WKDN 950

It looks like WKDM 950 is going to operate from their present daytime site ,at night too. They have been operating at night from the 860 kHz 4 tower site using 21kw.
The new operation will keep the 43kw day ( daytime power ) and use 650 watts at night, down from the 21kw they have/had from the 4 tower 860 site.

My question is ,it seems this daytime site is the original WPEN 950 site back when WPEN was 5 kw days & 5 kw nights ,I think they were Non-DA day and 3 tower DA back then ... both at 5kw.

Why can't they go with 5kw nights again ,since they operated that way years ago from this site. I know there were some rule changes but a change that would make them have to drop from what was 5kw at this site at night to just 650 watts at night ?

Anybody know ?


Al

I remember in the 60's when WPEN switched to their night pattern, they were gangbusters going east toward the shore, same with WFIL, great night signals going east, WHEREAS Wibbage was dead. WPEN had old run down towers, with the thicker middle one the omni daytimer and all three at night. When they signed back on in the 70's with the oldies format, all three towers were replaced.

Gunsmoke said:

I remember in the 60's when WPEN switched to their night pattern, they were gangbusters going east toward the shore, same with WFIL, great night signals going east, WHEREAS Wibbage was dead. WPEN had old run down towers, with the thicker middle one the omni daytimer and all three at night. When they signed back on in the 70's with the oldies format, all three towers were replaced.

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Where was WPEN's stick back then?

ixnay

Same as it was for ages, Overbrook section of Philly, right off 77th and Brookhaven.

alok said:

Why can't they go with 5kw nights again ,since they operated that way years ago from this site.

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The reality is listenership at night is pretty low. I suspect they're cutting costs by running low power just to keep the tx warm overnights. Not like there's money to be made by running at 5K.

Actually it's a non-commercial religious station, run by Family Radio. The station had been on FM with a full signal at 106.9. But when Family Radio ran into financial problems (after its leader tried to predict The Rapture) it sold the FM and bought this AM.

So if it goes down to 650 watts at night, that's a real loss from its once full Class B signal as an FM, heard in Philadelphia, NJ and Delaware. I would guess Family Radio listeners have it on 24/7. Family Radio runs a lot of MOR-style religious music but only a bit of instruction or preaching.

Gregg. said:

I would guess Family Radio listeners have it on 24/7.

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Really? I would think daylight is all they're awake for.

Gregg. said:

Actually it's a non-commercial religious station, run by Family Radio. The station had been on FM with a full signal at 106.9. But when Family Radio ran into financial problems (after its leader tried to predict The Rapture) it sold the FM and bought this AM.

So if it goes down to 650 watts at night, that's a real loss from its once full Class B signal as an FM, heard in Philadelphia, NJ and Delaware. I would guess Family Radio listeners have it on 24/7. Family Radio runs a lot of MOR-style religious music but only a bit of instruction or preaching.

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Radio-locator.com shows 21kw night power for 950. Where did you get the 650w figure? The FCC database (speaking of which, do you have the link)?

ixnay

A construction permit for the proposed operation was granted by the FCC on 1/31/2018. Kinda strange they did not go back to the 5KW night pattern that was used at that site for years. Only a guess, but maybe the old phasor was scrapped and/or just a money saving move. You can view the application at FCC AM query.

>>>The station has not showed up in PPM since a couple of 0.1 months in 2014, and has gotten 0.0 since then.<<<

Well, a non-commercial religious radio station can often be profitable without much ratings to speak of. Maybe its small but devoted number of listeners are generous in their contributions. When Family Radio had to sell off its NYC, Washington and Philly full-power FM stations, it found a struggling AM station in the market to move to. In NYC, Family Radio got the old 1560 WQXR, running 50,000 watts. And 950 WPEN also had a good signal for being on a regional frequency.

Gregg. said:

Well, a non-commercial religious radio station can often be profitable without much ratings to speak of.

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Maybe profitable isn't the best or intended word, but this station is fulfilling its mission, even if its with limited power at night.

I'm pretty certain I'm not the most devout person posting, but I came to enjoy Family Radio on 1560 from NYC back when the frequency was vacant for a week or so and I got to DX a few stations in their absence from here in NE PA. I liked the music.
Sorry, but I don't accept the secular stuff nowadays that passes for 'Contemporary Christian' fare on the radio. That sounds like modern Conutry ... which sounds like modern A/C ...... (yawn)
Of course, I'm no fan of things like 'Rock of Ages' or 'He's Got The Whole World In His Hands', or 'Bringing In The Sheaves', but there is a musical middle ground that WFME seems to find.
For me, anyway. When I'm in the mood.

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Last I saw of a WPEN 950 tower array, the sticks seemed to be distributed amid the parking lot of an apartment complex. Was that their original site?

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The Rapture might arrive in a month or so. Easter Sunday coincides with April 1st. You are advised to get your shopping done soon.

Is Philly now the biggest city with the most AM stations that have high-power daytime signals but weak nighttime signals (and no FM simulcast)?

640 WWJZ - 50 kW day, 950 watts night
950 WKDN - 43 kW day, 650 watts night
1540 WNWR - 50 kW day, 250 watts night

WKDN might only be 650 at night, but that 650 gets out very well. It covers the whole city and most of the south jersey with a very clear signal.

radiodx10 said:

WKDN might only be 650 at night, but that 650 gets out very well. It covers the whole city and most of the south jersey with a very clear signal.

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Can anyone confirm that they've actually switched to the 650-watt nighttime signal yet?

kevtronics said:

Can anyone confirm that they've actually switched to the 650-watt nighttime signal yet?

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Actually, as of this past weekend, they were still operating at night from the WWDB towers in East Norriton.

What I always wondered is why WPEN did not keep the old night array intact as an auxiliary backup at the Overbrook site when they moved to WWDB's towers. Now they would have been able to just go back to the old site at 5KW at night, rather than 650W NDA at night. That way they would still have seen a dramatic costs savings by not having the rent expenses to WWDB or operation of a high powered transmitter at night (they currently run at 21KW at night).