Re: Fwd: Herald: Is WWZN dragging down SNR?

["Sid Schweiger" <sid@wrko.com>]

>>I have noticed a gradual but noticeable upswing in colleges who are prepared to spend a LOT of money on a radio station (I have heard numbers close to seven figures tossed around).<<

"A lot of money" is one thing (and I've heard of this too, although the money is generally for construction rather than ongoing operating costs).  "A bottomless pit of money, with no end in sight," which is what maintenance and troubleshooting an AM directional can easily become, is quite another.

In fact, I well remember a problem that John Kennedy (who responded in this thread) spent a few months resolving with what is now the WWZN array.  The parameters were off, and John ended up having to literally pick the phasor components out one by one, and take them somewhere to have them tested.  Unless a college station is run by professionals, what group of students is going to have time to do all that, with classes, papers, projects, exams AND the FCC breathing down their necks?  Further, what group of students (yes, even EE students) knows enough about AM directionals to be able to properly maintain and troubleshoot the array?

I know whereof I speak, BTW.  I went to Cornell for a brief time.  Their student-run station was and still is a commercial FM operation...and was known campus-wide for the flunk-out rate of its staff.



Sid Schweiger
MIS Manager, Entercom Boston LLC
WAAF - WEEI - WQSX - WRKO - WVEI
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid@wrko.com