What if a station flips formats and no one notices?

[DanStrassberg]

I was always kind of amazed that WNEB and WESX were co-channel when they were barely 50 miles apart. The old WNBP
and WSRO at 1470 was another one that seemed like a real squeeze in....

The graveyard channels (1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490) have many cases of co-channel stations 50 miles apart or even less, especially here in New England where the ground conductivity is so poor. What is now WSNG Torrongton CT on 610 began life as WTOR on 1490. In addition to Torrington, it served Winsted, about eight miles north of Torrington. Then WTXL W Springfield MA was built--only (I believe) 38 miles away. Bye, bye Winsted--until the 610 facility went on the air quite a few years later.

As for WNBP/WSRO, WSRO, in its original incarnation as a 1 kW daytimer, was directional to the southwest to protect (then co-channel) WNBP. Eventually, WNBP moved to 1450 becoming a fulltimer (very tightly spaced to the co-channel station in Concord NH) and WSRO became a 5-kW fulltimer with TX site on Fitchburg St in Marlboro near the Hudson line. WSRO was ND days from Fitchburg St, which never should have been allowed because there was massive overlap with first-adjacent WBET Brockton. 1470 is now WAZN (Watertown) with transmitter in Lexington. It runs lower power by day than by night and, by day, uses a pattern that protects both the former WBET and WSAR to the south.

Oh, and WSRO's Fitchburg St facilities (the ones that shouldn't have been allowed) made it possible for WMMW Meriden CT, also on 1470, to increase from 1 kW-D ND to 2.5 kW-D/1 kW-N DA-2. WMMW's day pattern sends most signal to the south to protect the old WSRO facilities. Chances are, with WSRO gone from Marlboro and WAZN directionalized away from the south, WMMW might be able to modify its day pattern, but a 1480 north of Hartford makes ND-day operation for WMMW look rather doubtful.

 

[MarcB]

WMMW might be able to modify its day pattern, but a 1480 north of Hartford makes ND-day operation for WMMW look rather doubtful.

And new owners Gois Broadcasting (who own POWER 1310 in Worcester and also MEGA 910/Latina 1230 in Hartford) seem committed to the station WKND/1480. They're making improvements to the station, finally getting their night signal up and running, fixing their daytime 500 watt signal, and according to MEGA 910's website willl be getting their own website soon (probably with streaming audio like 1230 and 910, though 910's stream has been down for about a month). Under freak circumstances I have been able to pick up WKND/1480 where I live even tho WMMW/1470 is semi-local and WACM/1490 comes in sometimes. WKND is a great station playing R&B Music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and today.