Re: OTB radio

[Douglas Broda <dougbroda@mindspring.com>]

Sure do. It's 1240, WVKZ Schenectady (actually, 1300 WTMM -- formerly
WQBK-AM -- is between WVKZ and 1330 WHAZ). 1000 watts non-directional,
and it travels poorly. Doesn't make it to Saratoga at all most days. :)

This is an old Schenectady frequency -- I forget the old calls, but it
goes back to the late 40s or early 50s, at least. And the reason it
broadcasts OTB all day is that.... the station is owned by Capital
District Regional OTB, with transmitter atop its headquarters. (OTB
broadcasts were a common feature before OTB owned the station, though
they weren't all it aired.) Schenectady has a long history of having
lots of bettors (and bookmakers to take their money). However, not
surprisingly, the station hasn't appeared in any books in my 21 year
memory living in the area.

It is also a technically pitiful station. Besides the awful signal (I
doubt they spend any money on it), they actually carried Yankees games
for a season or two.... and would cut live race calls right into the
middle of the play-by-play, with no segue at all.

Sven Weil wrote:

> A few weeks back when I was visiting Troy, NY i came across
> this weirdo radio station that simulcasts the horse racing
> channel on cable-TV. It's a medium wave (AM) station in the
> 1300's (I think it's the station just before Jesus-rocker
> WHAZ). Anyone have any stats on this station? Why would anyone
> pick such a format (Yeah I'm sure it's the number one station
> in Saratoga)
> --
> Sven Franklyn Weil            "The needs of the many outweigh
> <sven@lily.org>                          the needs of the few
> <http://www.lily.org/~sven>                      or the one."
>                                                      -- Surak



- --
Douglas J. Broda
Broda and Burnett
Attorneys at Law
80 Ferry Street
Troy, New York 12180
(518) 272-0580
Fax: (518) 272-0381
dougbroda@mindspring.com

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