KHKR: The demise of AM radio continues

[ted chittenden]

I was surprised to learn last week from

Townsquare Makes Changes In St. George

Townsquare Media News/Talk 890 KDXU/92.5 K223DI St. George UT has added expanded coverage across its coverage region as it adds

radioinsight.com

that the owners of KHKR-AM in St. George have surrendered the station's license. The station's FM translator at FM 97.7 (going by memory here) will continue but now its source feed will be that of KDXU-FM-HD2.

I was surprised at this one as KHKR at one time had very good day and night signals (the night signal was good enough that it had become part of a three-way conflegration of signals on 1210kHz around my neck of the woods in Phoenix, Arizona). With this outlet's demise and the years-ago demise of the 1210 frequency licensed to Sahuarita, Arizona (near Tucson), I would expect (but I haven't verified this yet) that KGYN-AM out of Guymon, Oklahoma, will once again become the dominant nighttime station on the 1210 frequency in the Southwest (none of the California stations west and northwest of me turn their antennas eastward at night). Now, if only KGYN would get rid of its conservative talk programming...

 

[Greg Strickland]

Something to consider- reduction of the number of AM stations reduces interference for remaining stations, which improves the listening experience.
And if AM station licensees want to continue broadcasting, that is fine with me.
If I owned an AM station and could afford to operate it, I would continue to do it.

 

[Mark Roberts]

I would expect (but I haven't verified this yet) that KGYN-AM out of Guymon, Oklahoma, will once again become the dominant nighttime station on the 1210 frequency in the Southwest (none of the California stations west and northwest of me turn their antennas eastward at night). Now, if only KGYN would get rid of its conservative talk programming...

KGYN's audience is in the Oklahoma Panhandle, where folks are against big government as long as the farm and ranch subsidies keep coming in.

It also carries Kansas City Chiefs football. Denver's 100 miles closer, for what it's worth.

 

[ted chittenden]

KGYN's audience is in the Oklahoma Panhandle, where folks are against big government as long as the farm and ranch subsidies keep coming in.

It also carries Kansas City Chiefs football. Denver's 100 miles closer, for what it's worth.

Aah! But I remember during the 1970s when KGYN's format was country music and it carried "CBS Radio Mystery Theater,".

 

[CTListener]

KGYN's audience is in the Oklahoma Panhandle, where folks are against big government as long as the farm and ranch subsidies keep coming in.

It also carries Kansas City Chiefs football. Denver's 100 miles closer, for what it's worth.

If most of the football fans in the Panhandle root for the Chiefs rather than the Broncos, the choice makes sense.

 

[Mark Roberts]

If most of the football fans in the Panhandle root for the Chiefs rather than the Broncos, the choice makes sense.

Or it could be that Steckline is based in Kansas.

Guymon is the largest population center in the area (and, yes, I have been there, multiple times), so that would be the primary audience.

By the way, Dalhart, Texas, just down the road from Guymon, is closer to Denver than it is to Austin.

 

[Kent]

Aah! But I remember during the 1970s when KGYN's format was country music and it carried "CBS Radio Mystery Theater,".

I remember catching it on a Sunday evening in the late 80's or early 90's, and it was airing AC. Seems like I heard it only aired that programming a couple nights a week, but it was quite good.

By the way, Dalhart, Texas, just down the road from Guymon, is closer to Denver than it is to Austin.

It is also closer Santa Fe, Oklahoma City, Cheyenne, Topeka, and Lincoln than it is to Austin if I remember correctly.