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Is anybody home over at "The Whale"?

F

fordranger797

Star Participant
Haven't heard much about KWLE 1340 lately. They are definitely still on the air, but is there even physical a studio anymore? I took a drive by what I thought was the studio, and didn't see much of anything to indicate that there was a radio station there.
 
It was in an old house between Highway 20 and the waterfront (where their tower is). But when I was passing by in October, they literally had a for sale sign on the house and door was even open. I'm not even sure who OWNS the thing.
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
It was in an old house between Highway 20 and the waterfront (where their tower is). But when I was passing by in October,
they literally had a for sale sign on the house and door was even open. I'm not even sure who OWNS the thing.
Click to expand...


Both The Whale and sister KRPA's websites seem to be down or gone.
 
DavidEduardo said:



Both The Whale and sister KRPA's websites seem to be down or gone.
Click to expand...

Not to mention, there doesn't appear to be a live stream anywhere. Also worthy of note, they haven't had a Facebook post since February of 2015... The new owners definitely are not interested in putting much effort into keeping it active.
 
KWLE and KRPA were sold a couple years ago to a Canadian based South Asian broadcaster who wanted to program a South Asian format for the Victoria market. Several things got in the way. First, Canada seriously frowns on Canadian broadcasters using American stations to rebroadcast programming into Canada and it's put a chill on every broadcaster attempting to do so. Second, the stations didn't have strong enough signals in the Victoria area (they had a CP to up the power of KRPA to 9,000 watts directional, but I guess the money to do so wasn't there.) and Third, as a result, KWLE/KRPA now exist as commercial free jukeboxes. They might exist as a tax write-off or something, I don't know. But the South Asian broadcaster who bought the stations seriously got soaked in the deal and no one seems to want to buy the stations now. So I'm guessing they operate the stations on a tiny budget (Glen Harris, the last live voice on KWLE/KRPA is now at KBRC/KAPS, last I heard.)

It's complicated and details are really sketchy. But it sounds like they cut everything down to the bone and they really can't cut any further without cutting into broadcasting hours and I think they don't want to get the FCC's attention (especially with KRPA being a daytimer with a history of problems in previous incarnations, the FCC is really not in the mood for doing any favors for 1110 kHz - especially after having to rescind the power upgrade CP.) And the backwash from that might spill over onto KWLE and then they would REALLY be screwed.

It's really a tragedy. But it is what it is.
 
Bongwater said:
KWLE and KRPA were sold a couple years ago to a Canadian based South Asian broadcaster who wanted to program a South Asian format for the Victoria market. Several things got in the way. First, Canada seriously frowns on Canadian broadcasters using American stations to rebroadcast programming into Canada and it's put a chill on every broadcaster attempting to do so. Second, the stations didn't have strong enough signals in the Victoria area (they had a CP to up the power of KRPA to 9,000 watts directional, but I guess the money to do so wasn't there.) and Third, as a result, KWLE/KRPA now exist as commercial free jukeboxes. They might exist as a tax write-off or something, I don't know. But the South Asian broadcaster who bought the stations seriously got soaked in the deal and no one seems to want to buy the stations now. So I'm guessing they operate the stations on a tiny budget (Glen Harris, the last live voice on KWLE/KRPA is now at KBRC/KAPS, last I heard.)

It's complicated and details are really sketchy. But it sounds like they cut everything down to the bone and they really can't cut any further without cutting into broadcasting hours and I think they don't want to get the FCC's attention (especially with KRPA being a daytimer with a history of problems in previous incarnations, the FCC is really not in the mood for doing any favors for 1110 kHz - especially after having to rescind the power upgrade CP.) And the backwash from that might spill over onto KWLE and then they would REALLY be screwed.

It's really a tragedy. But it is what it is.
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Wonder if they're for sale...
 
rockradio1017 said:
Wonder if they're for sale...
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I would have assumed we would have heard about it by now if they were. I don't understand why they are not. Even if the ownership is a tax write-off for the owners, they must be hemorrhaging money irregardless. As we have discussed on this forum before, the costs of running an AM station are definitely not cheap. The land that the transmitters are sitting on is probably worth a decent payout. Then again, the transmitter appears to be housed behind a boat storage centre, so who really knows if there is any property to sell...
 
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Bongwater said:
KWLE and KRPA were sold a couple years ago to a Canadian based South Asian broadcaster who wanted to program a South Asian format for the Victoria market. Several things got in the way. First, Canada seriously frowns on Canadian broadcasters using American stations to rebroadcast programming into Canada and it's put a chill on every broadcaster attempting to do so. Second, the stations didn't have strong enough signals in the Victoria area (they had a CP to up the power of KRPA to 9,000 watts directional, but I guess the money to do so wasn't there.) and Third, as a result, KWLE/KRPA now exist as commercial free jukeboxes. They might exist as a tax write-off or something, I don't know. But the South Asian broadcaster who bought the stations seriously got soaked in the deal and no one seems to want to buy the stations now. So I'm guessing they operate the stations on a tiny budget (Glen Harris, the last live voice on KWLE/KRPA is now at KBRC/KAPS, last I heard.)

It's complicated and details are really sketchy. But it sounds like they cut everything down to the bone and they really can't cut any further without cutting into broadcasting hours and I think they don't want to get the FCC's attention (especially with KRPA being a daytimer with a history of problems in previous incarnations, the FCC is really not in the mood for doing any favors for 1110 kHz - especially after having to rescind the power upgrade CP.) And the backwash from that might spill over onto KWLE and then they would REALLY be screwed.

It's really a tragedy. But it is what it is.
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Great info. It seems like they bought in at just the wrong time. It seemed to me like 1340 had a much better chance at accomplishing what they wanted to accomplish. 1110 was hopeless from the jump (unless they managed to move to a different site). It will be very interesting to see what happens in the future. How long can they actually afford to keep these things on the air without a sales team?
 
What is KWLE's format? I keep hearing an AC/Classic Hits mix on 1340, very weak, but it comes in on a N-S bearing. Can't read the liners enough to catch a slogan.
 
boombox4 said:
What is KWLE's format? I keep hearing an AC/Classic Hits mix on 1340, very weak, but it comes in on a N-S bearing. Can't read the liners enough to catch a slogan.
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KWLE is technically what I would file under Variety Hits/JACK type format (it's not often you hear "This Is The Day" The The on your typical Adult Contemporary station of any stripe.)
 
Sukhdev Dhillon's original plans when he purchased KRPA was to move the station to Sumas, Washington and serve the large Punjabi population in the Abbotsford area (hence the KRPA call letters which stood for Radio Punjab Abbotsford). However those plans never materialized. As was the case with CFSI 107.9 on Salt Spring Island I am sure that Mr. Dhillon will run KRPA & KWLE into the ground and eventually lose the licenses.
 
Yes, it's too bad, but let's face it. There is no way in hell for a low power AM station to make a living anymore, especially with numerous FM signals to pick from. Even AM revitalization doesn't help AM, because it causes further shift to FM.

The Anacortes station on 1340 didn't make money even when AM still had a stronghold. In about 1963-64, KAGT was off the air after another failed ownership, and I was asked to come and make the transmitter work. I bussed up from U of W and spent a day, gave up, and I understand somebody finally did get it going again.

Later, maybe 1980-81, I decided that Oak Harbor was the largest city in the US without a radio station, and did engineering to bring an AM to town on maybe 880, can't remember exactly. Then Wally Nelskog filed paperwork to move KIXI from 910 to 880. Thank God. I dropped my efforts, but only after buying 10 acres SW of Oak Harbor for a tower site.
Now, fast forward to 2017, we've got a great FM signal on 103.3, licensed to Oak Harbor.

AM may have some commercial use in some unusual situations, and at higher power levels in larger markets, and/or with FM translators, but that's about it.
 
Just a quick update: as of this morning, there is nothing but dead air on KWLE. My bets are on the fact that this is an ongoing issue for them...
 
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