WNNZ-AM 800 DOES Power Down At Sunset

["Laurence Glavin" <lglavin@lycos.com>]

It's been mentioned several times on the B.R.I.G. that the AM station
at 800 khz licensed to Lawrence, Mass (first as WCCM, then WNNZ) often neglects
to power down at sunset.  Well, yesterday (02/08), I had the time
and opportunity to observe the decline in signal strength that occurred almost
EXACTLY at 5:15.   I have a receiver that shows the relative signal
strength of AM stations (it does the same for FM, but nearly all FM's come
in at the same reading).  For an ovewrwhelmingly strong signal at my 
location, I have to disconnect any external antenna, and still AM 800 drives
it to a 3.8 or so.  At 5:15 yesterday, the needle moved ever so
slightly to the left.  No, I didn't get up early enough to see the
uptick at 6:35 am;  I'm not THAT driven.

BTW, co-owned WCEC-AM 1110 is not so punctilious...it still signs on at
5:45 am with no station ID;  now in February it stays on later than 
local sunset (which may be legal) but still pulls the plug 45 minutes after
local sunset with no warning and no ID. So they're adjusting
the sign-off but not the sign-on.  That will happen in the summer
(if it ever comes) when I'm sure they'll set the transmitter to run in
accordance with FCC rules.  And yes, I have in fact sent e-mails (note the
plural) to the Friendly Communications Commissars (on this
and the non-stop operation of WPAA-FM)

Laurence Glavin
Methuen, MA


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