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WPNN 790 Questions

C

cd637299

Guest
I just saw on Radio-Locator (FWIW) that WPNN Pensacola has CP to move from 790 to 780, but only as a daytimer!

I thought the FCC put the kibosh on all new daytimers. Is this some sort of waiver, or is it misinformation?

Also---*is* 790 using night operation, or not, at this time?

cd
 
I wondered about that daytimer stuff myself.

When I was in the area late March/early April, the CP info was on Radio Locator, but WPNN was still on 790 day/night. Aside from putting a better signal into the Milton area....not exactly a "high value target, IMHO....I don't see what the CP gets them. Other than a higher electric bill.
 
An existing licensed AM station may remain or become a class D AM station. A prime example is a full-time class B AM licensee selling its tower site, resulting in going from a multi-tower directional night-time facility to a one-tower facility with a greatly reduced night service or no night service at all, requiring said AM facility to become re-classified as a class D radio station. However, the FCC is no longer accepting applications for newly licensed AM facilities that specify class D or daytime only operations. The key is whether or not the application for class D status is for an existing licensed facility or if the application is for a CP regarding a "never before" licensed facility.
 
I think that CP has been around for ages. Probably longer than I've lived in the area (about 2 years). Edit: I've got the CP issue date as 2010 on my website, with a mod that was later dismissed that would have moved it another click down to 770.

The new tower site would be the now-authorized night site, co-located with WEBY. I guess this isn't a case of losing land or it would have moved by now. Dunno what the deal is with this.
 
Rob-42 said:
Since were talking about licenses, why does radio locator have WABD's still licenses to EMF or does that take a while to transfer over to Cumulus?

Station Owner:
Educational Media Foundation

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=WABD&x=0&y=0&sr=Y&s=C

-Rob
Click to expand...

Radio-Locator.com tends to be very slow when updating its website. As for FCC approval on license transfers, under normal conditions it takes 60- 90 days from the time the license transfer application is filed to receive all regulatory approval.
 
Zach said:
I think that CP has been around for ages.  Probably longer than I've lived in the area (about 2 years).  Edit: I've got the CP issue date as 2010 on my website, with a mod that was later dismissed that would have moved it another click down to 770.

The new tower site would be the now-authorized night site, co-located with WEBY.  I guess this isn't a case of losing land or it would have moved by now.  Dunno what the deal is with this.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.  From my admittedly limited observation as a frequent visitor to the area, I'd think they'd be better off staying put.  I presumed from R-L that the idea was to diplex with WEBY.  So I suppose there might be a financial benefit to selling the current tower site if they do.  But aren't they sharing the current non-directional stick with 610?  IIRC that's about a mile or so west of Sacred Heart Hospital....which I think would be a pretty good tower location from a geographic standpoint.
 
What ever happened to 550? That would be a great spot for WPNN they could clearly cover down here. Even if its a 5KW am station, having this especially since I don't expect to see WCOA-FM to last much longer would be great. I know 550 used to be a god caster. Not sure if its out of Mobile or Pensacola.. their signal boomed here.

-Rob
 
WASG in Atmore AL, formerly 550, is on 540 now. I am not sure of its signal strength, but still it's an adjacent to 550, so that's likely not to be, for WPNN.

570 Biloxi was vacated, but when I was at Cape San Blas, Radio Reloj in Cuba on 570 packed a punch....also Pinellas Park's 570 is stronger than it was 20 years ago (and fulltime now as well), so i suppose 570 is not an option either.

Maybe WPNN will go to FM on a 100k stick :p

cd
 
I'd be listening to that.. PNN's lineup is much better then W..COA's junk.. (and it is crap)

Nice try, Cumulus..

-Rob
 
cyberdad said:
Thanks for the info. From my admittedly limited observation as a frequent visitor to the area, I'd think they'd be better off staying put. I presumed from R-L that the idea was to diplex with WEBY. So I suppose there might be a financial benefit to selling the current tower site if they do. But aren't they sharing the current non-directional stick with 610? IIRC that's about a mile or so west of Sacred Heart Hospital....which I think would be a pretty good tower location from a geographic standpoint.
Click to expand...

It is indeed co-located with WTVJ at 610. I was under the impression that WTVJ was a gust on WPNN's tower, but if it's the other way around then that may explain the desire to move. I'm really not positive on who owns what there.

The former 550 that Rob mentioned is on the air from Pritchard now, licensed to Daphne and at 540. It puts out a pretty respectable signal, but I can't say the same for the canned CCM type programming. They've had a glitch for a while now where the entire broadcast just cuts out for about half a second at a time, and it does it was alarming regularity. It's not just the audio chain, it seems to be the actual broadcast, as my signal meter drops to zero when it cuts out. It may do it 10-20 times a minute when it's really acting up. I guess no one notices, cares or can afford to fix whatever's causing it to do that.
 
The application y'all are talking about co-locates WPNN with WEBY and WBSR on the big three tower array on Garcon Point (out in the middle of Pensacola/Escambia bay). The current WPNN tower is most defiantly owned by the Schroeder family and is in a very crowded area of town. There is a used car lot under the guy wires of the current tower. I would guess that the current tower needs repair or that the land is now valuable enough that they could make some cash selling or re-purposing it (one of the business' the Schroeder family is in is commercial/residential real estate). It's also possible that the government wants/needs part of the land for road improvements.

The Schroeder's have had some tough times since the economy tanked and the oil spill... not to mention Papa Don's health is poor. I can understand why they would delay moving to Garcon Point.

The current WPNN nighttime signal has excellent coverage of the Pensacola city limits and even out the the beach with the flea power night signal, but it's my understanding that the couple of watts they are allowed to broadcast at night does not make the station a "full timer" in the eyes of the FCC. I assume the new location will give them better coverage of Pace and south Santa Rosa county, Gulf Breeze and Navarre, which are the "money communities" of the Pensacola metro.

I haven't asked the Schroeder's about anything radio related since Mike passed away a year or so back. Scott's not himself anymore and Papa Don, well, he's still dealing with the cancer. If I find out anything I'm comfortable posting I'll give you a better update. The above is just my observations from working with them. Of course I wish them the best and I have gone out of my way to help them out during these tough times.

610 has a horrible signal. It needs help. If 610 is co-located on the Schroeder stick it needs to move anyway. The 1450 tower isn't too far down the road, it shouldn't be hard for 610 to move there if necessary. I also remember something about 610 wanting to change frequencies (590?) and power to take advantage of WVMI Biloxi shutting down and 550 moving to Mobile. Don't know what happened to those plans.
 
^ Probably 570....because 590 is in Panama City. From San Blas, the IBOC of 620 in St. Pete was messing greatly with Pensacola 610; I am thinking that even in P'cola, 610's signal must be suffering, as WDAE is a monster.

cd
 
610's signal has been horrible in Pensacola (all parts of town as far as I can tell) for as long as I can remember. I'm kinda surprised they are using the WPNN tower on Pace Blvd. The offices of 610 are (or were) about 2 blocks away from the 1230 tower and almost as close to the new(er) 1620 tower.
I'd say 610 has the worst signal of any Pensacola radio station. Almost worse than 1490 out of Milton, but I think 1490 is dark now. 610 also had a long history of simulcasting on either 550 or 1090... but now both of those stations have been sold and 550 moved over to Mobile.

Also, I made a mistake in that last post. WPNN's application was to move to the WEBY and WRNE towers, not the WBSR tower... WBSR is like 2 miles south of WPNN's current location.
I'm thinking the upgrade/move of WPNN was Mike's baby and now that he's passed away no one will act on it unless someone is interested in buying the station with the upgraded facilities.
 
Very enlightening thread guys....thanks! A couple of comments....

540: I heard this the last time I was in the area in early spring of this year. All things considered, a decent....but not great...signal where I stay, right next door to the Florabama. I didn't hear the drop outs, however. Presume that started at some point after I left in early April.

I remember them on 550 from Atmore. Signal then was pretty much spent by the time they got to the beach. 540 was probably a good move. Although for me, it was the end of snagging WFLF during the daytime!

610: Agree that that this is an awful signal....and also agree that it's been that way forever (I think my first year on the beach was 1976, when it was top 40 WVIX). 620 from Tampa really chews into it on the beach. After my last post, I was wondering if the ground system might be shot.....but 790 seems to do reasonably okay.
 
If Cumulus should snag the 550 tower, that can put out a whopper of a signal and could apply to move the stick out to Pensacola. Not sure if this can be a 24 hour station or not. But, they could put WCOA out of 100.7, end its misery, and if they run it at 5KW, the signal could easily be heard from Mobile to Destin.. both day and night.

This was a great station - look how well 1.330 is doing, no signal at night (flea power) but one mighty 25KW daytimer.

-Rob
 
I'm pretty sure 550's old Cantonment tower has been turned into scrap metal. I think the new operation in Mobile is diplexed with another, older, AM.
AM in North Florida is pretty much dead.
I think CCENG significantly upgraded WKGC 1480 in PCB a few years back, but that's a non-commercial operation.
I don't expect anyone to invest anything significant in a commercial AM station here. Heck, 1490 in Milton can't even afford to turn on their 1kw transmitter... and they aren't alone.
Even WWL is moving their audience to FM.
 
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