In Boise Idaho heard them drop power at sunset their time tonight, but not go entirely off. I could still hear them. Seems nowhere near minuscule power the FCC mentioned.
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KSCO(AM), Santa Cruz, CA Whoops
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Maybe they’re holding out to see if they can get a lifetime license renewal for disobedience.
Colorful Radio Station Owner Michael Zwerling Announces That He Is Offering Heritage Talker KSCO, Santa Cruz for Sale -- According to an extensive article published by the Times Publishing Group, Inc. of California’s Central Coast (and an advertising campaign in TALKERS) legendary broadcasting industry owner and personality Michael “MZ” Zwerling is offering KSCO and associated properties for sale after a 31-year stint at the operation’s helm. The article states, Michael Zwerling has been in love with KSCO since he was a high school kid broadcasting Santa Cruz High On The Air in the mid-1960s. As the station owner since 1991, he’s created a radio station that’s a voice for pretty much everyone. But now, at 71 — his birthday was Nov. 9 — he has a new love in his life, Amy Hao, co-host of the “China Watch” show on KSCO and a veteran traveler, and he wants to spend his time traveling with her. The couple, who met in 2019, are “totally into free speech,” Zwerling said. They recently returned from a two-week safari in Africa. “Amy’s not happy unless she’s traveling, and she wants to take me to all these places,” Zwerling said. That’s why he’s looking for a buyer for KSCO 1080 AM and its FM translators, along with sister station KOMY 1340, and the one-acre of flat land at 2300 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz, overlooking Corcoran Lagoon. The asking price is $1.5 million cash for the two radio stations and the broadcasting business. The asking price is $6 million cash for the property, which includes the Art Deco studio building, garage, parking lot, concrete event patio, plus the three broadcast towers in the lagoon, which give the 10-kilowatt station the power of a 50-kilowatt station on dry land, according to Zwerling. To read the entire story, please click
tpgonlinedaily.com
KSCO Radio for Sale
Story and Photos By Jondi Gumz Michael Zwerling has been in love with KSCO since he was a high school kid broadcasting Santa Cruz High On The Air in the mid196
tpgonlinedaily.com
Absolutely worth the click-through---buried way the heck down there is the nugget that Zwerling is complying with the FCC by turning KSCO's transmitter off at local sunset and continuing its programming on KOMY.Colorful Radio Station Owner Michael Zwerling Announces That He Is Offering Heritage Talker KSCO, Santa Cruz for Sale -- According to an extensive article published by the Times Publishing Group, Inc. of California’s Central Coast (and an advertising campaign in TALKERS) legendary broadcasting industry owner and personality Michael “MZ” Zwerling is offering KSCO and associated properties for sale after a 31-year stint at the operation’s helm. The article states, Michael Zwerling has been in love with KSCO since he was a high school kid broadcasting Santa Cruz High On The Air in the mid-1960s. As the station owner since 1991, he’s created a radio station that’s a voice for pretty much everyone. But now, at 71 — his birthday was Nov. 9 — he has a new love in his life, Amy Hao, co-host of the “China Watch” show on KSCO and a veteran traveler, and he wants to spend his time traveling with her. The couple, who met in 2019, are “totally into free speech,” Zwerling said. They recently returned from a two-week safari in Africa. “Amy’s not happy unless she’s traveling, and she wants to take me to all these places,” Zwerling said. That’s why he’s looking for a buyer for KSCO 1080 AM and its FM translators, along with sister station KOMY 1340, and the one-acre of flat land at 2300 Portola Drive, Santa Cruz, overlooking Corcoran Lagoon. The asking price is $1.5 million cash for the two radio stations and the broadcasting business. The asking price is $6 million cash for the property, which includes the Art Deco studio building, garage, parking lot, concrete event patio, plus the three broadcast towers in the lagoon, which give the 10-kilowatt station the power of a 50-kilowatt station on dry land, according to Zwerling. To read the entire story, please click
KSCO Radio for Sale
Story and Photos By Jondi Gumz Michael Zwerling has been in love with KSCO since he was a high school kid broadcasting Santa Cruz High On The Air in the mid196
My money is on someone paying $6 million for the land and the radio stations going dark. Pull the towers down, remodel the building, turn it into a bar and restaurant with a great view...this one kinda writes itself.
Directional AM that has not performed for a decade? I'd say $250,000 to $300,000 between consulting engineers, new phaser and possibly new ATUs on the towers.
Details at notgonnahappen.com.
Zwerling will probably sell the land and hand back the tickets to both stations.
And while I think it would be a great site for a bar/restaurant, the land's too valuable for that. Nobody's gonna spend $6mil for a site to do that. It's next door to a library---there's probably a way to zone it multi-family residential.
We all know the real reason behind selling the stations, and has nothing to do with traveling the world. Between the FCC fine, the cost of restoring the directional signal, and owning two small market AM's that rely on brokered programming to pay the bills, well, might be paying the bills. He knows it is time to sell as it becomes a serious financial drain for him, and probably won't get any better. I do really like the building they have. From the look of it, possible outside viewing of the studios with the full length top to bottom window pane?
Nobody will pour several hundred thousand into the DA system and tie up the valuable land.
I'm really surprised I've never driven by when in Santa Cruz. From what I can tell from the photos, the "showroom" windows are for the lobby. Looks like the studios are in the back, toward the lagoon, and there's a gate that keeps people from being able to walk around to that side of the building.
I agree, though---cool look, especially at night:
On Google maps (2300 Portola Dr, Santa Cruz) is a daytime picture you can zoom in and clearly see that you're right, either the lobby or office space. But just to the left is a square box portion that sticks out., but too fuzzy to tell if it's a studio...or maybe just a break room for employees Sorry, couldn't figure how to bring the pic over to be able to post
Gotcha covered:
I'm, assuming by left, you mean the left of this picture (the right if you're standing outside the building at the front). If you go back up to the color nighttime shot I posted, that's the garage.
I've never seen a full set of interior pictures, so I don't know for sure, but I'm betting the studios are at the back and Zwerling's and other offices are in the square on the right side of this shot (left side if you're standing outside the building) that abuts the curved lobby.
Ok, looking at the first pic that is in the row of images further down on the Google map, I can clearly see a refrigerator in the window on the left outward portion after the circular.The night time pic you posted shows it as la small alcove. Yep, because of the art deco design, probably was built in the 30's, historical enough to give a lot of value.
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Zwerling for a period of time aired music on KOMY using the online version of KABL, provided by the Bay Area Radio Museum. He may have even tried 50's / 60's oldies. I like the idea floated in the article, donating it to the operator of KMBY, to be restored to it's former glory.
The operator of KMBY is Verne “Chris Edwards” White. Be careful what you wish for.
Seems the C Band satellite dishes at this site were never registered with the FCC.
Well, now I'm really curious. This thread caused enough friction to get shut down. And there really was a "Take it outside" forum back then? Did members just go at with no outside moderation? Now that's a thread I would love to read 😄
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