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FCC Says No to Appeal for a New AM in L.A.

davideduardo

Moderator/Administrator
Staff member
From the Radio World Smart Brief:

"Schwab Multimedia has lost an appeal to the Federal Communications Commission in a case involving a planned AM station near Los Angeles for which it had a construction permit.

This is a “tolling” case, one that involves the FCC construction clock. The history is complex — the FCC’s summary is 2,500 words long, not counting many extended footnotes — but the upshot is that KWIF in Culver City was never built and, barring further developments, apparently will not be. Its call sign has now been deleted."


 
Don Elliot (whose real last name is Schwab) tells me it isn't over yet, but would not elaborate on the advice of his attorney.
 
From the Radio World Smart Brief:

"Schwab Multimedia has lost an appeal to the Federal Communications Commission in a case involving a planned AM station near Los Angeles for which it had a construction permit.

This is a “tolling” case, one that involves the FCC construction clock. The history is complex — the FCC’s summary is 2,500 words long, not counting many extended footnotes — but the upshot is that KWIF in Culver City was never built and, barring further developments, apparently will not be. Its call sign has now been deleted."


So if I’m reading this correctly, KWIF had wanted to triplex with KFOX at KWKW’s site, but KABC beat them to it?

I can’t think of a proposed station of any kind that has been in limbo for so long as this one has.
 
Huh, I didn't realize that option was still available, considering how crowded the LA market is, and the current state of AM radio. I must've thought they closed down tany AM filing windows in like 2011, but it's nice to hear you can still apply for one, if you are able to support it yourself (hence you would probably have to be Besos or something).
 
Huh, I didn't realize that option was still available, considering how crowded the LA market is, and the current state of AM radio. I must've thought they closed down tany AM filing windows in like 2011, but it's nice to hear you can still apply for one, if you are able to support it yourself (hence you would probably have to be [Bezos] or something).
But it seems that, nowadays, no amount of money would get you the land that you need for an adequate AM transmitter facility in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
 
Huh, I didn't realize that option was still available, considering how crowded the LA market is, and the current state of AM radio. I must've thought they closed down tany AM filing windows in like 2011, but it's nice to hear you can still apply for one, if you are able to support it yourself (hence you would probably have to be Besos or something).
There was an extenuating circumstance in play here, namely that Ed Stolz had a CP for 1500 that expired in 2013, and when he tried to reapply for it Don filed a competing application. Because of that, there was no official filing window created, so you may feel free to "unrealize" that option.

It's extremely convoluted.
 
Why would anyone in 2022 want to build a new AM station at the high end of the band?
Well, the frequency was not a choice that Don made. 1500 was the old KROQ (AM) frequency, and when it went silent Ed Stolz applied for -- and got -- a CP to put it back on the air with the original facilities. But those quickly became unavailable, which ultimately led to the expiration of the CP, unbuilt. Then he reapplied, and Don forced him into a comparative hearing, and by the time it was done Don had applied for a translator CP as well, and ...

... I did say it was convoluted.
 
Well, the frequency was not a choice that Don made. 1500 was the old KROQ (AM) frequency, and when it went silent Ed Stolz applied for -- and got -- a CP to put it back on the air with the original facilities.
Out of mere curiosity, I wonder if anyone who visits these boards has actually worked for or provided services to Ed Stolz. It would be interesting to learn about him from a source other than a legal document.
 
What was the power for the AM 1500 CP? I thought I remember someone posting awhile back that it would be only 100 watts. I can't imagine in this day and age that someone would still want to build out an AM ( even in LA), and with such low power. What would be the purpose or even what format they were planning
 
Looking at this from a different perspective; southern California is probably the largest market for EVs in the nation. And, from what I understand, battery/electric power doesn't play well with the AM band. From what I've heard, Tesla doesn't even offer AM reception in their sound systems. So, a 1,000 watt AM at the high end of the dial is a tough enough sell anywhere. But you're talking about an incredibly competitive and spread out market where much of your potential audience can't possibly even find you. Unless they have plans for an FM translator, this idea is doomed to failure.
 
As I suggested in a previous post, a solution would to be to diplex off of 1260 in the SFV. Even KMZT's pattern is very similar to 1500's original back in the day. 5 to 10 kW probably could be used.
 
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