Auction 84 offers AMs to limited bidding pool

[RBR-TVBR Buzz Stream]

The seeds of the AM stations that are about to go on the FCC auction block date all the way back to 11/6/03, when the FCC first announced a window for proposals aimed at their creation. Now, more than ten years later, their auction to a group of mutually-exclusive proponents has been announced.

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[jd]

The auction is set for May of next year. Hypothetically, how many more years would it be before any of them actually would sign on? The highest priced bid is in Culver City CA, with high-priced real estate and poor ground conductivity all around. Seriously, does anyone think even that one would be worth the expense? For that matter you have to ask why anyone would begin building a new AM in 2014. The whole thing is useless and destined to be a colossal failure.

 

[Carmine5]

Perhaps the most interesting in the #84 closed auction is the 1500 channel in Los Angeles, the last open AM channel in that market. It has had a long and twisted history as chronicled here:

http://gallery.bostonradio.org/2006-04/la/

The last thing I remember about it, is mentioned in this short piece in the LA Times dated January 30, 1992:

"The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously rejected a Sacramento broadcaster's plan to erect five transmission towers in Big Tujunga Wash to serve a proposed San Fernando Valley-based "talk-news" radio station.

Leading the fight against the project was Councilman Joel Wachs, who was backed by a solid lineup of northeast Valley homeowner leaders who complained that the 164-foot towers would ruin the ambience of the wash."

http://articles.latimes.com/1992-01-30/local/me-1572_1_radio-towers

Will the winning bidder finally be able to build on 1500?

You can look at the Royce International application here (notice the pared down 3-tower proposal. Tower location: No. Montebello Blvd. south of the 60 fwy):

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...t=25&appn=100972847&formid=301&fac_num=160466

Here is the Levine/Schwab application (tower location on Soto St. no. of the 10 fwy)

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/w...t=25&appn=100975326&formid=301&fac_num=161348

 

[DougBroda]

Questions from a non-techie radio fan (not pro):

1) "There are several complex situations, led perhaps by action for 1370 kHz attributed to Colorado Springs ($5K), which has eight bidders aiming for six different communities throughout three states; and 1600 kHz Huntsville AL ($3.5K), which has three bidders representing three different states." Is this a situation where the frequency is available in each but mutually exclusive? (Would 1370 in Colorado Springs and Las Vegas -- 600 miles apart as the crow flies -- be mutually exclusive?)

2) That 1700 -- that frequency being so vacant, how far is it likely to travel days? Less than 30 miles from lower Manhattan; are lower Westchester County and the Bronx, at least, in range?

 

[ok walters]

???? Why bother at this point? Build a new AM facility in 2014? Why? With all of AMs out there for fire sale prices why build one - especially when most will not be built in major markets anyway?

 

[dougw9wi]

Questions from a non-techie radio fan (not pro):

1) "There are several complex situations, led perhaps by action for 1370 kHz attributed to Colorado Springs ($5K), which has eight bidders aiming for six different communities throughout three states; and 1600 kHz Huntsville AL ($3.5K), which has three bidders representing three different states." Is this a situation where the frequency is available in each but mutually exclusive? (Would 1370 in Colorado Springs and Las Vegas -- 600 miles apart as the crow flies -- be mutually exclusive?)

I'm a TV engineer, not radio, so be careful about reading too much into my comments but...

As I understand it yes, 1370 is available in each of these locations but not at all of them at the same time. 1370 at Colorado Springs would interfere with 1370 Henderson, etc... Take a look at the one labeled "Tennessee 1 - Lebanon"; the other applicant in that contest is in southern Michigan. Class B AM stations tend to be highly directional, at least at night, and can generate quite a bit of field strength at a surprising distance in certain directions.

If you look up the Facility IDs, you find that the Frequency listed in column C is NOT necessarily the frequency of every applicant in the auction. The one above Colorado Springs, the one listed as "1200" for two applicants in Alaska -- the Anchorage applicant actually proposes 1210KHz. The "Nevada 2 - Spring Valley" auction involves three different frequencies - 1510, 1540, and 1550. I'm pretty sure 1510 & 1550 are not mutually exclusive with each other, but both are mutually exclusive with 1540.

2) That 1700 -- that frequency being so vacant, how far is it likely to travel days? Less than 30 miles from lower Manhattan; are lower Westchester County and the Bronx, at least, in range?

Don't know the ground conductivity around there but I would expect 30 miles is pushing it for reasonable service.

 

[Kent]

The auction is set for May of next year. Hypothetically, how many more years would it be before any of them actually would sign on? The highest priced bid is in Culver City CA, with high-priced real estate and poor ground conductivity all around. Seriously, does anyone think even that one would be worth the expense? For that matter you have to ask why anyone would begin building a new AM in 2014. The whole thing is useless and destined to be a colossal failure.

I thought much the same thing. Seems to me like building a new AM would be a money pit.