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WTNI 1640 AM / Biloxi Has Surrendered Its License

An understandable shame. Back in the Marconi era, WTNI was 6-tower directional WVMI at 570. Shot that big low-frequency signal into Biloxi and then across the Mississippi Sound right into New Orleans. Middle tower had the backup antenna for maybe... 93.7 WQID? When they moved to 1640, I tried to get my then-employers to apply for 250 watts back-loaded into one of the Chalmette TV towers, which were already decoupled for nearby WTIX 690. The folks from Texas were not amused by me spending their engineering budget on such creative ideas. :) Later I learned they planned to move 570 WAAX into Birmingham... which of course never happened :(
 
07/24/2024 Original STA Request:

Request for Silent STA for WTNI(AM), fac id 87159, Biloxi, MS

TeleSouth Communications, Inc. licensee of WTNI (AM), fac id 87159, Biloxi, MS, respectfully
request Special Temporary Authority (“STA”) for WTNI(AM) to be silent pending necessary
repairs.

TeleSouth’s engineer reports the station has a defective plate contactor. To resolve the
problem, he has ordered a replacement part from Gate-Air. The current plate contractor
has been disassembled and cleaned to enable operation, but when it doesn’t fully engage,
it burns up hundreds of dollars of resistors and related wiring. Gate-Air reports that the
plate contactor part is getting closer to being built, however, has not provided a date for
delivery. As continuous operation on-air is uncertain, this request for a STA is being filed
for authority to remain silent until repairs can be made.

For the foregoing reasons, TeleSouth Communications, Inc. requests Special Temporary
Authority for WTNI(AM) to be silent pending repairs.



01/10/2025 Extension:

We continue to wait on the parts to repair the transmitter and rebuild the matching unit. When we requested the STA, our vendors thought the parts would be available before the end of the year. We have received many of the parts, but not all. Because of size and space limitations we are locked into the current transmitter and matching design.

-------------
Sounds like the supply chain broke down.
 
I know it's not the standard 25%, but could they have put in a 1kw used transmitter for an STA. With several AM stations dying, they might be able to get another transmitter for daytime too. The power bill might be a little higher but if this station did some billing it might be worth it.

Didn't this station have a FM translator 106.3?
 
secondchoice said:
I know it's not the standard 25%, but could they have put in a 1kw used transmitter for an STA. With several AM stations dying, they might be able to get another transmitter for daytime too. The power bill might be a little higher but if this station did some billing it might be worth it.

Didn't this station have a FM translator 106.3?
Click to expand...
Yes it did had a FM translator on 106.3 FM it was called BOB 106.3 a Classic Hits format. We didn’t know what happened to the station it went off the air while back.
 
This station (FM translator) should not have been off the air more than a week.

I don't personally know any of the folks down there but the commission is very open to AM STAs. There is a station (WYYZ) that is using a traffic info transmitter to "feed" their translator.

I would recommend to all AMs with a FM translator to have a "traffic" rig on a roof top with a long wire antenna ready to go in case something really bad happens to your AM site. Of course you can't use it until an STA is filled with the FCC.

I stole that idea from David.
 


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