[BC] WLW Superpower Coverage

[Barry Mishkind]

At 07:36 PM 12/15/05, Jeff Johnson wrote

>>Not the large improvement expected.  So getting a real listenable 
>>500 kW daytime WLW signal in north Texas (about a 1,000 mile path) 
>>probably is not likely.
>>
>>RF
>
>This was the reason the 500KW license was not renewed past the late 
>'30's. The difference was not substantial. WLW did remote recordings 
>of changeover from 50KW to 500KW. One of those recordings is on 
>WVXU's "WLW-The Nations Station" historical compilation. The FCC 
>decided in favor of all of the licensees who wanted 50KW locally 
>arguing that "Super Power" was not effective.

         Perhaps Mark Durenberger will "weigh in" here,
         although he was out of the country last I heard.
         His discussion of the "Clear Channel Proceeding"
         (on www.oldradio.com) also mentions a lot of
         politics ... if the other stations couldn't have
         500 kW, neither would WLW.

         Other factors, I would think, included more
         sensitive radios that didn't need the high
         power to work (The Harko was, what, only
         $10 in 1930s money), the proliferation of
         stations in small markets after the war
         (they were clamoring for spectrum prior),
         and the lack of revenue from outside
         the market....