KFWB To Air Brokered And Syndicated Shows

[davideduardo]

KFWB...(snip)...probably the 4th or 5th best AM in the market after KFI, KNX, KLAC and maybe KHJ.

After KLAC, wouldn't KABC also be vying for spots 4-6 with KFWB and KHJ?

The night directional loses a lot to the east, which is the San Gabriel Valley, and the site is on the western side of the market. KHJ is also directional, but seems to do better. KFWB, with a site much farther east, is best centered on the market population and is nondirectional.

 

[fybush]

The night directional loses a lot to the east, which is the San Gabriel Valley, and the site is on the western side of the market. KHJ is also directional, but seems to do better. KFWB, with a site much farther east, is best centered on the market population and is nondirectional.

True - though I've long believed that KFWB's signal is not well centered on the population it targeted with the all-news format. There's a conductivity break somewhere between the KFWB/KLAC site and west LA. I've had the 980 signal all but disappear driving down Wilshire near the 405, in an area where its predicted signal should be much better than it really is.

KFWB and KHJ would probably both benefit from a signal swap, though perhaps it's too little, too late now.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

The night directional loses a lot to the east, which is the San Gabriel Valley, and the site is on the western side of the market. KHJ is also directional, but seems to do better. KFWB, with a site much farther east, is best centered on the market population and is nondirectional.

True - though I've long believed that KFWB's signal is not well centered on the population it targeted with the all-news format. There's a conductivity break somewhere between the KFWB/KLAC site and west LA. I've had the 980 signal all but disappear driving down Wilshire near the 405, in an area where its predicted signal should be much better than it really is.

KFWB and KHJ would probably both benefit from a signal swap, though perhaps it's too little, too late now.

Okay Scott and David...

I'm curious...

What about KSPN 710? 50,000 watts daytime ND / 10,000 night DA...Why is this not mentioned as one of the stronger ones. Why didn't ABC move KABC to 710? Is the valley transmitter location a problem?

I remember visiting LA in the early 80's (before the AM NRSC-1 was implemented) and heard tons of slop on XETRA 690 from 2nd adjacent KMPC 710.

 

[Carmine5]

The last time an historic L.A. AM station was sold it was KMPC. The Koreans bought it in 2007 from Rose City for 33 mil. But given the current state of the economy verses '07 and the continued decline of AM, I'm not sure CBS could get that amount or near to it for KFWB.

The "KMPC" the Koreans bought is not the heritage Golden West / Gene Autry facility on 710. It is a signal-challenged highly directional operation at 1540 which for years was KSKQ (AM) under SBS ownership.

KFWB is a decent facility for one on a regional channel. The fringe market coverage is not great in northern LA County or southern Orange, but in the rest of the area it is, day and night, probably the 4th or 5th best AM in the market after KFI, KNX, KLAC and maybe KHJ. It should fetch $22 to $28 plus the value of real estate.

Yes, I know. 1540 was the old KPOL dial position.

 

[fybush]

710 is a fine signal by day, but at night it falls apart pretty badly in some important parts of the market: Orange County, especially, but also parts of the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys. KABC may have only half as much power, but it's on a cleaner channel with a more favorable transmitter site and DA pattern after dark.

 

[davideduardo]

True - though I've long believed that KFWB's signal is not well centered on the population it targeted with the all-news format. There's a conductivity break somewhere between the KFWB/KLAC site and west LA. I've had the 980 signal all but disappear driving down Wilshire near the 405, in an area where its predicted signal should be much better than it really is.

But the westside area is the lowest in population of the zones that arbitron divides the market into, except for the High Desert and Santa Clarita zones... which is likely why Indie, which only covered this area well, never could get total market traction.

 

[davideduardo]

Yes, I know. 1540 was the old KPOL dial position.

And KPOL was not what most would consider a heritage or historic radio station. While it did a bit better in the 60's with the 93.9 channel, in the 50's KBIG's much larger signal did better with that soft MOR / Beautiful audience.