WMYR-AM 1410 Fort Myers History

Ok, enough speculation. I have the original proof in front of me dated January 1970, and it indicates the following stations as protected. Of
course, some have changed calls since then but most are easy to figure out. The pattern has not changed nor has the protections since then.

Stations protected are: a deep null at 153 degrees protects CMHC 315.8 miles away, a deep null at 309 degrees protects WALA 466.2 miles away, a deep null at 353 degrees protects WING 912 miles away and a small null at 24 degrees protects WPOP 1162.2 miles away.

That's 5kw nights, no KQV isn't a factor.

Don't ask any questions about format, I don't make that call
Capt Bob
CE WMYR

What station is CMHC? That appears to be Canadian since the first letter is a C" but the mileage is way off at 315.8 miles from Fort Myers for any Canadian station.

There are a few stations in Cuba on 1410 with Cxxx call signs. Right distance, right bearing, although that particular call sign does not show up.

If it is a Cuban co-channel station, that would definately explain why the night signal cannot be sent any further South.

jmtillery said:

What station is CMHC? That appears to be Canadian since the first letter is a C" but the mileage is way off at 315.8 miles from Fort Myers for any Canadian station.

Click to expand...

I checked, I could not find any Canadian stations with the call letters CMHC, so maybe it was a typo? ???

It's not a typo, as I said some of these calls have changed since the 70's when the original construction permit was issued. Looks like this one is in Cuba or South America probably operates under a new call sign now. It's extreamly difficult to track Cuban radio because it's not in the FCC data base and they don't always alert other countries about channel changes. It's not Canadian, how could it be with a heading to the South of Fort Myers?

FYI, prior to the permit date I told you about, WMYR operated with only two towers ( now three ) with a cardeiod pattern and transmitted 5kw day nondirectional and 500 watts directional at night . The towers were not in the same azmuth as today. If you visit the site you will see the pedistal on which the previous tower sat. It's North of the Eastern most tower. When WMYR changed to three towers and 5kw both day and night they moved the tower on that pedistal to a new pedistal West of the middle tower and bought a used tower from WIOD in Miami and put it on a new pedistal they built East of the middle tower. The WIOD tower was larger on a face and they installed a four bay horozontal FM antenna on it as they had obtained a construction permit to build an FM station at about the same time. The FM became WHEW FM which was later moved to a 1,000 foot tower in the country side and sold to Renda broadcasting and now is Gator Country . There are no records left of what stations were protected or what the pattern looked like when WMYR ran only two towers.


The old WIOD tower deteriated and rotted out so badly you could see through the legs. After a failed attempt to keep it up by using cloths line tied to the legs it toppled during huracaine Charlie. The center tower began to sink into the ground and some amature construction engineers rigged up a contrivence that held it up using three fence posts and anchors drilled into the ground. That tower remained up unitl it was toppled by the crew to replace it with a new tower. The Western tower which had been moved from it's original pedistal was in good shape but was replaced as well when Relevant Radio took the station over.

For those looking for CMHC I don't find the call sign anywhere other than Canada which ofcourse isn't South America or Cuba but I did find CMHW at exactly the same distance and bearing as shown on the original WMYR permit as being protected. The latest DX guide posted shows CMHW is now on 850khz and may have moved. I noticed that 1410 is in use on Cuba at three places, Guantanamo, Santa Cruz and Pinar Rio. The Santa Cruz station is almost exactly on the bearing that WMYR protects only another 100 miles South. I'll bet CMHC is now CMHW and was moved to 850khz after which they put 1410khz on at Santa Cruz. Incidently the Santa Cruz calls are CMHP

CaptBob92 said:

For those looking for CMHC I don't find the call sign anywhere other than Canada which ofcourse isn't South America or Cuba but I did find CMHW at exactly the same distance and bearing as shown on the original WMYR permit as being protected. The latest DX guide posted shows CMHW is now on 850khz and may have moved. I noticed that 1410 is in use on Cuba at three places, Guantanamo, Santa Cruz and Pinar Rio. The Santa Cruz station is almost exactly on the bearing that WMYR protects only another 100 miles South. I'll bet CMHC is now CMHW and was moved to 850khz after which they put 1410khz on at Santa Cruz. Incidently the Santa Cruz calls are CMHP

Click to expand...

That's a very interesting chain of events and certainly fills in a few gaps. Thank you for the detailed explaination.

CMHC is referring to a Cuban Station. Canadian broadcast call signs run with "C" prefixes run with the two letters CF, CG, CH, CI, CJ, CK, and in Newfound/Labrador, they have some "VO.." prefixes (VOAR and VOCM, if I recall correctly are two broadcasters in that area).

Cool! That explains a whole lot. I knew KQV was not a factor at all. WPOP maybe slightly. Is 1410 a clear channel in Canada or points south?

Capt. Bob. Since WALA, Mobile is dark, isn't it possible to let out that null? Or do you have to wait until the license is either turned in or expires?

jrobert said:

Cool! That explains a whole lot. I knew KQV was not a factor at all. WPOP maybe slightly. Is 1410 a clear channel in Canada or points south?

Capt. Bob. Since WALA, Mobile is dark, isn't it possible to let out that null? Or do you have to wait until the license is either turned in or expires?

Click to expand...

I can answer that question for you. As long as the license is valid, the contour must be protected even though the station is dark. Until the license is no longer valid, it is still treated as though it is on the air. Once the license either expires (and is not renewed or in the "pending" renewal stage) or is deleted, then it is no longer a factor and other stations may apply to take advantage of any technical upgrades that may be available as a result of the protected license no longer being in force.

I don't believe WALA is Dark, I believe it changed calls to WNGL.

jmtillery said:

I can answer that question for you. As long as the license is valid, the contour must be protected even though the station is dark. Until the license is no longer valid, it is still treated as though it is on the air. Once the license either expires (and is not renewed or in the "pending" renewal stage) or is deleted, then it is no longer a factor and other stations may apply to take advantage of any technical upgrades that may be available as a result of the protected license no longer being in force.

Click to expand...

If said station is owned by an owner of another station and they want to protect another co-owned station, the protection can be modify as in the case with Intercity's purchase of WOWO to depower and deflower in favor of better coverage for WLIB.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
(still in NJ for another week)

Swamp Head

WMYR came to life when Brad Lacey moved his family & joined about 1955. He anchored the night time programing as "Uncle Brad" & spoke in an affected country voice. On the news breaks, he became "John Cameron Gooney" & did a straight-up newscast.

He was also a promoter. Using his connections at Opry, he brought top flight entertainers to a starved little town. It's true, Elvis played Ft Myers on his first your. This with Hank Snow. He actually returned for a second appearance, both at the now destroyed Civic Center.

That's all true.

and Elvis brings up this story:

While working at WMYR in 2005 We hasd a lady there who had been with the station for many years and she told the story of the Elvis toilet seat. Seems when Elvis visted the station he had to use the facilities. When he left the staff immeidiently removed the tolet seat and packed it away as a suvinior. Later, an employees who had joined the staff after the visit was cleaning out the storage area and threw out the seat by mistake. They morned the loss of that seat until I left.

Unregistered said:

WMYR came to life when Brad Lacey moved his family & joined about 1955. He anchored the night time programing as "Uncle Brad" & spoke in an affected country voice. On the news breaks, he became "John Cameron Gooney" & did a straight-up newscast.

He was also a promoter. Using his connections at Opry, he brought top flight entertainers to a starved little town. It's true, Elvis played Ft Myers on his first your. This with Hank Snow. He actually returned for a second appearance, both at the now destroyed Civic Center.

Click to expand...

Where was the original Civic Center located?