[BC] WTOP

[Paul Smith W4KNX]

WTOP looks like it was designed for skywave.  I hear it as I type this here
in Florida.  It's a normal visitor at night here.  My guess is looking at
that array, it was optimized for skywave.  Shorter towers would probably
help.  Here are some great pics:  http://www.dcrtv.org/photo/wtop.html

I want those mics on that table.

Paul Smith
W4KNX
Sarasota, FL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Snyder" <broadcastlist at dtvexpress.net>
To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 1:14 AM
Subject: Re: [BC] WTOP


> >At 08:30 PM 7/9/2005 -0500, Stan wrote:
> >>Was in Washington this past week and as usual I head for WTOP for news
and
> >>information.  But it is really a struggle to pick them up in so many
places.
> >
> >Their signal reminds me of the old WMEX in Boston-- you could get it
> >at night in Canada but you couldn't hear it five miles down the
> >road. The joke was that the station was #1 in 18-24 trees and fish.
> >Btw, I can get WTOP at night here in Boston fairly well.  How's
> >their night signal in greater DC?
>
> WTOP is famous in the Washington area for not actually being
> receivable in most of its city of license (Washington, DC).  When I
> came to Washington for college at George Washington University, my
> dorm was in downtown DC 2 blocks from the White House.  I could
> barely get WTOP on the 7th floor with a clear view of the National
> Mall.  That's why I got my news from the Great 98, News/Talk WRC
> (than an NBC O&O radio station...remember those?) and Bud Steele on
> the Noon Report on WMAL.
>
> I'm now in Alexandria and get a weak 1500 AM, but listen to 107.7 FM,
> the 4th iteration of WTOP-FM.
>
> The 'WTOP Radio Network' is WTOP-AM 1500 Washington, DC; WTOP-FM
> 107.7 Warrenton, VA (for the No. Va. suburbs); WXTR-AM 820 Frederick,
> MD (for the outer MD suburbs in the Minneapolis null); and W282BA-FM
> 104.3 Leesburg (formerly W282AM-FM, which for an FM station struck me
> as both funny and a breathtakingly stupid assignment by the FCC).
>
> The only spot I get WTOP gangbusters is in the Maryland suburbs.  But
> then, their transmitter is in Wheaton, MD.
>
> I knew their ancient engineer for quite a few years, Granny Klink
> (employed by WTOP from 1937 to 1999).  The DA has to protect
> Minneapolis/St. Paul, which makes for an interesting pattern.  Granny
> was never very happy when one pointed out that the station could
> barely be heard in the city of license!
>
> However, when I vacation in the White Mountains of northern New
> Hampshire, I get WTOP likes its just down the block.  Now that's a
> pattern!
>
> I don't really listen to WTOP now except for top of the hour news and
> the traffic/weather reports.  The folks at Bonneville have embraced
> the news-by-pun and 'funformation' philosophies and the quality of
> the writing and reports have fallen stunningly in the last few years.
> WRC is gone in Clear Channel hell, and WMAL has evaporated into an
> ultra-right cheerleader, including its news department.  The only
> quality news in Washington is WAMU and WETA, but neither is 24/7.
>
> And finally, some history trivia questions:
>
> 1. When did the station gain the call letters WTOP and how?
> 2. What did the previous call letters stand for and where was the
> city of license?
> 3. What are the current call letters of the original WTOP-FM, and
> what call letters did it first sign on with and when?
> 4. What is the oldest continuously-operating radio station in
> Washington, DC, and what are its current call letters?
> 5. Washington, DC was assigned the final 3 letter call ever assigned
> to a broadcasting station.  What were the call letters, and what year
> were they assigned?
>
> Enjoy!
>
> James Snyder
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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