NO MORE WBAP 820 AM FOR TCU FOOTBALL. MOVING to KZPS 92.5 FM in 2024.

[Double D]

Since AM radio operates at a lower frequency, it has much larger wavelengths. Larger wavelength waves can travel farther because they can travel through solid objects. FM radio waves do not travel well through solid objects.

If it is supposedly more powerful how can the AM WBAP be heard farther away than the FM KZPS? I’m sure the science geeks know but shouldn’t TCU know as well that the ability to reach listeners wil be decreased not increased. I’m sure the thought of streaming and the ability of so many now and in the future had to come in this decision.

 

[Double D]

Learfield owns the rights to TCU Athletics. Learfield cuts the deal. TCU signs off on it. So I think here it's a better deal for Learfield financially. Also FM is where a lot of AM stations are looking to be. See WBAP move to 93.3 FM. I think they're being proactive anticipating AM's ultimate demise In a few years so they picked an FM station. Also a TON of people are streaming games now and iHeart has a popular app.

I don't like the move from WBAP but what can you do?

Can you elaborate? WBAP charges higher rates than what TCU is willing to pay? Did TCU determine that listeners would rather hear streaming in FM rather than AM? Meaning less fees? Does not make sense to me.

 

[Paint It Purple]

The reality is that AM is a nearly-dead medium. The auto manufacturers don't want it. It interferes with EV motors. Ford announced last year they're eliminating it from all new vehicles. There's a movement within Congress to mandate AM stations in all cars but it has yet to be brought up as a vote or attached to any other piece of legislation.

BS!

And, if it were true you might want to rethink sitting inside that electromagnetic field for hours while driving

 

[tcudoc]

Different animals. AM can bounce around between the land, sea, and ionosphere for great distances. This is why the great "Clear Channel" stations like WBAP, or WOAI, or KMOX had space on either side of them after the Sun went down so that they had clean reception over great distances. In days past, we could pick up Cubs games from Chicago, or the Cardinals from St. Louis, depending on how the atmospherics were. Those bands are touchy, and sometimes surprising; It is said that Fuchida's low-power signal "Tora, Tora, Tora!" from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, intended only for the Kido Butai just 200 miles away, was heard in Japanese waters where the Fleet operators were monitoring comms. The reflections off water and wave can sometimes be mysterious...

FM is a different bandwidth that does not reflect off land or atmosphere. It is line-of-sight only, and cannot broadcast over the horizon and is dimmed by ground clutter as distance increases. Despite these shortcomings, it's signal is very much clearer than AM, so much so that Steely Dan wrote a song about it. Because of the limitations of the medium, and it's different bandwidth from AM, broadcast wattage could be increased without "walking on" or, interfering with other stations via bleed-over onto neighboring stations on the dial.

AM has suffered through the years since FM came along. Stations still broadcast at the same wattage they were assigned in the 40s, and no effort as ever made to increase or modernize the bandwidth. Stations in foreign lands (See: Mexico) broadcast in many multiples of wattage allowed Domestic broadcasters. Additionally, at night, these foreign broadcasters do not power down as most American broadcasters (aside from the Clear Channel stations) do, so they "walk on" many stations on low-power, rendering them unlistenable. Whereas many years ago, one could fish out music or sports from far away at night, now the dial is a sea of static punctuated by brief bits of mariachi tunes...

And, trust me: Don't try the barbequed iguana.

It’s posts like this that make kfc so great! This is such good information and clears up so many questions I’ve had throughout the years, like why my AM reception sucked so bad at night or why there is so much danged Mexican radio on all over the dial at night.

 

[PurpleBlood87]

Actually it has been bad reception even in Keller.

It would be a struggle sometimes to get I'm east Fort Worth on the Radio in the house. Now on the cat radio it would be no problem.

When I worked a KTCU sometimes I get a lady from near Highland Park call and request a jazz song. I was shocked it reach that far.

 

[PurpleBlood87]

If it is supposedly more powerful how can the AM WBAP be heard farther away than the FM KZPS? I’m sure the science geeks know but shouldn’t TCU know as well that the ability to reach listeners wil be decreased not increased. I’m sure the thought of streaming and the ability of so many now and in the future had to come in this decision.

WBAP is a clear channel station. Only one station in the USA is allowed to operate on 820.

 

[The Artist Formerly Known as PhormerPhrog]

1190 is 5,000 watts at night.

The Mighty 1190.

 

[BleedNPurple]

Same for me. I could listen on WBAP easily from 120 miles away. I’ve picked up WBAP as far as 300-400 miles away from FW. I can’t get KZPS until I’m within about 60 miles.

I’ve picked up WBAP in Colorado.

 

[NORMLFROG]

Different animals. AM can bounce around between the land, sea, and ionosphere for great distances. This is why the great "Clear Channel" stations like WBAP, or WOAI, or KMOX had space on either side of them after the Sun went down so that they had clean reception over great distances. In days past, we could pick up Cubs games from Chicago, or the Cardinals from St. Louis, depending on how the atmospherics were. Those bands are touchy, and sometimes surprising; It is said that Fuchida's low-power signal "Tora, Tora, Tora!" from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, intended only for the Kido Butai just 200 miles away, was heard in Japanese waters where the Fleet operators were monitoring comms. The reflections off water and wave can sometimes be mysterious...

FM is a different bandwidth that does not reflect off land or atmosphere. It is line-of-sight only, and cannot broadcast over the horizon and is dimmed by ground clutter as distance increases. Despite these shortcomings, it's signal is very much clearer than AM, so much so that Steely Dan wrote a song about it. Because of the limitations of the medium, and it's different bandwidth from AM, broadcast wattage could be increased without "walking on" or, interfering with other stations via bleed-over onto neighboring stations on the dial.

AM has suffered through the years since FM came along. Stations still broadcast at the same wattage they were assigned in the 40s, and no effort as ever made to increase or modernize the bandwidth. Stations in foreign lands (See: Mexico) broadcast in many multiples of wattage allowed Domestic broadcasters. Additionally, at night, these foreign broadcasters do not power down as most American broadcasters (aside from the Clear Channel stations) do, so they "walk on" many stations on low-power, rendering them unlistenable. Whereas many years ago, one could fish out music or sports from far away at night, now the dial is a sea of static punctuated by brief bits of mariachi tunes...

And, trust me: Don't try the barbequed iguana.

Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo were the Brilesboobs and Skunk Baxter just might be the most interesting man in the world.

NF

 

[BrewingFrog]

Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo were the Brilesboobs and Skunk Baxter just might be the most interesting man in the world.

NF

"I'm on a Mexican wo-ooo, Radio..."

 

[tcudoc]

I’ve picked up WBAP in Colorado.

You're lucky you didn't pick up syphilis in Colorado...

 

[4 Oaks Frog]

Learfield owns the rights to TCU Athletics. Learfield cuts the deal. TCU signs off on it. So I think here it's a better deal for Learfield financially. Also FM is where a lot of AM stations are looking to be. See WBAP move to 93.3 FM. I think they're being proactive anticipating AM's ultimate demise In a few years so they picked an FM station. Also a TON of people are streaming games now and iHeart has a popular app.

I don't like the move from WBAP but what can you do?

 

[4 Oaks Frog]

Dollars were better, and that is all that really matters in college football today…

 

[tcudoc]

Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo were the Brilesboobs and Skunk Baxter just might be the most interesting man in the world.

NF

Interesting bit of trivia:

"Ridgway jokingly compared the multiple-drum-machine- and Farfisa-organ-laden recordings to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, whereupon the friend commented it sounded more like a "wall of voodoo" and the name stuck"

 

[The TCU Football Jerk]

do the others?
Just figured it would be better to be on KTCU for locals since nobody will remember or know what KZPS is.

Anyone who knows what ktcu is will know what kzps is.

 

[The TCU Football Jerk]

The reality is that AM is a nearly-dead medium. The auto manufacturers don't want it. It interferes with EV motors. Ford announced last year they're eliminating it from all new vehicles. There's a movement within Congress to mandate AM stations in all cars but it has yet to be brought up as a vote or attached to any other piece of legislation.

Its not like fm isn't far behind.

 

[The TCU Football Jerk]

88% of drivers listen to broadcast radio. It ain’t dead yet by a long shot…

I question that stat. NO ONE under 30 listens to it.

 

[Spike]

You're lucky you didn't pick up syphilis in Colorado...

I thought you got that in Lubbock?