The End of KWXY-FM Palm Springs

[ednixon]

Don Wardell at work on KWXY, 7pm - midnight Saturday & Sunday

Saturday evening Dr. Kramhoff and I visited the historic "Broadcast Centere" of KWXY on Dinah Shore Drive in Cathedral City to see it
before it is absorbed into KDES on Feburary 2. KWXY is truly a real life time capsule, seemingly frozen at some point before digital audio (except for compact discs)well into the last century. Much of KWXY's "Beautiful Music" has originated from analog open reel tape and vinyl,
but this all comes to an end next week. Like most broadcast clusters, the "beautiful" format will be nothing but
a blinking hard drive activity LED, indicating a stream fed to the old 1340 AM, starting Tuesday after next.
Two of the staff will survive the transition from 98.5 FM to 1340 AM. For this last week prior to February 2, I have set up a live audio stream where you can hear the last days of this format, should such nostalgia bemuse you. In the snapshots from last night's visit you can see the old standby RAYTHEON AM 1340kHz 500W transmitter, and the STANDARD BROADCAST FM transmitter, both tube type transmitters from the early 1960's.

Comments

[broduke2000.livejournal.com]

I recognized the lower power 807's. But my mind's fuzzy on 803's.

For me, I went the more modern route with 8-6LQ6's.

Just to light them up took 20 Amps. You shouldda seen the house lights dim on modulation peaks.

[ednixon.livejournal.com]

oops, I meant 807, not 803.
Then there is the 813s there, and some glass and metal tube that Dr. Kramhoff is holding for the Standard Broadcast FM final.

[broduke2000.livejournal.com]

Just think: If this were a telephone discussion, Homeland Insecurity would be wondering if we were plotting something dastardly.

Whenever I talk to Bob, my radio partner, I always preface the conversation with: "Nothing to worry about guys, we're talking about old, moldy vacuum tubes"