> > The 3 tower array in Downers Grove is not coming down like
>
> > some people have been reporting on here. The work they are
>
> > doing it cutting off the top 100-150 feet of each of the
> > towers to cut down on the aging of the towers because they
>
> > are starting to become a hazard at there current height of
>
> > 500ft. WMVP is currently operating on a backup transmitter
>
> > located at the WLS transmitter site in Tinley Park however
>
> > at much reduced power. WMVP is currently starting to look
> at
> > possible locations for a new transmitter somewhere west
> and
> > south of the city out near Joliet. The land that the
> towers
> > currently sit on is very very valueable and they are
> > completely boxed in. I wonder once the work is completed
> how
> > much weaker will WMVP be out near Joliet and Aurora with
> the
> > towers now only 350 feet instead of 500 feet. Thank God
> the
> > White Sox are on WSCR 670 next year, I will have no
> problem
> > getting that one.
> >
> Someone who knows something about AM engineering needs to
> comment on all this. Tower height has very little to do with
> AM signal strength the way tower height does with FM.
>
> Based on the current rules, I imagine WMVP is installing a
> new set of towers at the same electrical height as the old
> towers, or is having the old towers restored maybe. The
> land is worth a ton, but you just don't change an AM
> array...as they are protecting KEX (I think) out in
> Portland, or KOMO in Seattle. Changing the tower site/array
> on this frequency would most likely further degrade their
> nighttime coverage, which is already bad out to the west. So
> cashing in on the land value, would not make any sense as it
> would degrade the signal too much to be a viable radio
> station most likely. Another example of a metro area
> outgrowing the nighttime pattern.
>
> The only thing that made any sense was to move west, out to
> less expensive land...but then they are too far to put a
> city grade over the COL at night.
>
They are not putting in new towers period, zoning issues with the city of Downers Grove the reason. Read below what I found regarding this.
It's my understanding that work will soon get underway to
shorten the towers at WMVP [1000 Chicago] which are old and
structurally unstable. There are apparently some big issues with
the town of Downers Grove, where the WMVP site is located, that are
preventing ABC from simply tearing down the old towers and replacing
them with new ones, as would be the sensible course of action in a
rational world. Shortening the old towers is far from ideal, but it
may be the best they can do for now. (The area around the WMVP towers
is some of the most heavily developed around any of the old-line 50 kW
stations anywhere in the country; the small piece of land where the
three towers sit is completely surrounded by residential development
that's far from inexpensive. There aren't a lot of good options for
WMVP!) While that work is going on, WMVP will operate ND from the WLS
[890] site, no doubt at reduced power. What we were hearing last night
was the work getting underway to make that happen. s (Scott Fybush,
NY, Oct 16, IRCA via DXLD)
