[BC] AM Daytimers

[Jay Braswell]

Small-town daytimers were pretty much the rule, back when I got 
started in radio. These were not only Class II-D's (daytimers 
operating on clear channels), but also Class III's (daytimers 
operating on regional channels).

Where I grew up in southeast Georgia (Statesboro), the local station 
(WWNS @ 1240) was a Class IV (1kw-D/250w-N). In the surrounding area, 
there were two other Class IV's (WSYL/Sylvania @ 1490, and WBBT/Lyons 
@ 1340). WWNS signed-off at 11:00PM, WBBT at 10:00PM, and WSYL (with 
a "specified hours" license) at 7:00PM. Everything else, other than 
those in Savannah, were daytimers. Some were true 
daytimers...signing-on at local sunrise (7:30AM in January), while 
others had pre-sunrise authority (year-round, 6:00AM sign-on...most 
with 500 watts). In those days, there was no post-sunset operation 
for "daytimers"...they all signed-off at local sunset (5:30PM in 
November & December).

For the most part, night-time directional stations were in the bigger 
markets (Savannah, Augusta, Brunswick). In fact, in all of southeast 
Georgia, there were only two, small-market 
directionals...WDMG/Douglas (5kw-DA-N @ 860), and WACL/Waycross 
(5kw-D, 1kw-DA-N @ 570).

I've had more than one small-market, daytimer manager/owner tell me 
that they made good money...until the FCC gave 'em FM's, and required 
'em to operate 'em at night, when they almost never made any money.

It makes you wonder...how many small-town, weekly newspapers could 
survive, if they were required to go to a 7-day weekly publication? 
Very few, I'd submit. To me, that's kinda how it is with small-market 
radio. With a few exceptions, we make our money in the daytime, and 
most of that in morning drive.

I'll never forget the late Jess Tatum, who owned WKSC/Kershaw, SC. 
The station was a 500 watt daytimer on 1300, with a small studio in 
Jess's backyard (I swear). He signed-on everyday at 6:00AM, and 
signed-off at 12:30PM (after the Noon news and Paul Harvey) on 
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (so he could go out and sell 
advertising), at 6:00PM (or local sunset, if earlier) on Thursday and 
Friday (because those were the "heavy" days...advertising Saturday 
sales and such), at 12:30 on Saturday (so he could go fishing or 
watch a ballgame on TV), and 12:00Noon on Sunday ('cause a feller 
needs a little time to rest). He told me he did about $5k a month, on 
average (in 1984). He was the only employee (with his wife keeping 
the books), everything was paid for, so he made a very comfortable 
living. Sounds crazy, but hey...it must've worked, 'cause it was that 
way for years.


Jovial Jay