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Nearly Abandoned AM Radio Transmitter
Build near the height of the depression in 1938, in the popular style of the Art Deco, this Nearly Abandoned ACTIVE AM Radio Transmitter Building is descending in to decay. This building houses one of the few 50 KW Clear Channel Radio Amplifiers capable of transmitting across the continental United States. Broadcasting at 840 kHz, this transmitter has been keeping the Nation entertained and informed for almost 80 years. And keeps on going despite the apparent vandalism & neglect.
At one time this building actually included a studio for on air productions.
Пікірлер: 97
As a kid I enjoyed listening to US Stations once the Ionosphere lowered. Summer evenings brought in lots of signals from Boston and NYC. Canada's Atlantic Provinces were and still are a great DX heaven. December 7th 1941 always brings a tear to my eyes even as I remind our US friends that Canada was at war with the axis from September 10th 1939 onwards. No more new cars, and only a few radio's until January 1940. However the back of the great depression was broken, lots of jobs but little to spend money on. It was a good time for saving and after WW2 covering a billion dollars of debt that the British owed Canada. Yes, Canada forgave debt and could afford to do this. I doubt we would do this again.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
3 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing that very interesting story
This is 840 KHZ WHAS in Louisville KY. I listen to this station a lot at night down in north Mississippi.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
Жыл бұрын
Clear Channel :)
@jimw7ry
Жыл бұрын
@@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5 There is no such thing as clear channel anymore. :( Even WSM has a station on 650 KHz, it shares that frequency with, as does KSL on 1160 KHz.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
Жыл бұрын
@@jimw7ry WHAS is a clear channel station, operating around the clock on 840 kHz with 50,000 watts. Its daytime signal can be heard in almost all of central Kentucky, as well as large slices of Ohio and Indiana, providing city-grade coverage as far east as Lexington, as far south as Bowling Green, and as far north as Cincinnati. Secondary coverage extends as far as Nashville, Dayton, and Indianapolis. The nighttime signal can be heard with a good radio in most of the continental United States and much of Canada, and at times in other countries.
@terrybeavan4264
7 ай бұрын
A little late seeing this video, watching it, seeing it was 840KHZ and especially hearing the recording of the tornado report I figured this was / is WHAS-840 AM. The memories! I grew up in Louisville in the 1970's and dad always listened to this station in the car (format back then was soft rock and news, as opposed to my favorite AM stations WKLO-1080 and WAKY 790 which were more top 40) and then he'd listen to the basketball games on a transistor radio in the evenings, and after we moved to Jacksonville FL in 1980 I could still listen to it at night if reception was good--haven't tried it in a few years though. Dad's not doing so great but still kicking and just a wee bit older than this station! I believe the tornado reporting we heard in this video is a recording of their then-traffic helicopter reporter Dick Gilbert as he was covering the massive tornado damage on April 3, 1974--fortunately we weren't affected where we lived but still remember that day! Very sad to see such a part of our lives in such a sad state, good video but I sure don't think I want my dad to see this one. :(
This is an active site, I have been there many time working. It is in an affluent area and unfortunately I suspect the vandals are bored rich kids. They destroyed a lot of history. The company owning it and operating it like a slum lord does not help either. If I were the local manager I would be embarrassed to let something under my watch get in that condition.
@user-wz9ej4vv4h
5 ай бұрын
I agree. (Former broadcast engineer).
The site is being operated from a remote location, usually from the studios (which does NOT make it abandoned).
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
2 жыл бұрын
It is NOT abandoned. It just is decaying unfortunately. But it is operational.
@chadwickcloister5143
2 жыл бұрын
it is indeed NEARLY abandoned then
Big C-band dishes are beautiful As is the art deco building
I find it weird that in the US they think of 50kW as a big AM transmitter transmitting "across the continental United States". Here in England the main transmitters to cover just the London area are mostly 100kW and there are many other transmitters around the country carrying the same programs to provide countrywide coverage. When we want to cover a large area with one transmitter 500kW is fairly typical.
@pixoariz
2 жыл бұрын
It's a difference in definitions. Prior to the FCC's purposeful degradation of our clear channel stations, they often covered extensive regional areas via skywave at night, but certainly not the entire CONUS. They were not able to do this 24 hours a day. Want to cover the UK (the size of Oregon or Wyoming) 24/7? 500 kW will do it.
@BrianG61UK
2 жыл бұрын
@Bend Over It was only in 2011 that the two 500kW BBC World Service transmitters (648kHz, 1296kHz) at Orfordness finally shut down. The 500kW Droitwich transmitter on 198kHz is still going 24/7. In Ireland the 500kW transmitter on 252kHz is still in use but runs at lower power at night. Back when I used to listen to Radio Luxembourg in the evenings, they used 1200kW on 1440kHz to reach the UK from Luxembourg. I believe RTL's other 1200kW transmitter on 234kHz is still used for the RTL French service. Up until the end of 2019 there was a 2000kW transmitter on 183kHz used to transmit French programmes towards France from Germany.
@panchopistola8298
2 жыл бұрын
@@BrianG61UK Lol England is still just a tiny shell of an empire that has since rusted away in the annals of time . Y’all barely are anything but Arab and African refugees …. One day it will be something else and …. Tsk tsk tsk ….
@derekedmondson9909
2 жыл бұрын
This is an AM facility. FM facilities in the US operate at power levels up to 100 kW. SW stations are usually 500 kW.
@BrianG61UK
2 жыл бұрын
@@derekedmondson9909 I know.
Wow... AM about gone. I'd take it and make it a talk radio especially at night. Like an Art Bell programming.....
As a former three-station owner, I can reiterate that this station, while appearing "abandoned" could well be a fully licensed and operating facility. Unfortunately, corporate owners dont always invest in the outward appearances of transmitter sites. Chief engineers dont often have the time or budget to keep sites in pristine condition, especially if they care for six or eight stations. Be careful, folks. Dont assume a station is "abandoned" and open for you to break into the place to look around or steal from. Radio stations are federally licensed, thus the FBI gets involved when dumb people do dumb things--like breaking into them! This video should not be labeled "abandoned station" IMO.
Some narration would have been wonderful. Someone needs to fix that flat roof before everything is destroyed inside from water damage.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
2 жыл бұрын
That's a fair point !!
@frankroberts9320
5 ай бұрын
The flat roof is actually a thick slab of steel reinforced concrete, designed to absorb the impact of heavy ice accumulation falling from the tower. I just retired after 50 years as a Broadcast Engineer. In that time I've seen some incredible ice falls, some intense enough to flatten vehicles in the parking lot.
@WilsonPendarvis-tn3wm
4 ай бұрын
When I was in labor union me and a union carpenter reroofed the old Benton jail in Benton California with Cedar shakes That was about 35 or so years ago
It would seem that the site could be restored as a "National Landmark" even as it continues to operate.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
4 жыл бұрын
Now owned by iHeart Media. A victim of cost cutting for sake of profitability
If I had the money, sites like this would not be in the shape this site is in. There just isn't enough appreciation for old building these days and radio is only a cash cow now.
That water on the room will probably collapse it eventually. A 150 dollar pump could keep it dry.
WHAS is still on the air. From this site!!
@kenlogsdon7095
2 жыл бұрын
I guess that accounts for 840 kHz RFI getting into everything around here!
Ham radio station coming up if you don’t want that amazing tower!
840KHz Clear Channel... That would be WHAS in Kentucky, right?
@lawrencestrickland668
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, WHAS work there in the late 1960’s as engineer this is not there building. There transmitter as in Floyd Knobs Indiana.
@markmckinley5989
2 жыл бұрын
@@lawrencestrickland668 Can you explain the call letters above the door then?
@kenlogsdon7095
2 жыл бұрын
@@lawrencestrickland668 You're thinking of WHAS-TV's transmitter. The AM transmitter is located near Long Run Park in Jefferson County, east of Louisville. Both used to be owned by the Courier-Journal newspaper magnate Bingham family.
@timflory4767
2 жыл бұрын
@@kenlogsdon7095 though this was in Oldham county east of Louisville ? What happened to the Blaw knox tower ?
@timflory4767
2 жыл бұрын
@@lawrencestrickland668 Did u know Gene Hornback then Lawrence ?
Maravillosa instalación fantásticos equipos!! Deben conservarse son historia son reliquias,son patrimonio de la HUMANIDAD.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
2 жыл бұрын
Estoy de acuerdo en que estas majestuosas reliquias deben ser preservadas.
That looks like WHAS in Louisville Kentucky that station is alive and well the studio is in down town
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
Жыл бұрын
You are correct !! They are alive !! Their Art Deco building should be renovated and on the Historic Registry !
Thanks for this interesting video.
Sad to think about, a person lived in that house, took care of their radio station till the very end, just for it to be abandoned and forgotten. This generation has no value.
excellent video
I'm told WALE 990 is truly abandoned. It's a two-hour drive, so I've not seen it..
@jayrogers8255
2 жыл бұрын
I worked there in 2002 & again in 2005. It went off in 2010.
people of the past years lets keep this radio stations like this going so we can show off are times years back to this messed up time we are in in this world
@jmd1743
Жыл бұрын
Katy, Texas has a highway that has 26 lanes. It's indicative how how the locals think of each other. Twenty six lanes of people who want to distance themselves from their neighbors. If the Texans really loved their neighbors then you would see amazing public transportation like you see in countries like Switzerland.Our communities are so spread apart because their residents are insufferable and hate their neighbors. It's quiet common for Christians to drive longer than their own actual work commutes to go to church because they hate their communities. Why invest into a structure to have it be beautiful such as expensive masonry to have the church last for centuries like it was done 100 years ago when you can simply drive for 15 minutes to another new super church because you didn't like the message of your current church? Texas is booming now but if it were to go through a decent recession then it will die off because the new residents came for the job market. People sure as hell didn't migrate from California and it's wide range of geography and climates for some dust bowl cattle feed lot that has slightly more hills than say FL or Illinois. Just look at the 26 lane highway they have.
Do you think they will try to find a new owner that could give it new life? If I had the cash I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Très beau site dommage qu'il soit abandonné. Il serait mieux de racheter le site et en faire un musée de la radio et ou éventuellement un radio club. Cela éviterait qu'il soit vendaliser.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
2 жыл бұрын
J'adore ton idée !
@BrianG61UK
2 жыл бұрын
It's not abandoned. It's still in use.
What does "nearly abandoned" mean? It's either in use, or it isn't. Looks like it's in use to me. You must have a journalism background using misnomers as headlines.
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
4 ай бұрын
You're Too Funny !!
What is the C-Band dish for?
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
9 ай бұрын
The Studio is no longer located inside the building, though at one time it was. My guess is that the C-Band is a link to the Studio located interior to the city.
Could this transmitter be bought and for how much
Deberian restaurarlo para la posteridad
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
2 жыл бұрын
I agree. The building should be restored. Unfortunately, AM Radio Stations to not make very much profit. So, the owners can not afford to restore this beautiful building.
"clear channel" should be lower case (it is a class of FCC license and not a proper noun) to differentiate it from the company Clear Channel Communications, Inc, a media company.
@cmerton
Жыл бұрын
A right wing propaganda toilet, you mean.
Esta Demasiado fuerte la música de fondo y no se escucha con claridad la trasmision SAĻUDOS
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
2 жыл бұрын
Remember that the Audio Quality of AM Radio is very poor. But I appreciate your comments !
great pitty all the false flags sold with this great technology.
WHAS AM is STILL keeping the nation informed from this site! I know because I am the Chief Engineer for WHAS AM! Rush Limbaugh comes on at noon from here. This site has been broken into twice now. Notice the new door on the front and the wood on the garage. Who knows your video could be the driving factor for vandals because this video is labeled abandoned AM Transmitter site. Daniel Pawley, aren't you just a wee bit old for breaking and entering? Obviously, you've been inside from the recent pics you have there of the old transmitter site. I am glad I didn't find you fried up like a piece of bacon because you touched the wrong thing and knocked the station off the air. Daniel, I suspect it would be a good thing to offer some type of apology and delete this video from your Channel.
@glennmartel7115
5 жыл бұрын
Ranger Bob, why don't you make a tour video and show us your wonderful station , add a little of it's history, and that will most likely dissuade anyone from breaking into the building. I just happened across this video, would love to see your follow up!
@MegaCreeperGamer
4 жыл бұрын
Ranger Bob, Glenn has a point, I too would love to see a follow up
@michelletaylor5691
2 жыл бұрын
I think you should offer a apology for putting the sack of poo named Rush on your station.
@kenlogsdon7095
2 жыл бұрын
@Ranger Bob AM stations still employ CEs? I thought that was all relegated to consultants who make a living supporting several stations. I'm tempted to offer my services; I was a transmitter tech for WTMT back in the early 70s and then went to work at WAVE, doing regular maintenance on the WAVE AM transmitter in Jeff, until they sold it. During my tenure at WLKY, that outfit somehow managed to wind up with the damned thing under Fred Steurer, and he had to build a whole radio studio from scratch. Until that all got scrapped and sold to some other outfit, making the entire effort futile. But, I'm retired now, hence, just kinda sorta tempted. I have already had the tour, though, many moons ago.
@timflory4767
2 жыл бұрын
Bob what kind of transmitter do u have in there now ? It was a GE back in 67
Why the gay music?
@pawleymediaconsultantsllc5
4 жыл бұрын
Nostalgic
@josephcote6120
2 жыл бұрын
Why the homophobic question?
@nathanlewis5682
2 жыл бұрын
I thought gays were into Cher and Streisand, other commies.
@hermanngoring397
2 жыл бұрын
@@josephcote6120 Why not ?😁
Shouldn’t there be thousands of volts coronal static electricity on that thing? Around every 3 feet , you go up 1000 V so what’s up?