WSB 750 AM listeners

[davideduardo]

A few clears followed WLW's lead and requested 500kw. Only WLW was approved. (I'll try to check WLW's card to see if there was any difference in the wording.)

Up until the late 60's, all the 1-A clears and some 1-B stations were still petitioning the FCC for higher power. They were grouped together as the Clear Channel Broadcasting Service.

Here is a collection of their documents: https://worldradiohistory.com/WSM_Clear_Channels.htm

 

[davideduardo]

If anywhere needed the 500kw, it would've been the south. I'd bet the Conductivity even drops below 0.75 mV/m in some parts of Atlanta, and they would have benefited from a higher power setup. I would also bet that region was amongst the first to jump over to FM, LOL. However, a 500kw days/50kw nights setup could've been good, but we had just witnessed Hitler's rise to power in the 30's, through radio, and decided that radio must be local (I agree with the concept here, just not the methodology, because Georgia got screwed)

Hitler had nothing to do with US regulation. The US had an almost totally government-free broadcast system, while in Europe almost all radio was state operated.

When the FRC transitioned to the FCC in the early 30's, politicians in Washington did not want voices that might be bigger even than the biggest newspapers, with true regional coverage and influence.

For that reason, the FRC's late-20's limit of 50 kw was further institutionalized under the FCC, with just one experimental high power station being authorized... and later silenced. Further, politicians allowed only a limited number of stations to each owner to further limit influences. In fact, while duopoly had been allowed in the 30's, it was ended in the 40's along with even splitting the RCA networks into NBC and ABC due to excessive influence.

 

[davideduardo]

As I recall, WSB was never approved for the higher power level.

It was not.

 

[jabba17]

Oops - sorry; I meant to say "It remains a mystery what would have happened if WSB's request had been granted.
Here's the history card:
View attachment 2898
A few clears followed WLW's lead and requested 500kw. Only WLW was approved. (I'll try to check WLW's card to see if there was any difference in the wording.)

Wasn't WLW's 500kW experiment pretty much ended by the 40s? Although there was some talk about firing it up again to send US radio as far around the world as possible during WWII.

 

[jabba17]

In fact, while duopoly had been allowed in the 30's, it was ended in the 40's along with even splitting the RCA networks into NBC and ABC due to excessive influence.

I remember reading that WLW's rate card was almost as high as NBC Red's at one point.

 

[semoochie]

I remember reading that WLW's rate card was almost as high as NBC Red's at one point.

Didn't WLW have the lion's share of Mutual, not ownership but coverage?

 

[secondchoice]

One has to wonder if some other station like 1010 could have engineered a 4 or more tower daytime directional pattern concentrating power in a 90 degree “wedge” aimed at Atlanta with the antenna farm north or west 25 plus miles similar to what 1010 in New York does. 1010 is a “Canadian” channel so the tight pattern is necessary to protect our northern neighbor but they do have a strong signal in NYC. WIND (560 @5KW 4 towers) was completive with several 50 KW signals in Chicago. I always wondered why Atlanta’s 570 wasn’t upgraded in the 1950’s The city limits of Atlanta are surprisingly small so minimum signal coverage rules would not be an issue. Farm land was relatively cheap in the 1940’s and early 1950s so an antenna farm was doable. Free standing towers would allow cattle to graze or hay baling without messing up the ground system so the station could lease the land to a farmer with the conditions of no plowing. IIRC a couple of 3 call letter stations voluntary went directional daytime for a better signal in the city where the got their revenue. WFLI has a 50 KW 3 tower directional daytime pattern (to protect Birmingham AL) that covers a large area in it’s pattern * compared to 1070 in Birmingham which is 50 KW non directional daytime** which covers less than 120 miles any direction daytime.

With the state of AM, I doubt anybody upgrades an AM except to extend a FM translator’s coverage past the 25 mile rule.


* WFLI-AM Radio Station Coverage Map


** WAPI-AM Radio Station Coverage Map

 

[jabba17]

One has to wonder if some other station like 1010 could have engineered a 4 or more tower daytime directional pattern concentrating power in a 90 degree “wedge” aimed at Atlanta with the antenna farm north or west 25 plus miles similar to what 1010 in New York does. 1010 is a “Canadian” channel so the tight pattern is necessary to protect our northern neighbor but they do have a strong signal in NYC. WIND (560 @5KW 4 towers) was completive with several 50 KW signals in Chicago. I always wondered why Atlanta’s 570 wasn’t upgraded in the 1950’s The city limits of Atlanta are surprisingly small so minimum signal coverage rules would not be an issue. Farm land was relatively cheap in the 1940’s and early 1950s so an antenna farm was doable. Free standing towers would allow cattle to graze or hay baling without messing up the ground system so the station could lease the land to a farmer with the conditions of no plowing. IIRC a couple of 3 call letter stations voluntary went directional daytime for a better signal in the city where the got their revenue. WFLI has a 50 KW 3 tower directional daytime pattern (to protect Birmingham AL) that covers a large area in it’s pattern * compared to 1070 in Birmingham which is 50 KW non directional daytime** which covers less than 120 miles any direction daytime.

With the state of AM, I doubt anybody upgrades an AM except to extend a FM translator’s coverage past the 25 mile rule.


* WFLI-AM Radio Station Coverage Map


** WAPI-AM Radio Station Coverage Map

I've never understood why WGUN 1010 never upgraded to a directional plant for a night signal. They did increase from 10kW to 45kW during critical hours, but still nondirectional.

WPLO 590 did move in the 1980s from their intown location near North Druid Hills to what you suggested, northwest of town in Powder Springs. That did seem to improve their coverage--even more so when Disney took the day signal up to 12kW and made the day pattern bigger (the old day pattern was just a larger version of the night "snow angel" pattern). The night pattern at North Druid Hills was an east-west bilobe.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I've never understood why WGUN 1010 never upgraded to a directional plant for a night signal. They did increase from 10kW to 45kW during critical hours, but still nondirectional.

WPLO 590 did move in the 1980s from their intown location near North Druid Hills to what you suggested, northwest of town in Powder Springs. That did seem to improve their coverage--even more so when Disney took the day signal up to 12kW and made the day pattern bigger (the old day pattern was just a larger version of the night "snow angel" pattern). The night pattern at North Druid Hills was an east-west bilobe.

When WPLO 590 was on North Druid Hills Road, they were non-directional during the day. They were said to have as good or better a signal than WSB in the daytime hours. The east-west bi-lobe you mention was their nighttime signal.

When the station moved to Powder Springs, their signal declined significantly in parts of Atlanta. Yes, the increase to 12KW during the day did improve it. Nighttime reception is still problematic on the east side of town.