[BC] Translators for AMs...

[Gary Peterson]

This move occurred when I was corporate engineer
of Triad Broadcasting.  WVMI had a six tower (as I
recall) DA that was in terrible condition.  Since
the array was originally constructed/licensed,
Biloxi and Gulfport had grown together, resulting
in significant populated areas where the station's
nighttime coverage was very marginal.  I estimated
that it could cost up to $200K to bring the array
back into good, reliable working order.
Everything was badly corroded, including much of
the tower steel and ATUs.  The station had been
granted an expanded band CP.  I recommended to
corporate management that we move to the expanded
band and not look back.  We kept the best tower
and dropped the others.  Upon moving, the call
sign was changed to WTNI.

Triad also had purchased an AM in W. Fargo, ND
with a very unstable five tower array.  As the
seasons and weather changed, various numbers of
towers would be wet or dry.  KQWB had also been
issued an expanded band CP by the Commission.
Again, I recommended to upper management that we
QSY to the expanded band.  Subsequently, the
station abandoned 1560, moving to 1660.

Triad's ownership of these AMs predated my
employment with them.  Had I been on board a year
earlier, these inherent problems would have been
prominently highlighted in my due diligence
report.

BTW, is there a remaining requirement that
expanded band AMs run AM stereo?  Many of them are
talk formatted.  If the requirement remains, it
doesn't seem to encounter any enforcement.  I
haven't found a stereo station above 1600 in a
long time.

Gary
Rapid City, SD           

"I know of one....perhaps the only one.
WVMI/WTNI 570 4 towers to 1640.
Harold"

""In fact, I'm not sure *any* AM got turned off as
the conditions of permit grant required, ever ""