[Eric in the Ozarks]

If they do this, what’s to say the FCC might also turn down the power at WHO, WLW and other 50,000 watt, low dial position AM stations ?

[Thrownatbirth]

If they do this, what’s to say the FCC might also turn down the power at WHO, WLW and other 50,000 watt, low dial position AM stations ?

The SCOTUS only ruled for the NM case. It's unlikely the FCC will downgrade any other Class I-A stations, unless there was stong signal interference from another licensed clear channel station at that same frequency. It took years, but all the US clear channel stations are nicely separated.

The KKOB case was a legal situation that probably doesn't exist in any other state. Powering-down other clear channel stations would leave "white areas" - areas in the US not serviced by a dominant 50Kw clear channel station, which had national security implications in the 1950's. The history of clear channel stations in the US is pretty fascinating - at least to us radiophiles.

My "go-to torch" is WRVA 1140 out of Richmond. I used to pick them up in Europe and the Med.