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WWBA-1040 moves to more powerful 820 AM

D

Don62

Guest
Just turned on the radio this a.m. and kept hearing the announcement every 15 seconds or so, "WWBA 1040 has moved to 820 AM."

Mark Larsen and tags are calling it "The Big One. NT 820."

At 50k days, this gives Genesis a stronger daytime coverage.

Good move. More powerful signal to compete against a smug incumbent that views local on-air talent as a liability.

Daytime coverage.
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMGG&service=AM&status=L&hours=D

Nighttime coverage
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMGG&service=AM&status=L&hours=N

Previous day/ night.
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WWBA&service=AM&status=L&hours=D

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WWBA&service=AM&status=L&hours=N
 
Wow. That's a nice move.

Don, did Genesis enter into an LMA with Mega I gather? Their night signal sucks (unless you're a fish), but then, 1040's night signal is awful. I have a friend in the Atlanta area and he can even pull pieces of 820 up there (on some serious equipment, that is).
 
Here's a funny. Larsen this a.m. said someone over at CC - likely had to change his underwear this morning. I guess he is a suit that only oversees satellite programming, as the station's local shows are early mornings-only. Everything else is off the bird with little creativity involved.
 
WMGG 820 has the same night signal problem that 1040 has except they can operate with their authorized nite power of 1 kw. I assume that the northern and northwestern reaches of Tampa bay wont get 820's signal because they have to protect the heritage clear channel WBAP in the Dallas area like 1040 has to protect WHO in Des Moines. But their day signal is awesome.... a nice 50 kw non directional.... I notice they also turned off that awful HD IBOC carrier too... at least 820's site doesnt have houses built throughout and havent lost a tower. Wonder if Genesis is buying 820's signal? Now, if they can just get some decent programming back on there, and maybe keep some of their help.
 
I was just discussing with a colleague on Friday, how WWBA is building such a talented news staff from CC's mistake of letting talented folks like Roger and Shayna go. I told him that the only thing holding them back from being very successful was the signal. With that no longer an issue, it looks like WWBA is the new force to be reckoned with for live and local radio news in the Tampa Bay area. Finally, someone is moving in the right direction by hiring good newspeople, while finding a way to have their voices heard.

Congratulations on the new signal, Genesis.
 
sbe1 - IBOC off? Oh that's even better news, but for how long I wonder. Maybe I can hear ZNS3 Freeport on 810 again, LOL.

I always liked Mark Larsen ('FLA days) though admittedly rarely listen to him on WWBA. Mark and the former 'FLA news folks (that are still at WWBA) are the two pluses.

So far they haven't updated the 820 simulcast news on the WWBA website, and Mega still lists La Preciosa on 820.
 
Those with questions on whether Genesis is buying 820, and if they're on an LMA now should read the press release posted elsewhere on this board. Also, it should be noted that the 820 daytime signal is DIRECTIONAL, blowing mostly up and down the Gulf Coast. About 22 kW is sent toward Orlando. The nighttime pattern protects mostly toward Ft. Worth, and with the transmitter in Largo, very little of the null is over land. I can hear the station in Vero Beach day and night (although it's weak, it is listenable, and the Bahama station on 810 is only interfering when they're playing music (higher sideband frequencies.)
 
Bill981, my error, you are correct..... shame on my for relying on my memory.... its shot... I'm getting old.. Yes they are directional day. But still a very nice signal
 
BEST Tampa Signal by far daytime, and at night it's about the same as nearly any of the others..I love the answer the former owners of WRXB gave once when asked about a power increase:

"Why? If we increased our power there would be THAT many more people who wouldn't listen"

And I'm betting that even at 1kw at 820 it's still better than 1040 or 1470.

The BIG ONE!

Lovin that ^
 
I am here in north florida and I do get some tampa bay's stations suchs as WDAE,WMGG,WWBA,WFLA,WHBO here in Wakulla County during the daytime. Now I am alittle cousfed I know WWBA moves to AM-820 as I hread earlier today what will WWBA-1040 will be or will they both be WWBA-AM 820 and 1040 together? I remeber AM 820 used to be MEGA and AM-680 used to be RUMBA those both used to be really good before they made the flip to something else.
 
The top hour ID reveals the real call signs. 820 is still WMGG Largo and 1040 is still WWBA Pinellas Park. It will probably stay that way until ownership changes after the first of the year. The legal ID is the only time you hear WMGG on 820.
 
The station comes in real well on my car radio in Vero Beach and in Fort Pierce.

Driving here, just east of Tampa near Plant City, only 820, 910 and 1010 stopped during the scan of 760-1110.

Yup. They're "The Big One."
 
sbe1 said:
But their day signal is awesome.... a nice 50 kw non directional....
Click to expand...

WMGG is directional day and night. The two-tower day pattern is a modified figure eight. Strongest signals go north and south but the signal to the east is quite strong. Very little signal is wasted over the Gulf. When the station first signed on maybe 40 years ago, the calls were WRFA, which stood for Radio Florida. They used to run ads in Broadcasting Magazine showing their daytime 0.5 mV/m contour, which covered most of Florida.
 
And interestingly, WWBA and WMGG are two call signs which were on completely unrelated FMs in Tampa Bay during the '80s.

WWBA was on 107.3 FM until 1988. and WMGG was on 95.7 FM until 1985.

And the other Genesis station is WHBO which was also an unrelated Tampa Bay call sign in use during the '80s... Hey with this frequency swap, could we be seeing the WHBO call letters return to 1040 again?
 
The 820 upgrade was a result of the downgrading of class 1A clear channels. Florida's position allowed upgrading of almost all daytimers or class D stations on Class A clearchannel freq's to have nitetime service and become class B stations. In Tampa area, 760, 820, 1040 all got nite service. In Ft. Myers 770 appeared. There are probably others that I cant think of at the moment. 820 previously was WSST a religious daytimer on 800 until the early 80's. WBRD 1420 went from a daytimer to 24 operation when they moved their transmitter from the samoset (bradenton) swamp to north Palmetto. I believe Mr. Howard Halland who lurks on this board knows about one of Tampa stations move to Snead Island If I recall.
 
Useless trivia: the transmitter site in Largo still reflects the old 800 kHz frequency with the address numbers on the building, at least last time I drove by.
 
RMarino said:
And interestingly, WWBA and WMGG are two call signs which were on completely unrelated FMs in Tampa Bay during the '80s.

WWBA was on 107.3 FM until 1988. and WMGG was on 95.7 FM until 1985.

And the other Genesis station is WHBO which was also an unrelated Tampa Bay call sign in use during the '80s... Hey with this frequency swap, could we be seeing the WHBO call letters return to 1040 again?
Click to expand...

Having worked at 96KIX, The New FM 96, and Magic 96, it is interesting to see the WMGG calls. Vividly remember the station being Magic 96 WMGG with the "M" being highlighted ala wNbc. There (believe it or not) was one day when the station was "Magic 96" "96Magic" "Magic 96, wMgg" "96Magic96". Research showed that in the Tampa Bay market, people referred to FMs by dial position and credit in Arbitron favored call letters over nicknames. Thus, management and consultants tinkered with the formula and literally changed the monikler several times in one day. Ah, the good old days!
 
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