Re: Back from DX'ing on PEI

[Dan Strassberg <dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net>]

At 02:14 PM 7/22/97 +0000, you wrote:
>
>I believe the FCC database has a station at 990 listed for Belfast, Maine.
> The station has never existed but I noticed the entry once in the database.
> How can this be the case if 990 is a Canadian clear channel?  Would the
>station be a daytimer and if so, why is it still listed in the database since
>the FCC no longer grants new daytimer licenses.
>
No, lots of things happen by treaty. WHN New York (now WEVD) was, for years,
the only full-time US station on 1050. This was by special US-Mexican
treaty. On 990 (and 690, 740, 860 et al) US full-time stations were always
allowed as long as they were sited at least 650 miles from the nearest point
of land in Canada. Now, we know that nowhere in the northeast--and certainly
not in Maine--is ther any land that is more than 650 miles from Canada. But,
for decades, 990 has been home to two stations that were exceptions to the
rule: Knoxville TN (once WNOX; I no longer know the calls) and Philadelphia
(once WIBG; now WZZD). These must have been covered by treaty. Then came the
bizarre situation in Rochester NY, in which the Toronto AM 680 literally
chased a Rochester station, then a 250W daytimer with a fabulous signal
(currently WCMF, but, before that, WRNY and WNYR) off of 680. The Canadian
Government had to supply a channel to put that one right, and the channel
was 990. At that point, the treaty must have been modified. All US 990
full-timers do protect CBW, though.

BTW, have you noticed the strange quirk about CBW? It's ND-U but it's 50
kw-D and 46 kW-N. Such slight power reductions are most unusual. I assume
that, at some point, CBW put up a new tower that was slightly more efficient
than the older one and the station had to slightly reduce its nighttime
power to protect one or more US co-channel stations.

KIOA Des Moines on 940 is another US full-time station that does not appear
to meet the old rules on distance from the Canadian border. And KIOA has not
been around as long on 940 as Knoxville or Philadelphia have on 990. I
assume that this too is a case where the US-Canadian traty was ammended. 

As for deleted and unbuilt stations and CPs in the FCC database, if you
spend some time with the database, you'll find many, many more.

- -------------------------------
Dan Strassberg (Note: Address is CASE SENSITIVE!)
ALL _LOWER_ CASE!!!--> dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net
(617) 558-4205; Fax (617) 928-4205

------------------------------