[IRCA] WBEY 1370 Calera, AL "Fallen Flags"

[Les Rayburn <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Out driving yesterday, when my wife and I passed a run-down sign that 
was so sun-bleached as to almost be unreadable. But a quick glance at 
the business associated with the sign made me realize that I was looking 
at W-B-E-Y, 1370 AM.

I turned around and went back for a closer look. A quick turn of the 
dial told me that the station was off the air...and I couldn't recall if 
it was in my log book at home. I took a few pictures using my cell phone 
camera, as we had a look around.

In back of the building was a large fiberglass C-Band satellite dish, 
that I imagined had once received programming from some other source. 
But no evidence of an STL link. Instead, I found a tall telephone pole 
with what looked like the remains of a 40 meter dipole mounted near the 
top. 50 ohm coax ran from inside the building to the top of the pole. 
Could someone had loaded up
this for use as the stations antenna?

The large faded letters on the front of the building were almost like 
the voice of a ghost. It was sad, and nostalgic---all at the same time.

Railroad fans use the term "fallen flags" to refer to railroads that no 
longer exist. Think of companies like Conrail, or Southern. Their 
boxcars can still be seen on trains today, echoes from railroads past. I 
couldn't help but thinking of the term "Fallen Flag" when it came to 
this station. Had it once been a hometown hero, reporting on local 
happenings, lost dogs, and obituaries. Or was it one of the many 
gospel/religious stations that seem to dot the southern landscape more 
than any other?

A quick check of Wikipedia revealed a little more, but not much. It 
looks like the station went off the air in 2002---but it's absent from 
my logbook. How could I have missed a 1,000 watt daytime only station, 
less than 15 miles from my home? Hmmm....

I wonder if anyone out there logged this station? And I can't help but 
wonder how many more stations like this we'll lose in the years ahead.


--
73,


Les Rayburn, N1LF
Maylene, AL
EM63

Member NRC, IRCA, & Medium Wave DX Circle
Former CPC Chairman for NRC/IRCA

Elad FDM-S2 SDR, SDR-IQ,Funcube Pro, Wellbrooke ALA-1530+ loop, Clifton 
Lab Active Whip,
Quantum Phaser, Kiwa Loop, Palstar MW Pre-Selector

_______________________________________________
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