The owner of AM 1400 today filed to cancel the station license. KITZ had lost is tower site a few years ago was unable to find a inexpensive replacement site. Too bad it could not have done a diplex deal with KBRO (soon 1480). The owner also controlled KGTK AM 920 which thankfully went to the KBRD people.
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KITZ Silverdale (Bremerton) is no more.
- Thread starter RF101
- Start date
An 80 kHz frequency difference might be too tight for a practical diplex, but perhaps an engineer familiar with the design of such arrangements could clarify that.
That requires some hiQ circuits that also have to be relatively flat for +/- 10 kHz for each station. That only leaves 60 kHz in the middle, and that means what is likely a costly design that would just not be affordable in that situation.
Even though KITZ and KGTK (Gun Talk 920) were owned by the 2nd Amendment Foundation, there never was enough Gun Talk available to ever actually program all that much 2nd Amendment agitprop. In their final incarnation the two outlets served to clear 3rd and 4th tier conservative talk. Stuff that was not otherwise cleared in the Seattle market. There may have been a plan to run local and national programming specifically focusing on gun rights, but those plans were shot down pretty quickly.
Thus ends 70 or so years of what was once KTNT Tacoma, owned by the Tacoma News Tribune as a well run and respected radio outlet. But that ship has long since sailed.
Thus ends 70 or so years of what was once KTNT Tacoma, owned by the Tacoma News Tribune as a well run and respected radio outlet. But that ship has long since sailed.
KITZ did not serve a purpose as a graveyard AM with little audience in the core Metro. It hadn't served much of a purpose except to clear said Conservative talk shows for years. Didn't they even run Alex Jones?
Told you they would be gone sooner than later. I think KNTB and KXPA are next.
Told you they would be gone sooner than later. I think KNTB and KXPA are next.
It was time to close the book on this station. It’s sad to see any station close, but there is realistically nothing you can do with a station like that in 2025. The local area is already served by powerhouse FM and AM stations in Seattle, and there’s realistically no advertising revenue to be generated in the community of license.
As much as I still try and advocate for the AM band, stations like this don’t serve a purpose anymore. That pretty much goes for the entire graveyard AM band (aside from some very specific cases where a station is hyperlocal and in a rural community).
As much as I still try and advocate for the AM band, stations like this don’t serve a purpose anymore. That pretty much goes for the entire graveyard AM band (aside from some very specific cases where a station is hyperlocal and in a rural community).
KNTB has already been cancelled by KBRO. Its 1480 frequency will be the new home of KBRO.
I do remember KTNT -- but I have to note that station faded into irrelevance even before FM competition killed music on AM. Looking at Seattle/Tacoma radio ratings going back to 1976, KTNT did not show up -- even though KTAC consistently did show up, as did KBRD (KTAC's FM counterpart, originally on 103.9). KNBQ (KTNT's FM counterpart on 97.3 started showing up in 1977.
Technically, not quite true. The owners of KNTB keep filing STAX paperwork to keep the license alive. It's some sort of escape valve if things go badly. The latest filing was last week:
...............
Request to Extend Engineering STA
As previously reported, Iglesia Pentecostal Vispera Del Fin (“Licensee”), licensee of station KNTB(AM), engaged the services of Hatfield and Dawson Consulting Engineers to assist in identifying options for restoring the station to licensed operation. Following further review, Licensee determined that the public interest would be served by modifying the license for commonly owned station KBRO(AM), Bremerton, Washington, and, contingent upon grant of that application, surrendering the KNTB(AM) license. That application was granted on March 8, 2023, conditioned upon the surrender of the licenses of KARR(AM), Kirkland, WA (Facility ID 20669) and KNTB(AM), Lakewood, WA (Facility ID 26892). See FCC File No. BP-20220802AAA (the “CP”). The license of KARR(AM) was surrendered on August 8, 2024. In the meantime, Licensee’s engineers have worked to gather information and are now assembling the equipment necessary to build out KBRO(AM)’s power increase in accordance with the CP.
Licensee expects that KBRO(AM) construction will be completed by the end of 2025, in advance of the CP’s March 8, 2026 construction deadline. Following construction, Licensee will file the requisite Form 2100, Schedule 302-AM and surrender KNTB(AM)’s license.In the meantime, Licensee respectfully requests extension of STA to permit KNTB(AM) to continue to operate at variance. In the event that the KBRO(AM) CP is modified prior to grant such that the license of KNTB(AM) need not be surrendered, Licensee will diligently work with its consulting engineers to resume licensed operations.
..........
As an afterthought, could 680 "KUTI" switch to the old AM 1400 KITZ frequency? Likewise, could KNTB pull the same trick? Obviously AM 680 would gain a nighttime service and remove the KNBR issue. KNTB would save their license.
Of course, AM 1420 KITI Centralia may just be too close, just down I-5.
Of course, AM 1420 KITI Centralia may just be too close, just down I-5.
Kind of feels like Hatfield & Dawson have designed who occupies the whole AM/FM spectrum for the entire country.
I noticed KBRO has been off the air recently. KKDZ and KZIZ are currently silent also. KKDZ had been operating at their new tower site in Auburn and KZIZ was using one the towers on that site that KKDZ does not use and they were simulcasting. I think they are doing some work at the Auburn because both stations were under STA and both have been operating on construction permits.
On Puget Sound SDRs I hear KWOK, Aberdeen-Hoquiam (running sports talk) faintly now but no sign of KBRO.
It's clear now there is (was) no future for KNTB.
According to FCC filings, KNTB lost its licensed site back in 2017 (Yes!) and since then has been operating with the STA following parameters based on an FCC September 2017 approval letter:
Geographic coordinates 47° 09' 52" N, 122° 30' 19" W (NAD 1927)
Frequency 1480 KHz
Hours of operation Unlimited
Operating power 0.25 kW (day), 0.065 kW (night)
Antenna type 26 meter horizontal wire
Antenna height 6 meters AGL
(KNTB(AM) was licensed for DA operation on 1480 kHz with 1 kW day and 0.111 kW night on two towers at 47 9' 55.4" N / 122 34' 36.5" W ).
It's clear now there is (was) no future for KNTB.
According to FCC filings, KNTB lost its licensed site back in 2017 (Yes!) and since then has been operating with the STA following parameters based on an FCC September 2017 approval letter:
Geographic coordinates 47° 09' 52" N, 122° 30' 19" W (NAD 1927)
Frequency 1480 KHz
Hours of operation Unlimited
Operating power 0.25 kW (day), 0.065 kW (night)
Antenna type 26 meter horizontal wire
Antenna height 6 meters AGL
(KNTB(AM) was licensed for DA operation on 1480 kHz with 1 kW day and 0.111 kW night on two towers at 47 9' 55.4" N / 122 34' 36.5" W ).
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Isn't the CP permit for this, up for sale? Apparently, the religious broadcaster behind this finally realized the waste of money in doing this, for so little return. Just to have better daytime coverage of Seattle Metro at AM 1480. But with only 12 watts at night, this will essentially be a daytimer. I wouldn't be surprised if this never gets built.
KNUV 1190 and KXEG 1280 in the Phoenix area are diplexed
They were the ones who donated KGTK to KBRD.... and the people who sold KGHO to the just deleted KITZ Folks are the NWRRPS/KGHO-LP folks
Theres a reason for that.. theyre pretty damn good.....super smart people and friendly. Stephen Lockwood, the principal of the organization has worked all over the country on some very big/powerful/well known sites as well
