Gasoline Alley 22 August 2010

[OvenMaster]

[Sandy G]

Ain't it th' Truth ?!? (Sigh....)

[Jeffhs]

If there had been a big band or nostalgia radio station in their area (or if he could have used a small AM low-power transmitter to broadcast mp3s, CDs, or even audio cassette tapes of old radio shows to his antique radio), he might have kept the radio downstairs, rather than relegating it to the attic again.

It seems very strange, IMO, to be hearing today's rock noise coming from a 1930s-vintage cathedral radio. One of the worst mistakes, again IMO, the previous owners of a former Music of Your Life (nostalgia) radio station in Cleveland ever made about eight years ago was to install a 50kW transmitter, then, shortly thereafter (and I mean shortly, as in a week or so later) dropping the MoYL format for ESPN sports. MoYL has never been heard in northeastern Ohio since then (on AM anyway), although there is a nostalgia FM station at 91.5, operated by a schoiol district in the next county south of here, and there are other nostalgia stations on AM in nearby cities, so one can still find older music on the AM dial -- it just takes some looking around. There is a station, for example, in suburban Youngstown, Ohio (not far from Pittsburgh and 80-90 miles from Cleveland) on 1390 that comes in well at my home 35 miles from Cleveland, that plays big-band and nostalgia music, and then there's CFZM-AM "Zoomer Radio" AM740 in Toronto, so the big band/nostalgia format on AM radio isn't dead yet.

[bandersen]

On a good day I can pick up AM 740 from Toronto. They play decent music all day and night. I especially like the "All Night Juke Box". That's about 4 1/2 hours of oldies with little interruption.

[Einar72]

That's some mighty green grillecloth...

I clicked on the link above and now I know the MZ in MZTV...Cool!

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by bandersen

On a good day I can pick up AM 740 from Toronto. They play decent music all day and night. I especially like the "All Night Juke Box". That's about 4 1/2 hours of oldies with little interruption.

I would think it can be tough hearing AM 740 in Chicago, with your local 50kW WGN 720 just 20 kHz down the dial and, at night, 50kW WSB news radio 750 in Atlanta coming in like gangbusters as well. I live near Cleveland and can hear Zoomer 740 fairly well most of the time, but 750 sometimes gets in the way after dark if I'm listening on one of my less-selective radios, though most of them get 740 well enough to listen to. I guess since I'm only a mile (more or less) from the south shore of Lake Erie, I can hear many 50kW Canadian stations, such as CKLW 800 in Windsor, CFRB 1010 in Toronto, Zoomer 740, etc. fairly well, with 800 and 740 booming in here 24/7.

I've heard 740's All-Night Jukebox. A wonderful place to hear old rock and roll with few if any interruptions. BTW, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, it is possible to hear AM 740 anywhere in the US at http://www.am740.ca, so even if you can't get 740 over the air before dark, you can hear it there anytime.

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

<snip> One of the worst mistakes, again IMO, the previous owners of a former Music of Your Life (nostalgia) radio station in Cleveland ever made about eight years ago was to install a 50kW transmitter, then, shortly thereafter (and I mean shortly, as in a week or so later) dropping the MoYL format for ESPN sports. MoYL has never been heard in northeastern Ohio since then (on AM anyway), <snip>.

That was no ordinary adult nostalgia station - that was the late, great, WRMR. It actually went to the 50kW daytime pattern (actually about 100 times stronger in Detroit than the 10kW pattern because the shape of the pattern changed) several months before it changed formats (first diluting the music with talk shows before WKNR sports radio took it over), and I listened to it at home and on the way to work every day.

They had one of the most eclectic playlists I had ever heard, beyond the big bands and tin pan alley, including short classical works, old R&B 78's unheard elsewhere, and some newer stuff if it had a beat and a melody (even the Backstreet Boys!).

Since WRMR was lost, I've generally given up on radio for music, using CDs for music and radio for news.

[bandersen]

Originally Posted by Jeffhs

I would think it can be tough hearing AM 740 in Chicago, with your local 50kW WGN 720 just 20 kHz down the dial and, at night, 50kW WSB news radio 750 in Atlanta coming in like gangbusters as well...

Yes, it is tough sometimes between those other stations, but my Philco 46-420 is doing a pretty good job

[Bogframe]

AM Radio here in NYC ain't near what it used to be, but then again, what is, anymore?
This is what we've got now.