WCPT Signal

I was over on Randi Rhodes' message boards and came across the following thread:

http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/randirhodes/messageboards/index.php?showtopic=52170

Some interesting stuff. Basically, the station manager mentioned at a meetup the possibility of: 1) Moving to 750AM (depending on ratings) 2) Simulcasting with WCFJ - 1470 AM.

I don't know much about radio in the area, but I thought you guys might find this thread interesting.

> 2) Simulcasting with WCFJ -
> 1470 AM.

Interesting... At least half the area would get it 24 hours a day, then.

-A<P ID="signature">______________
</P>

> > 2) Simulcasting with WCFJ -
> > 1470 AM.
>
> Interesting... At least half the area would get it 24 hours
> a day, then.
>
> -A
>

If Relevant Radio ever goes bye bye from 820 (Sporting News Radio was replaced by Relevant) 820 would be the perfect place for it. 820 blankets the whole area. There was a CP to allow night operation but I think it never went through. My guess is that won't happen since Relevent Radio, 750, 1240 and 1470 is where the real $$$$$ is.
<P ID="signature">______________
Jeremy Andrews

</P>

> > > 2) Simulcasting with WCFJ -
> > > 1470 AM.
> >
> > Interesting... At least half the area would get it 24
> hours
> > a day, then.
> >
> > -A
> >
>
> If Relevant Radio ever goes bye bye from 820 (Sporting News
> Radio was replaced by Relevant) 820 would be the perfect
> place for it. 820 blankets the whole area. There was a CP to
> allow night operation but I think it never went through. My
> guess is that won't happen since Relevent Radio, 750, 1240
> and 1470 is where the real $$$$$ is.
>
1240 and 1470 already are simulcasts, so I doubt the simulcast would be broken from those frequencies. Outside of Chicago, only the northern and western suburbs can hear 1240 since 1230 hammers 1240 in the south suburbs.
Relevant Radio will likely stay on 820, but I think Starboard might someday try and buy the station and eventually get it back to a 24 hour station.

> There was a CP to
> allow night operation but I think it never went through.

It was issued but never built. IIRC it was for 1200 watts from the SW burbs aiming the signal north-west. Wonder if they could get another one for 820 and maybe work a deal with Salem to diplex on the new 1160 site?

-A <P ID="signature">______________
</P>

> > There was a CP to
> > allow night operation but I think it never went through.
>
> It was issued but never built. IIRC it was for 1200 watts
> from the SW burbs aiming the signal north-west. Wonder if
> they could get another one for 820 and maybe work a deal
> with Salem to diplex on the new 1160 site?
>
> -A
>
If Newsweb did try to see if they could get a new CP and diplex Salem's night night site, that's if the tower site is spaced to protect WBAP and any other stations on 820. I don't know how situations like that are where there are 2 stations using 2 different directional patterns. But one thing that would come out of this is if they do go to nights, then they can successfully change the COL to Willow Springs, or was it another station that was supposed to Willow Springs.

> then they can successfully change the COL to Willow
> Springs, or was it another station that was supposed to
> Willow Springs.

I believe it was 850 that was supposed to go to WS with 820 going to Addison.

-A<P ID="signature">______________
</P>

> If Newsweb did try to see if they could get a new CP and
> diplex Salem's night night site, that's if the tower site is
> spaced to protect WBAP and any other stations on 820.

Back in the days when 820 was broadcasting from Elmhurst they had 1KW of power and 4 towers. In downtown Chicago you could barely hear them but WBAP was very clear. Moving 820 out to Lockport would likely put less signal over Chicago than they had at nite back in the 80's...WBAP owns that channel at nite...yep, I was the Chief back then...

Is it just me or does WCPT decrease their wattage before sign-off? I live north of Elgin which has a strong signal during their broadcast day. It sounds less "strong" at 8 or 8:15pm. If they do decrease their power, does anyone know to how much? Thanks.<P ID="signature">______________
-Alan (WRMN 1410 Radio Mexico)</P>

> > then they can successfully change the COL to Willow
> > Springs, or was it another station that was supposed to
> > Willow Springs.
>
> I believe it was 850 that was supposed to go to WS with 820
> going to Addison.
>
> -A
>
820 would go to Willow Springs & 850 to Addison if the FCC approves the apps. I can only see 820 being granted, providing Newsweb puts an app. in for a night site, gets a CP. when the app is approved, & gets a night site built to operate 24/7.

> Is it just me or does WCPT decrease their wattage before
> sign-off? I live north of Elgin which has a strong signal
> during their broadcast day. It sounds less "strong" at 8 or
> 8:15pm. If they do decrease their power, does anyone know to
> how much? Thanks.
>
According to the FCC website, they don't decrease their power after local sunset. It's less strong outside local ground coverage because of KOA hammering on WCPT around local sunset. Just like WJJG, which has fringe coverage in NW Indiana since the upgrade, and it gets hammered by WCKY before local sunset.

> > Is it just me or does WCPT decrease their wattage before
> > sign-off? I live north of Elgin which has a strong signal
> > during their broadcast day. It sounds less "strong" at 8
> or
> > 8:15pm. If they do decrease their power, does anyone know
> to
> > how much? Thanks.
> >
> According to the FCC website, they don't decrease their
> power after local sunset. It's less strong outside local
> ground coverage because of KOA hammering on WCPT around
> local sunset. Just like WJJG, which has fringe coverage in
> NW Indiana since the upgrade, and it gets hammered by WCKY
> before local sunset.
>
There is definitely a power decrease after local sunset (critical time operation). While the FCC web site does not state this, I would say that they are down to 500 watts after local sunset.

WCPT Does Lower Power

After looking through my old stuff, I found an information sheet for 850 AM that was sent to me at the beginning of last year. It is indeed correct, WCPT lowers their power to 500 watts for a PSSA authority. During June, the power should go down at 9:30pm. I also was reading on this info sheet that they can operate until 10:30pm but have to again decrease power at 9:30pm to
15 watts which is very little power which apparently they don't use. <P ID="signature">______________
-Alan (WRMN 1410 Radio Mexico)</P>