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WMYR-AM 1410 Fort Myers History

jmtillery

jmtillery

I'm seeking historical information relating to WMYR Fort Myers. I remember it was a Top 40 station in the 70s while it was co-owned with WHEW-FM 101.9. For a while WMYR was country, but I don't remember the dates nor any other formats the station has had over the past 20+ years. Radio Disney comes to mind, but that's about it.

Mark Tillery
J. M. Tillery & Associates, P. A.
Online: www.jmtillery.com
Blog: http://jmtillery.blogspot.com
Email: [email protected]
 
WMYR went on the air in the late 40's. Owned by Bob Hecksher and his wife Ruth. Had the best signal of all the Ft. Myers stations. 5kw full time, directional at night (don't know who they had to protect, but I'd bet they could have stayed ND 24 hrs a day). However, the Heckshers had no idea on how to run a radio station(s) WHEW FM came along years later.

Ran it out of, what looked like a bunker. With all the equipment crammed into tight spaces. It was dark, damp and dingy. But it was the ONLY Top40 station between Sarasota and Miami. Lots of clutter programming too. Swap Shop every day from 9am-10am (horrible interruption of music). When Bob died, Ruth took it over as part of a trust. She didn't know what the hell to do with it. Turned to Disney before selling it for what I believe to be a couple of mill (the signal was the big price tag, I'll bet) to Starboard Communications. It's now managed by J&B WMYR LLC, I believe.

Too bad, this station has such a powerful signal, and it's being completely wasted.
 
Had the best signal of all the Ft. Myers stations. 5kw full time, directional at night (don't know who they had to protect, but I'd bet they could have stayed ND 24 hrs a day).
Click to expand...

I'm going to guess the former WALA in Mobile, Alabama, which signed on in 1930, and KQV Pittsburgh, which dates back to the 20's.
 
JayR said:
jrobert said:
Ran it out of, what looked like a bunker. With all the equipment crammed into tight spaces. It was dark, damp and dingy.
Click to expand...

Was it out of Hanson Street?
Click to expand...

Yes it was on Hanson just east of the railroad crossing. I believe that WMYR's transmitter and towers are still located there but the buildings are gone I am pretty sure.
 
jrobert said:
Turned to Disney before selling it for what I believe to be a couple of mill (the signal was the big price tag, I'll bet) to Starboard Communications. It's now managed by J&B WMYR LLC, I believe.

Too bad, this station has such a powerful signal, and it's being completely wasted.
Click to expand...

The current owner paid $1.5 Million for WMYR in 2005 and $2 Million for WCNZ-AM 1660 and WVOI-AM 1480 Marco Island for a total of $3.5 Million for all three stations. WMYR pulled in the biggest single station price tag at a Mil 5.

I agree WMYR has the best AM signal in the area although I'm not sure how long that will be the case with WPTK Pine Island Center upgrading to 50kw.

I believe WMYR has much life left in it and has much untapped potential that currently is not being utilized. At the moment, in my opinion, WMYR is a "sleeping giant" waiting to be awakened.

Mark Tillery
J. M. Tillery & Associates, P. A.
Online: www.jmtillery.com
Blog: http://jmtillery.blogspot.com
Email: [email protected]
 
swfl said:
JayR said:
jrobert said:
Ran it out of, what looked like a bunker. With all the equipment crammed into tight spaces. It was dark, damp and dingy.
Click to expand...

Was it out of Hanson Street?
Click to expand...

Yes it was on Hanson just east of the railroad crossing. I believe that WMYR's transmitter and towers are still located there but the buildings are gone I am pretty sure.
Click to expand...

Holy cow! That place became a dump!

I drove by there a few years ago. I haven't been by since.
 
New towers and a new building are up at the site. And WMYR will remain a sleeping giant as long as it is owned by its current owners. They don't have a clue as to what to do with it.
 
Don't think this will be the exception. They've had the station, along with WCNZ and WVOI on Marco Island, since 2005. Still waiting for that clue...
 
What's the deal with protecting KQV in Pittsburgh PA. 1410 is a regional (at least at the time WMYR went on the air). and Regionals weren't granted protection that far away. I can understand WALA in Mobile, but WMYR's null seems kind of drastic for even Mobile. WMYR also brings in the southern signal quite a bit too. They wouldn't be protecting 1400 in Miami Beach, would they? Class IV's aren't guaranteed anything.

I'd bet, the right owners could get a nice power upgrade here with no antenna changes, and really kick some AM butt.
 
KQV is very old, having began broadcast operations in 1919, so it could be that KQV has some kind of grandfather protection even though KQV operates with a DA-2 antenna pattern. Even at 1410, 5kw at night will bounce off the ionosphere pretty far if the weather conditions are correct for it.

I don't believe WFLL-AM 1400 Fort Lauderdale has anything to do with the WMYR antenna pattern although first adjacent WBRD-AM 1420 Palmetto (Sarasota - Bradenton) may have something to do with why WMYR's signal is somewhat restricted.

Back in the 90s co-channel WQBQ-AM 1410 Leesburg had a CP to change from a class D daytimer to a class B operation by adding night service with 5kw. The new buildout for WQBQ would have been the same as WMYR as 5kw-U; DA-N. I believe the new WQBQ night signal called for three towers in an East/West pattern. That CP expired, however, and was never built-out and the station remains 5kw ND-D with 90 watts ND-N today.
 
An AM signal's interference zone is much, much bigger than its service area at night. Check out those FCC applications for stations that just want a tiny amount of power on a Class A frequency. Their zones of potential interference can cover several states. It's definitely conceivable that a 1410 in Florida could cause interference to KQV, especially if KQV has a low nighttime interference-free threshold -- which it probably does as a longtime licensee. As for 1410 in Mobile, they appear to be silent.
 
Smedge, you are absolutely correct about night-time AM protection... As I had stated, KQV has been on the air since 1919 so KQV has the night-time airwaves right of way. Also first adjacent WBRD Palmetto may have something to do with WMYR's night-time signal configuration although I can't say for sure since WBRD added night service many years after WMYR began broadcasting. However, it's a safe bet that KQV played a major factor in the night-time antenna design for WMYR when it began broadcast service November 11, 1952.
 
[Smedge, you are absolutely correct about night-time AM protection... As I had stated, KQV has been on the air since 1919 so KQV has the night-time airwaves right of way.]

But here's the glitch. KQV's 1919 frequency was 833kc, moving 1130, 1070, 1380 and finally 1410 in 1941. As a "Right of Way" station, they should be ND 24/7, but by 1941, when they made the move, they had to protect another station to the Northwest. Their Directional pattern (all southeast) at night would put their main lobe well to the east of Ft. Myers FL and WMYR, who's main east west night pattern would do more damage than their null to the north. I'm betting WMYR had to protect WALA, and possibly another 1410 somewhere south of Pennsy more than KQV. Going to the FCC site to see.
 
In fact, I think even 1410 in Mobile might not even be the reason. Their night pattern is straight south. Even skywave would be interfering with WMYR's western lobe (albeit out over the gulf).
Must be an adjacent they're protecting at night with such an attenuated northern radial. The closest 1410 class B is WLAQ in Rome, GA at 1kw full time DA2. Night pattern main radials are to the west and South Southeast.
 
I heard that a study was done fairly recently on 1410 to see if the pattern could be improved. Strangely, the study concluded that it couldn't be! I find that hard to believe...
 
Extremely hard to believe! Short of the adjacent 1420 in Palmetto, there isn't anything in WMYR's way of letting out the nulls.

I know that Class A's get a nifty 790 something mile protection radius at night, which is why 770 am in Ft Myers has a straight south 1kw at night (nothing to the north at all). But Class B's don't get anywhere near that kind of protection. No matter when they were licensed.

WMYR has an opportunity to pretty dominant on 1410 in south Florida. Why they're not taking advantage of it, is beyond me. They could bump up to 10kw easy with the same antenna constants they have now.
 
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