It’s license renewal time – the FCC only reviews licenses now every 8 years (all at the same time). The FCC sending out renewal letters may be the spark that causes an AM station owner to decide not to renew the license.
I’ve firmly believed that there are a significant number (in the 100s) of AM stations that ceased operations a long time ago, and just never got around to telling the FCC. The FCC is reactive – they respond to complaints, they don’t seem to go looking for problems.
WPAY-AM just filed a “Stay Silent” request. It’s an 800 watt day/night station on 1400 kHz, one of the handy-dandy small town frequencies from the era of Clear Channel AM stations (pre 1986). Its justification for going silent is the station is not economically viable, and is for sale. I believe it may have been a full service country music station.
WPAY-AM is located in Portsmouth Ohio, and has no web site that I could find. Portsmouth is a town of about 20,000 people along the Ohio River. It used to be part of an AM/FM pair – WPAY-FM was recently sold to a public Radio service in Cincinnati. Portsmouth has 1 other AM station, 2 music FM stations, a classical music station, and a religious FM station – and close enough to Cincinnati to hear WLW-AM – maybe even KDKA from Pittsburgh. That’s a lot of stations for 20,000 people in good times, even in the heyday of radio which no longer exists.
So if you always wanted to own a radio station, keep your eyes open 🙂
WBHV-AM in Somset, PA is also silent and for sale. Here are the details: (it is a 5000 day, 33 watt night signal)
Stations in MD, VA, WV and DC had to have their renewal applications at the FCC by June 1st, 2011… The FCC will not do so much as send a post card to remind stations – failing to submit the application on time carries a stiff fine.
Comparing the License database to the list of Renewal applications gives this list of non-filers:
KLSX-FM in Rozet Wyoming is also available. It’s been silent for six months
“THE STATION IS STILL SUFFERING FROM FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, WHICH MAKE OPERATIONS DIFFICULT. THE STATION WILL, HOPEFULLY, RETURN TO THE AIR SOON.”
WKYB-FM in Burgin, KY
WKYB IS A START-UP FACILITY THAT HAD NOT MANAGED TO YET ACQUIRE A SUFFICIENT BASE OF LISTENERS WITH WHICH TO CONTINUE TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT OPERATIONS. THE POOR ECONOMY IN THE STATION’S SERVICE AREA IS SUCH THAT CONTINUING STATION OPERATIONS IS NOT PRESENTLY FINANCIALLY VIABLE. A TEMPORARY CESSATION OF OPERATIONS WILL ALLOW A CONSERVATION OF LICENSEE RESOURCES AND A RE-LAUNCH OF OPERATIONS ONCE THE ECONOMY SHOWS A GREATER STRENGTH OF RECOVERY. ACCORDINGLY, AUTHORITY TO REMAIN SILENT UNTIL NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 15, 2011 IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED
KMPH-AM in Modesto, CA has been dark for 6 months – the owner is in trouble with his lender. The station does reach the Bay Area
“AS A RESULT OF SEVERE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES, THE LICENSEE HAS REMOVED THE STATION FROM ON-AIR OPERATIONS WHILE IT ENDEAVORS TO FINANCIAL RESOLVE ISSUES THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO RECOMMENCE OPERATIONS.”
KEZZ-FM in in Phippsburg Colorado (1,750 watts) has been silent since May 2010, and the FCC turned down their extension to stay silent more than a year – the only reason offered was the station is in financial trouble. Bye Bye license!
I think the same happened to WWKO Fair Bluff, NC . One year we were passing through on the way to Hunting Island SC, they were broadcasting a Carolina Panthers NFL game. The next year(last year) silent. The road went right by the brick studio and broadcast tower. No one was there.
Its something, back in the 70’s the local station WJJJ am in Christiansburg VA. had like 5 DJ’s managers and a receptionist. They had a news car. I seen these people whenever I won a prize on their contest. I won a ant farm once. LOL
They are gone now. The conglomerate (cloud) bought all of the locals and shut them down.
There is one sports talk, and one country, one ‘talk’ and a muzac like one that just plays strange songs from the 60’s and 70’s with no commercials at all.
It turns out this is an interesting story.
As of about a week ago, WWKO is now called WQTM (on 1480 kHz)
The station went off the air in April, citing financial problems – the FCC didn’t approve the request. The station then filed a request yesterday to return to the air using their backup transmitter because someone stole the copper wiring from the main transmitter.