Jefferson Kay Audition Tape and Promotional Flyer

[Dan.Strassberg]

Due to some weired anomalies in the ground conductivity in the Capital
District, WPTR also has a pretty poor signal in parts of Albany just a
few miles from the transmitter site and is uncompetivie in the
northern Hudson Valley anywhere south of East Greenbush--an area that
is an essential part of the market. Back when WTRY was DA-1, it had a
better signal in all parts of the market except for Saratoga Springs,
where it could not cover well because it had to protect the 980 in
Montreal (since moved to 990). In the early to mid 60s, WTRY changed
from DA-1 to DA-N, which took care of Mechanicville and Saratoga by
day and increased the daytime signal strength in Schenectady as well,
at the expense of the signal strength in Albany and Troy. In Troy, in
particular, the signal strength remains very strong, however.

WPTR signed on in 1947 or 1948 with 10 kW-U DA-1 using the same
transmitter site, half-wave towers and pattern that it uses to this
day with 50 kW-U. In only a year or so, the station had increased to
50 kW-U. Supposedly, the increase was granted so quickly because the
signal in downtown Albany was so pathetic. Back then, AMs were
required to deliver 25 mV/m to the "principal business district" of
the CoL. Depute running 50 kW-U directionalized to the north and east
from a site on the Albany-Schenectady Rd midway between downtown
Albany and downtown Schenectady, WPTR, couldn't come close to 25 mV/m
in downtown Albany. Even after the increase to 50 kW-U, the signal in
downtown Albany could not be characterized as a "solid" 25 mV/m!
Meanwhile, in downtown Schenctady, an equal distance from the WPTR Tx,
the signal exceeded 75 mV/m!

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "SteveOrdinetz" <hykker@wildblue.net>
To: "(newsgroup) Boston-Radio-Interest"
<boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 11:57 PM
Subject: Re: Jefferson Kay Audition Tape and Promotional Flyer


> At 05:22 PM 6/27/2008, Kevin Vahey wrote:
>
>
>>Funny thing about KB in the 60's it never did well in the city
>>itself
>>as WYSL at 1400 owned the Top 40 market and later WGR.
>
>
> I had always heard the same about WPTR in Albany.  Despite their
> strong (highly directional) signal that blasted into Vermont, N.H.
> and Maine I've heard that in the tri-cities themselves WTRY ate
> their lunch.  Of course 1540 puts no signal to the west...indeed
> they're long gone by the time you get to Amsterdam on the N.Y.
> Thruway.
> I'd guess that, like many AMs today their signal has deteriorated
> considerably.