Bob Edwards' Weekend audio tour of WSM (AM) transmitter site

[Dan.Strassberg]

It was sort of like a visit to Tower Site of the Week minus the photos
and minus Scott. Bob Edwards' Weekend, which, I gather, originates at
Sirius Satellite Radio and is syndicated to public radio stations
(locally, WGBH (FM) Sundays 10AM-noon) by either PRI or American
Public Media (not sure which), today featured during its second hour a
one-hour audio tour of the WSM (AM) 650 transmitter site near
Nashville.

Earlier this year, massive flooding (10' of water) forced WSM from its
studios and offices at the Opryland Hotel complex in Nashville. The
station moved lock, stock, and barrel to its Tx site, which was also
flooded but not not deeply enough to take the station off the air.
Apparently, WSM returned to its studios and offices at Opryland only
within the past few days. The program, which was recorded before that
return, was an audio tour of the transmitter building, the ATU
building, and the base insulator, with descriptions of the insulator
and what Edwards and WSM's Chief Engineer saw when they looked up at
the 808' Blaw-Knox diamond tower from ground level. Included in the
audio was the sound of the program WSM was airing at the time of the
recording as captured by Edwards' microphone from the coils in the ATU
network (no louspeaker necessary). Real radio for the AM geek!

Too bad that Sirius appears to have this podcast locked up behind a
firewall. I gather one can access it only by subscribing to Sirius.
Otherwise, I was going to suggest to Scott that he add a link to it at
the Tower Site of the Week Archives. I guess that isn't possible,
though. Scott's own pictorial visit to WSM is at:
http://www.fybush.com/site-020424.html

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