Worst AM Signal In Phoenix

[DrAkbar]

Seems this topic is making the rounds on other boards (but with the best FM signal), so Nurse Jeff and I decided to put our twisted spin on it. Ground rules: must be a station serving the Phoenix Market and can't be a daytimer, like Lumberyard 14~Forty. Here's our nomination: KASA 1540 - sandwiched between 1510 KFNN and 1580 KMIK, it's almost impossible to tune it on a non-digital radio. The dial spacing is about 1/8th of an inch on the Gremlin radio. YIKES!

 

[Legend City]

I just tried it on my digital Sangean 909 (recently upgraded to Super status), nothing but static.

I'll try it outside the building.

I'll try it in upper sideband!

 

[KeithE4]

Seems this topic is making the rounds on other boards (but with the best FM signal), so Nurse Jeff and I decided to put our twisted spin on it. Ground rules: must be a station serving the Phoenix Market and can't be a daytimer, like Lumberyard 14~Forty. Here's our nomination: KASA 1540 - sandwiched between 1510 KFNN and 1580 KMIK, it's almost impossible to tune it on a non-digital radio. The dial spacing is about 1/8th of an inch on the Gremlin radio. YIKES!

With 10 kW (equivalent to about 500 watts at the low end of the dial) and a directional pattern almost exclusively favoring the west valley, you folks in Buckeye should be able to pick it up very easily during the day. At night, their mighty 19 watts covers an area roughly bordered by Central & 75th Aves, and McDowell & Elliot Rds.

Of course, bangin' bibles en Espanol will give a station an audience of about 1/4 that of Lumberyard 1440. The successors to TMISU on 860 will find this out soon enough.

 

[pberger]

At 1 p.m. it is coming in very good in north central Phoenix. I heard a station break at 1:12 p.m. which said "KCKY 1150 ,????,Radio Casa". I don't understand Spanish, but it appears they may be simulcasting on several frequencies. Any one for sure?

Now it appears to be a call in talk show.....maybe prayer requests. All female callers.

 

[KeithE4]

At 1 p.m. it is coming in very good in north central Phoenix. I heard a station break at 1:12 p.m. which said "KCKY 1150 ,????,Radio Casa". I don't understand Spanish, but it appears they may be simulcasting on several frequencies. Any one for sure?

I know they're co-owned with KCKY but I didn't know they were simulcasting. That makes sense since KASA puts almost no signal into Mesa and points east and south.

 

[ajhenderson]

Well, if 1440 is a daytimer, so is 1540 (52 watts vs. 19). At least 1440's covers a desirable area with something resembling a non-directional pattern.

KCKY is LMAed by the 1540 people; it simulcasts part of the time (Ever been to "KCKY" in the s-hole known as Coolidge? Makes you feel like any trace of civilization is 500 miles away). They may have no audience (albeit it a loyal one), but they make money. IIRC, they paid about $200k for that station some time ago, and now they have programmers paying up to $150 for 15 minutes of time. And they sell spots at a pretty decent rate, too. That's a lot better than anything else they could do with that godforsaken frequency.

BTW, when I saw the title, I knew it had to be 1580. Even as much as everyone here loves the 2nd worst, 1440. And I'd think 740, 1190, and 1280 have to round out the top 5.

 

[DrAkbar]

Well, if 1440 is a daytimer, so is 1540 (52 watts vs. 19). At least 1440's covers a desirable area with something resembling a non-directional pattern.

KASA intentionally uses their 19 watts. It's only because Gumpdusky can't find a decent lamptimer that 14~Forty is on after sunset. Plus the Nurse and I have yet to confirm whether they can throttle back that mighty 5kw xmtr to 52 watts!

 

[pberger]

When KQEZ broadcast from Coolidge back in the '80's, they had a very nice studio about 2 miles north of the Casa Grande Ruins, up a dirt road. They were between the dirt road and the railroad tracks, and their antenna was on a small mountain nearby. It was a modern brick building, still there about 2 years ago.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

While there are tons-o-bad night signals around parts or
all of the metro, my vote goes to...

KFNX 1100 Cave Creek.

At night.

In the 'Tuke.

When they remember to power down at sunset, that is. :

Unlike tonight and last night, for example. Also one night
earlier this week when they were still on day pattern at 9:30.

And this just in! As I was composing the reply, KFNX did their
scheduled 6:30pm power drop...at 6:53:40. Naughty naughty,
Francis!

 

[EricStein]

BTW, when I saw the title, I knew it had to be 1580. Even as much as everyone here loves the 2nd worst, 1440. And I'd think 740, 1190, and 1280 have to round out the top 5.

I'm surprise there's no mention of 1310. Like 1440, marginal coverage of the west side by day, and no reception west of the Phoenix/Scottsdale border at night. Just garble from other stations across the west broadcasting on the frequency.

 

[ajhenderson]

BTW, when I saw the title, I knew it had to be 1580. Even as much as everyone here loves the 2nd worst, 1440. And I'd think 740, 1190, and 1280 have to round out the top 5.

I'm surprise there's no mention of 1310. Like 1440, marginal coverage of the west side by day, and no reception west of the Phoenix/Scottsdale border at night. Just garble from other stations across the west broadcasting on the frequency.

You can generally get 1310 to about the 17 at night. If we're talking about bad east/west coverage, 1480 is worse than 1310. KPHX is practically inaudible in much of Carefree/Cave Creek/North Scottsdale, as well as parts of the east valley by day. It gets worse at night, and unlike 1310 which covers areas of significance, 1480, located in the lush environs of 29th Ave and Gangbanger Court, throws a lot of signal into what will, 20 years from now, be rows of tract housing in yet-to-be-developed south Buckeye. While KXAM may not boom into every far west side city, it's still probably a "B" or "B-" in a market full of crappy signals. The fact that the metro is rapidly expanding will hurt every AM except 620. I suppose eventually, when Tonopah is the place to be, KXAM will be a crappy signal, but I might wager that the AM band will have been taken over by Verizon or Nextel by then anyway.

 

[Bill Drake]

BTW, when I saw the title, I knew it had to be 1580. Even as much as everyone here loves the 2nd worst, 1440. And I'd think 740, 1190, and 1280 have to round out the top 5.

I'm surprise there's no mention of 1310. Like 1440, marginal coverage of the west side by day, and no reception west of the Phoenix/Scottsdale border at night. Just garble from other stations across the west broadcasting on the frequency.

You can generally get 1310 to about the 17 at night. If we're talking about bad east/west coverage, 1480 is worse than 1310. KPHX is practically inaudible in much of Carefree/Cave Creek/North Scottsdale, as well as parts of the east valley by day. It gets worse at night, and unlike 1310 which covers areas of significance, 1480, located in the lush environs of 29th Ave and Gangbanger Court, throws a lot of signal into what will, 20 years from now, be rows of tract housing in yet-to-be-developed south Buckeye. While KXAM may not boom into every far west side city, it's still probably a "B" or "B-" in a market full of crappy signals. The fact that the metro is rapidly expanding will hurt every AM except 620. I suppose eventually, when Tonopah is the place to be, KXAM will be a crappy signal, but I might wager that the AM band will have been taken over by Verizon or Nextel by then anyway.

Actually radio locator indicates that KPHX's strongest lobe is pointed right at my location in North Phoenix. Reality tells a different story. Where does their signal go, anyway?

And why was 1510 allowed to migrate in from Mesa to it's current location? Kind of short spaced with 1540 and 1480, isn't it?

 

[oldiesfan6479]

And why was 1510 allowed to migrate in from Mesa to it's current location?

Here's the story I recall (Keith, help me out with any missing parts)...

KFNN 1510 Mesa was a 10 kw ND daytimer that had one stick SE of the
Country Club and Southern intersection in Mesa. (Is Pep Boys still there?)

When they obtained night authorization, they were still of the class (D?)
where nights were an afterthought (see: Lumberyard 1440 et al ;D) and
as long as they still put a usable signal over their COL in the daytime
(which they do with 22 kw DA-D), the 100w DA-N didn't count against
(not) serving their COL.

Of course, do any "suburban" stations serve their COL? How exactly
does KTAR-FM 92.3 Glendale/Phoenix serve Glendale, when everything
is so Phoenix-centric? Do they broadcast Glendale city council meetings
gavel-to-gavel? Don't think so.

KZZP (maybe it was KVRY then) 104.7 Mesa/Phoenix didn't exactly
serve their COL of Mesa on one occasion back in the 1990s when
on the morning after a mayoral election, they didn't even know who
won in their "newscast."

Then there's KPNX channel 12 Mesa-Phoenix who IDs as Phoenix-Mesa.
The FCC page for KPNX lists their COL as Mesa. Don't know how they've
gotten away with this for so long--is there a secret cottisole in the
Faber, er, FCC bylaws that allows them to?

 

[ajhenderson]

Not to be a nitpicking pain, oldiesfan, but it seems so many people, particularly in the production department, aren't aware that Phoenix means nothing if you're not licensed to it. All these stations act as if Phoenix is a ncessary appendage... KTAR Glendale/Phoenix, etc, etc. I understand identifying with the big city has benefits, but in reality, you're NOT a Phoenix station. You're a Glendale station that just so happens to be next to Phoenix and cover it. But the FCC doesn't care; your obligation is to Glendale.

 

[KeithE4]

And why was 1510 allowed to migrate in from Mesa to it's current location? Kind of short spaced with 1540 and 1480, isn't it?

Not really. KFNN shares its towers with KKNT 960 in way-far-northeast Phoenix, at approximately 36th St. & Pinnacle Peak Rd. It's probably as far from KPHX and KASA (both in SW Phoenix) now as it was when it was in Mesa - about 20 miles.

 

[KeithE4]

And why was 1510 allowed to migrate in from Mesa to it's current location?

Here's the story I recall (Keith, help me out with any missing parts)...

KFNN 1510 Mesa was a 10 kw ND daytimer that had one stick SE of the
Country Club and Southern intersection in Mesa. (Is Pep Boys still there?)

When they obtained night authorization, they were still of the class (D?)
where nights were an afterthought (see: Lumberyard 1440 et al ;D) and
as long as they still put a usable signal over their COL in the daytime
(which they do with 22 kw DA-D), the 100w DA-N didn't count against
(not) serving their COL.

I wasn't around when they moved but I think you pretty much got it right. They still are a Class D station.

Of course, do any "suburban" stations serve their COL? How exactly
does KTAR-FM 92.3 Glendale/Phoenix serve Glendale, when everything
is so Phoenix-centric? Do they broadcast Glendale city council meetings
gavel-to-gavel? Don't think so.

They carry Arizona Cardinal games. The Cardinals play in Glendale. Doesn't that count? ;D They also carry Detour Dan's West Side-West Side traffic, also favoring Glendale.

The concept of "City of License" went away decades ago as being irrelevant other than for signal strength into that city. Broadcasters have never served "cities." They serve metropolitan areas (defined by the Census Bureau) or markets (defined by Arbitron and Nielsen, both of whom consider most of Arizona north of I-8 as "Phoenix" and south of it as "Tucson"). As long as the station in question puts a good signal into the town shown on its license, that's all the FCC cares about.

KZZP (maybe it was KVRY then) 104.7 Mesa/Phoenix didn't exactly
serve their COL of Mesa on one occasion back in the 1990s when
on the morning after a mayoral election, they didn't even know who
won in their "newscast."

104.7 hasn't been based in Mesa since they were KTYL-FM in the '50s. I don't know exactly when they moved out of there, but when they were KBUZ in the '60s and '70s, their studio was in the old Thomas Mall in NE Phoenix.

Then there's KPNX channel 12 Mesa-Phoenix who IDs as Phoenix-Mesa.
The FCC page for KPNX lists their COL as Mesa. Don't know how they've
gotten away with this for so long--is there a secret cottisole in the
Faber, er, FCC bylaws that allows them to?

It should be "Mesa-Phoenix," but they've ID'ed this way since they moved out of Mesa (changing their call letters from KVAR to KTAR-TV in the process) in 1959.

 

[DrAkbar]

And why was 1510 allowed to migrate in from Mesa to it's current location? Kind of short spaced with 1540 and 1480, isn't it?

Not really. KFNN shares its towers with KKNT 960 in way-far-northeast Phoenix, at approximately 36th St. & Pinnacle Peak Rd. It's probably as far from KPHX and KASA (both in SW Phoenix) now as it was when it was in Mesa - about 20 miles.

The FCC is like George Bush...they don't care about AM radio. The Nurse and I give you IBOC...now we rest our case!

 

[KCIR]

104.7 hasn't been based in Mesa since they were KTYL-FM in the '50s. I don't know exactly when they moved out of there, but when they were KBUZ in the '60s and '70s, their studio was in the old Thomas Mall in NE Phoenix.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't KZZP and KVRY 104.7 FM broadcast from the studio on Extension Rd. in Mesa, up until the early 90's??

 

[KMGX]

104.7 hasn't been based in Mesa since they were KTYL-FM in the '50s. I don't know exactly when they moved out of there, but when they were KBUZ in the '60s and '70s, their studio was in the old Thomas Mall in NE Phoenix.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't KZZP and KVRY 104.7 FM broadcast from the studio on Extension Rd. in Mesa, up until the early 90's??

KZZP started in a small studio in the Thomas Mall in 1980, moved to Mesa not too long thereafter. 757 Extension or something like that. They moved out of Mesa in the mid 90s (1997 or so, long after they switched back to KZZP) to central Phoenix.

 

[MASTER_CONTROL]

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/info?call=KIDR&service=AM

at times, i can pull-in kcbs through kidr's 292 watts on 740