Re: Share-times (was Fw: WTHT)

["Dan Strassberg" <Dan.Strassberg@worldnet.att.net>]

When I discovered the most recent predecessor to WNSW--WBYN Brooklyn--it was
full-time, I believe. That was over 50 years ago. I believe that in the 20s
and or 30s, the station that became WBYN had been a sharetimer, however.
Contrary to what the Jaker book says, I believe that WBYN lost its license
for broadcasting horse-race results too soon after the races ended. WBYN
broadcast race results for 15 minutes at the top of each hour back in the
early 40s, and clearly existed for the benefit of the New York bookies.
After WBYN left the air, 1430 was dark in metro New York for about a year
before WNJR debuted. At one point WWRL, and the forerunner of WLIB shared
time with each other (and at least one other station--probably two). I think
that WWRL must be the only station in the New York market that has never
changed calls.

And on a recent trip to the New York area, I got a fairly close look at the
WNSW sticks. For reasons that escape me, the antennas appear to be folded
unipoles (the only ones I'm aware of the the Northeast). I couldn't see the
tower bases, but if the towers were built to support the folded unipoles,
they wouldn't need base insulators. There are no other broadcast services on
these towers--no other AMs or FMs and no communications services, so the
value of using folded unipoles is lost on me--unless it allows somewhat
wider signal bandwidth or a more convenient driving-point impedance. And, of
course, based on WRCA's experience, never having to replace a base insulator
sounds like a good deal, although I suspect that only a small percentage of
base insulators under guy-supported AM towers have ever needed replacement.
Can you imagine replacing the insulator under WGY's 660' stick?

As for the wide-ranging effects of AM time-sharing arrangements, the AM 1380
in Wilmington DE (WAMS?) used to operate DA-3. Since it was 35 miles or so
closer to WAWZ than to WBNX, the Wilmington station had to use a tighter
pattern during daytime hours when WAWZ operated than during daytime hours
when WBNX operated.

Also, KGIL 1260 San Fernando, used to cut its daytime power when KPPC was on
the air. Nowadays, however, the restrictions on second-adjacent-channel
overlap have been loosened sufficiently that, if KPPC still existed, KGIL
(or whatever the calls are now--they seem to change every few weeks) would
probably not have to make any operational changes.

--

Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net
Phone: 1-617-558-4205, eFax: 1-707-215-6367

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott D Fybush <fybush@world.std.com>
To: bri@bostonradio.org <bri@bostonradio.org>
Date: Sunday, August 27, 2000 4:44 PM
Subject: Share-times (was Fw: WTHT)


>
>It's true that there are just two share-time AM situations left in
>the US: WIBW Topeka and KKSU Manhattan KS on 580, and WCEV and
>WVON Cicero IL on 1450.
>
>It's also true that the 1450 arrangement in Chicago dates back,
>remarkably, only to 1978!  The whole situation escapes me, but
>my recollection is that it involved the owners of the previous
>1450 full-timer buying the much superior 1390 facility (ex-WGES,
>WNUS, etc.) and moving the WVON ("Voice of the Negro") calls and
>format down there.
>
>The resulting gap on 1450 in those pre-duopoly days was filled
>temporarily by an interim license issued to WFMT (98.7), which
>simulcast its FM signal on AM 1450 for a year or so.  When the
>permanent 1450 license was granted, two competing groups were
>each given half-time on the signal...and eventually, one of the
>groups re-acquired the WVON calls for its half when 1390 became
>WGCI(AM).
>
>That other Chicago split, the three-way 1240 situation, was
>resolved a few years back when Diamond Broadcasting (WSBC) bought
>out first WEDC, then WCRW, consolidating the frequency under the
>WSBC calls.
>
>A few other stray remnants of old share-times:
>
>WSAJ Grove City PA: This college station still operates on
>Sundays only, with just 100 watts into (IIRC) a long-wire antenna
>on 1340 (they also have a full-time FM).  It's because of them
>that WOYL 1340 in nearby Oil City is one of the few graveyarders
>with a directional antenna.
>
>1230/1240 Los Angeles: Who even knows what the current calls
>are...but for years, 1230 was KGFJ, serving the Black community, while
>1240 was KPPC, operating one night a week and all day Sunday from the
>Pasadena Presbyterian Church.  KGFJ was supposed to cut power from
>250 watts to 100 watts when KPPC was on the air.  Eventually (circa
>1995), 1230 bought out the Pasadena license and returned it to the FCC,
>and the successor to KGFJ on 1230 is now full-time with 1kw.  (I think
>the 1240 in San Bernardino may also have had to reduce power when
>KPPC was operating).  KPPC's sister FM station evolved into today's
>KROQ 106.7.
>
>The Jaker et al. book referenced in the earlier post tells the story
>of the many NYC frequencies that were once share-timers...ancestors
>to today's WBBR, WADO, WWRV, WNSW, WZRC, and WWRL were all share-time
>stations way back when.
>
>I will leave it to Dan Strassberg to recount the tale of WHAZ...
>
>-s
>
>
>
>