55 KTSA was one of those heritage Top 40 AM stations which survived well into the 1980s. It is also one of my proudest AM DX catches. Despite having only 5,000 watts on a crowded frequency and a directional pattern which pointed away from me, I was able to receive this station from Minnesota on a semi-regular basis. There is a bit of noise since the channel was being shared with KFYR/Bismarck, ND; KSD/St. Louis, MO; WKRC/Cincinnati, OH; and WSAU/Wausau, WI. Even so, I was able to pull KTSA out pretty well. You can hear the volume come up on the second break as I switch between two long wires and boost the recording level a bit. This aircheck was made during the overnight hours. Two promos for the ongoing “Battle of the Superstars” can be heard. If you can ID either of the voices (female DJ or male promo voice), please let me know.
To grab this catch from Apple Valley, Minnesota, I used a Pioneer SX-3900 receiver, Technics stereo cassette deck, and TDK D90 tape.