Iowa KCOG Centerville sold

[Mark Roberts]

Edwin Brand's Honey Creek Broadcasting has filed to sell KCOG(AM) and FM translator K280GY to the Iowa Media Network for $100,000. The AM tower west of Centerville is included in the sale, but the tower for the FM translator near Rathbun is not.

The Iowa Media Network is also based in Centerville, operating an Internet-based service, GoPitchTV, that streams high-school sports in the region as well as a local weekly newspaper that took the place of the Daily Iowegian, which closed down in 2020.

Honey Creek retains FM station KMGO. Brand had earlier sold KEDB(FM), licensed to Chariton, to the operators of Iowa Catholic Radio. KMGO has been associated with KCOG since the FM station went on the air in 1974. Interesting, considering Centerville's size, is that KMGO has always been a 100,000-watt station. KCOG broadcasts with just under 500 watts daytime and just under 1,000 watts nighttime on 1400 kHz.

When I last was in Centerville a couple of months ago, KCOG was broadcasting a syndicated hot-AC format. KMGO broadcasts a syndicated country format. Neither has much local content. This move is interesting in that it could bring some local content back to Appanoose County.

 

[Mark Roberts]

NorthPine has a few more details:

Sale Splits Radio Station Ownership in Centerville, Iowa – NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting

northpine.com

The stated power levels of KCOG were actually readjusted in an FCC filing a few years ago. The station did not change its actual facilities at that time.

Edit for a correction to the original post:
I had described the KCOG format as "hot AC". That was its format in 2022. But Jon described the station's current format as "classic hits". I went back to my recordings of the station and, indeed, sometime between May 2022 and April 2025, there was a change to classic hits. I most recently was in Centerville in October and that format description is still valid.

I believe KCOG has had several different formats over the years.

 

[Mark Roberts]

The buyer (Iowa Media Network/GoPitchTV) posted an announcement on Facebook today. It's rather long but it wouldn't make sense if it were in pieces, so here's most of it.

The Iowa Media Network announced Friday, December 12, that it has reached an agreement to purchase KCOG Radio, 1400 AM and its FM translator at 103.9 FM, from Honey Creek Broadcasting, owned by Edwin Brand. The announcement was made during a press conference held at 4 p.m. and streamed live on the Iowa Media Network app and social media platforms.

Honey Creek Broadcasting will continue to own and operate KMGO 98.7 FM, as well as retain its building on the Centerville square. The transaction separates the two stations, which have operated together for decades, but keeps both under local ownership.

KCOG first signed on the air in 1949 and is considered one of the oldest continuously operating radio stations in the region. Brand said the decision to sell was driven by a desire to see the station remain on the air and continue serving the

"I just didn't want to be the guy who shut it off," Brand said. ''There's a lot of history there, not just for Centerville but for broadcasting. Iowa Media Network has the staff, the infrastructure, and the energy to make it a true hometown station again."

The Iowa Media Network is co-owned by AJ Anderson and Russ Ocker. While the company is best known for its digital video platforms and community coverage, the purchase marks its first entry into radio ownership.

Ocker said conversations about the purchase began in early November and quickly centered on what would be best for the station and the community.

''KCOG has always been a heritage station for this town," Ocker said. ''For us, the goal is to honor that history, keep the call letters, keep the format, and focus on being local."

KCOG currently broadcasts on both 1400 AM and 103.9 FM through an FM translator, which rebroadcasts the AM signal in FM quality. Brand explained that the translator allows listeners to hear the same programming with clearer reception, especially in an era when AM signals face increasing interference.

The station's format is expected to remain unchanged, featuring classic hits and rock from past decades. Iowa Media Network officials said listeners should expect increased local content as the transition moves forward.

Anderson said the purchase represents a full-circle moment in his media career.

''Five years ago, I never thought I'd own a newspaper, and I definitely never thought I'd own a radio station," Anderson said. ''My first connection to KCOG was producing video for the Hy-Vee Sports Show. Now we're here owning it. Hyperlocal media still matters in small towns, and this is another way to serve the community."

Both Brand and Ocker shared personal stories of their early broadcasting days at KCOG and KMGO, highlighting the station's role as a starting point for many local broadcasters.

Pending Federal Communications Commission approval, the ownership transfer is expected to be completed in the coming months. Once finalized, Iowa Media Network will assume operations of KCOG while continuing its existing digital and print media offerings.

The Iowa Media Network currently operates multiple digital platforms across south-central Iowa, including GoPitchTV in Centerville, GoHillsTV at Indian Hills Community College, GoSCCTV covering South Central Conference events, GoClarkeTV in Osceola, GoKnoxvilleTV in Knoxville, and GoWayneTV in Corydon as well as a printed newspaper in Centerville, the Appanoose Weekly.

Officials from both companies emphasized the transition is amicable and focused on long-term sustainability.

''This is a friendly transfer," Brand said. ''KCOG stays local, KMGO stays local, and that's good for Centerville."

Comment: With statements such as "I just didn't want to be the guy that shut if off", it sounds as if the immediate future of KCOG had been doubtful. I'll be interested in seeing how much local content the new owners will be able to bring to the station. Judging by their online "Appanoose AM" weekday morning show, they certainly seem to know how to do local sales.

KCOG currently has no online presence; KMGO's online presence is minimal. It wouldn't surprise me if some of that changes, particularly for KCOG.

 

[Mark Roberts]

On a related note, KMGO(FM) filed today to revive its CP to move its transmitting tower from Rathbun to Melrose, in Monroe County, and upgrade to class C0 status. This would allow the signal to almost reach Des Moines. Oddly, it's listed in the FCC system as a CP for an auxiliary station, but, reading the application's attachments, I believe that's a mistake.
The filing: Draft Copy « Licensing and Management System « FCC

 

[radiorobert]

This has to be one of the longest ongoing CP processes that I know of. Hopefully now that there are signs of activity at the tower site it will actually get built.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

This has to be one of the longest ongoing CP processes that I know of. Hopefully now that there are signs of activity at the tower site it will actually get built.

It's already got a tower registration

an OML filing for the tower.. ownership, management & leadership was done way back in 2019. wow, its been that long

 

[radiorobert]

Good, it's just taken a really long time.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

do they have any local daytime shows, like am drive? news? i assume they at least do sports.. theyve never ever had much of a web presence and ive never heard of many people involved but Ed Brand

 

[radiorobert]

Re KMGO: Aside from Brand I don't know. There may be a couple other people but I can't imagine they have much in terms of staff. I don't know if they have much local content. Probably just some basic local news and then maybe some local sports coverage. I dont live in that area. I'm in Central Iowa north of Des Moines so while I can hear it depending on the day and location, I don't -or- cant listen for long. (Plus not a country fan so I dont have alot of motivation to.)

 

[Mark Roberts]

Re KMGO: Aside from Brand I don't know. There may be a couple other people but I can't imagine they have much in terms of staff. I don't know if they have much local content. Probably just some basic local news and then maybe some local sports coverage. I dont live in that area. I'm in Central Iowa north of Des Moines so while I can hear it depending on the day and location, I don't -or- cant listen for long. (Plus not a country fan so I dont have alot of motivation to.)

I've only been there a day at a time, and I'm not a country fan either. I've walked by the station's offices on the corner of the square and have seen no activity. I posted a photo of that in RD a few months ago. From what I can tell, both stations are entirely automated. There may be some local sports coverage, though that may usually go on KCOG. After the upcoming ownership change takes effect, I think you'll see more sports coverage on KCOG, at least for Appanoose County teams. It's also likely that "Appanoose AM" will be simulcast on the radio station. From my point of view, the only reason for Brand to build a C0 facility is a regional play and to try to broaden KMGO's potential advertiser base. I have heard local spots on KMGO, but not many. GoPitch, the upcoming KCOG owners, seem to have sold advertising on its stream to just about every business in Centerville. One of the new owners used to work for KCOG/KMGO and now sells real estate. So I think it's likely that, if anyone can build a revenue stream for the station, it will be the new owners. They can put "Appanoose AM" and maybe a local personality in the morning, be automated classic hits the rest of the day (as they are now), and have more local sports play-by-play. Those factors could enable them to do OK.

 

[radiorobert]

I an also see Brand wanting the C0 class to help sweeten the pot on the station value to a future owner since the advertising base is broader. Given his moves in recent years and very recently he probably looks to be eventually selling all his stuff off.

 

[Mark Roberts]

I an also see Brand wanting the C0 class to help sweeten the pot on the station value to a future owner since the advertising base is broader. Given his moves in recent years and very recently he probably looks to be eventually selling all his stuff off.

I've wondered about that myself. But I think some of it is also the rather limited revenue base. Albia's got its own station; Radio Ottumwa seems to dominate the largest city in the region. Historically, Centerville's trade area has been Appanoose and Wayne counties plus Putnam County, Missouri. All have seen a loss in population over decades.

Brand is from the area (Seymour, if I recall correctly).

If Iowa Media Network (GoPitch) can make it work, more power to them. It's likely to be a challenge.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I've wondered about that myself. But I think some of it is also the rather limited revenue base. Albia's got its own station; Radio Ottumwa seems to dominate the largest city in the region. Historically, Centerville's trade area has been Appanoose and Wayne counties plus Putnam County, Missouri. All have seen a loss in population over decades.

Brand is from the area (Seymour, if I recall correctly).

If Iowa Media Network (GoPitch) can make it work, more power to them. It's likely to be a challenge.

if they already have a local morning show of sorts streaming and sports, and they move it to the AM... which they have and will do.. theyll be ok.

 

[ngriffin]

The sale to Ocker and Anderson does sound positive for KCOG. I was in Bloomfield a few years back for a funeral and the translator was quite listenable there. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for KMGO. There have been multiple construction permits for the upgrade going back 20 years.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

The sale to Ocker and Anderson does sound positive for KCOG. I was in Bloomfield a few years back for a funeral and the translator was quite listenable there. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for KMGO. There have been multiple construction permits for the upgrade going back 20 years.

It looks like the tower wasnt permitted until 2019.... and when i looked on google earth, i didnt see any obvious indication it was built.. no street view there

 

[radiorobert]

As of an August 2025 google earth view, there appear to be tower parts laying in rows on the ground but no constructed tower and no real dirt moving yet.

 

[Mark Roberts]

It looks like the tower wasnt permitted until 2019.... and when i looked on google earth, i didnt see any obvious indication it was built.. no street view there

Maybe you ought to do some research first before making comments about a situation that you have no knowledge of. For one thing, Street View doesn't even cover all the streets within Centerville, much less the county roads in the surrounding Vermillion township.

You didn't know what you were looking for on Google Earth. I found it right away, just by putting in the licensed coordinates. The four-acre lot and the transmitter building are apparent. Across the road are the remnants of what's locally known as "the Haydite plant", which manufactured concrete building blocks until about 1987. The old Sunshine coal mine is in the area as well but the shafts are probably all covered up.

The present tower was built in 1967 after the CP to relocate from south Centerville was granted; the transmitter building followed early in 1968. The studios had relocated to downtown Centerville earlier, in 1964, moving to the second floor of the Iowa Southern Utilities regional offices on the northeast corner of the square. That building is now Dannco, a retailer of athletic apparel. The KCOG license was modified to reflect the new transmitter location on April 30, 1968. (Reported in Broadcasting's For the Record section of May 13, 1968.) Operation from the new tower started a few months earlier; the old tower was toppled on February 28, a feat documented in the Iowegian and that I witnessed, as we lived across the street from the old self-supporting tower.

The power level was licensed for 500 watts daytime in 1964 and 250 watts night in 1966; once 1kw night operation was allowed for class C stations, the KCOG license was modified accordingly. The 2015 (not 2019) license modification is pretty clear about why the licensed power was reduced ten years ago:

This form 301-AM is being filed to correct an error of coordinates of 7 seconds in latitude and 14 seconds in longitude. As this error is more than 3 seconds in nature, the correction has been notified on a form 301-AM filing. This error was discovered during routine maintenance of the facility with the assistance of computer generated aerial photography not available at the time of the original KCOG(AM) licensing. The station has been operating from this site since approximately 1965. {This date is not correct, as indicated above; there may have been some confusion with the studio move, which came before the transmitter move.}

In addition to the error in coordinates, a slight correction in the theoretical RMS of the tower is requested. The FCC noted the theoretical RMS of the structure as being 296 mv/m/kw at one kilometer. However, new computer software indicates the height of the structure produces a theoretical efficiency of 297.4 mv/m/kw at one kilometer. The present station license (BL-850410AC) shows that the station has a ‘restricted’ RMS of 273.59 mv/m/kw at one kilometer. Therefore, the power of the station has been reduced to provide the proper RMS for the station. For daytime operation, the power is to be reduced to 0.42 kw. for nighttime operation, the tower is to be reduced to 0.84 kw. (FCC file name 1682502_1310207.txt - reformatted to mixed case for readability)

So the station took steps ten years ago to remedy a noncompliant situation that it hadn't been aware of. Moreover, the current KCOG tower was built in 1967 and has been there northwest of Centerville ever since.

Next time, check the facts first.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Maybe you ought to do some research first before making comments about a situation that you have no knowledge of. For one thing, Street View doesn't even cover all the streets within Centerville, much less the county roads in the surrounding Vermillion township.

You didn't know what you were looking for on Google Earth. I found it right away, just by putting in the licensed coordinates. The four-acre lot and the transmitter building are apparent. Across the road are the remnants of what's locally known as "the Haydite plant", which manufactured concrete building blocks until about 1987. The old Sunshine coal mine is in the area as well but the shafts are probably all covered up.

i know exactly what im looking for and i simply didnt find them on my brief look. i found the site just fine, i just didnt immediately see anything that stood out to me. ive gone on plenty of virtual tower hunts and found stuff much harder to see than this... like Radio Inconfidencia's 15190/6010 transmitter site

BTW, it appears on fccinfo.com like this app to upgrade was filed as an Auxiliary, which is a mistake.. and unless fccinfo made a mistake, i dont think they did, he may have to refile.. since its not an auxiliary.

 

[radiorobert]

Just to poke my nose in here and clarify...

SomeRadioGuy.....were you talking about the KMGO new C0 tower or the KCOG tower when you responded you looked and couldnt find the tower?

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Just to poke my nose in here and clarify...

SomeRadioGuy.....were you talking about the KMGO new C0 tower or the KCOG tower when you responded you looked and couldnt find the tower?

I was looking for the KMGO CP Tower/location and spent about a minute or two zooming in/out and didnt see anything that stood out... i was curious if its been built. IT looks liek some kind of determiniation, tower ownership i think, was issued in 2019, but that doesnt mean it was built.