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KOGO AM 600 -- WHAT AN EMBARRASMENT
- Thread starter sdwulfdawg
- Start date
Lopaka said:
The channels were decided on because they were, on the radio dials of the day, equally spaced and between the usual dial markers. Dials back then had as much spacing for 540 to 900 as 900 to 1600 in many cases, and the marking might have been 550-600-700.... 1200-1400-1600. In other words, it was fairly arbitrary but designed to let the triangular conelrad logo fit into dial plates of the time, I believe.
There were three or four CONELRAD tests... two nearly consecutively (coupla' months apart) in the late 50's and two more in the early 60's that I remember... all AMs off air except those that went intermittently on one of the two emergency frequencies. In fact, from NE Ohio, I heard Canadian stations as far away as Winnipeg and Regina at the mid-day test time! It appears that the two in the 50's were considered one test by the authorities, though.
About 20%, IIRC, of all AMs were part of CONELRAD. They had to tune to one of the two frequencies and in most areas, 3, 4 or 5 signals would alternate for a minute or two each. The idea was to not allow a missile to home in on a single signal; many still remembered that KGU had been used as a homing beacon for Pearl Harbor. So rapid switching, only two immensely congested channels and very low power was intended to thwart any homing.
Low power was a necessity, as moving a transmitter from its licensed channel to another without extensive retuning can burn it to a crisp... in some cases, the moves were 400 kcs, so only very low power would work, even though some transmitters had a test mode for this purpose.
If you search the Broadcasting Magazine section at www.americanradiohistory.com on CONELRAD you can come up with lots of data if you are curious. Every issue of the magazine from that era is available and searchable.
Garrett said:
In our hearts it will always be "One Thirty Six K - G - B....San Diegoooooo"
On the subject of KOGO radio and the SDG&E blackout, my view is that KOGO was an embarrassment and actually a danger to the community in a time of crisis. They have no news staff, their one on duty reporter Phil Farrar spend most of his time trapped in traffic on the way to the emergency command center and was able to report only on the traffic gridlock within his line of sight. Cliff Albert is a promotions manager who has interest only in patting his own and ClearChannel's backside. Kogo had good opportunity to utilize the reporting staff and resources of the Channel 10 newsroom and equal resources from KPBS and failed to do so, opting instead to keep Albert at the microphone announcing private school closings. We in San Diego are in great danger because KOGO is ill equipped to respond to an emergency where trained professional reporters are needed to bring us information that will save our lives and help us protect our families. (KFI in LA provides local hourly news breaks). The stations license should be challenged and it should lose it's status as the Emergency Broadcast station in San Diego. Not that local government (nor SDG&E) did a much better job. At the least KOGO should be called to account in order to renew it's license and it's designation as the emergency broadcaster. You cannot fire most of your reporting and news staff and still claim to provide sufficient service to warrant use of the public airwaves. Thanks for reading
KOGOJIMMYV said:
I totally agree.
There are no legal grounds for the KOGO license to be challenged. There are hundreds and hundreds of AMs across the country with absolutely no news staff. A news staff is not now nor never has been a requirement for a broadcast license. True CC has gutted KOGO, but for now they are the license holders of the great and powerful AM 600. I am not the biggest CC fan, but they did a decent job for what they had available. It was not Cliff's fault that he has no budget for a news room. Lobby congress to change broadcasting license rules, but challenging KOGO's license is absurd and will make the challengers look bad. KOGO is still a good station, and now they are in a world of hurt, as KFMB is creeping up on them. CC's cheapness will come back to bite their wallets no need to involve the FCC as it is completely without cause! The FCC on their site specifically states that they dont keep track or care about programming formats!
Plus challenging the license of San Diego's oldest licensed COMMERCIAL radio station is Absurd!
Plus challenging the license of San Diego's oldest licensed COMMERCIAL radio station is Absurd!
many still remembered that KGU had been used as a homing beacon for Pearl Harbor. So rapid switching, only two immensely congested channels and very low power was intended to thwart any homing.
I had heard that it was KGMB. I believe it was in one of those incredibly kindly posted historic Broadcasting Mags that I saw KGMB touting their new 1,000 watt transmitter, just before the attack.
I had heard that it was KGMB. I believe it was in one of those incredibly kindly posted historic Broadcasting Mags that I saw KGMB touting their new 1,000 watt transmitter, just before the attack.
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