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WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 4, 2026, 10:04 am

WCGO-AM asked the FCC permission to move to their old tower they used years ago at reduced power. Anyone have any idea if they did it? Casually scanning up the band, I noticed their signal has degraded massively.

That tower looks like it is in bad shape due to years of not being maintained. They are just pushing time until they can turn it off, hoping the FCC relaxes the rules for translators.

Z

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by JJSPC1372 User icon on July 4, 2026, 7:51 pm, in reply to "WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

Z, yes license to cover was granted on 5/13 for 8700 watts day and 24 at night from the old Site.

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by AM Radio Fan User icon on July 5, 2026, 4:51 am, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

I noticed it. I was wondering what happened.

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by John from Wisconsin User icon on July 5, 2026, 8:04 am, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

If it means anything, past few days, I'd heard Spanish. Was thinking WCGO. Politely surprised to hear WNTS Beech Grove-Indianapolis with LaPantera programming. There's a distinctive "tiger growl" to identify the station, like that in the beginning of "Black Cat" by Janet Jackson.
Nice mid-summer dx treat!

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 5:47 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

Good catch John. Did you hear it during the day when WCGO was full power or the reduced night power?

Happy DX sir!

Z

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by John from Wisconsin User icon on July 5, 2026, 6:35 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

5:45AM CDT. Assuming WCGO was on day power....
John, thanks Z

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:35 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

WNTS is 1 hour ahead so they might have been on daytime and WCGO might still have been on night time. All hypothetical but, nonetheless, great catch!

How is the the new signal of WCGO sound up by you?

Z

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by John from Wisconsin User icon on July 6, 2026, 7:57 am, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

What signal, Z?
This morning, it was "1590 & 95-5FM WTVB, Greatest Hits" in solid!
John

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 5:45 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

Thank you JJSPC1372. Can always count on you for the FCC filings. To think of all the money squandered, the old WONX days and the old WCGO being deleted, so it can end up like this. Insane.

Hope you had a nice holiday.

Z

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:14 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

Not just the old WCGO, but WMCW in Harvard and WKKD in Aurora.

Not saying some of these wouldn't have been deleted already, but it would have been helpful for WERV since the tower collapsed. I think they had an Aux on one of the 1580 towers.

It had a terrible signal, but it was a big loss for Harvard with WMCW. They had a network of Part 15 AMs replace it, they eventually got an LPFM license, the current day WHIW.

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:31 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

Good observation Jeremy. I forgot about those.

Z

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:57 pm, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

This is unrelated to this particular post, but I mentioned 1580 above.

1580 and 95.9 I believe were a the same site. They took down the 1580 towers.

However there is a very short cellular tower on that site that is still standing. I'm wondering if it is transmitting from there.

As I said, if they didn't take down 1580, they had a pretty good licensed Aux site I believe on one of the AM towers that would have allowed them better coverage for a situation like this.

Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?

Posted by JJSPC1372 User icon on July 6, 2026, 5:22 am, in reply to "Re: WCGO-AM Evanston. Did they switch back to their old tower?"

Hope you had a nice holiday. Z.

You also sir.

It IS amazing how much money was spent on some AM's trying to save them when the writing was already on the wall 40 years ago.

150

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