where are the new north suburban AMs?

[Goldilocks94941]

Last fall there were a few threads and a fair amount of anticipation for two new AM licensees in Redmond and in the Snohomish area on AM 1520 and AM 740. Both seemed to be high wattage, highly directionalized, fulltime signals, and there was a lot of speculation on how they could make a go of it, for a variety of reasons. I recall some postings from the licensee of one of these mentioning they were getting close to testing their signal.

So far, I've heard nothing else about these, either on this board, in the newspaper, or on the air. Anyone know where these stand?

Also, any word on how the Oak Harbor AM station is faring? I tried to tune them in last week in the afternoon a couple of times while running errands around Lynnwood, where I used to be able to pick it up OK. Once it appeared to be off the air; the second time I think it was back playing pop music with a pretty flat audio quality (I didn't get to listen for long).

Anyone know if these stations, or even the two AMs in Everett, are also trying to find space for a low power FM translator or two?
Curious to see what the state of "local" AM radio is around here, and what it might be, in the near future.

 

[Bongwater]

Last fall there were a few threads and a fair amount of anticipation for two new AM licensees in Redmond and in the Snohomish area on AM 1520 and AM 740. Both seemed to be high wattage, highly directionalized, fulltime signals, and there was a lot of speculation on how they could make a go of it, for a variety of reasons. I recall some postings from the licensee of one of these mentioning they were getting close to testing their signal.

So far, I've heard nothing else about these, either on this board, in the newspaper, or on the air. Anyone know where these stand?

Also, any word on how the Oak Harbor AM station is faring? I tried to tune them in last week in the afternoon a couple of times while running errands around Lynnwood, where I used to be able to pick it up OK. Once it appeared to be off the air; the second time I think it was back playing pop music with a pretty flat audio quality (I didn't get to listen for long).

Anyone know if these stations, or even the two AMs in Everett, are also trying to find space for a low power FM translator or two?
Curious to see what the state of "local" AM radio is around here, and what it might be, in the near future.

Well, we don't know about them. Not even call letters

If we don't know about them, we don't know if they are going to be Arabian Death Polka or something else, like MUSIC...

(PS: Arabian Death Polka - I think I just found a GOLDMINE......)

 

[BurntOutRadio]

The application for a construction permit for 740 was granted in August 2004. Nothing newer in the FCC file at this point.
The application for a construction permit for1520 was accepted for filing at the FCC in Sept. 2009 but has not yet been granted.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

For that matter...what is the status of KRKO transmitter rebuild and of their second allocation (was that 1580?)? That also has been a topic off the radar for several months...

 

[IndigoCoyote]

In Portland, Bob Pamplin has spent millions of dollars and ten+ years trying to knock off the two long-established news/talk options, KEX and KXL, to no avail. Friend of mine who works for KPAM says there's very little stomach there for trying the same experiment up here with another highly directional 10/10 from NE of town. Back in '04 when the CP was granted they already were in the process of rethinking everything in terms of corporate strategy- the grant came some time after they had decided not to go further and have actually sold some stations since then.

I am sure he would entertain offers for the CP. COL Redmond, XMTR site near Carnation. 'cmon, you know you want it!

Far as the KRKO deal, I have heard nothing- guess they never caught the creep who knocked over the tower or we would have heard something. I assume they are going through the insurance process?

 

[scott salvatori]

according to the snohomish county tribune, KRKO is currnetly permitted to run 34,000 watts per day, and up to 12,500 watts per night, since the two of the four towers were maliciously knocked down. the original goal is 6 towers, and a 50,000 watt powerhouse for KRKO, to broadcast from bellingham to tacoma. according to the information, the FCC has yet to approve the 6 tower project. the plan is to also broadcast the new 1520 AM from these towers. i had heard prior that 1520 AM's goal was to be on the air by late 2010. one may ponder what kind of formats we gonna see here. umm, we already have 3 all sports channels now. can 3 sports channels work in seattle? KRKO been doin it for years, and done it first, before the rest(KJR,KIRO AM) came on board. when all this antenna issue resolves, what about 1520 AM? prob another ethnic station here??? dont worry, i wont say classic country. what may work on one of these AM's is a conservative/constitutional talk format, headlined by texas alex jones, and other genesis communication network, or republic broadcasting network hosts. this sector may be the next great thing, as listeners tire of the mainstream network corporate hacks like hannity,limbo,riley, and the rest who tow the corporate republican line.

 

[DanStrassberg]

according to the snohomish county tribune, KRKO is currnetly permitted to run 34,000 watts per day, and up to 12,500 watts per night, since the two of the four towers were maliciously knocked down. the original goal is 6 towers, and a 50,000 watt powerhouse for KRKO, to broadcast from bellingham to tacoma. according to the information, the FCC has yet to approve the 6 tower project. the plan is to also broadcast the new 1520 AM from these towers. i had heard prior that 1520 AM's goal was to be on the air by late 2010. one may ponder what kind of formats we gonna see here. umm, we already have 3 all sports channels now. can 3 sports channels work in seattle? KRKO been doin it for years, and done it first, before the rest(KJR,KIRO AM) came on board. when all this antenna issue resolves, what about 1520 AM? prob another ethnic station here??? dont worry, i wont say classic country. what may work on one of these AM's is a conservative/constitutional talk format, headlined by texas alex jones, and other genesis communication network, or republic broadcasting network hosts. this sector may be the next great thing, as listeners tire of the mainstream network corporate hacks like hannity,limbo,riley, and the rest who tow the corporate republican line.

If I didn't know otherwise, I'd say that your info sounded accurate, but it's not; it contains several errors. Yes, the plan for the KRKO site is to have six towers, but neither station will use all of them. IIRC, each station would use four towers during some part of the broadcast day, but two of the six towers would be used by both stations. 1520's application is, IIRC, for 10 kW ND days and 50 kW DA CH and N. (same four-tower pattern CH and N). 1520 would require the construction of two additional towers--in line with (or very nearly in-line with) the four that existed prior to the terrorist attack. I believe KRKO will use (and was using before the attack) 34 kW-D/50 kW-N DA-N. The daytime operation was to be nondirectional. Indeed, I believe that, at the time of the attack, Andy Skotdal had already applied to increase KRKO's D power to 50 kW-ND. IIRC, measurements he had made showed that the M-3 soil-conductivity map overstated the conductivity in the area surrounding the site, making it possible to increase KRKO's day power to 50 kW ND, once the new plant was on the air.

 

[semoochie]

It looks like the only grant for 740 is a change of COL to Carnation. The 2004 application for 10kw day and night is "accepted for filing" as is the 2000 application for 50/4.5KW.

 

[DanStrassberg]

1520 would require the construction of two additional towers--in line with (or very nearly in-line with) the four that existed prior to the terrorist attack

Whoops! Just found a typo in my earlier post. I omitted two words. "in line with... the four that existed prior to the terrorist attack" should read "in line with... TWO OF the four that existed..." Sorry!

 

[scott salvatori]

dan, thanks for your KRKO info here. many of us speculate, opinionate, or transfer what we heard or read on a subject. but, its nice when those step up to the plate with the facts.

 

[Andrew Skotdal]

...or you could just go to the source, right? The KRKO antenna site will be rebuilt before this fall. It takes time to re-order everything. 1520 is still in process with the FCC, but I'm an optimistic guy, so we'll pretend that it may get built at the same time KRKO gets rebuilt. 740 filed their environmental assessment with the FCC not too long ago, so that application is far from dead. Pamplin is still moving 740 AM forward.

1380 uses four radiators at night. 1520 uses four radiators at night. They will share two radiators at night. Both stations are omni-directional daytime. Neither application represents the target output power for the stations. As for getting the bad guy(s), the FBI was quoted in the Tribune last week, so I'll defer to them.

As for the Tribune... The current Tribune staff is compromised. Soren Velice was one of the best reporters to cover the antenna project over 10 years, and he was with the Tribune. I didn't like what he wrote, but at least he tried to be accurate and fair. The current editor and reporter are emotionally invested and opposed, and it shows in their writing, even on other stories. They're actually the worst of all the reporters to cover the project thus far. The ones who were average were the ones disliked by everyone involved - and that meant those reporters could be categorized as neutral, which is all anyone can hope for. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'd actually lump one of the TV reporters in with the Tribune staff. Just because your stories generate ratings and you have a high likeability quotient doesn't mean that you're a good reporter. Some TV reporters forget that.

If anyone has serious formatic ideas for 1520, we're still open to that (please don't do the polka posts because that's been done). Gut-bucket country is off the table, but music IS an option. People are so used to crappy audio streams that AM music is back on the table (and if you're willing to buy a $30 HD radio because you can't get the music anywhere else, you'll have FM sound without the hiss). Foreign language is also on the table. We've made no commitment, yet. I'm not convinced, though, that conservative talk is the way to go - there are still too many stations in that format if you include religious stations.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Foreign language is also on the table. We've made no commitment, yet. I'm not convinced, though, that conservative talk is the way to go - there are still too many stations in that format if you include religious stations.

Does Seattle have a business/financial talk station? If not (seems to me I heard that Salem's KKOL is doing it) and if you were to combine what Bloomberg and Business Talk Radio (out of Greenwich CT) produce with some local programs (check out what Money Matters Radio--WBNW Concord-Boston MA produces--it's a new and different approach to leased time that sounds much better than typical financial product/service infomercials), you might find a recipe for an AM format that can generate positive cash flow. However, you've got to find a talented person who is experienced with niche formats on AM, is committed to business talk, and can put in the not inconsiderable time and effort to build the station and format. I don't think you can simply assemble a schedule from what's available on the bird and expect advertisers to beat a path to your door. That's especially true if you start out with competition, although lackluster competition might prove to be less of a problem than you might imagine. And no, I am not campaigning for a job; I am way too old and I'm 3000 miles away from you. I don't know if there are any consultants who are experienced with the format but the right person with the right experience might well be able to make a living consulting for stations that are interested in the format.

 

[scott salvatori]

KKOL, is doing bloomeberg business radio. two other stations have tried this format in the last couple decades: 770 AM, and KEZX 1150. as far as the term conservative/constitutional talk in my prior post. lets explore what conservative talk radio is for the most part on its two seattle outlets(KVI,KTTH). corporate partisan hacks, who are shackled by the FOX network(rupert murdoch), and the republican party elite. these are mostly the same bunch who kissed bush/cheney/gingrich ass for 8 years, while the gov't grew by three times. the term conservative has been co-opted and ruined. when i mention talk show hosts like alex jones, or the republic broadcasting network, or genesis, these are not the same brand of talk show hosts as the so called conservative talkers. alex jones, is known for his staunch constitutional views, which may include topics about the federal reserve, or new world order agendas of the globalists. his frequent quests include ron paul, jesse ventura, andrew napolatano, willie nelson, gerald celente. it would seem this style of format is growing across the country. alex jones(infowars.com) is nearing 100 radio affiliates. perhaps some research could be done on the feasability of this style of talk radio in the NW. when one considers the jesse ventura "conspiracy" TV show is a major ratings winner, which jones is a consultant on, the American public is open to the so called "conspiracy talk" that jones deals with daily on his radio show. jones pokes a stick at both political parties in a very controversial, but entertaining style, and is also a frequent guest on mega affiliated "coast to coast AM" with george noory.

 

[scott salvatori]

Andy, you mention music as a possible format to explore on the AM. as you know, here in the NW, we have several radio legends like pat oday, or gary ryan. it seems like these dogs still might have some bark left in them.....what about 50's 60's, and 70's, and let these legends have a long leash to play on? GUTBUCKET COUNTRY??? i like that, can i trade mark that? haha it may work in rural ALabama.

 

[TowerLamp]

Andy, you mention music as a possible format to explore on the AM. as you know, here in the NW, we have several radio legends like pat oday, or gary ryan. it seems like these dogs still might have some bark left in them.....what about 50's 60's, and 70's, and let these legends have a long leash to play on?

This was tried on a Chicago AM with Lujack and others but they (literally) phoned it in and it died an ugly death...now if you could track locally and be topical and sales was local, direct and Everett-centric you might get some traction in the North Sound area. I'd put up with some AM noise to hear some fun, high-energy LOCALLY hosted oldies shows. There's enough great talent on the beach around here to staff 10 radio stations.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

In the defense of the guys who did this ... C/Channel never REALLY that enthusiastic about Chicago project. It aired on expanded AM ... signal was crap ... and so most people never heard it. Marketing was zilch. The guys who did the format had a great time ... but they kept wondering how long their corporate-sponsored sandbox was going to last ... and when someone came forward wanting to lease the signal EVERYONE knew the gig was over. Not sure it would do well here ... MAYBE. I always thought a retro thing on a weekend evening on a local oldies station would be the way to approch that ... but no place to house that zoo these days (assuming KMCQ is just an interim thing).

 

[Joe_Capitano]

Also, any word on how the Oak Harbor AM station is faring?

In a word or two, very crappily. It's the station with the $250K pricetag noted in another thread.

Right now, the station is entirely on unattended autopilot - heavy emphasis on unattended - save for one day a week when the gatekeeper comes in for as long as it takes to "update the logs" and load in the weekend stuff.

 

[dunno]

Andrew,

As you most likely know, stand alone AM's are a thing of the past.
Where's TV/Radio guru when needed?
The best bet is a combo of TV, AM/FM and a great community blog like the Westseattleblog.com. Check it out, new merchants coming on board weekly.
Sports and Information about the only thing working for AM, and as you know at fairly high price to be local.
My friend who lives in Snohomish country enjoyed Jeff aka Fish, and
your traffic reports, he's also 55+, not a sought after demo.
Best advice, sell to one the Am lovers on this board, let them have a go!
Good luck.

 

[BurntOutRadio]

Where's TV/Radio guru when needed?


He disappeared when someone pointed out that his email address listed on his profile was at a TV station back east. He then took his email address off his profile and said he didn't have it listed. I also saw it on his profile. I believe he had said he was in LA.

 

[boiseengineer]

Where is KWDB's actual transmitter location? I can't find it anywhere close to the licensed coordinates in Google Earth. Curious 'cuze I know someone who's looking into to the "problems" with this station.