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Buffalo WTOR STA Extension for Lower Power

R

RF101

Perhaps this better would have been posted in the Canada section. Birach's WTOT AM 770 in Youngstown, NY, really targets Toronto-Hamilton in the Urdu and Punjabi languages. The station is nulled towards New York.

Here's the STA extension granted today:

WTOR (AM) Reduced Power Operations – STA Request

Due continued transmitter and phasor issues, WTOR (AM) is operating at 7.8 kW versus its licensed power of 13 kW. The Licensee has contracted with Kurt Gorman at Phasetek, Inc., to assist in the solving the current problems. While the Licensee is hopefully this situation can be rectified in the next 60 to 90 days, out of an abundance of caution, we respectfully request 180 days in which to operate at reduced power.
 
RadioGuy1864 said:
Reduced power has to hurt reception in Toronto. I'm pretty confident they want to get back to full power as soon as possible.
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They have to do something. If the signal is too weak (for the Punjabi listeners) the last thing they would ever want is for listeners to get fed up and leave down the dial to the competition @ BIG 820, which seems to be maintaining a good strong signal...at least into the Scarborough part of Toronto, where many of those listeners may be.
 
Border blaster WTOR has been granted an STA extension today (1/22/2026) for the following:

"WTOR (AM) Reduced Power Operations – STA Request"

"Due to continued transmitter and phasor issues, WTOR (AM) is operating at 7.8 kW versus its licensed power of 13 kW. The Licensee has contracted with Kurt Gorman at Phasetek, Inc., to assist in solving the current problems. This matter has been complicated as owner Sima Birach has passed away. His son, Sima Birach, Jr., is now the Executor of the Estate (see LMS-0000281991). It will take time for the Executor to come up to speed with Company operations and as such we respectfully request 180 days in which to operate at reduced power. "


Comment: I thought Sima Birach Sr. had a falling out with his son over the two defunct stations in Hampton Roads, Virginia (1450 AM, 1550 AM). Things must have been settled later on as Sima Jr. is now the Executor.
 
There is an extremely competent local contract engineer (not me!) who's been engaged to bring WTOR back to licensed specs. I haven't had a chance to get out and see the site with him (and the weather will prevent that for a while), but I understand it needs a lot of love.
 
IIRC there used to be an old "rule" for AM daytime coverage, it went something like to double daytime coverage you have to increase power by 4 times.

Of course if the directional pattern isn't in effect this could be a really significant drop in daytime coverage more than 50% in the old pattern coverage area. Plus you ad in man-made RF noise. I bet if gets really ugly. Does the lake partially icing up affect the coverage negatively?
 
fybush said:
There is an extremely competent local contract engineer (not me!) who's been engaged to bring WTOR back to licensed specs. I haven't had a chance to get out and see the site with him (and the weather will prevent that for a while), but I understand it needs a lot of love.
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The last time I saw the WTOR site, it was extremely overgrown, and that's being kind.
 
kevtronics said:
Is WTOR the only "border blaster" that aims their signal almost entirely outside the U.S.?
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Not at all. There are several AMs along the Washington-BC border that aim their programming and signal north to Vancouver, and WLYK has already been mentioned.
 
kevtronics said:
Is WTOR the only "border blaster" that aims their signal almost entirely outside the U.S.?
Click to expand...

THis is what KVRI 1600, Blaine, WA right on the US/Canada border sounds like about 1560 miles away, 10kw into 6 towers, which places an estimated ERP of about 50kw in my area according to the famed transmitter site engineer, stephen lockwood

(and listen in the pause of KVRI audio... thats KGYM Cedar Rapids, IA doing a legal id)
 


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