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KLIV going dark

michael hagerty

michael hagerty

KLIV (1590 AM) has begun running an announcement from owner Bob Kieve saying that the station will go dark Sunday night. The City of San Jose is buying the land and the license. No idea what they'll do with the license, but the land is simply too valuable to justify it being a tower site for an AM with a 0.2 to a 0.4 in the last four books.

In the 60s and the very early 70s, KLIV was a major force in the market. More history here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1629363047341247/?fref=mentions
 
Sounds to me like once this all goes through, KLIV will be donated (doubtful a city like San Jose wants anything to do with running an AM station) and may/may not return under significantly downgraded facilities. In the recent past, AM licenses donated to non-profits have not done well at all unless attached to a FM translator.

Unfortunately, KQV in Pittsburgh and KLIV suffered the same fate. Under independent ownership, doing a quality all-news format on AM is just not financially viable. I give them credit for not throwing in the towel in 2016 and at least having a go with a complimentary format to sell with KRTY.
 
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seattlesarchiebunker said:
Sounds to me like once this all goes through, KLIV will be donated (doubtful a city like San Jose wants anything to do with running an AM station) and may/may not return under significantly downgraded facilities. In the recent past, AM licenses donated to non-profits have not done well at all unless attached to a FM translator.

Unfortunately, KQV in Pittsburgh and KLIV suffered the same fate. Under independent ownership, doing a quality all-news format on AM is just not financially viable. I give them credit for not throwing in the towel in 2016 and at least having a go with a complimentary format to sell with KRTY.
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Bob Kieve is now posting on social media saying the station may be back, under his ownership, but that a tower site needs to be found (most likely diplexing off an existing, competing AM). So the City may only be getting the land. Still, that'll give Bob plenty of resources to go shopping for a site.
 
Going Classic Country was a terrible mistake.

The station should've stayed with spoken word programming. A locally-focused Talk format with some syndicated programming at night would've been the way to go. If you're gonna do music as an English-language AM station, 50's/60's Oldies or Adult Standards are really the only two even remotely viable options in a market such as South Bay.
 
I could see them becoming an Immaculate Heart Radio affiliate, or maybe a South-bay relay for KQED. Even that monster signal from San Bruno has trouble in some areas of San Jose.

Dave B.
 
I smell a downgrade in night power. 5kw non-D days is no problem...it's the 4 stick night pattern that is. Non directional with low power at night seems to be the way many of these challenged Ancient Modulation stations are going.
 
The City should just shut it down and turn in the license. It would free up another useless AM channel and continue de-cluttering that end of the band.
 
I suppose for those living in the Bay Area, nighttime reception of either Tillamook OR (KTIL with Oldies) or Seattle WA (KLFE with Conservative Talk, 'The Answer') is possible on 1590. KLFE airs most of the same programs as KTRB 860, except for Joe Walsh which apparently isn't on 860's schedule.
 
crainbebo said:
I suppose for those living in the Bay Area, nighttime reception of either Tillamook OR (KTIL with Oldies) or Seattle WA (KLFE with Conservative Talk, 'The Answer') is possible on 1590. KLFE airs most of the same programs as KTRB 860, except for Joe Walsh which apparently isn't on 860's schedule.
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Not going to be a bit deal for people in the Bay Area. But I think what Kelly is referring to is the nighttime skywave interference caused by KLIV in areas of Tillamook or Seattle where those stations are weak. It could marginally help reception in those areas, although I'm certain the population losing a signal in San Jose would be far greater than the population gaining a signal in Tillamook or Seattle. But those two are close to each other anyway and interference from KLIV is probably negligible. Same goes for KVTA & KVTR in SoCal. Not much else on that frequency in the west either:

http://www.nf8m.com/pattern_maps/US-CA_nighttime/N-map_1590KHz.html

Dave B.
 
Looks like the KLIV 1590 towers are no longer up ,per google streetview ,one tower at least is laying on the ground in the March,2019 google streetview pass, at the former 4 tower site. This looks like it has happened within the last 6 months or so.
On FCC website KLIV has asked for an extension of STA ,that was in August of 2019.
So maybe they will return to air ,it seems Empire Broadcasting still owns it in the FCC filing ,which I think is original owner Bob Kieve, not the city of San Jose.

Al
 
KLIV will be getting an STA for 500 Watts from a wire antenna to be located at 556 N. 16th Street, San Jose.. a residential neighborhood. One end will be attached to a temporary portable tower, the other end is going to be attached to a tree. This is to keep the license alive while a sale is in the works to Pham Radio Communications which also owns KVVN 1430 Santa Clarita, Ca.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
KLIV will be getting an STA for 500 Watts from a wire antenna to be located at 556 N. 16th Street, San Jose.. a residential neighborhood. One end will be attached to a temporary portable tower, the other end is going to be attached to a tree. This is to keep the license alive while a sale is in the works to Pham Radio Communications which also owns KVVN 1430 Santa Clarita, Ca.
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KLIV could b3e back on as soon as this weekend if the STA is approved this week, according to the engineer doing thework
 
Negin said:
That sounds like something us amateur operators would do for DX contests.
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Yeah and for a very temporary operation this is the quickest least expensive idea. The plan is to move the STA over to the KVVN site.. they may diplex from there permanently
 
AM 1590 KLIV

I cannot help but wonder if Empire screwed up by not using best efforts to acquire a second FM signal in the South Bay.

Plenty of radio stations down there have changed hands in recent years, and that's before even considering Cumulus' recent divestiture of 97.7.

The former KCNL-FM (104.9 MHz) would've made an ideal home for KLIV's news programming.
 
MarkW said:
I cannot help but wonder if Empire screwed up by not using best efforts to acquire a second FM signal in the South Bay.

Plenty of radio stations down there have changed hands in recent years, and that's before even considering Cumulus' recent divestiture of 97.7.

The former KCNL-FM (104.9 MHz) would've made an ideal home for KLIV's news programming.
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Who said acquiring an FM signal for KLIV would've done anything except put them into debt for buying it? It sounds like they weren't losing money but Their country FM was simply propping up the AM.

I bet if they thought they could put KLIV on FM and make money, they would've done it
 
MarkW said:
I cannot help but wonder if Empire screwed up by not using best efforts to acquire a second FM signal in the South Bay.

Plenty of radio stations down there have changed hands in recent years, and that's before even considering Cumulus' recent divestiture of 97.7.

The former KCNL-FM (104.9 MHz) would've made an ideal home for KLIV's news programming.
Click to expand...

They did have KARA (105.7) long time ago before selling that off.
 
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