@Mark Roberts thanks for the great info. So, do these stations still have the blanket pre-sunrise authority at 500 watts or has that been replaced with something else?
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PSA - Pre-Sunrise Authority
- Thread starter BarryATL
- Start date
I believe some of these authorizations have been readjusted over time. Current information used to be available via the FCC website's database queries but that disappeared a few years ago; thus, it's now hard to find specifics for some of these stations.
When nighttime low power for former daytimers came into being, there were also changes. One example I'm familiar with is KWRE in Warrenton, Mo. at 730 kHz. When I worked there in the 1970s, it had a PSA of 152 watts. In its current class D status, its nighttime power is 120 watts. What I don't know is whether it could go to slightly higher power, even now, between 6 am and local sunrise.
stations who have document paperwork at the studios that have post sunset power/pre sunrise power lower than their night power can use their night power during that time.
I talked to engineers at WFDF 910 and WKMI 1360 over the years who mentioned some specific stations regarding this. One was a station in Virginia that interfered with WFDF 910, another was that 5000 watt nondirectional Days WKMI 1360 interfered with WSAI 1360. A lot of stations like WPON 1460 1/0.5 U2 (DA-N) ended up with PSAs for 500 watts nondirectional, so they were able to go South toward Detroit earlier than Sunrise. At one point, they allowed an increased PSA power for some full time stations. It is on the History Cards. WFDF 910 5/1 U3 (DA-1) was authorized at 4100 watts Presunrise on the History Card. Notation below.
TELEGRAM 2-2-68 PSA 4100 w
TELEGRAM 2-2-68 PSA 4100 w
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Here's a peculiar situation. Full-time and even Critical Hours operation of WKZO 590 were always a thorn in the side of WOW 590 Omaha, NB. WKZO had to be directional even when they were 250 watts Night. To satisfy WOW, WKZO, when it went to 5000 watts Night, had to operate with the Night Directional Antenna from 6:00 PM until 10:00 AM the following morning, which would have included all the drive times morning and night in Omaha, NB. However, this allowed more than double the IDF toward Grand Rapids, giving it a good signal during drive times in Grand Rapids, and a de facto AM duopoly with co owned WJEF 1230 in Grand Rapids until 1968.
It was also granted 500 watts and then revised to 1640 watts nondirectional PSA in 1967.
I seem to remember this being shown in the SRDS when I started looking at it in the library around 1968.
It's all there on the History Cards.
The 1960 NAB Engineering Handbook shows a footnote that said stations on Regional Channels could start operating with Day facilities at 4:00 AM local time, unless there were complaints. Apparently there were a lot of complaints.
One of the National Radio Club log by frequency publications in the 1980s had all the PRSA powers blanket authorization by FCC calculation, as well as the PSA powers. As I recall, those original PSSA authorizations were based on 40% of RSS NIF contours. This was later reduced to 25% of the RSS NIF contours. This means the new authorizations were usually only about 39% of the original authorization. The NRC also showed all of the PSA authorizations. Though unofficial, the list still exists if you can find it.
It was also granted 500 watts and then revised to 1640 watts nondirectional PSA in 1967.
I seem to remember this being shown in the SRDS when I started looking at it in the library around 1968.
It's all there on the History Cards.
The 1960 NAB Engineering Handbook shows a footnote that said stations on Regional Channels could start operating with Day facilities at 4:00 AM local time, unless there were complaints. Apparently there were a lot of complaints.
One of the National Radio Club log by frequency publications in the 1980s had all the PRSA powers blanket authorization by FCC calculation, as well as the PSA powers. As I recall, those original PSSA authorizations were based on 40% of RSS NIF contours. This was later reduced to 25% of the RSS NIF contours. This means the new authorizations were usually only about 39% of the original authorization. The NRC also showed all of the PSA authorizations. Though unofficial, the list still exists if you can find it.
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One interesting situation that I recall relates to WCKY in Cincinnati at 1530. In the early 1970s, I lived in the St. Louis suburbs and would often pick up WCKY, which was distinctive for its syrupy beautiful-music programming. Then, a couple of hours after our local sunset, poof! - the station would be gone with no explanation.
Only later did I discover the reason for that: WCKY had a nighttime DA, but did not have to switch it on until Sacramento local sunset (KFBK). That's in the history cards, too. I'm surprised more East Coast stations didn't have such an arrangement (e.g. WGY until San Francisco [KGO] local sunset) or even some Midwestern ones (KFEQ until San Francisco [KNBR] local sunset).
Only later did I discover the reason for that: WCKY had a nighttime DA, but did not have to switch it on until Sacramento local sunset (KFBK). That's in the history cards, too. I'm surprised more East Coast stations didn't have such an arrangement (e.g. WGY until San Francisco [KGO] local sunset) or even some Midwestern ones (KFEQ until San Francisco [KNBR] local sunset).
WGY is nondirectional at all hours. KGO is directional at all hours.
Recently, WTIC started going DA at LSS in Hartford, rather than LSS at KRLD Dallas. This was to accommodate WOAP Owosso, MI to go full time in Waverly, MI. It was never built, but WNWI Oak Park, IL was able to go to more power earlier after WTIC went to DA at LSS.
WQXR/WQEW/WFME 1560 changed patterns at Sunset at KPMC/KNZR 1560 Bakersfield. This allowed WTOD/WWYC to use 3 watts PSSA.
Recently, WTIC started going DA at LSS in Hartford, rather than LSS at KRLD Dallas. This was to accommodate WOAP Owosso, MI to go full time in Waverly, MI. It was never built, but WNWI Oak Park, IL was able to go to more power earlier after WTIC went to DA at LSS.
WQXR/WQEW/WFME 1560 changed patterns at Sunset at KPMC/KNZR 1560 Bakersfield. This allowed WTOD/WWYC to use 3 watts PSSA.
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It's at NAB ENGINEERING HANDBOOKS and TECHNICAL PAPERS
They are all available from the 80's to today at RADIO LOG BOOKS - Radio station logbooks and listings from 1923 to 2022.
Awesome. I'm bookmarking this one!
And the 1998 and 2020 NRC logbooks indeed show that KWRE Warrenton, MO (730), that I mentioned upthread, still had a PSA of 152 watts in addition to its class D nighttime power of 120 watts.
Edit: Unless there's a problem at this end, it looks like the 2020 logbook ends at 1400 kHz.
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WGY and KGO were both I-B's under the old system, weren't they?
KGO obviously was optimizing coverage for the West Coast.
I rarely heard WGY at night in central Missouri. Of course, in Kansas City, it would have been impossible since the KCMO (now WHB) figure-8-ish nighttime pattern was aimed directly at my location.
I am reprocessing it now. Look for the full one in a half hour or so.
David, what useful links! I have just a few minutes to look at them tonight. I will be spending hours on these. Thank you!
I started this thread talking about WAOS (formerly WACX) Austell GA. The 2018 log shows they still have the PSRA of 500 watts. So, if I understand the rules, this should be their schedule:
6:00 AM 500 watts
LSR 20,000 watts
LSS 67 watts.
Here is what I found in the 2018 log:
WAOS Austell GA E Ul 20000 67 -psra 500
5815 Westside Rd SW 30106-3179 or PO Box 746, Austell 30168-1008 - 770-944-0900
SS:MEX - - 24 hr -Grp= La Mejor- 4
Is my listed schedule correct?
I noticed that many of the stations in the country on 1600 have a PSRA of 500 watts.
Funny thing happened several years ago. A family member was listening to WHB booming into Northern Michigan one early evening with no WGY interference on a small Radio Shack portable. At first I didn't think of it as anything out of the ordinary. After all, isn't WHB one of those 50000 watt clear channel stations? Well, not exactly. I found out they had flipped 710 and 810. It was coming in before LSS in Kansas City with 50000 watts nondirectional.
1590 and 1600 were the new Regional Channels under NARBA in 1941. Yes most stations on 1600 had 500 watts PSA in 1988. I was surprised that WLNG Sag Harbor was 500 watts nondirectional PSA, but had to be deleted for WWRL to be 25000 watts Daytime. I wonder if they did conductivity studies on Long Island. M-3 there is 0.5 mS/m M-3. Some recent upgrade APPs on Long Island show all data points well below the new 0.1 mS/m curve.
Another PSA also surprised me. What was WKTS 950 Sheboygan, WI in 1988 was 500 watts directional PSA with a 3 tower array in a general direction toward WWJ. But the PSSA was/is only 11 watts for the same reason, WWJ. Despite being one of the first radio stations, and even though it is now 50000 watts, it was an original Class III-A, now Class B. 11 watts seems more like protection for a Class A.
1590 and 1600 were the new Regional Channels under NARBA in 1941. Yes most stations on 1600 had 500 watts PSA in 1988. I was surprised that WLNG Sag Harbor was 500 watts nondirectional PSA, but had to be deleted for WWRL to be 25000 watts Daytime. I wonder if they did conductivity studies on Long Island. M-3 there is 0.5 mS/m M-3. Some recent upgrade APPs on Long Island show all data points well below the new 0.1 mS/m curve.
Another PSA also surprised me. What was WKTS 950 Sheboygan, WI in 1988 was 500 watts directional PSA with a 3 tower array in a general direction toward WWJ. But the PSSA was/is only 11 watts for the same reason, WWJ. Despite being one of the first radio stations, and even though it is now 50000 watts, it was an original Class III-A, now Class B. 11 watts seems more like protection for a Class A.
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It would have been at 810 at that point and would have had to have happened in 1997 or afterwards. I still have trouble getting used to the stations being on the channels they're on now, because I moved from KC in 1996.
I managed WABV 1590 Abbeville, SC a little over a decade ago and thanks to some files in a cbainet, i found we did have PSRA and PSSA.. PSRA was 500 watts.. PSSA was anywhere between a bit above night power to way less than it.
I also learned if your night power was above your PSSa, you could use your night power in its place
I also learned if your night power was above your PSSa, you could use your night power in its place
Not quite East Coast, but there were other stations that had such an arrangement. WHLO/640 in Akron, then a daytimer (now fulltime), had to sign off at sunset in Los Angeles, allowing WHLO to stay on air for 3 hours after the other daytime stations. WJJD/1160 in Chicago stayed on until sunset in Salt Lake City.
Interesting story about WJJD and KSL: KSL used to go off air during the overnight hours so WJJD was able to sign on with its full 50,000 watts early in the morning. But when KSL signed on, I suppose at 6AM Mountain time, WJJD had to sign off for 15 minutes. And this was during morning drive.
KPOP/KGBS in LA, now KTNQ-1020, was a daytimer. But KDKA had a silent maintenance period every Monday morning, Midnight to 6 AM. So KGBS signed on at 9 PM and ran through the night one day a week.
Schroedinger's Cat's comment about a station in VA interfering with WFDF... I'll bet it was the 910 in Roanoke signing on at 5AM with 1kw, non-d.
Could have been 5 KW WRNL in Richmond, which, in that era, got out very well.
The rule back then in the footnote cited would have allowed WRNL to go 5000 watts nondirectional at 4:00 AM, being the Day authorization, unless it caused interference. The engineer said it was a station in Virginia, so I suppose it could have been Richmond or Roanoke. In recent years, WAVL/WXJX Apollo, PA has been 5000 watts with the major lobe to the NW, causing observable interference.
The 4100 watt PSA for WFDF indicates that the DA-1 pattern already fully protected most stations, or possibly to overcome the WRNL 5000 watt nondirectional Day facility interference. 4100 watts is the highest seen on any History Cards I've looked at. That also indicates to me that they should have gone 5000 watts Night in 1957 when the Day 5000 watt facility was built, because it protected all or almost all the III-As and III-Bs with the DA pattern. The only exception was possibly WSUI. As I recall, WSUI used to be a Specified Hours station which signed off at 8:00 PM. That allowed KGLC/KVIS to blast into the Midwest with just 1000 watts with their Figure 8 pattern to the East and West.
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