The Daytimer

I originally set out to make this blog a radio history of sorts, but decided to broaden its focus. This page is a stub that delves into the world of broadcasting in some detail without taking away from the main blog.

Let's establish the beginnings of daytime radio broadcasting in the US by going straight to the source:

Radio Service Bulletin September 30, 1928

Most of my radio story takes place in the 5,000 watt or less facility that has been classified as an AM daytimer. The Federal Radio Commission (now the Federal Communications Commission.) began issuing permits for "daytimers" in 1928 and continued until 1987. These stations are allowed to transmit full power only during daylight hours in order to protect the full power, 50 thousand watt clear channel stations, at night. For those daytimers that do operate before sunrise or after sunset must do so at a greatly reduced power, usually only a couple hundred watts or less. In 1986, the FCC allowed my then current radio home 24 hour operation. There was a catch, at night and prior to sunrise the station was a measly 250 watts, hardly enough juice to push a strong signal from the tower site back to the studio 5 miles away. We were submitting to the upper sideband of 50,000 watt blowtorch WLS-AM Chicago on 890 after dark when AM signals are strongest. Additionally, our 900 kc frequency was technically a Mexican clear channel.

My second radio home was a 1,000 watt facility that signed on at 7:30 am and off at 6:00 pm year round. Why? Well, one theory is obvious--economy. In addition to the daylight restriction imposed by its licence it operated on what is known as critical hours (est. 1959 by the FCC.) We operated at half power until two hours after sunrise and two hours preceding sunset, so four hours of our day was at 500 watts during the winter when daylight was scarce. This continued until an increase to 2,500 watts with 800 watts critical hours was realized as radio home number two was sold and evolved into number three. Our 10.5 hour day remained in tact.

My fourth facility was a totally unrelated station that operated on the same 10 or 11 hour day model although I don't believe it had critical hours on 1440 AM and could have stayed on later during the summer months.

By the time number five came around it was only 580 watts (E.R.P.) and 24 hours on FM, Hallelujah!. Sadly, I did not have time to develop my presence there because an irresistible full time job prohibited me from staying. Radio now placed on the back burner, I have spent a decade and a half pursuing other interests although never really straying too far from my broadcasting roots.

The latest good news for daytimers is that the FCC will begin allowing use of FM translators for night time coverage. 

Canada and Mexico are migrating most, maybe all of their AM signals to FM. I think the same should be done here in the US. Eliminating AM altogether ala the recent switch to Digital TV from analog would work for me. These AM's could be assigned to a  new FM band or on a slice of the vacated analog frequencies on VHF-TV channels 5 and 6.