KCJJ Iowa City, Iowa

[jd]

This isn't a question about the current KCJJ on 1630; it's about when they were on 1560. I've been unable to find any information on it, but wasn't the station's schedule really unusual? I know this sounds a little strange but it's almost like they were an unlimited time and limited time station rolled into one, and here's why: during at least part of their history they were required to go off the air for a while after sunset.

I can't remember if KCJJ's "silent time" was for one hour (or two, maybe), but following that they were allowed to come back on (same power, 1kW, but with a different directional pattern?) for the rest of the night. According to a couple of sources the station signed on in 1977 but I don't know if they had this special operating schedule from the beginning. Does anyone remember this arrangement, how long it lasted and the possible reason(s) for it? Was it only because of New York's 1560 or were other things involved?

 

[KR4BD]

I remember this from my DXing days in the early 1960's. I think it went something like this:

WQXR-1560 in New York was Non-Directional UNTIL local sunset in Bakersfield, CA where KPMC-1560 operated as a co-Class 1-B with WQXR on 1560, but with only 10,000 watts, day/night at the time. WQXR had 50,000 watts, day/night. At Bakersfield sunset, WQXR went directional nulling much of their signal to the west to "protect" KPMC. At that time, KCJJ was allowed to come back on the air at reduced power since KPMC and WQXR went directional against each other at Bakersfield sunset leaving a slot for KCJJ to operate at night. KCJJ was required to sign-off the air at their Iowa City Sunset time and wait for the Bakersfield sunset to happen a couple hours later before signing back on again when the two 1-Bs (WQXR and KPMC) began "protecting each other" during the nighttime hours.

I know this sounds confusing, but I think I have it right. And yes, I know both the New York and Bakersfield calls are now different.

 

[jd]

Thanks for the info, now it makes sense. Or let me rephrase that, it sort of made sense under the old FCC rules. I'm thinking that KCJJ was allowed to fill in the gap after the breakup of the clear channel stations, getting "full-time" status back in the mid 80's. I'm guessing about the time frame, though, since it's hard to tell if that's what happened. The station was listed as unlimited time by some sources and as a limited time station elsewhere around that time. Unfortunately there's little information available on the station on the FCC site, other than the fact that their X-band station signed on in 1999.

Oh, and about the call letter thing, I still catch myself thinking of 1560 NYC as WQXR!

 

[cyberdad]

This is right up there with the old WJJD in Chicago signing on at 4am (or whenever it was), then signing off for 15 minutes, a half hour or whatever depending on the month, then coming back on again. "JD had to wait for local sunrise in Salt Lake City on account of KSL. Early sign on if KSL was off, but then had to vacate the channel if KSL came on before Salt Lake sunrise.

 

[satech]

If I remember correctly, the old 1560 KCJJ had a large directional array with 5 or 6 towers, to allow nighttime operation. The station then went dark sometime in the '90s. The license was bought out, and rather than resume operation as-is on 1560 kHz, the new owners constructed the new Expanded Band signal on 1630 kHz, using one of the old 1560 towers.

Shortly thereafter, the old 1560 kHz signal was put back on the air, this time as KCJK, using another one of the old towers as a non-directional, daytime-only simulcast of 1630. KCJK has since gone off the air again, this time permanently, due to the FCC's rule requiring the "parent" station to go off the air and turn in its license five years after its Expanded Band license is granted. I believe the disused towers from the old 1560 array have also since been taken down.