[BC] WTOP, One Last Message

[R J Carpenter]

If WTOP wanted to spend quite a few more millions to improve coverage,
buying WINC-FM 92.5 Winchester, VA, would be THE choice.  It started
as a mountaintop Class C and has been grandfathered even though it's
now called a Class B.  22 kW at 1424 ft HAAT about 45 miles west of
central DC (almost 2400 ft MSL).

While there's WERQ Baltimore on 92.3, WERQ has 1/3-rd the HAAT and
half the ERP toward DC. There's also a Class A rimshot SE of DC on
92.7. Neither of these compares with the problems WTOP-FM now suffers
from WFSI.   WINC had the sense to not turn in their license during
FM's dark days.   With WINC-FM, WTOP could give up all their present
peripheral stations IMO. No doubt Bonneville has priced WINC-FM and
retreated in horror.

Back in the distant past WMAL-FM used to carry the ABC news from the
outgoing wire when the network was fed from DC.  WINC was at the
tail-end of the big eastern loop.  One could hear a word on 'MAL and
quickly tune to 'INC and hear it again - having traveled thousands of
wire miles.