WHKY-AM in Hickory Can Go up to 50k watts . . Why not WFNZ?

In today's ENTERTAINMENT section of the local fishwrap, there was an article about how WHKY-AM in Hickory is upgrading its power from 5k to 50k watts. The entire project will cost $750k . . .


Now why can't Infinity Broadcasting 'Cough up the Cash' to improve WFNZ's week ass signal ? ?

 

Becuase nobody really want to listen to it.

 

Wouldn't they have to buy out all the stations in the country that use the 610 frequency? That's more than $750k.

 

I don't think so . . . Only if there is another 610 station in the new proposed broadcast area . . . I know there is a 610AM in Philly, but I don't think their signal reaches all the way down here . . .

 

Two words...

Satellite Radio

 

thats ya'lls answer to everything

i'm not paying to listen to the radio

 

You hear that, PantherPaul? Huh? Huh?

 

I read that in the Observer a couple of years ago I think. Use your vast research skills to find out, wouldja?

 

I may be mistaken (ok, I'm probably mistaken), but I believe AM stations transmit at one power level during the day, and drop down to a lower signal strength at night. I'm guessing buying the rights to stations with the same freq would allow them to transmit at 50 KW 24 hours.

 

We've talked about this over and over again on this and other boards. The FCC will not allow stations to interfere with each other. WFNZ can not increase power because it will cause interference to other stations on 610 KHz. WFNZ also must protect stations on either side on 610 and 2nd and 3rd harmonics as well.

The Long family has owned WHKY and WHKY-TV for as long as they have been on the air. They used to own what is now WLYT-FM. I guess they decided since they had to spend the money to build WHKY-DT that they would go ahead and try to increase 1290's power.

As luck would have it they could increase 1290's to 50,000 watts. Currently they are 5000 Watts day non-directional and 1000 Watts night with a 4 tower directional antenna. They have a permit to increase daytime power to 50,000 Watts day with a 3 tower directional and no increase in nighttime power...

If WFNZ could increase its daytime power it would be very unlikely that they could increase nighttime power. They would have to have a very tight pattern during the day. The fact of the matter is if you can't hear them now you most likely won't be able to hear them after any increase...

Yuck, Some AM stations do decrease power at night and some do not. WBT does not decrease power after sunset but does switch to directional to protect Omaha, Nebraska. Some AM stations are on what are called Clear Channels(not be confused with the mega station owner). WFAN, WCBS, WABC in New York are examples of Clear Channel stations. They do not decrease power at night and are non-directional day and night.

Other stations that do not decrease power are ones on so called local channels. WHVN Charlotte, WSTP Salisbury, WSIC Statesville are examples of local channel stations. They operate at 1000 Watts day and night non-directional. They can not be any higher than 1000 Watts.

As for Satellite radio...Its big negative is it will never be allowed to be local. The NAB would burn the FCC at the stake if they allow that to happen.

If they could carry all of the local stations like DirecTV and Dish do then they would have something. The problem is that don't have enough bandwidth to carry the channels they do now with decent quality. FCC will not allow them to carry just a few stations. They would have to carry all of them. That's a lot of stations.

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