Life-Net Radio is not a Webcast. It goes out over a real radio station: WTMR-AM 800, in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington media market, on Monday evenings at 10:45 local time. When you listen on a real radio you hear the best audio quality, then, in the next day or so, we post the 16-Kbps streaming (Real Audio *.RM) version for anyone anywhere to hear anytime.

To Find 800 AM

If you have digital tuning it's simple. Set the band or AM/FM switch or button to "AM", then move the number to 800.

If you don't have digital tuning, you'll want to make the acquaintance of a few other stations near WTMR. Such AM radio landmarks will help you pinpoint WTMR more consistently and quickly. Here are other stations that I've heard recently on my own radios:

Nearby Stations

Key: In each entry below, I start with the frequency in kiloHertz. Then the call letters and location (with owner, sometimes). Then, sometimes, a name I heard the station call itself, in quotes. Then my description of the format I last heard there. Then any additional comments. Entries also include some information I've taken from Web sites (after hearing stations over the air first).

The following information will never be completely up to date. For the latest, use antenna and ears.

610--WIP (Philadelphia, Infinity/CBS) "SportsRadio 610", sports. WIP dates back to 1922 as the first commercial station to operate in Philadelphia. WIP used to be a full service adult contemporary station back in the 1960s and 1970s. It was owned by Metromedia along with FM 93.3 WMMR. It has evolved into a talk and then to its current sports talk format. The WIP calls originally stood for "wireless in Philadelphia."

640--WWJZ (Mount Holly NJ) "Radio Disney", music for kids. Had a nostalgic music format until September 1999 when it flipped to its current format. Serves the Philadelphia market.

660--WFAN (New York, Viacom/CBS/Infinity) "The Fan", sports. Owned by the same company are WCBS-AM-FM-TV, WINS, WNEW, and WXRK. Radio voice of the Mets, Giants, Knicks, and Rangers. With a Class A 50-kw clear-channel signal, WFAN can easily be heard throughout eastern North America on most nights. Before becoming an all-sports station, 660 had been an RCA/NBC-owned frequency. This station began broadcasting in 1922 as AT&T-owned WDAM. In November 1926, under the call letters WEAF, together with two other pioneering stations, it formed the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). The call letters were changed to WNBC in 1946, then to WRCA in 1954, and back to WNBC in 1960. Emmis Broadcasting took over and renamed it WFAN in 1988. WFAN shares a transmitter facility with WCBS-AM at High Island, off the coast of City Island, the Bronx.

690--WPHE (Phoenixville PA, Salvation Broadcasting Co.) "Radio Salvacion", Spanish/religious. A daytime-only station heard best in Philadelphia's western suburbs. Back in the 1960s, this station used to be WXUR, the AM outlet for Reverand Carl McIntyre's quite controversial religious operations.

710--WOR (New York, Buckley Broadcasting) talk. A long-time heritage talk station. Its owners are based in Hartford, CT. WOR has a 50-kw directional signal that covers much of the Northeast on most evenings. The station first signed on in 1922, owned by R.H. Macy and Co., and is the only station remaining in New York that has kept its original call letters, which used to stand for the slogan "World of Radio". RKO/General Tire bought WOR and its sister stations (at 98.7 FM and channel 9) in 1952, and got out of broadcasting during the 1980s. WOR was sold to Buckley around 1989. Studios are at 1440 Broadway, south of Times Square, and transmitter is in Lyndhurst, NJ.

740 (Daytime)--WVCH (Chester PA) religious. Best heard south of Philadelphia. Since 1948.

740--CHWO (Toronto, owned by a family in Oakville ON) similar to 950 WPEN. Our reception report was warmly welcomed. Phones: 416-483-4740, 866-740-4740.

760--WJR (Detroit) "News Talk 760 WJR".

770--WABC (New York, ABC/Disney) talk. Also owned by ABC/Disney are WPLJ (95.5 FM) and WABC-TV (channel 7). ABC also programs WQEW (Radio Disney, 1560 AM) and WEVD (ESPN Radio, 1050 AM) through local marketing agreements. WABC features a Class A 50-kw signal that, from its Lodi, NJ, transmitter covers much of eastern North America at night. It started broadcasting around 1921, known originally as WJZ, and located at 760 AM in Newark. Westinghouse Electric started the station, and it became aligned with NBC's "Blue" Network. When the FCC forced NBC to divest one of its networks in the 1940s, Edward J. Noble bought the Blue Network and several stations, including WJZ. The company was later renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and WJZ was its flagship station, re-named WABC in 1953. From 1960, for 22 years WABC reigned as the most influential, and highest-rated top-40 station in radio history. In 1982, prodded by the general listener exodus from AM to FM, WABC dropped the music and switched to all talk. WABC was the radio home of the Yankees from 1981 until 2001; sports coverage now includes Jets football, Devils hockey, and Seton Hall college basketball. WABC shares studios with WPLJ, WEVD and WQEW at Two Pennsylvania Plaza.

780--WBBM (Chicago) "Newsradio 780 WBBM". Has "traffic and weather together on the 8's".

800--WTMR (Camden, Beasley Broadcast Group) religious, ethnic.

800--CKLW (Canada). The station whose signal competes with WTMR's in some areas.

810--WGY (Schenectady NY, Clear Channel Communications) "News-Talk Radio 810", news/talk.

830--WBEU? (Reading? PA) "Voice of Bucks County".

840--WHAS (Louisville KY) "Newsradio 84 WHAS".

860 (Daytime)--WWDB (Philadelphia) "Money Talk Radio", business news. With WTMR, owned by Beasley Broadcast Group. This was Spanish WTEL until October 1998 when it became the talk formatted AM sister to FM talker WWDB (96.5). In late 1999 it took on a relay of CNN Headline News. And in early 2000 went to a religious format. By early 2001 it had adopted a business news format. Also owned by Beasley are WXTU and WTMR. This station dates back to 1925. Studios in Bala Cynwyd PA.

860--(Canada) "Radio Canada". En francais.

870--WWL (New Orleans). Has "traffic and weather together on the 8's".

880--WCBS (New York, Viacom/CBS/Infinity) "Newsradio 88", news. One of two Viacom/CBS/Infinity all-news stations in New York City; the other is WINS (1010 AM). Viacom/CBS/Infinity also owns WCBS-FM-TV, WFAN, WNEW, and WXRK. WCBS features a Class A, 50-kw clear-channel signal that covers most of North America at night. This station dates back to 1924; in the 1930s, 860 AM was used instead and it was home to the WABC and WBOQ calls. The station became WCBS in the 1940s. It featured an typical adult format with music and talk programs, along with the CBS network elements. WCBS assumed its current all-news format in 1967, but it was only a part-time news station initially; by 1974 the station was all-news 24 hours a day. WCBS shares a transmitter with WFAN on High Island, off the coast of City Island, the Bronx.

900--WURD (Philadelphia, Mega Broadcasting?) Spanish/English dance/contemporary? Signed on in 1958. Used to sport the WFLN calls and simulcasted classical WFLN-FM 95.7 (which also went off the air). From 1985 to 1988 it was WDVT with a talk format. After simulcasting WFLN again for a short time, it assumed the WURD calls and, from 1988 to 1996, featured a religious format as "Love 900." In 1996 it was purchased by Mega, a major owner of Spanish language stations across the country, and instituted a Spanish "tropical" format--"Mega 900." In June 1999, this station became WEMG-AM, simulcasting Egg Harbor, NJ's new 104.9 WEMG-FM, which featured a Spanish/English language dance/contemporary music format; studios on 1080 North Delaware Avenue in Philadelphia. Phone: 866-361-0900.

910--"Sportsradio 910".

920--(Trenton NJ) "ESPN Radio", sports.

930--WBEN (Buffalo NY)

940--(Montreal) "940 News".

950--WPEN (Philadelphia, Greater Media) "Station of the Stars", Streisand, Sinatra, etc. A longtime nostalgia formatted station. WPEN is frequently the second most listened to AM station in the Philadelphia market. Dates back to 1929.

990--WZZD (Philadelphia, Salem Broadcasting) "Today's Christian Music", religious. Back in the 1960s this was WIBG, a top forty station that battled WFIL (560 AM) for dominance in the City Of Brotherly Love. As listeners flocked to FM in the mid-1970s, 990 adopted the WZZD calls and became "Wizzard 100" with a disco-ish format. In 1980, WZZD switched to religion. It was purchased by Salem, a large religious broadcaster, and is now co-owned with former cross-town rival WFIL. WZZD focuses on religious music, while WFIL is mainly religious talk. A strange quirk of fate, the WIBG calls stand for "I Believe In God." The station was started by a religious organization in the 1920s.

Your radio may not get all these stations, and it may get a few stations not listed here, but these are some local landmarks of the AM band. Learn to recognize some of them and you'll always be able to find us.

Once you've found our signal, be sure to rock the dial back and forth in tiny increments until you get as close as you can to the exact center frequency, where the signal comes through at full strength and warmth.

If You're Trying to Tune In a Few Minutes Early

Tuning in to WTMR early will help you make sure to be ready for the show.

At 10:30, the show before LNR airs, The St. James Outreach for Christ "with your host minister" Ramona Patton. The show includes preaching and (African-American) gospel music.

At around 10:44, there's always a station ID, then LNR's pre-show disclaimer (occasionally omitted) and the 3+4+3 drumbeat pattern that opens our intro.

Reception

Our Signal Coverage Area

WTMR is in the FCC's 5,000-watt class. At night the station powers down to 500 watts. Here's what I know--from riding around the area myself and from what listeners have said--about how far the signal travels:

North: At least as far as Palmyra, NJ. Probably also as far as Willingboro. And I've gotten spotty reception just south of Burlington City.

Northeast: Some people have reported getting it as far out as Mt. Holly, NJ.

Southeast: Reliable as far as Berlin, NJ. I got it in Atco. Fading out in Winslow. Sometimes, apparently, a sky wave reachers over the Pinelands to Atlantic City and, I would guess, at least a few of the other shore towns.

South: To Glassboro, NJ, good. When I was in Vineland one night, I picked it up OK there. In Delaware, driving north one night from the peninsular part of Maryland, WTMR came in listenable after we entered Wilmington city limits.

West: Somebody told me they heard us in Swarthmore, PA. I've picked it up myself in West Philadelphia.

Northwest: As far out as the Germantown and Mt. Airy sections of Philadelphia, reception starts to become a challenge. A bit farther away, in Chestnut Hill, coverage is definitely spotty.

Center: If you're located well within the coverage area, then there's a strong signal in the air for you to grab.

Tips for Better Reception
(Especially in Not-So-Central Locations)

• If you're using a small radio:
  • Try turning the whole radio back and forth through at least 180 degrees (half a whole turn). You don't need to turn the radio around all the way, because your antenna is bidirectional. Stop when the signal comes in strongest.
  • Try moving the radio all throughout the house, because different locations--even in the same room--can have widely different reception conditions.
  • Sometimes you can eliminate interference and other noises just by turning the radio. You may even find that you improve the sound by turning the radio a little bit away from the strongest direction. In other words, the station's signal may be a bit weaker when you have your radio turned a bit off-axis, but you've managed to weaken the noise more.
• If you get a lot of crosstalk from another station, try moving the radio to the other end of where you're at.
  • One night in Germantown, northwest of WTMR, loud crosstalk from CKLW Canada got in the way. (CKLW's frequency is also 800, and they're probably in a 50,000-watt class.) So I stood south in front of a building on its south side, thus using the building as a barrier to block CKLW's signal.
  • At home, north of WTMR, I keep the radio near the south window of our apartment.
• Sometimes a battery-operated radio will pull LNR in better than a radio plugged in to the wall. Same goes for a battery-operated radio vs. the one in your car.
• If you're in a car, drive to higher ground if you can, so there'll be fewer obstacles to our signal. If you're in a house or building, taking the radio to the top floor or roof may help.
• To reduce electrical interference, turn off--or move the radio away from--any nearby fluorescent lights, televisions, computers, and other devices that may be interfering.
• When you have our show tuned in, you can set the volume once and forget it. The intro is as loud as it gets, and as to the rest of the show, I use various audio techniques to keep the same average level and fullness of sound throughout.
• If the sound starts to get hissy, you may need to adjust the dial very slightly back and forth to find the center of the signal. On the other hand, if you're having trouble hearing "S" and "F" sounds, then you may want to deliberately move the dial a tiny bit off center.

If All Else Fails

If somehow you still miss the show, please try again next week, because reception conditions like weather and sunspot activity may improve.

But before you turn your radio off, and since you've now sharpened your tuning skills, you might want to surf the AM band, for fun or info or inspiration. You might enjoy "DX"ing, that is, going for distance; on the AM band, I've gotten signals from 1,500 miles away.

Or you could leave the dial on WTMR for a while.