WNWI GRANTED A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT.

[radiotower40]

I was looking around on Radio-Locator today and I noticed that AM 1080 WNWI Oak Lawn was issued a CP
to boost their nightime power from 900 watts, too 2,600 watts. The permit was issued on June 15, 2009. The
daytime signal remains 3,000 watts omni-directional, the nightime pattern is 4 towers directional north.

The new pattern does not extend the coverage by much, but it does improve it slightly in the NW suburbs. It
also improves their coverage very slightly to the east and west of their site in Riverdale. I would imagine it
will probably improve their signal significantly within their current coverage area.

I live in the Oak Lawn area, so WNWI's signal is strong in my area day and night, so I can't tell if they are on
the new pattern yet. Is there anyone that lives farther out from the towers, that can tell if the signal is stronger
at night? I would imagine it would not take long to get the new pattern on, since it is probably just a simple switch
to the transmitter, and there are no new towers to build.

I also wonder if they will continue with their current format or are looking to make changes. Does anyone think
that they may try to sell the station? I know there was a rumor a while back that they might be up for sale, although
I can't confirm that.

 

[radioman148]

I was looking around on Radio-Locator today and I noticed that AM 1080 WNWI Oak Lawn was issued a CP
to boost their nightime power from 900 watts, too 2,600 watts. The permit was issued on June 15, 2009. The
daytime signal remains 3,000 watts omni-directional, the nightime pattern is 4 towers directional north.

The new pattern does not extend the coverage by much, but it does improve it slightly in the NW suburbs. It
also improves their coverage very slightly to the east and west of their site in Riverdale. I would imagine it
will probably improve their signal significantly within their current coverage area.

I live in the Oak Lawn area, so WNWI's signal is strong in my area day and night, so I can't tell if they are on
the new pattern yet. Is there anyone that lives farther out from the towers, that can tell if the signal is stronger
at night? I would imagine it would not take long to get the new pattern on, since it is probably just a simple switch
to the transmitter, and there are no new towers to build.

I also wonder if they will continue with their current format or are looking to make changes. Does anyone think
that they may try to sell the station? I know there was a rumor a while back that they might be up for sale, although
I can't confirm that.

There goes my chance to hear KRLD or WTIC.

 

[BRNout]

There goes my chance to hear KRLD or WTIC.

You took the words right off my keyboard Radioman!! It irks me to no end that the FCC continues to permit the trashing of the MW band. Basically, about five people listen to this station after dark and cranking up the power on it does nothing more than interfere with other more popular stations at that frequency.

If anything, the FCC should be encouraging the closure of such night time signals and not permitting power increases.

 

[MarcB]

Shoot. There's nothing worth listening to on WTIC at night. Sean Hannity airs on Delay Tape 10PM-1AM. And Coast to Coast airs 1AM-5AM.

 

[radioman148]

There goes my chance to hear KRLD or WTIC.

You took the words right off my keyboard Radioman!! It irks me to no end that the FCC continues to permit the trashing of the MW band. Basically, about five people listen to this station after dark and cranking up the power on it does nothing more than interfere with other more popular stations at that frequency.

If anything, the FCC should be encouraging the closure of such night time signals and not permitting power increases.

You're right BRNout. Are they going to really get that much return on their investment during those hours?

 

[radiotower40]

There goes my chance to hear KRLD or WTIC.

You took the words right off my keyboard Radioman!! It irks me to no end that the FCC continues to permit the trashing of the MW band. Basically, about five people listen to this station after dark and cranking up the power on it does nothing more than interfere with other more popular stations at that frequency.

If anything, the FCC should be encouraging the closure of such night time signals and not permitting power increases.

You're right BRNout. Are they going to really get that much return on their investment during those hours?

I'm wondering the same thing, after 9 or 10 PM they just play music with a couple of PSA's and commercials
for the station. No paid programming overnights. That is why I was wondering if they are possibly looking to sell or
do something different with the station at night.

 

[radioman148]

Looking to sell seems like a possibly.

 

[w9wi]

You're right BRNout. Are they going to really get that much return on their investment during those hours?

Don't forget that "those hours" start a LOT earlier in winter! WNWI's December pattern switch time is 4:15.

 

[Link]

The owners of WNWI also just bought a station in Michigan that has more night authorization on 1080. It will be interesting if they try to use that for WNWI to increase its range. That station in michigan got some kind of ruling that they don't have to protect 1080 in the hours when krld/wtic should be running directional but stay omni until co-channel station sundown. Sorry I can't articulate it better. See the fcc file for WOAP in Mi. I like that WNWI signal.

 

[stormy01]

Looking to sell seems like a possibly.

If anything, Birach's portfolio is growing every year. See: http://www.birach.com/ I don't think they are going to sell in Chicago.

 

[DanStrassberg]

The owners of WNWI also just bought a station in Michigan that has more night authorization on 1080. It will be interesting if they try to use that for WNWI to increase its range. That station in michigan got some kind of ruling that they don't have to protect 1080 in the hours when krld/wtic should be running directional but stay omni until co-channel station sundown. Sorry I can't articulate it better. See the fcc file for WOAP in Mi. I like that WNWI signal.

WTIC was one of a few Class A AMs that remained on D pattern (ND for WTIC) from local sunset until sunet at the co-channel Class A (KRLD in this case). WTIC's switch to its night DA pattern came at Dallas sunset. WOAP had applied to go full-time but because it was inside of WTIC's 0.5 mV/m 50% skywave contour during the hours between Hartford and Dallas sunsets, it would have had to sign off at its local (MI) sunset, though it would have been able to sign on again at Dallas sunset (the time when WTIC switched on its DA pattern). WOAP protested having to sign off and then sign on again about an hour later and the FCC held that WTICs license did not entitle it to any protection of its skywave service during the nighttime hours (Hartford sunset to Dallas sunset) when it was operating ND. Instead of fighting the FCC ruling, CBS caved in. WTIC now changes patterns at Hartford sunset and WOAP, when built, will be able to operate 24/7. Other Class Bs on 1080 beneft also. WNWI is one such. It can increase its night power because it no longer needs to protect WTIC's nighttime ND operation. Of course, if WTIC had made no change, WNWI could have applied to use during all nighttime hours from Dallas sunset until sunrise the higher-power nighttime facilities it has now been granted. It would have had to operate with its old lower nighttime power between its local sunset and Dallas sunset. On 1560, a station in Louisville KY operates that way.

 

[ajaynejr]

Why could not WTIC keep its daytime (ND) pattern until Dallas sunset for the purpose of maintaining its daytime (groundwave) contour while at the same time WNWI and WOAP operate full time with patterns and power based on normal sunset pattern changes, namely disrespecting only that portion of WTIC's skywave contour outside its late night skywave contour during the one hour between Hartford and Dallas sunsets?

 

[DanStrassberg]

Why could not WTIC keep its daytime (ND) pattern until Dallas sunset for the purpose of maintaining its daytime (groundwave) contour while at the same time WNWI and WOAP operate full time with patterns and power based on normal sunset pattern changes, namely disrespecting only that portion of WTIC's skywave contour outside its late night skywave contour during the one hour between Hartford and Dallas sunsets?

As I understand it, the FCC gave CBS two options for WTIC: 1) change patterns at local (Hartford) sunset, as all other ex-IBs do except for 1530 in Cincinnati and 1560 in New York. (1110 in Omaha gets to change to ND at Charlotte NC sunrise.) Or 2), stay ND between Hartford and Dallas sunsets but lose ALL protection (to groundwave as well as skywave service) during any nighttime hours when WTIC operates ND. There was also an unstated option 3, which was to fight the ruling. CBS chose Option 1.

 

[Tom Wells]

Back in the day when WNWI was in Valpo, In, as 250w-D, WOAP in Michigan and WPON Pontiac Illinois were also daytime.
As soon as they were off, KYW 1060, WIBC 1070, WTIC 1080, and KAAY 1090 were usually already booming in.
Never heard Dallas on 1080 very much for some reason.
I miss the local grain elevator prices, and oh, just about everything WNWI used to be, pre Birach.
I'd just as soon they went back to daytimes. There's never been but maybe one song I ever heard that sounded good to me, and I don't speak any eastern european languages, and find too many such "oddball language" choices already on the AM dial here.

On the other hand, this signal as it currently stands is quite valuable, but I see its limitation as the
extremely narrow language group it serves. It would be my choice to flip to a "hot oldies" station, with almost no mellow
selections unless they are also somehow disturbing or otherwise difficult to listen to.
Couildn't make it much harder to listen to than it is now for the average US born english-only speaking native.
Sounds to me like what I heard on 31 and 25 meters back in the 70's.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Never heard Dallas on 1080 very much for some reason.

Most likely reason is that KRLD's DA-N pattern has a broad null to the northeast to protect WTIC. Effective power toward WNWI is less than the equivalent of 5 kW ND. WTIC is nulled to the southwest at night to protect KRLD and sends the equivalent of about 10 kW ND toward Chicago. Because both co-channel Class As send only middling signals toward Chicago, WNWI probably has a pretty respectable NIF--likely in the neighborhood of 6 mV/m. Since WNWI has already been granted a license to cover its CP to increase night power, its application is no longer posted on CDBS, so I can't check on the NIF.

 

[fybush]

The application is still on CDBS - you just need to know where to look

I go in through FCCinfo.com - click on "Other Applications" and you can see everything that's ever been filed electronically. WNWI's NIF is 8.37 mV/m.

 

[Prais]

Tom Wells said, "It would be my choice to flip to a "hot oldies" station, with almost no mellow selections unless they are also somehow disturbing or otherwise difficult to listen to.
Couildn't make it much harder to listen to than it is now for the average US born english-only speaking native."

Tom,
Then buy the place! Sima Birach loves to buy and sell.

It's foreign language because of the easy, fast buck in that area. That's all.

Your format idea requires work, time, some sales people and a music license bill that Birach doesn't have.

What are WAKE/WLJE Valpo diong now? Birach's only "competitor" is 750.

 

[Tom Wells]

Haw! It only takes money, but I'm working on that....
When WNDE 750 Portage occasionally runs some music, I'm pretty amazed at how good they sound.
With the unknown source material on 1080, I think they might sound good, can't tell for sure.

 

[Prais]

Tom,
I know alot about 750. Annie Rose (do you kNow her?) and i found that frequency and sold it to the present owner (the last thing I did before I sold the other stations I owned).

I wish you the best.