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WGCH Temporarily Off 1490 AM

B

Barry

The Greenwich station has shut down their transmitter on 1490 AM. They are temporarily broadcasting from a translator in Stamford, on 105.5 FM. Of course they can also be heard online.
A message from the station owner indicated they will be building a new tower at a different location, and will return to 1490 AM with an improved signal.
 
There's a few things with this picture that make me think this was done in great haste.

The FM translator on 105.5 is listed with the FCC as rebroadcasting WSTC 1400, not WGCH. That's not a huge deal, and paperwork is probably pending. However:
Continuing to operate the translator is not legal while the parent AM is off for longer than "for the night".

According to an audio clip aired on WGCH before signing off, the station has to move due to reasons beyond the licensee's control, most likely meaning the landlord wished to end a lease agreement. That audio clip: https://steelyankee.blogspot.com/2019/12/times-change-so-do-frequencies.html

They say it will be a month, but based on what I've listed above, there's not a chance it will be only a month. They don't even have a property selected for a new tower, let alone municipal building permits or an FCC construction permit...
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
There's a few things with this picture that make me think this was done in great haste.

The FM translator on 105.5 is listed with the FCC as rebroadcasting WSTC 1400, not WGCH. That's not a huge deal, and paperwork is probably pending. However:
Continuing to operate the translator is not legal while the parent AM is off for longer than "for the night".

According to an audio clip aired on WGCH before signing off, the station has to move due to reasons beyond the licensee's control, most likely meaning the landlord wished to end a lease agreement. That audio clip: https://steelyankee.blogspot.com/2019/12/times-change-so-do-frequencies.html

They say it will be a month, but based on what I've listed above, there's not a chance it will be only a month. They don't even have a property selected for a new tower, let alone municipal building permits or an FCC construction permit...
Click to expand...


One could have a temporary site site applied for, approved and operating in a few days with a whip antenna and a few dozen watts
 
I assume that temporary whip antenna with a few watts would allow the station to continue broadcasting on the 105.5 translator.

I wonder if the station really has many listeners, considering it runs a quite insignificant talk radio network. But perhaps with an FM translator, it will do what many weak AM stations do. Namely switch to an FM music format thanks to the translator. A few miles north, 850 WAXB is a daytimer. It has a 2,500 watt non-directional signal but must sign off at sunset, since 850 is a clear channel frequency. Thanks to its translator, it images as "B 94.5" and plays classic hits.
 
As of this morning, WGCH was very scratchy on AM 1490 to the East of White Plains, usually where there is a good signal. Clearly, they are running at reduced power or the transmitter was moved to someone's attic space on Mason Street. I knew something was up when I was picking up WDLC (Port Jervis) in Briarcliff Manor on the car radio. Good to see the station still does it's local news block for a few hours in the morning. Good talk about the passing of Don Larsen this morning before the 8am news, even through the scratchy reception.

I hope they get the tower thing worked out.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
One could have a temporary site site applied for, approved and operating in a few days with a whip antenna and a few dozen watts
Click to expand...

This is not-at-all new, RadioGuy. That tower at 177 West Putnam Avenue has been an ongoing issue for over ten years ... the landlord wants them out. The Forte family search for a new station owner is ongoing for close to a year now. Imagine that! They don't want to sell to a religious or foreign language group but an epic failing "full service, mostly bartered news/talk" format is fine. Really? That wouldn't be destined to go down in flames?

Sacred Heart University still has the "for sale" sign up for 1400 WSTC and the 105.5 translator in Stamford. Short of going silent with them and WGCH both, why not just run something cheap? Automated Soft AC ("The Coast"?) on one station and Classic Hits ("FRANK FM"?) on the other. Catch the beach and boating crowds in the summer. That seems the best anyone will be able to do ... or, then again, it's "last one out, please turn out the lights."





https://www.ctinsider.com/local/gre...tation-looking-for-a-local-buyer-13936937.php









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The owners of WGCH have made an application to the FCC. It states that since the new owner of the land where their tower is located has denied them access to it, they continue to broadcast on 1490 AM, at a reduced power of 120 watts, using an inverted L wire antenna. The station is seeking permission to switch in a few months to a more effective emergency antenna. They are apparently working to find a site for it.

The Proposed Temporary Antenna: http://www.theradiosource.com/products/antenna-hpr0990.htm
 
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