Re: [IRCA] [NRC-AM] Re: WATO 1290 Oak Ridge, TN

["HASCALL, DAVID CIV DFAS" <DAVID.HASCALL@xxxxxxxx>]

Yep - One would have "thunk" that something would have been noted or
reported over the few days that WATO stayed on.   I heard a rumor that
WLNG 1600 NY, before they were paid to go dark, was off for like a week
and no one reported it.  I do find that odd that a purported "home town"
radio station didn't know that its AM was off - but maybe most listened
to WLNG's FM.

At any rate, it is sad but I do have WATO in my log.  I checked my book
and it was 9-29-1986, which was a Monday.  I feel bad for the community,
which seems to be an aging one.  They aren't the first and won't
(unfortunately) be the last.  Thanks for the news.

73,
Dave in Indy


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:22:21 -0400
From: "Jim Tonne" <tonne@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IRCA] [NRC-AM] Re: WATO 1290 Oak Ridge, TN
To: <am@xxxxxxxxxxx>,	"Mailing list for the International Radio Club
	of America"	<irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: am@xxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <004001c932e9$2d255580$0202a8c0@jim177093b3dd9>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"


Paul:

> The station even stayed on the air for the few days after the tower
fell

You know darn well some of the meter readings were WAY OFF!  
But if you are not concerned about such trivial matters, then I spose 
it would be possible!  But wouldn't a plate overload trip, maybe?
The tower that fell was used both day and night in their DA-2
pattern.

> WATO simulcasted with two other Horne Radio, Inc stations, 

I don't think that is true.  Horne owned others, yes.  But I have
personally wondered about this and so on occasion I used to
switch from each to the other.  They are all fairly "local."  Every
time I did this the programs were different.  Horne has 4 or 5
local stations.

In the case of the Horne station on 670, they have had some
fairly amusing problems.  One was going for an entire day with
NO modulation!  Just how in heck they would do that is beyond
me for sure.  In the good old days when I was CE at KBIM,
a few MINUTES of dead air would get my attention right now!

But when I talked with David Clary I asked him point blank:
"Mr. Clary, might WMTY be, perhaps, a transmitter building
with a computer inside delivering the programming?"  Note the
kind of cautious wording of my question.  The reply was a
quiet grin followed by the word "Exactly."   It sounded like a
juke box with a short block of promos and spots at 7 minutes
past each quarter hour.  (12:07, 12:22, 12:37, 12:52, for
example).  It dawned on me that this was so when they signed
off (VERY abruptly, by a clock obviously) they would not ever
cut off a spot.   Gotta give them credit for going off when they
should have.  Then Chicago would come rolling in!

- JimT



_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx