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Yuba City Radio

S

sacinside

Guest
Has anyone ever worked in Yuba city? It amazes me how a town so close to Market 26, is so different. Are there any stations in that town anymore. I've been gone (I think 1st Broadcasting bought the last station there a couple years ago?) Any thoughts/info.?
 
> Has anyone ever worked in Yuba city? It amazes me how a town
> so close to Market 26, is so different. Are there any
> stations in that town anymore. I've been gone (I think 1st
> Broadcasting bought the last station there a couple years
> ago?) Any thoughts/info.?
>
KUBA-AM 1600 is still there, locally programmed and managed by former owner Bob Harlan. They still do Gold Sox baseball, live remotes and a three hour morning news block. The rest of the day is CBS News and 60's/70's music, voice-tracked both from Yuba City and co-owned KNCO-AM/FM in Grass Valley/Nevada City.
 
> > Has anyone ever worked in Yuba city? It amazes me how a
> town
> > so close to Market 26, is so different. Are there any
> > stations in that town anymore. I've been gone (I think 1st
>
> > Broadcasting bought the last station there a couple years
> > ago?) Any thoughts/info.?
> >
> KUBA-AM 1600 is still there, locally programmed and managed
> by former owner Bob Harlan. They still do Gold Sox
> baseball, live remotes and a three hour morning news block.
> The rest of the day is CBS News and 60's/70's music,
> voice-tracked both from Yuba City and co-owned KNCO-AM/FM in
> Grass Valley/Nevada City.
>
What about Sunny 101.5? Does that qualify as Yuba City radio? Where do they transmit out of? Or Country 103.5? I know that one barely registers because it bleeds with the Bomb from Sac. I am from Yuba City and every once in a while when I'm in town, I flip them on to see how they sound.
 
Chris Kidd replies as CK;

> > Has anyone ever worked in Yuba city?

CK: I worked at KMYC Marysville for a short time in late 1974 to 1975. The building had been flooded and the scent of mildew was still there.

> > What about Sunny 101.5? Does that qualify as Yuba City
> radio? Where do they transmit out of?


CK: Sunny 101.5 is licensed to Gridley and is on top of the Sutter Buttes with aorund 140 watts, so yes I would say that is certainally a Yuba City station.

Does anyone know the current call letters of this station?

I was one applicant of 3 for this facility back in the mid 90s. It is certainally a valuable station now.


Or Country 103.5? I
> know that one barely registers because it bleeds with the
> Bomb from Sac. I am from Yuba City and every once in a
> while when I'm in town, I flip them on to see how they
> sound.
>
CK: That is Country 103.1 licensed to Coulsa as KKCY. Again this transmits from teh Sutter Buttes with around 140 watts and both stations have signals that can be heard in Sacramento. There may also be a 103.5 licensed to Paradise.


There has been a huge growth of retail business in the area and I bet that all the stations there are doing well. Also once you go over that hill into Marysville, the Sacramento FMs get sratchy.

Chris
 
> CK: That is Country 103.1 licensed to Coulsa as KKCY. Again
> this transmits from teh Sutter Buttes with around 140 watts
> and both stations have signals that can be heard in
> Sacramento. There may also be a 103.5 licensed to Paradise.
>


103.1 isn't too shabby. Down in Winters here, we tend to switch between it and KATM 103.3 in the car/trucks...Its quite nice to hear a little music without a break between every other song... On a normal day, my wife says she gets a clear shot on KKCY from the house here, all the way to her office in Fair Oaks.
 
> > CK: That is Country 103.1 licensed to Coulsa as KKCY.
> Again
> > this transmits from teh Sutter Buttes with around 140
> watts
> > and both stations have signals that can be heard in
> > Sacramento. There may also be a 103.5 licensed to
> Paradise.
> >
>
>
> 103.1 isn't too shabby. Down in Winters here, we tend to
> switch between it and KATM 103.3 in the car/trucks...Its
> quite nice to hear a little music without a break between
> every other song... On a normal day, my wife says she gets
> a clear shot on KKCY from the house here, all the way to her
> office in Fair Oaks.
>

There is also a Spanish station located at 99.9 fm. Formerly known as K-100, when it was a Hot AC. I believe they are still located in Marysville. That was the FM sister to KMYC AM. They were/are housed in the same building that was mentioned earlier.

Also AM 1450 KOBO is also iin Yuba City. Last I heard they were programmed as a mix of syndicated news and local East Indian music/talk.
 
> There is also a Spanish station located at 99.9 fm. Formerly
> known as K-100, when it was a Hot AC. I believe they are
> still located in Marysville. That was the FM sister to KMYC
> AM. They were/are housed in the same building that was
> mentioned earlier.

That station was "Underground Radio", a rock station, when I was coming into the market...and flipped to a Spanish-language format shortly thereafter. (Hmm, around that same time, then-and-now-KSAC/1240 dropped sports for Espanol! I promise, I wasn't responsible for either, I was elsewhere... :D)

Much of the time, I believe they've targeted Sacramento as a rimshot.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> Or Country 103.5? I know that one barely registers because
> it bleeds with the Bomb from Sac.

The Blaze, 103.5 KHSL is licensed to Paradise and based out of Chico. Like mentioned, since it chares a co-channel with The Bomb KBMB in Sac, it's pretty much not programmed or targeted to Yuba City.

Remaining FM Sutter Buttes Transmitter Sites (not necessarily licensed to Yuba City):

99.9 is owned and operated by Entravision in Sacramento and is used as a Sacramento rimshot.

101.5 KMJE/Sunny 101.5 and 103.1 KKCY/Country 103.1 remain on the Sutter Buttes. They're at a few hundred watts and service the Yuba/Sutter community quite nice.

103.9 KXCL used to be on the Sutter Buttes and service the Yuba City area, but have since been moved to Newcastle (north east side of Sacramento) to serve as a rimshot.

Hope this helps.<P ID="signature">______________
If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything...</P>
 
>
> That station was "Underground Radio", a rock station, when I
> was coming into the market...and flipped to a
> Spanish-language format shortly thereafter. (Hmm, around
> that same time, then-and-now-KSAC/1240 dropped sports for
> Espanol! I promise, I wasn't responsible for either, I was
> elsewhere... :D)
>
> Much of the time, I believe they've targeted Sacramento as a
> rimshot.
>
> -OA
>

KRFD, "99.9 FM-Underground Radio", ran from 6:00AM February 3, 1992 until 7:00 PM, March 10, 1994. Initially, listeners were trated to a lot of 60s and 70s Album Rock during the late, great ex-KZAP, Andy Emmert's morning shift. The rest of the day was current and classic Rock mixed with "Triple A", Blues and Reggae. On the weekends they had a program called "Lazy Saturday Dreaming" (LSD), which was a mix of Deep Album Tracks from the early AOR era. It was a great station if you were a fan of music.

Emmert was the initial PD and Morning Drive personality. Former "93 Rock" talent Pamela Roberts succeeded him. She "mainstreamed" the format a little bit, and brought mid "1" shares in Sacramento to the Marysville station. The station was sold to the then-owners of KRCX (1110)with the intent of taking the station Spanish. There was a brief interim period where the station ran Business News and Talk until the Spanish format came on board.

Prior to the "Underground" format, KRFD ran a "Rock 40" format that focused on the "Hair Bands" of the late 80s and early 90s. KRFD also ran a Hot AC format from the late 1970s until the late 80s as "K-100." I've heard that the station ran a Progressive Rock format as KMYC-FM in the early/mid 1970s as well, but I ain't for certain on that.

The Marysville/Yuba City "Metroplex" has roughly 90-100,000 people. It's pretty odd that they only have one locally-programmed English station directly serving the market. In the post Telecommunications Act of 1996 days, it really does not surprise me.
 
That's right Dave logasa has been there for years. I hear KMJE is planning a new morning show. Someone said Y.C will become part of Sacto. pretty soon. for ARB purposes. it would serve the Sacto. Sales forces if it did, but Y.C. stations may have a harder time trying to compete. Any thoughts?

> > CK: That is Country 103.1 licensed to Coulsa as KKCY.
> Again
> > this transmits from teh Sutter Buttes with around 140
> watts
> > and both stations have signals that can be heard in
> > Sacramento. There may also be a 103.5 licensed to
> Paradise.
> >
>
>
> 103.1 isn't too shabby. Down in Winters here, we tend to
> switch between it and KATM 103.3 in the car/trucks...Its
> quite nice to hear a little music without a break between
> every other song... On a normal day, my wife says she gets
> a clear shot on KKCY from the house here, all the way to her
> office in Fair Oaks.
>
 
> That's right Dave logasa has been there for years. I hear
> KMJE is planning a new morning show. Someone said Y.C will
> become part of Sacto. pretty soon. for ARB purposes. it
> would serve the Sacto. Sales forces if it did, but Y.C.
> stations may have a harder time trying to compete. Any
> thoughts?
>
> > > CK: That is Country 103.1 licensed to Coulsa as KKCY.
> > Again
> > > this transmits from teh Sutter Buttes with around 140
> > watts
> > > and both stations have signals that can be heard in
> > > Sacramento. There may also be a 103.5 licensed to
> > Paradise.
> > >
> >
> >
> > 103.1 isn't too shabby. Down in Winters here, we tend to
> > switch between it and KATM 103.3 in the car/trucks...Its
> > quite nice to hear a little music without a break between
> > every other song... On a normal day, my wife says she
> gets
> > a clear shot on KKCY from the house here, all the way to
> her
> > office in Fair Oaks.
> >
>
Yuba City has one of the highest unemployment in the nation. It's been that way for years. Yes it's grown, but alot of the growth commutes to Sacramento, and spends alot of money and entertainment down there. That's why the sations are trying to become in the Sacramento market
 
Famous Alumni

It may not be up anymore, but Lance Ballance, who is the PD of FM100 (WMC-FM) here in Memphis had posted on his website that he worked at KRFD in Marysville back in the Mid-80's when it was called K100. No mention of what the format was then. He's also been on air in LA and Salt Lake City.
 
> The Marysville/Yuba City "Metroplex" has roughly 90-100,000
> people. It's pretty odd that they only have one
> locally-programmed English station directly serving the
> market. In the post Telecommunications Act of 1996 days, it
> really does not surprise me.

Two things here:

* As noted by others, there are other signals serving the market off the Sutter Buttes, KKCY/103.1 Colusa ("Country 103.1") and KMJE/101.5 Gridley ("Sunny 101.5"). And in addition to KUBA/1600, isn't there still talk KMYC/1410? Or did it go off into languages unknown? If not, that gives the area 4 signals, two on FM and two on AM.

The two FMs may be rimshots to some degree, but they're still heard in and still focusing their programming on the Yuba-Sutter area as far as I know. They may be owned and run out of Results Radio in Chico, but that's close enough as far as local programming goes (i.e. they're not CC stations run out of Sacramento or San Antonio) and I believe they have a studio in the Yuba-Sutter region at least for their morning shows.

* The economy is the other player here. The Yuba-Sutter region is depressed economically, and has been as long as I've been aware of it (1994, when I first moved to Sacramento). There may not be enough MONEY for more commercial players.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> * As noted by others, there are other signals serving the
> market off the Sutter Buttes, KKCY/103.1 Colusa ("Country
> 103.1") and KMJE/101.5 Gridley ("Sunny 101.5"). And in
> addition to KUBA/1600, isn't there still talk KMYC/1410? Or
>
> The two FMs may be rimshots to some degree, but they're
> still heard in and still focusing their programming on the
> Yuba-Sutter area as far as I know.
> * The economy is the other player here. The Yuba-Sutter
> region is depressed economically, and has been as long as
> I've been aware of it (1994, when I first moved to
> Sacramento). There may not be enough MONEY for more
> commercial players.
>
> -OA
>
OA, you're correct on your observation. I suppose the rimshot FMs cover the area. When you live in Sacramento, you mistakenly tend to forget about 101.5 and 103.1 (and 100.7,for that matter).

However, KMYC relies nearly completely on national satellite programming (just like some stations in larger markets, eh?). Therefore, KUBA is the only station truly serving that area in a local manner. The "MYC" area is a rapidly growing area. Many people who work in Sacramento are beginning to purchase comparatively affordable homes in the area south of Olivehurst and north/west of Yuba City. There are also plans for placing major housing tracts in the area. Hopefully they will shop for their tangibles in the "MYC metroplex" and bring up the local economy.
 
Re: Famous Alumni

> It may not be up anymore, but Lance Ballance, who is the PD
> of FM100 (WMC-FM) here in Memphis had posted on his website
> that he worked at KRFD in Marysville back in the Mid-80's
> when it was called K100. No mention of what the format was
> then. He's also been on air in LA and Salt Lake City.
>
Yes Lance worked there as well as Sacramento and Stockton before
moving to Los Angeles. He worked at KOST doing weekends, then
overnights before moving to KBIG for middays. In Salt Lake he was
the APD at KSFI/FM100 and then the PD at KOSY.
Actually many people passed through the Twin Cities (mostly at KOBO)
before moving up the ladder to bigger markets. Dave Williams started
there and now does mornings at KNX in Los Angeles. His PD at KOBO Danny Martinez would later work at KHJ. He now does weekend/fill-in at KRTH.
 
> OA, you're correct on your observation. I suppose the
> rimshot FMs cover the area. When you live in Sacramento,
> you mistakenly tend to forget about 101.5 and 103.1 (and
> 100.7,for that matter).

100.7? *I* forgot about it. :D

I used to pick up 103.1 fairly easily in parts of the Sacramento market, particularly north of downtown. I only remember it because at the time, they ran the same ABC satellite country format that my previous station used to run. (For that matter, KAHI/950 Auburn used to run the same ABC oldies format our AM ran. :D)

> However, KMYC relies nearly completely on national satellite
> programming (just like some stations in larger markets,
> eh?). Therefore, KUBA is the only station truly serving that
> area in a local manner.

Agreed. KMYC is certainly no KUBA as far as local service goes.

The FMs are making some attempt to serve/sell the market, though...I believe both have a live, local morning show at any rate. It's not the full-time effort of KUBA, or even what 103.9 was doing when it was local there, but Yuba-Sutter is (even without economic consideration) a small market.

> The "MYC" area is a rapidly growing
> area. Many people who work in Sacramento are beginning to
> purchase comparatively affordable homes in the area south of
> Olivehurst and north/west of Yuba City. There are also
> plans for placing major housing tracts in the area.
> Hopefully they will shop for their tangibles in the "MYC
> metroplex" and bring up the local economy.

That activity is a fraction of what it could be, though. The biggest problem? "Blood Alley", that infamous stretch of 99/70 between M-Y/C and Sacramento. If there were a full, four lane or higher divided highway between the area and Sacramento, it'd basically pull the Yuba-Sutter economy out of the doldrums.

The Sacramento overspill will still have an effect, but it'll be muted until they cure "Blood Alley".

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> > OA, you're correct on your observation. I suppose the
> > rimshot FMs cover the area. When you live in Sacramento,
> > you mistakenly tend to forget about 101.5 and 103.1 (and
> > 100.7,for that matter).
>
> 100.7? *I* forgot about it. :D
>
> I used to pick up 103.1 fairly easily in parts of the
> Sacramento market, particularly north of downtown. I only
> remember it because at the time, they ran the same ABC
> satellite country format that my previous station used to
> run. (For that matter, KAHI/950 Auburn used to run the same
> ABC oldies format our AM ran. :D)
>
> > However, KMYC relies nearly completely on national
> satellite
> > programming (just like some stations in larger markets,
> > eh?). Therefore, KUBA is the only station truly serving
> that
> > area in a local manner.
>
> Agreed. KMYC is certainly no KUBA as far as local service
> goes.
>
> The FMs are making some attempt to serve/sell the market,
> though...I believe both have a live, local morning show at
> any rate. It's not the full-time effort of KUBA, or even
> what 103.9 was doing when it was local there, but
> Yuba-Sutter is (even without economic consideration) a small
> market.

KKCY-FM (Country 103.1) and KMJE-FM (Sunny 101.5) studios, sales and management staff are all located in Yuba City. The only connection between the Yuba City operation and Chico is that they are owned by the same company, Results Radio. As far as KUBA-AM is concerned, while still operating out of Yuba City, they are now owned by Nevada County Broadcasters out of Grass Valley (KNCO-AM/FM).
>
> > The "MYC" area is a rapidly growing
> > area. Many people who work in Sacramento are beginning to
>
> > purchase comparatively affordable homes in the area south
> of
> > Olivehurst and north/west of Yuba City. There are also
> > plans for placing major housing tracts in the area.
> > Hopefully they will shop for their tangibles in the "MYC
> > metroplex" and bring up the local economy.
>
> That activity is a fraction of what it could be, though.
> The biggest problem? "Blood Alley", that infamous stretch
> of 99/70 between M-Y/C and Sacramento. If there were a
> full, four lane or higher divided highway between the area
> and Sacramento, it'd basically pull the Yuba-Sutter economy
> out of the doldrums.
>
> The Sacramento overspill will still have an effect, but
> it'll be muted until they cure "Blood Alley".
>
> -OA
>
 
> Has anyone ever worked in Yuba city? It amazes me how a town
> so close to Market 26, is so different. Are there any
> stations in that town anymore. I've been gone (I think 1st
> Broadcasting bought the last station there a couple years
> ago?) Any thoughts/info.?

If you do a lookup of posts I've put up over the last two or three years here, you'll have a good indication of what's been happening in the Yuba-Sutter market.

In short, (at least as short as I can make it) here's what's up with the stations actually licensed to serve Marysville or Yuba City.:

Entravision owns 99.9, licensed to Marysville (KMYC's former sister) and is programmed in Spanish out of the Entravison's Sacramento hub. TX is on the Sutter Buttes so the 50KW ERP it would push at the max power antenna height is cut to avoid interference.

Former Sister KMYC, 1410, Marysville is still on Simpson Lane, and is now owned by Tom Huth, who bought KOBO, 1450, Yuba City... I want to say a year ago from long-time owner Multicultural after programming KOBO on a LMA. Both stations are programmed from the KMYC studio/transmitter site.

KMYC (http://www.1410kmyc.com/)with G. Gordon Liddy, Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, Mike Reagan, Jim Bohannon and Paul Harvey.

KOBO is programmed with a mix of satellite and locally produced shows in Spanish. Huth filed for renewal of KOBO's license in July. He's still looking for a transmitter site after the city forced the station off the tower it had used for more than 50 years in order to build a new multi-screen theater.

KUBA, 1600 and KXCL, 103.9, Yuba City were split up shortly after the Harlan family sold 90% of the stock in Harlan Communications to a company controlled by Chris Devine and Bruce Buzill.

The Devine/Buzill interests (which share financing sources with First Broadcasting) started filing paperwork to move KXCL's transmitter site off the Sutter Buttes and kick up the power from a site much closer to Sacramento. It soon filed an application to change the community of license from Yuba City to Lincoln. Wouldn't be surprised to learn that First had a hand in that.

Not long after the initial filing, they sold the station to First, which finished the job of not just the transmitter move (temporarily to between Marysville and Wheatland in Yuba Co.) but ultimately the COL change to Lincoln and a new transmitter site above I-80 in Newcastle.

Along the way, KXCL's Yuba-Sutter programming was tossed, Briggs Moor was too, and First launched what became "Flash 103.9" targeting Sacramento. The more recent KXCL/103.9 happenings have been well chronicled here. So much for Yuba City's only FM actually licensed (read required) to serve the Yuba City COL.

KUBA (http://www.am1600kuba.com)was sold soon after to (fortunately) Nevada Co. Broadcasters, which has a really strong focus on serving the communities to which its stations, KNCO and KNCO-FM, Grass Valley are licensed.

A format flip from "Great Singers, Timeless Melodies" to a 60's-70's hits approach followed, with a new morning news block.

Former KFBK, Sacramento and KPAY, Chico newsguy Geoff Flynn is handling morning news gathering and anchoring chores, while 26-year KUBA announcer Moe Howard (who was also at KMYC and KOBO briefly a long time ago) anchors the news block. Dave Bear does morning sports, production the mid-day shift via DSL on sister KNCO-FM, and the afternoon drive block on KUBA by voice-track most times. There's a good deal of VT "talent sharing" between KUBA and KNCO-FM. George Rath does KUBA's mid-day shift by voice track after doing mornings in Grass Valley.

News Director Chris Gilbert is gathering and voicing the news 9-6. GM Bob Harlan has a one-hour "guests in studio, no-calls" talk show 9-10A weekdays.


Two LPFM's have come on the air in the past year: KCYC-LP, 104.7, Yuba City and KRYC-LP-105.9, Yuba City.

KCYC-LP is licensed to the North Valley Calvary Chapel on Bogue Rd. (the southern end of town)and plays contemporary Christian music, satellite fed features and the church's worship services. It's in stereo and has apps to improve its facilities.

KRYC-LP is licensed to the Irshad Ali Foundation and transmits rap, hip-hop, dance and similar music as "Party 105.5" from the founder's house. He's got a crew of people (or did the last time I listened) trying to get the station's name out there. It programs in monaural... and may have better range as a result.

There are other stations that call Yuba-Sutter "home," even though they're licensed to cities 20-30 miles away.

One is KUBA's new sister FM, KNCO-FM, 94.1, Grass Valley, "Star 94.1".
(http://www.mystarradio.com/home.php)

The station's broadened its range a bit with the acquisition of KUBA.
The other two both transmit from the top of South Butte, about seven line-of-sight miles from Yuba City.

Those would be country formatted KKCY, 103.1, Colusa (http://www.kkcy.com/) and sister Results Radio "variety FM" KMJE, 101.5, Gridley (http://www.kmje.com/)

After many years being "hubbed" out of a Chico facility airing satellite or computer based automated formats, both stations moved on-air operations to KKCY's sales office on Gray Avenue in Yuba City, across from K-Mart.

As was mentioned in a post in this thread, Dave Lagasa does morning drive on KKCY, and where KUBA/KXCL PM driver and later morning news anchor Briggs Moor landed as the morning news person on both stations.

From the website, it looks like KKCY has a slate of local air talent playing the country hits during the rest of the day. I don't get much of a chance to listen, but if Dave Lagasa's reading this forum, he'll probably pop in and fill in the details. He often hangs out in ba.broadcast.

KMJE is known as "Sunny 101.5" and features former KXCL PM drive guy Rex McNeill in the morning, Sheri Lee in the afternoons, and former KOBO and Chico radio alumn Jason W. Fine in the evenings.

Or is Rex still there? His link turns to a "page not found" page when I clicked on it. Hmmm.

Anyway, that's the state of radio locally.

Might be worth noting that KFBK gets a LOT of listening in Yuba-Sutter, and you might say that it could call Sutter Co. Home. The transmitter is in Pleasant Grove, just east of where Hwy's 99 and 70 come together (or split) north of Catlett Rd. Look toward the Sierra and you'll see two 600' apx towers .

And to answer sacinside's first question: Yes, I've worked at all the commercial stations licensed to Yuba City or Marysville at one time or another, and at KFBK in the days of Larry King at night. Anybody who remembers Mutual will understand "bloop-bloop." (Like '73's)

Ted.
 
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