1 of 1- RadioActive
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State Of AM: Stn. Going Silent Rather Than Repair Tower Damage
If this isn't a sign of the times for a troubled band, then nothing is. A station in Goodland, Kansas that has been on the air since 1948 has decided to go silent rather than repair its tower damaged in two recent wind storms.
KLOE is an oldies station on a minimum power (1,000 watts day, 20 watts at night) on the clear channel 730 AM frequency. But two prolonged bouts of wind earlier this month led to its tower becoming unstable and then falling and the company has decided it's more economical to close the place for good rather than spend the money on repairs.
"Due to the “significant cost of constructing a new AM tower and the realities facing AM broadcasting today”, the company has determined it will not rebuild KLOE. The company said, “This was not a decision taken lightly. KLOE represents decades of voices, memories and service to this community. Losing the tower is heartbreaking especially after the work that went into restoring and celebrating the station’s legacy.”
Sad but not surprising and a definite comment on the state of what AM is worth these days.
AM Station To Shut Down Following Tower Collapse
- Shorty Wave
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Re: State Of AM: Stn. Going Silent Rather Than Repair Tower Damage
It sure is sad and the owners are probably relieved that Mother Nature made up their minds for them. Still, a community is losing something they won’t have replaced.
- Davenet
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Re: State Of AM: Stn. Going Silent Rather Than Repair Tower Damage
It just getting too expensive to operate an AM transmitter site anymore. Towers deteriorate over time and have to be replaced. Older AM transmitters use vacuum tubes that wear out, and replacement tubes are very hard to find now. Copper thieves keep stealing the ground wires. And many older sites that were once out in the country are now surrounded by suburbs, so selling the land to developers is a much more lucrative option.
- torontostan
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Re: State Of AM: Stn. Going Silent Rather Than Repair Tower Damage
Davenet wrote:
many older sites that were once out in the country are now surrounded by suburbs, so selling the land to developers is a much more lucrative option.
This is what will kill all AM stations in this city within the next year or two. Ironically, the bigger the city, the bigger the target since your land is worth more in the bigger metropolises. The only english AM station in this city that doesn't have lucrative land is CJCL. I've been in this business over 20 years and I've never felt the end is nearer for AM in Toronto than it is now