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Spanish station caught on dial 1290

S

Schlep82

Regular Participant
Last night I stumbled to a station that plays Spanish, I think the radio station is using nighttime directional pattern of the radio station.
I've searched on Radio-Locator for the genre of the station. Other stations don't play Spanish in their genre, I just saw.
Then I just founded this radio station from Canton, Georgia (Near Atlanta) and I just heard the name of their radio station while I started searching this station up.
Radio-Locator said that this station broadcasting 10,000 Watts but at the nighttime it's just 500 watts. I heard their radio station very weak and I think it may have appear on nighttime directional wattage.
They're call letters are WCHK "La Mega". What an odd catch for this radio station, I've never fought that some daytime radio stations can go in directions while broadcasting their watts!
I know that KAAY, CKLW, and some other stations are directional.
So, 1290 WCHK is pretty weak but it was kind of hearable most of the time.
If I hear another radio station on a dial but not a 50KW or a huge radio station covering the dial, I'll talk about it right here.
 
Schlep82 said:
Last night I stumbled to a station that plays Spanish, I think the radio station is using nighttime directional pattern of the radio station.
.
Click to expand...

What's probably happening is that they are operating on day power at night. WCHK's night pattern doesn't favor Ohio.

It's not supposed to happen, but from time to time, either because of human error, equipment malfunction, or even intentionally, stations sometimes don't power down at night. Sometimes daytime stations remain on at night when they shouldn't because the transmitter never gets turned off.

Of course, when a station operates in an unauthorized manner, it's illegal. But it also can create a DX opportunity until the station returns to compliance.
 
The ethnic AMs in the Atlanta market are notorious for not powering down. Cox may want to have a word with this station
 
gr8oldies said:
The ethnic AMs in the Atlanta market are notorious for not powering down. Cox may want to have a word with this station
Click to expand...

This certainly is becoming more and more common. "Bsck in the day", not complying with FCC rules regarding authorized power, hours of operation, etc. was regarded as serious business. Now apparently, the FCC.....and for that matter, the CRTC....seem to have other fish to fry.
 
I live fairly close to WCHK, and have heard them on "after hours" many times. I do not believe they operate the three tower night system at all...although it is still standing.
 
I caught the Hispanic station on 840 in Columbia SC operating high power after hours, destroying reception of WHAS here in Atlanta recently.
I think there is a philosophy among Hispanics that our laws do not apply to them. That is because this country belongs to them. We STOLE it from them.
This has been brought out in the court system.
 
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kf4rca said:
We STOLE it from them.
Click to expand...
Only a half dozen or so southwestern states,
but if they want to follow Mexican law,
Mexica has treaties and would not interfere with US stations either.
 
kf4rca said:
I caught the Hispanic station on 840 in Columbia SC operating high power after hours, destroying reception of WHAS here in Atlanta recently.
I think there is a philosophy among Hispanics that our laws do not apply to them. That is because this country belongs to them. We STOLE it from them.
This has been brought out in the court system.
Click to expand...

The only Hispanics I have encountered who believe that BS (and this comes from 45 years of working with Spanish language stations from Houston and McAllen to Albuquerque and LA and Fresno) are a little group of MEChA members. MEChA is a small-ish movement that wants to take "their" land back from the US and keep it for themselves as a new nation of Chicanos ("Chicanos" being neither Mexican nor American by their logic). The movement is small and not held in high regard by most Hispanics in the US.

I see no evidence that Hispanics in the US don't follow US laws to any greater extent than any other groups or ethnicities.

In any case, your contention would only apply to Hispanics of Mexican origin or heritage since it refers to the lands in the American Southwest that came to the US due to conflicts and treaties about a 170 and more years ago.

Usually failure to reduce power or otherwise comply with certain FCC regulations seems to be more of a language and understanding issue than a political stance or attitude.
 
ai4i said:
Only a half dozen or so southwestern states,
but if they want to follow Mexican law,
Mexica has treaties and would not interfere with US stations either.
Click to expand...

Interestingly, Mexico has different rules on daytimers, where sunrise is always 6 AM and sunset always at 7 PM.
 
CTListener said:
Why should WHAS care if someone in Atlanta can hear it?
Click to expand...


If the signal is being trashed in ATL it is likely being trashed in many parts of KY.
 
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Speaking of 1290, there was a station in Kentucky (WKLB Manchester) that by some fluke or misprint on their license, had authorization for full daytime facilities starting at 5:45am in December, and they used it too. The rest of the months were correct. They wreaked havoc with WHIO in Dayton, even in their main coverage area. Cox finally got that straightened out with the station and the FCC.
 
LaRaza is, once again, on top of them (WHAS 840) all night long. Arrrghhh!!!
 
kf4rca said:
LaRaza is, once again, on top of them (WHAS 840) all night long. Arrrghhh!!!
Click to expand...

Per Davis Broadcasting, 1290 is the simulcast partner for a translator at 96.5 and uses the name "Mega 96.5" on air and plays rhythmic, mostly Caribbean music. A call to Brian Barber, the manager, at 770-623-8772 to tell him that the AM is not being turned off at night might do the trick.

This format has been on 1290 since may, per the press release:

"Davis Broadcasting Launches Latin/Pop 'La Nueva Mega'/Atlanta
March 21, 2017

Now On The Air

DAVIS BROADCASTING/ATLANTA has launched Latin/Pop LA NUEVA MEGA 96.5 FM and 1290 AM, which will focus on the entire Hispanic Community in the market by playing music by the likes of ENRIQUE IGLESIAS, SHAKIRA, MALUMA, LUIS FONSI, DADDY YANKEE, JUANES, RICKY MARTIN, MANA, PRINCE ROYCE, MARC ANTONY, CAMILA, ROMEO SANTOS and many more.

The new station joins sister LA RAZA 102.3/100.1 to co-host the annual free “LA RAZA FEST” music festival at the GWINNETT PLACE MALL on SUNDAY, MAY 14th."


Note that none of the artists mentioned are Mexican, so you should not be making specific comments about how somehow the lack of powering down has anything to do with nationality.
 
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The title of this thread had me confused that a
Spanish station might have drifted up from 1287 KHz.
 
ai4i said:
The title of this thread had me confused that a
Spanish station might have drifted up from 1287 KHz.
Click to expand...

There is some confusion here with the OP mentioning 1290 being on after sundown, and then a sidebar about 840 Louisville being interfered with by a co-channel in Columbia, SC. "1290" is in the post title.

Since 1290 is a sister to Atlanta's La Raza simulcast and another poster commented on Atlanta issues, I assumed the remark was referent to the Atlanta station. At this point, who knows.

The 840 in Columbia is going through a sale right now, so it that station is the subject, the change in ownership may be the cause.
 
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