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Washington Latest in Tri/Walla Walla

Goldendale is a very strong Portland hotspot with some Tri-Cities, Yakima and Bend mixed in along with KNWN/KDDS, KJDY and KRJT Elgin.

The Dalles on the other hand is not nearly as good if you're along the river. To the west, Portland gets stronger while to the east, Pendleton and Tri-Cities get stronger. I've been south of Biggs on US-97 and once you get up above the Gorge on the Oregon side, Portland, Tri-Cities, Yakima and KPQ all start coming in while Bend gradually fades in before taking over completely. I received Spokane around the town of Grass Valley (~25 mins south of Biggs) when I went through there in 2021.

The segment of US-97 south of Satus is a very strong Bend hotspot until you get into Goldendale, and the Mabton-Bickleton Hwy south of Bickleton is also a Bend hotspot as I discovered last weekend. (Warning: That road is really BAD in spots, particularly between Bickleton and US-97, but there is fresh pavement in others)
 
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dxsphere said:
The segment of US-97 south of Satus is a very strong Bend hotspot until you get into Goldendale, and the Mabton-Bickleton Hwy south of Bickleton is also a Bend hotspot as I discovered last weekend. (Warning: That road is really BAD in spots, particularly between Bickleton and US-97, but there is fresh pavement in others)
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When I drive through those areas I always imagine what it must be like to drive across the moon. Probably similar.
 
dxsphere said:
These are my theories on the fate of 97.5: Either it will be sold to a Spanish/Hispanic broadcaster, bringing yet another Mexican station to Tri-Cities, it will be sold to some trash religious broadcaster like VCY, or it will be sold to EMF, allowing for Air1 (or Radio Nueva Vida) to enter the market.

On that note, I wonder if they would ever upgrade KRKL to HD to allow for both Air1 and Radio Nueva Vida to broadcast in Tri-Cities.
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Apparently NONE of the above was the correct answer, as they filed the paperwork today to surrender the KOLW license. A 50kW C1 that couldn't find a buyer? Wow. And supposedly Tri-Cities is one of the fastest growing areas in the PNW.
 
I figured Bustos or EMF would have their hands on that signal months ago. I guess 97.5 will eventually become some LPFM or something.
 
This is a great example of how things have changed. It used to be that if an allocation or auction were to come up, channels would be snapped up. Over the years what licensees/owners in communities have realized is that having a big signal that mainly covers sagebrush is a liability more than an advantage. Spending your days driving around to towns of low population and small businesses that either don't have money to advertise or have been replaced by the Walmart or Home Depot in the nearest large town several miles away, is not only a waste of time and fuel but doesn't pay the bills.
Radio nerds impressed by coverage, or local townsfolk who think having their local radio station is cool, doesn't pay the bills either.
 
It's Christmas time in Yakima - Cherry FM 100.9 flipped yesterday morning. KKSR-95.7 has been all-Christmas for a couple of weeks now too.
 
I'm surprised that Yakima and the Tri-Cities doesn't have a mainstream Adult Contemporary Station. Last time Tri-Cities used to have it was MIX 105.3 KONA-FM or KALE 960/106.1 "MORE-FM" in the Tri-Cities area and 105.7 KRSE "The Rose" in Yakima.
 
It sounds as if KEYW 98.3 has tweaked the format to mainstream AC. Phil Collins? Club Nouveau? OMD? With that and the usual from Ellie Goulding, Bruno Mars, and Harry Styles that are on soft rock stations in this decade, I don't think we can call The Key 'hot AC' anymore. Three '80s songs per hour and a handful of '90s as well... nah. Not 'Hot' AC.
They were also all-Christmas for the past several weeks.

Other little notes from visiting over Christmas... new ID sweepers and imaging at 100.9 Cherry FM; really enjoyed the 104.3 BOB FM in Walla Walla (not sure how long they have been on), and there was a new station on 88.3 in Hermiston (Spanish music and Christmas classical music), and a pirate on 105.9 in Walla Walla (w/ Christmas music). The 88.3 got their license to cover on 12/16 and has the calls KBDM, Boardman OR. Shows the power will be 100 watts according to FCCData.
 
The people behind Boardman-KBDM's "Iglesia Casa de Milagros" are actually the same folks at the big Seattle Spanish-language radio network "Iglesia Pentecostal Víspera del Fin." The early KBDM paperwork had it landing at Vispera's address.
 
crainbebo said:
It sounds as if KEYW 98.3 has tweaked the format to mainstream AC. Phil Collins? Club Nouveau? OMD? With that and the usual from Ellie Goulding, Bruno Mars, and Harry Styles that are on soft rock stations in this decade, I don't think we can call The Key 'hot AC' anymore. Three '80s songs per hour and a handful of '90s as well... nah. Not 'Hot' AC.
They were also all-Christmas for the past several weeks.

Other little notes from visiting over Christmas... new ID sweepers and imaging at 100.9 Cherry FM; really enjoyed the 104.3 BOB FM in Walla Walla (not sure how long they have been on), and there was a new station on 88.3 in Hermiston (Spanish music and Christmas classical music), and a pirate on 105.9 in Walla Walla (w/ Christmas music). The 88.3 got their license to cover on 12/16 and has the calls KBDM, Boardman OR. Shows the power will be 100 watts according to FCCData.
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I've noticed KEYW's tweak, they've been playing way more older stuff in the past month or two. I would agree that KEYW isn't Hot AC anymore, which leaves the Tri-Cities without any Hot AC stations, although KWVN has a very strong signal across the whole area.

I haven't been down to Boardman to get KBDM yet, but it was on a few months ago. Bob FM in Walla Walla has been on for the last 2-3 months (or more)...I first noticed it about 3 months ago.
 
You’re right I notice the playlist of KEYW. They sound more of a mainstream AC station than HOT AC especially they are playing 80s hits (Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson etc.) in which most of the HOT AC stations don’t play 80s hits anymore.
 
KBDM 88.3 Boardman is on the air with Christmas music. There is RDS with PI code 0000 and RadioText "Hey BOB!". I was able to verify it as KBDM after I heard a female TTS voice ID the station "K-B-D-M Boardman"
 
As Kyle has mentioned elsewhere, there is a new KOLU relay on 90.9 in Grant County. It's KOLX, Warden. Transmitter NE of town. 610 watts with grade B to Moses Lake, grade A to Warden, and grade B to Othello. How many listeners shall it get, I wonder? Southern Gospel is not something that most people under 70 years old listen to. Christians in the target age group of 25-54 are likely listening to K-LOVE, PLR, Spotify, or The Message on SiriusXM. It's a wonder that KOLU has lasted so long on its own and hasn't been spun off to AFR or Air 1.
 
crainbebo said:
As Kyle has mentioned elsewhere, there is a new KOLU relay on 90.9 in Grant County. It's KOLX, Warden. Transmitter NE of town. 610 watts with grade B to Moses Lake, grade A to Warden, and grade B to Othello. How many listeners shall it get, I wonder? Southern Gospel is not something that most people under 70 years old listen to. Christians in the target age group of 25-54 are likely listening to K-LOVE, PLR, Spotify, or The Message on SiriusXM. It's a wonder that KOLU has lasted so long on its own and hasn't been spun off to AFR or Air 1.
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Riverview Baptist Church is a massive church, bringing in hundreds of people to church every Sunday per their website. I have no doubt the church has enough resources to not only keep KOLU on the air, but to expand into Yakima, Moses Lake and La Grande. I think they have a CP on the west side somewhere too.

Signal-wise: KOLX is strong in Moses Lake, and I've already been able to pick it up in Richland on the northwest side of Badger. My guess is that KOLX will be receivable across most of the area within the indigo circle on the map below, with some dropouts along the Columbia River, as well as the Hwy 17/155 corridors between Soap Lake and Grand Coulee. Yes, the indigo circle is big for a 600W transmitter, but this part of Washington is like a big dry bathtub.

The general barricades to KOLX are as follows:
* Going up towards Spokane, the left HD sideband on KPBX will wipe out 90.9
* To the north/west of Quincy, the Beasley hills are a natural barrier, with the KMBI translator in Chelan being received on 90.9 on the other side.
* To the west of Ryegrass Summit, KVTI will mainly be dominant, with a possible mix of KOLX and KRBM. Manatash Ridge/I-82 just south of Ellensburg will likely be a KOLX hotspot.
* KRBM is already dominant here in the Tri-Cities, and a couple weeks ago when I went to Moses Lake, I didn't start getting KOLX until I got up the hill at Mesa.

I anticipate I'll be able to get KOLX from Steptoe Butte when I go next month, but it'll be tricky because of KPBX-HD.

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I would agree most people under 70 years old wouldn't listen to their southern gospel music, but KOLU airs a variety of programming in English, Spanish and Korean in addition. As you mentioned, Christians between ages 25 and 54 are likely listening to K-Love, PLR and other services. CSN is also a popular service in the Moses Lake area, with The Effect coming soon to 91.9.
 
KTCV filed for a brief STA. Thankfully and unlike other HS stations, KTCV will be coming back:

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Kennewick School District No. 17 (Kennewick) respectfully requests special temporary authority for FM station KTCV-FM to remain silent.

KTCV-FM (Facility ID: 34022) has been silent since July 1, 2025, due to construction of a new facility to house the transmitter and associated facilities which will be immediately adjacent to the station tower. Kennewick is uncertain when the construction of the new building will be completed. Kennewick will move expeditiously to return KTCV-FM to on air operations as soon as possible, but no later than June 30, 2026.

A grant of this request is in the public interest as it permits Kennewick’s listeners in the KTCV-FM listening area to continue to receive Kennewick’s unique programming once the station is able to return to operations, and to permit its high school students to learn the science of broadcasting.
 
As a side note to KZJJ, the station still announces 106.9 which would be K295AV Kennewick. Now that KZJJ moved to Badger the 106.9 signal becomes redundant.
 
Woo hoo! 104.5 is once again (mostly) clear for me in Moses Lake.

In other news, 101.3 is now Air1 with RDS!
 


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