I can remember listening to WOR late night when I was a kid, back in the fifties, Listened to Long Jon Nebel, one of the earliest using the talk show format. He talked about UFOs, deros and teros, etc. Sort of an early Art Bell, I guess. WOR put in a fairly strong and fairly reliable signal to Savannah, Georgia back then. Guess 50,000 watts does kinda burn through the QRN.
I lived in southern Maine as a kid and I'd take my Silvertone radio under the covers with me at night to listen to Long John's show. Generally the nighttime reception was ok although sometimes I'd have to wrap the antenna wire around my hand to improve the pickup. It's a wonder I didn't end up electrocuted.