"Left, right, whatever" talk station gone in D.C.

[Scott Fybush]

Dan.Strassberg wrote:
> But the link says nothing about what happens to WFED 1050, the station
> at which Bonnerville originated the federal news format. Bonneville
> has (I believe) been granted a CP to increase WFED's day power from
> the current 1 kW ND to 3 kW ND. The night power will remain a few tens
> of watts unless/until Bonneville or a new owner finds a site where it
> can construct an approptiate DA to protect WEPN and KYW and commits
> the necessary $$$ to the project.

WFED has now powered up to 3 kW daytime. Word is that Bonneville will 
put it up for sale. There's nothing they really need it for now.

As for the claim that 1500 is "the best AM signal in Washington," not 
hardly. WMAL 630 and WTEM 980 both reach more population by day, and 
WMAL also reaches more population within the market at night. 1500 is a 
classic example of an AM whose market utterly outgrew its signal. The 
population growth is deep into Montgomery County, Maryland and northern 
Virginia, all areas that are deep in 1500's nighttime null. WMAL serves 
most of that area adequately, and even 980 does better at night in that 
area than 1500 does.

And of course the combination of NIMBYs, expensive land and protection 
for Dulles Airport flight paths pretty much prevents any of these 
stations from moving to more suitable locations. (WMAL could afford it, 
at least; its transmitter site sits on a big piece of some VERY valuable 
land near the I-270/Beltway interchange, just down the street from the 
famed Burning Tree golf course.)

s