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WTHE Applies For New Freq., Power Boost

B

Barry

According to Northeast Radio Watch, the Nassau County station has requested FCC permission to move from 1520 to 1530 AM. This would be accompanied by a boost in daytime power from 1000 to 10000 watts (500 nighttime). This is made possible by the shutdown of WJDM 1530 in Elizabeth NJ. WTHE is owned by Radio Cantico. The article speculates they may seek to lease it out, as the Spanish language broadcaster has done with some of their other stations.
With numerous small AM stations going dark, it's interesting this one may be upgraded.

WTHE +: https://www.fybush.com/nerw-20200420/
 
Smart move. Even though AM radio is in decline, there is still a market for ethnic and religious broadcasting, if done economically.

Could the station diplex on an existing tower using a non-directional signal? Even though the daytime signal is suggested at 10,000 watts, I don't think there are any 1530 stations within a few hundred miles. There's a 1530 near Boston and another in Chesterton Maryland. I think those are far enough away. If a new WTHE can go on an existing tower that would save a lot of money.

All the 1530s in the East must reduce power at night to low levels because of Class A WCKY Cincinnati.
 
To this DXer, the proposal of 500 omni watts at night is likely to result in a 50,000 watt throat-clearing 'ahem' by WCKY engineering. To many, 500 watts omni nighttime doesn't sound like a lot, I know.
But when you consider that the even further-from-Cincinnati WVBF in Massachusetts is allowed just four (4) watts at night, the new WTHE 1530 can't be automatically anticipating 500 watts.
Even 500 watts directional is unlikely.

The risky nighttime plans seem to be like six dozen of one, half of another, irrespective. Instead of 'KB blowing WTHE into Lake Ronkonkoma, similarly-signalled WCKY would be doing it.
 
It's not applying for 500 watts at night, and it is already diplexed with an existing AM. It's all right there in the article.
 
Barry said:
This would be accompanied by a boost in daytime power from 1000 to 10000 watts.
Click to expand...

Unless my memory is failing me, and it may very well be, many, many years ago, wasn't WTHE 10,000 Watts on 1520 with a directional antenna?
 
Yessir, Rene.

Having been a South Shore Bum :) for my entire stay on Long Island, I rarely ever had occasion to see the scenic North Shore. I was strictly a Sunrise Highway punk.

But I distinctly remember WTHE having three sticks, visible off to the northern side of the Northern State Parkway in a place generally referred to as The Whitney Estates. I'd be just 'guessing' in approximating the year as ~ 1970.

Apparently, WTHE 1520 and WGSM 740 underwent the same forms of signal increase ambitions. Both were 1000 watts omni at one point, perhaps at the very startup. Both were strict daytimers SRS to SSS. Both wanted more wattage, so both needed more towers.
WGSM (now WNYH) needed three sticks to go to 5000 watts while WTHE desired a raise to 10,000 watts. Both wound up sending the bulk of their newer signals east and east-southeast.
Last I checked, years ago,. WGSM needed a fourth tower to go to 25,000 watts in the early Eighties. I don't know about WTHE's filing or ambition gymnastics, but they seem to have undergone more tower experiences than the Wichita lineman.
 
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