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April 27, 2022 11:09 am  #1


Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

Here's an offshoot of the potential fulltime switch to Daylight Saving Time I'd never thought about before - what it might do to a large number of AM stations across North America. 

The article notes that there are many daytime-only stations that would lose most of their morning show revenues in some months of the year, because they effectively would not be able to sign on till very late in the morning. 

Other full-timers complain their protection pattern-change would come later and limit their reach during the most lucrative money-making time period of the day. 

I'd personally love fulltime DST, but this side effect never occurred to me. 

Extending Daylight Saving Time Could Hurt AM Radio

 

April 27, 2022 6:32 pm  #2


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

Does Canada or Ontario have any AM commercial daytime stations that still sign off? This would be more of a US problem with just over 1,000 AM stations that are daytime only according to the article.  Not aware of the same situation here.  Any night time patterns would still cover the prime central market for AM radio stations, so that shouldn't impact morning shows much.  EG. see CFRB daytime and night pattern..
 

The US tried this once already, and most Americans hated full time Daylight Savings Time, so why do they think it would be more accepted now?  All of the negatives that people didn't like before are still here. 

 

April 27, 2022 8:54 pm  #3


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

I don’t have a coverage map in front of me, but I recall reading several years ago that CKNX 920 in Wingham has a much smaller nighttime pattern than daytime, and that this impacts their morning show during the winter.

As for Canadian daytimers - the only remaining one I was aware of was CKOT 1510 in Tillsonburg, but it has been gone for a few years now.

Just over the border in Michigan, I believe there’s still a daytime-only NPR outlet in Lansing.

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (April 27, 2022 8:56 pm)

 

April 27, 2022 9:40 pm  #4


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

MJ Vancouver wrote:

I don’t have a coverage map in front of me, but I recall reading several years ago that CKNX 920 in Wingham has a much smaller nighttime pattern than daytime, and that this impacts their morning show during the winter.

As for Canadian daytimers - the only remaining one I was aware of was CKOT 1510 in Tillsonburg, but it has been gone for a few years now.

Just over the border in Michigan, I believe there’s still a daytime-only NPR outlet in Lansing.

 Actually, CKNX has a fairly good night coverage area. Problem is WYBY in Lewiston, Pa, and WMNI Columbus, Ohio beam their signals north at night covering much of SW Ontario resulting in mixed reception. Check out www.nf8m.com.

 

April 27, 2022 9:58 pm  #5


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

WBBF 1120 Buffalo is also daytime only

 

April 27, 2022 10:44 pm  #6


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

So is WTOR at 770 in Youngstown, N.Y., which refers to itself in its station I.D. as "Youngstown-Toronto."

     Thread Starter
 

April 27, 2022 11:58 pm  #7


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

mace wrote:

MJ Vancouver wrote:

I don’t have a coverage map in front of me, but I recall reading several years ago that CKNX 920 in Wingham has a much smaller nighttime pattern than daytime, and that this impacts their morning show during the winter.

As for Canadian daytimers - the only remaining one I was aware of was CKOT 1510 in Tillsonburg, but it has been gone for a few years now.

Just over the border in Michigan, I believe there’s still a daytime-only NPR outlet in Lansing.

 Actually, CKNX has a fairly good night coverage area. Problem is WYBY in Lewiston, Pa, and WMNI Columbus, Ohio beam their signals north at night covering much of SW Ontario resulting in mixed reception. Check out www.nf8m.com.

And CKNX AM is a little unique since most of it's ad revenue does not come from Wingham.  Majority of the station   revenue traditionally came from other communities such as Goderich, Hanover/Walkerton, Listowel and Kincardine  Their central market is geographically more spread out than normal for a small station. Night time coverage with a clear signal is about one third less than daytime, so permanent daylight saving time could impact them more than other AM stations as MJ Vancouver pointed out. 

However the more important issue now is that Goderich has two FM radio stations, Hanover, Kincardine, Mount Forest and Listowel all have their own stations and all on FM.  These communities were strong advertising towns for CKNX AM and still might be, except now there is much more radio competition for the local advertising dollars, and NX is the only local AM station. CFOS doesn't cover much of this area clearly even in the day. 

The real impact of permanent daylight saving time would effect ad revenue and ratings for some US stations and their morning shows because of the hour change.   This wouldn't impact AM radio in Ontario nearly as much, if at all, since we don't appear to have AM stations that still sign on every morning.  And the evening patterns still cover all of their prime coverage area so impact of revenue or ratings would be small.

 

April 28, 2022 11:55 am  #8


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

WMIC 660 Sandusky and WLCO 1530 Lapeer Michigan are also a day time only.

 

April 29, 2022 7:57 am  #9


Re: Broadcasters: Fulltime Daylight-Saving Time Could Kill Some AM Stns.

While this is a complication for AM broadcasters I'm afraid to say it is unlikely to give the US Congress enough cause not to go ahead with abolishing the twice-yearly time switch given how widely unpopular it is and growing momentum to get rid of it. 

As for us, Ontario has passed legislation saying we will do it if New York State and Quebec do it and while Quebec hasn't passed a law yet, their government says they'll do it if Ontario (and persumably the US) does it. 

https://globalnews.ca/news/8685882/canada-permanent-daylight-saving-time-us-senate-bill/

Last edited by Hansa (April 29, 2022 8:04 am)