, 1520/KOMA, 1530/WCKY,
> 1540/KXEL, and 1560/WQXR.
>
> The frequencies generally referred to as "coffeepot
> frequencies" were the "local channels", also then called
> "Class IVs" --- 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490. In
> the old days, they were 250-U, later 1kw-D/250-N, then
> ultimately 1kw-U.
>
> Larry F.
>


That is also not entirely true, as the FCC's allocation system was hindered not only by the existence of the stations you mentioned but also some smaller stations on the lower channels. It never was perfect and it got a lot of opposition from some of the station owners who refused to move and had political connections. They managed to get rid of most of the low-power / low frequency stations by offering them 'regional' power on another frequency or upgrading them where they were. Some of the local stations managed to pay for a move down the dial and higher power, but a lot of this happened around 1940. Those who didn't get upgraded by December 1941 had to wait...some of them never made it.






<P ID="signature">______________
Never hold a cat and a dustbuster at the same time.</P>
 
> > > What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?
>
> > The FCC used to assign high-powered regional and
> > clear-channel stations on the lower frequencies. The upper
>
> > channels were reserved for 'local' stations, usually 1000
> > watts or less.
>
> Not entirely true, as evidenced by 1210/WCAU, 1500/WTOP,
> 1500/KSTP, 1510/WLAC, 1520/WKBW, 1520/KOMA, 1530/WCKY,
> 1540/KXEL, and 1560/WQXR.
>
> The frequencies generally referred to as "coffeepot
> frequencies" were the "local channels", also then called
> "Class IVs" --- 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490. In
> the old days, they were 250-U, later 1kw-D/250-N, then
> ultimately 1kw-U.
>
> Larry F.
>


Hey Larry... do you have any stations left besides the one in Pago Pago?? I know you had quite a few in Mississippi but have sold most of them off... Some days doing Top-40 radio on an island in the Pacific doesn't seem so bad...
 
> Hey Larry... do you have any stations left besides the one
> in Pago Pago?? I know you had quite a few in Mississippi but
> have sold most of them off... Some days doing Top-40 radio
> on an island in the Pacific doesn't seem so bad...

WROX-AM and WKXY-FM in Clarksdale. Both currently off-air after a 2-1/2 year LMA that went bad. Wanna buy 'em?

LF
 
Hahahahaha, Goot one Saur
Dano



> > The term "coffeepot frequencies" was mentioned in an
> earlier
> > thread on "dead sticks" The only thing that most of the
> > frequencies had in common was they were above 1400kHz.
> >
> > What does the term "coffepot frequencies" mean?
> >
>
> I believe that was my post.
>
> The FCC used to assign high-powered regional and
> clear-channel stations on the lower frequencies. The upper
> channels were reserved for 'local' stations, usually 1000
> watts or less.
>
> A "Coffeepot" was a deragatory (with tongue in cheek) term
> which the managers / owners / staff of the big flamethrowers
> used to use to tick off the managers / owners / staff of
> smaller stations.
>
> Don't know your age, so I suppose I should add that real
> coffee pots used to be metal, and didn't drip. They had to
> percolate with a quiet bubbling sound before you got coffee.
>
>
> Now where's my Metamucil ??
>
<P ID="signature">______________
....a broadcast service of Plough Incorporated.</P>
 
> WROX-AM and WKXY-FM in Clarksdale. Both currently off-air
> after a 2-1/2 year LMA that went bad. Wanna buy 'em?
>
> LF

How much?
 
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