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KURS 1040 off the air

S

Signal Geek

Frequent Participant
KURS/San Diego has been off the air for at least a week. Anyone know why? I also noticed their Wikipedia entry states they're at 1390 AM, but as of this writing they're not broadcasting at that frequency either.
 
Signal Geek said:
KURS/San Diego has been off the air for at least a week. Anyone know why? I also noticed their Wikipedia entry states they're at 1390 AM, but as of this writing they're not broadcasting at that frequency either.
Click to expand...

What? Wikipedia wrong? I am in shock!

In the same sentence they say KURS is on 1390 they refer to protecting WHO... which is on 1040.

A station in San Diego could not be on 1390 due to the co-channels in Long Beach and Tecate, BCN.

KURS has had multiple STAs to be off the air, they have been fined for the public file and other administrative issues, and does not appear to have had revenue for a while. There is a rumor that it is going off the air permanently, as the owner, Jaime Bonilla has the 1030 AM station in Tijuana with which KURS interferes.
 
A move to a diffferent frequency might also let them increase power. Don't see how any AM station under 500 watts can be comercially viable these days. Some possibilities: 880 khz, 1400 khz, 1500 khz.
 
Signal Geek said:
A move to a diffferent frequency might also let them increase power. Don't see how any AM station under 500 watts can be comercially viable these days. Some possibilities: 880 khz, 1400 khz, 1500 khz.
Click to expand...

1500 and 880 would require directional sistems, and that means going to the east of the market. And going far east means a need for considerable power, which is not going to be possible without a directional array if even possible at all. Too expensive.

1400 has a limit of 1 kw. So that frequency, at 1 kw, would likely cover less than 400 watts at 1040.
 
Thanks for explaining that, David. Do you also know why KURS's owner launched a Mexico station just 10hz away that interfered with his original station? If it weren't for the 1030 signal, 1040 probably could have increased power. And 1040's antenna location right near San Diego Bay would have given them great coverage up the coast.
 
Signal Geek said:
Do you also know why KURS's owner launched a Mexico station just 10hz away that interfered with his original station?
Click to expand...

Any explanation for anything that Bonilla has done likely is more suitable for a deposition than a message board.
 
Noticed 1040 silent on 9/18. A source suggests a 3-way tussle... El Sembrador, Crawford, and Quetzal Bilingual. 1040 is limited in signal due to cross-border protection.
However, Bonillas' 1030, and 620 totally ignore any cross-border regulation/protection. Operating completely ND antennas, with 620 located 20 miles north of it's
licensed location.
 
Big 121 said:
Noticed 1040 silent on 9/18. A source suggests a 3-way tussle... El Sembrador, Crawford, and Quetzal Bilingual. 1040 is limited in signal due to cross-border protection.
However, Bonillas' 1030, and 620 totally ignore any cross-border regulation/protection. Operating completely ND antennas, with 620 located 20 miles north of it's
licensed location.
Click to expand...

KURS has nothing to protect in Mexico; 1040 is a former US 1-A clear and is restricted in use in Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

Both 1030 and 620 are licensed for 5 kw day and night. Any violation of the Joint Commission rules is laid at the doorstep of the IFC.
 
Info to me back when KURS signed on was 1040 Cd. Obregon, Mx was the reason only 47 watts was authorized. WHO was intermittent due to
this Gulf of Ca. station coming in nicely. KURS's coverage was so bad, they applied for a power increase, going from 47 watts, to a whopping 61 watts.
That helped, but that was not satisfactory, so it was set up to switch back to full power within 1 hour or so after sunset.
Quetzel was fined, I believe $20k for that incident, and appealed for a reduction, but did not pay up til next license renewal.
 
Big 121 said:
Info to me back when KURS signed on was 1040 Cd. Obregon, Mx was the reason only 47 watts was authorized.
Click to expand...

Obregón is not on the Gulf of California. I think you are confusing the station that was in Guaymas with, theoretically, 1 kw day and 250 w night. It's gone now with the reduction in AM stations across Mexico.
 
Listen carefully, you can now hear 1240 crosstalk on 1040. May be a result of 1240 re-wiring for the new FM translator.
 
Frequency1 said:
KURS filed an application yesterday to sell the station for $900,000.00. The buyer is EL SEMBRADOR MINISTRIES.
Click to expand...

Buyer was credited $310,000 for half their previous LMA fees and security deposit, bringing the actual purchase price to just under $600k. What's hard to sort out is ownership of the tall tower used to diplex 10~Forty & 12~Forty. Is it Multicultural or Crawford? You'd think Crawford's purchase price of $1.5m would include the real estate. Stay leased, San Diego.
 
One thing new owners have done is increase nighttime power. Goodbye 61 watts; my readings indicate they're running the blazing 360 daytime watts at night as well.
 
Actually, they are on 61 watts 24hrs a day . Measured on 3/30/17, the east county daytime signal level is 1.65mv, vs 2.4 mv from a year ago.
Their current (3/27/17) license power parameters have not changed. They are now a non-commercial station. "Stay tuned"...
 
Sure about that, Big121? I'm also in East County, and signal meter on my old Sony portable doesn't show any KURS power drop after sunset (unlike in the past). Audio quality is also noticeably better under new ownership.
 
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