[78-L] Radio blues

[David Lennick]

I used to listen to WQXR while driving home from Oshawa late at night in the 
70s. Sometimes I could pick up WCFL in Chicago. As for CBL's coverage, Vince 
Giordano used to listen to my late night programs at his home in Brooklyn, and 
he sent me a few albums..this is how I made his acquaintance. (I once had a 
phone message from someone at NBC in Chicago, as well, and I thought maybe they 
were going to lay down the law on my running vintage radio material. 'Twasn't 
the case.)

dl

On 9/26/2010 11:38 AM, DAVID BURNHAM wrote:
> WQXR went up the dial to 1560FM,  a 3 candlepower station which does not
> reach my location a mere 25 miles from NYC ...
>
> Al Simmons
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> I'm rarely in NYC but surely you mean 1560AM.
>
> 740 AM did reach a huge area - I was once heading along the south shore of Lake
> Superior from Sault Ste. Marie and I was able to listen to CBC 740, (this was in
> the mid 60s).  I was surprised last year when, while driving between Alabama and
> Mississippi I was able to listen to CFRB.  On the other hand, quite often in
> much closer Parry Sound at night, WINZ in New York City, (which has the same
> frequency as CFRB), obliterates the signal from CFRB.
>
> CBC obviously opted to convert Radio 1 in the Toronto area, (and other areas),
> from AM to FM because of the improved audio quality.  When they first did it,
> they were broadcasting in Stereo since a number of Radio 2 music shows, (Mostly
> Music, Clyde Gilmour, Rick Philips etc.), were repeated on Radio 1.  However one
> of the mis-guided VPs determined that stereo broadcasts don't have the same
> coverage as mono broadcasts so the Stereo was dropped.  I tried to have him
> re-think that reasoning since while I was travelling home from Kitchener one
> night, I had no problem picking up Radio 2 in Stereo but couldn't get Radio 1 in
> mono at all.  I think what happens is that when the signal gets weak, the stereo
> sub-carrier is lost and the sound reverts to mono.
>
> But someone, I think it was Mr. Barr, mentioned that FM signals have a coverage
> of 100 miles, (160 kms);  I think that's rather generous.  FM signals travel
> straight, like line of sight, so once you've gone about 50 miles, the curvature
> of the earth masks the signal, (of course cable companies can build large towers
> in high altitude locations to nab some of the space-bound signal).  In southern
> Ontario, if you're driving up the 400, Toronto FM stations abruptly get garbled
> shortly after you pass Barrie.
>
> db