Police investigating ‘trashing’ of radio transmitter site.
Scott Siler, chief operating officer for EAB Media Group, told K8 News that KBTM’s transmitter site [1230 kHz], located on Aggie Road near Arkansas State University’s farm, sustained “extreme” damage.
Police believe the vandalism occurred on two separate occasions: Nov. 1 and 13.
According to the incident report, the vandals forced their way through the front door and “trashed” the building.

“Several pieces of radio equipment were either damaged or destroyed,” Siler said. He said Jonesboro police are investigating, but federal agents might be called in.
“It is a federal crime with a prison term of 10 years and a fine,” Siler said, noting that KBTM, like all radio and TV stations, is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.
https://www.kait8.com/2024/11/18/police-investigating-trashing-radio-transmitter-site/

Radio World (2024-11-19)

The next Radio Caroline North (648 kHz) broadcast from Ross Revenge over the weekend of 14th – 15th December.
https://radiocaroline.co.uk/#home.html

Nico from Gouda, HOL (2024-11-18)

WNYC (AM) 820 Set to Test All-Digital AM in December.
New York Public Radio and NAB will observe co-channel interference and MA3 performance in an urban setting. 820 WNYC(AM) plans to conduct an all-digital MA3 test of AM HD Radio next month.
The test is pending FCC approval, but its owner, New York Public Radio, expects to receive the go-ahead.

NAB is supporting NYPR’s effort, and its Vice President of Advanced Engineering David Layer says all-digital AM is becoming a more viable piece of technology for broadcasters. He cited the increased presence of HD Radio in the marketplace. Fifty-eight percent of new cars in North America ship with the technology, according to Xperi.

On the day of the test, Dec. 8, Steve Shultis, Jim Stagnitto and Dannie Raghunath from NYPR’s engineering team plan to drive around New York City’s perimeter in what Shultis described as a “corkscrew” route. They will assess the digital signal’s performance in the outer boroughs of the city and then turn inward to areas like downtown Brooklyn, Manhattan’s Wall Street and Lower Broadway. The trip will conclude by going directly north through midtown. Representatives from Xperi will also be present, and the HD Radio developer will provide a vehicle and equipment to measure and record observations during the test.

“We need to see how this sounds in the urban canyons,” Shultis, NYPR’s chief technology officer, explained, characterizing the chance as groundbreaking to test HD-only AM in a major urban setting like New York City and the surrounding Tri-State region. He complimented the diligence of his two lead engineers, Stagnitto, NYPR’s director of engineering, and Raghunath, its assistant director of engineering, RF system, on the project.

820 WNYC runs 10 kW directional daytime and 1 kW directional at night. Under the test, WNYC will turn off its analog transmitter and run the IBOC digital standard exclusively. The main transmitter to be used is a Nautel XR12 using an AM IBOC digital Nautel exciter, provided by Xperi. Shultis says the power level will be set according to the IBOC AM mask measurement method with support from Nautel representatives to determine the precise level.
NYPR and NAB see this as a doubly beneficial opportunity, as Hubbard’s all-digital 820 WSHE(AM) in Frederick, Md., operates on the same frequency. Shultis is especially curious about WNYC(AM)’s HD performance in its back-lobe directional null southwest of the transmitter site. In areas like New Jersey, he has received reports of WSHE’s HD signal decoding over WNYC’s analog signal. “I’d expect our HD signal to decode instead during the test, but it’s those kinds of scenarios we’ll be watching for,” he said.

Layer said NAB will conduct drive tests through WSHE’s northern coverage area to check for any interference. “It’s the first opportunity to characterize co-channel performance between stations,” he said.

WSHE is one of a small handful of AM stations operating with the MA3 all-digital mode; in fact Radio World knows of only two doing so full-time at present, the other being 1260 WYDE(AM) in Birmingham, Ala., owned by Crawford Broadcasting. 1470 WYGG(AM) in Egypt Lake, Fla., experimented with the mode, as have 650 WSRO(AM) in Ashland, Mass., and 1230 WFAS(AM) in White Plains, N.Y., but each is now silent.

Shultis has also reached out to SBE’s NYC Chapter 15, inviting members to submit reports on test day. “It works out well that it’s a Sunday, as traffic should be light and we can all cover a lot of ground,” he noted. He welcomes feedback from listeners and hobbyists and indicated WNYC will run on-air promos about the test as the date approaches.

With the medium being examined in the public sphere, as bipartisan support continues to roll in for the proposed AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act, Shultis says he sees this exercise as very instructive.

“I think the question that’s on everyone’s mind is if AM can stand a chance against the volatile world of electromagnetic interference,” he said.

WNYC, under Shultis, was an early adopter of the IBOC standard for both its main 93.9 FM signal and the initial hybrid AM form. It began testing HD Radio on FM as early as 2003. 820 AM primarily simulcasts 93.9 FM’s programming.

MA3 was authorized by the FCC in 2020, which NAB says it was instrumental in securing.

Radio World (2024-11-18)

MW Changes.
Audacy News/Talk 830 WCCO Minneapolis would celebrate the 100th anniversary of operating from the same site in Coon Rapids MN on March 4, 2025 (and current towers since 1939). But, it will not remain there much longer as the company is seeking to move the station to its current auxiliary site a few miles north in Anoka. From the current auxiliary site, WCCO will operate with 50kW day and 45kW night. Audacy had placed both the current and aux site in its Audacy Atlas divestiture holding company in early 2023.
Birach Broadcasting’s Brokered 770 WEW St. Louis MO applies to relocate to the site of co-owned 880 WIJR Highland IL. WEW will operate with 10kW day and 115 watts night.
Christopher Johnson’s Silent 880 WAMI Opp AL seeks to relocate to Clanton with 1kW day and 7 watts night.
Lakes Media’s “Mountain Country 97” 1420 WASR Wolfeboro NH applies to decrease daytime power from 5kW to 500 watts, while remaining at 137 watts night.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/287228/fcc-report-11-17-wcco-on-the-move/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=radioinsight_daily_
2024_11_17&utm_term=2024-11-17

Lance Venta, Radio Insight (2024-11-17)

Arctic 252 – Our Programmes – Broadcast schedule

November Setup and testing (dates to be announced)
December 25, 26, 27th Christmas special broadcasts
December 31st Special year end broadcast
2025 Weekend broadcasts TBA

https://arcticradio.net/schedule

Kari Kallio to nordx iog (2024-11-17)

Overview of AM radio stations in Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area.
In the post of 22/07/2024 we published a list containing a survey of Sound Broadcasting Stations transmitting on Amplitude Modulation from the AMBA area (Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area). Four months after that publication, we have learned that the movement of the ether has revealed only a few station cancellations, such as: 1100 KHz RADIO ESTILO (Glew); 1300 KHz RADIO LA SALADA (Ingeniero Budge); and 1560 KHz RADIO SELVA (Ituzaingó).
In addition, the following stations are reported as ‘irregular’: 1080 KHz RADIO CLARIDAD (Monte Grande); 1480 KHz LA 14-80 TU VOZ EN RADIO (Tapiales); 1640 KHz RADIO HOSANNA ‘Dios Salva Hoy’ (Isidro Casanova); and 1660 KHz RADIO REVIVIR (Isidro Casanova).
There are two stations from the locality of General Rodríguez that have not been on the air for months due to having suffered the rain and wind storms at the end of 2023, they are: 1590 KHz RADIO OLIVERA; and 1610 KHz RADIO MACHAGAI.
Finally, we consider off the air: 1150 KHz RADIO MARIA ARGENTINA (San Justo); 1230 KHz RADIO CREATIVA (Valentín Alsina); 1240 KHz CADENA UNO (Ciudadela); 1360 KHz RADIO ITATÍ (Morón); and 1540 KHz RADIO ZOROBABEL (Monte Grande).
It is important to note that no new AM station has been on the air in the AMBA for some time, with the sole exception of 1490 KHz RADIO CHARRÚA (Ezeiza) at the beginning of 2024, broadcasting irregularly.

Argentina en AM y FM Facebook page (2024-11-17)