Month: October 2020

United Kingdom

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Tune in for more nostalgia with another Radio Caroline North broadcast this weekend 17th-18th October.
You’ll hear all the best music from the 60s – early 90s, plus the chance to win some goodies from our Web Shop, this time kindly sponsored by Alan and Dawn Sharp from Enfield, Middlesex.
Sadly again, due to ‘social distancing’ restrictions, we can’t use our radio-ship Ross Revenge this time, so the broadcast will be land-based.
Listen in on 648 AM in the South and South-East, on 1368 AM in the North and North-West courtesy of our friends at Manx Radio, the Radio Caroline app and around the world online here (via the Manx AM Radio Player).
We’d love to hear from during the broadcast via memories@radiocaroline.co.uk and remember, it’s the only email address that gets you straight through to our ‘North’ broadcasters directly.
http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/
Mike Terry to WOR groups.io (2020-10-15)

Italy

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Tonight [Oct. 14th] all channels of the RAI from Italy have synchronized their programs with a loop announcement. The same loop could be heard on the 900, 936, 900 and 1,575 kHz.

Unfortunately, Radio Milano has not been heard on 1602 kHz for several days now, only on Internet radio. I hope that Radio Milano will change the overcrowded frequency 1602 kHz to the current test frequency 927 kHz.

Currently – albeit irregularly – radio Z AM Milan can be received on 1350 kHz. However, its transmission power should only be a few 100 watts at most, because it is usually quite weak to receive.
Steffen Mehnert (2020-10-15)

United States

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Cumulus Media has turned in the licenses for a pair of AMs in Savannah GA.
Sports “900 The Ticket” WJLG notified the FCC on July 31 that its transmitter was damaged due to a lightning strike and was operating at 200 watts day as opposed to its licensed 4.35kW.
Co-located Conservative Talk 630 WBMQ went silent at the same time due to the damage to its transmitter. The company at the time told the FCC it was consulting with its engineers to determine if the transmitter can be repaired or if it needed to be replaced.
Rather than make the repairs the company has turned in the licenses for both stations back to the FCC. Both stations also had Construction Permits for unbuilt translators: 96.9 W245DD for WBMQ and 105.7 W289CL for WJLG. Cumulus continues to own four FMs in Savannah.
Artie Bigley in WOR groups.io (2020-10-14)

United States

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Ft. Wayne owner pulls plug on Digital-Only AM test after listeners complain.
As the Federal Communications Commission weighs whether to allow AM stations to voluntarily switch to all-digital broadcasting, a test run in Fort Wayne, IN offers a cautionary tale that the move from analog isn’t right for all operators. Owner Brian Walsh switched oldies WIOE (1450) to a digital-only signal in late May but he quickly moved back to an analog broadcast. Walsh reinstated the analog AM stereo broadcast in early-June from 6am to 6pm after he heard complaints from listeners who were no longer able to receive the station and believed WIOE was experiencing technical problems rather than taking a step into a digital future. That is despite the fact that WIOE has an FM sister – WIOE-FM (101.1). While AM digital remained in overnights, Walsh threw in the towel last month when he returned to analog 24-hours a day.
“I underestimated how many listeners were on that AM radio station,” said Walsh. “We couldn’t quite make that bridge with all the emails and phone calls that were received from listeners and I felt it was hurting the overall product of the station.” He told the Radio Show on Tuesday that WIOE’s format has been on the air for 18 years and its ratings have been solid, two factors that seemed to have worked against the move.
Despite his experience, Walsh said the digital AM signal worked as advertised with improved coverage and building penetration and less interference. “It just works perfectly all the way around,” he said. Listeners simply didn’t have the digital receivers to hear it today. Walsh hopes to one day resume WIOE’s digital broadcasts, and in the meantime it continues broadcasting in analog AM stereo.
Full article here:
http://www.insideradio.com/free/ft-wayne-owner-pulls-plug-on-digital-only-am-test-after-listeners-complain/article_415f616a-0862-11eb-b49e-df48d9611313.html
Mike Terry in WOR groups.io (2020-10-11)

United States

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DX TEST tonight on WNJC 1360 Washington Township.

I was able to get two FT8 decodes during tonight’s DX test at 054515 and 055200.
Mike Beu, Austin, TX to nrc-am via WOR groups.io (2020-10-11)

Listened from southern Kentucky but was not able to hear the test at WNJC.  I had the WNJC feed via internet but I could not hear their signal on my radio.  Lots of interference, primarily from 2 possibly 3 other stations on 1360 kHz.
Mike Newland, Morgantown, KY to nrc-am via WOR groups.io (2020-10-11)

After a few bits of code in the mix (4 dots three times, I think) just after midnight, I soon heard WNJC in More Code clearly three times, then three sweep tones, followed by a series of steady tones, and so on. Generally WNJC was above the mix, but I’m not very far away from the station: Hampstead, MD, listening on a CC Crane SW with a Tecsun loop. I’ve heard all the tests so far, BTW.
Sam Brainerd to WNJC 1360 AM DX Tests fb group (2020-10-11)