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KNTB, KBRO, and KLDY off the air

F

fordranger797

Star Participant
I saw this interesting tidbit on Northwest Broadcasters:

04/01/15 - KNTB AM 1480 Lakewood is now officially dark. It lost its transmitter site and subsequent operations will have to be from another location. The licensee, Seattle Streaming Radio, LLC, has vacated the property and developers are making plans to remove the towers. Immediate plans are for a high density residential development. Sister stations KBRO AM 1490 Bremerton, KLDY AM 1280 Lacey and FM translator K221FJ Tacoma are temporarily off air, but are being maintained to return. A Special Temporary Authority (STA) has been filed with the FCC.

I remember listening to KNTB when they used to run a classic hits format in the early 2000's. They would run a tape that would feature the same song at the same time every day (if I remember correctly).

Does anyone know where the KNTB transmitter is located?
 
KNTB's transmitter site was just to the north of Lakes HS in Lakewood, just south and across Farwest Drive from Pierce CC. If you go to Google maps, and look at the open area just to the north of Lakes HS, you'll see a relatively open area with few houses. Look at the bottom right quadrant and you'll notice the faint outline of the tower and its shadow. Here's the coordinates:47.165118, -122.577559

I also remember their canned and pathetic classic hits 'format'...made KJR-FM and 97.7 the Eagle (KFMY) sound really good!
 
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Lightingnut said:
KNTB's transmitter site was just to the north of Lakes HS in Lakewood, just south and across Farwest Drive from Pierce CC. If you go to Google maps, and look at the open area just to the north of Lakes HS, you'll see a relatively open area with few houses. Look at the bottom right quadrant and you'll notice the faint outline of the tower and its shadow. Here's the coordinates:47.165118, -122.577559
Click to expand...

I always thought that tower belonged to KLAY 1180. Where is KLAY located in that case?
 
Lightingnut said:
I also remember their canned and pathetic classic hits 'format'...made KJR-FM and 97.7 the Eagle (KFMY) sound really good!
Click to expand...

I remember tuning in every day at the same exact time so I could hear the daily replay of a song that I liked. It was an interesting station. I remember listening to "The Eagle" a a kid, but I can't really remember much about their format.
 
fordranger797 said:
I always thought that tower belonged to KLAY 1180. Where is KLAY located in that case?
Click to expand...

KLAY started out on 1480, before moving to 1180. The 1180 plant is located on Aqueduct drive at 47.149927, -122.411529 or at approximately 11726 Aqueduct Dr E. I don't know what year the change took place, but I've seen some info that states 1990 was the year, but that doesn't make sense to me. At the time, I lived only about three miles away and could see the beacons from the two tower array from my parents yard at night. This was in the '80s, so I think they moved to 1180 and the new site long before 1990.
 
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fordranger797 said:
I remember tuning in every day at the same exact time so I could hear the daily replay of a song that I liked. It was an interesting station. I remember listening to "The Eagle" as a kid, but I can't really remember much about their format.
Click to expand...

The Eagle was a really good sounding station back in the day and their play list was quite extensive when compared to KJR-FM at the time.
 
Lightingnut said:
KLAY started out on 1480, before moving to 1180. The 1180 plant is located on Aqueduct drive at 47.149927, -122.411529 or at approximately 11726 Aqueduct Dr E. I don't know what year the change took place, but I've seen some info that states 1990 was the year, but that doesn't make sense to me. At the time, I lived only about three miles away and could see the beacons from the two tower array from my parents yard at night. This was in the '80s, so I think they moved to 1180 and the new site long before 1990.
Click to expand...

I checked it out on google maps; it looks like a nice little site for an AM out there by Spanaway.
 
Lightingnut said:
The Eagle was a really good sounding station back in the day and their play list was quite extensive when compared to KJR-FM at the time.
Click to expand...

They had quite the following. I had an interest in radio by the time that KOMO began simulcasting and remember the disappointment expressed on the KOMO webpage about the simulcast. Speaking of, I wonder how much longer KOMO FM will remain on 97.7. I'd like to know how much it costs Sinclair to lease these facilities that don't actually provide the coverage they desire. Economically, it seems like leasing the facilities would eventually be more costly than purchasing your own slice of the dial.
 
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Ironically I drove by the KLDY transmitter today to figure out where it is. Was surprised to see such a tall tower, etc. given my impression of the operation as a "shoestring" deal. Wonder if this is the future AM's...they just go dark wth little fanfare??
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
Ironically I drove by the KLDY transmitter today to figure out where it is. Was surprised to see such a tall tower, etc. given my impression of the operation as a "shoestring" deal. Wonder if this is the future AM's...they just go dark wth little fanfare??
Click to expand...

The upper region of the AM dial is so overcrowded, it probably wouldn't be a bad thing. With fewer stations, the level of interference should theoretically go down.
 
Lightingnut said:
KLAY started out on 1480, before moving to 1180. The 1180 plant is located on Aqueduct drive at 47.149927, -122.411529 or at approximately 11726 Aqueduct Dr E. I don't know what year the change took place, but I've seen some info that states 1990 was the year, but that doesn't make sense to me. At the time, I lived only about three miles away and could see the beacons from the two tower array from my parents yard at night. This was in the '80s, so I think they moved to 1180 and the new site long before 1990.
Click to expand...

It seems like that was tied in with breaking up the clears, sometime around 1980.
 
KLAY DID move to 1180 back around 1990.
 
I wish we had some numbers on the Seattle area Deportes affiliates. The Tacoma area will be out of luck, as KBRO and KLDY both sound really noisy in that area.
 
fordranger797 said:
Speaking of, I wonder how much longer KOMO FM will remain on 97.7. I'd like to know how much it costs Sinclair to lease these facilities that don't actually provide the coverage they desire.
Click to expand...

I'd like to know you YOU know the 97.7 stick isn't providing "the coverage they desire". You're in talks with Janene Drafs and Lee Wood?
 
Numbers??
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
Ironically I drove by the KLDY transmitter today to figure out where it is. Was surprised to see such a tall tower, etc. given my impression of the operation as a "shoestring" deal. Wonder if this is the future AM's...they just go dark wth little fanfare??
Click to expand...

I've heard that the transmitter site on Slater-Kinney road used by KLDY (automated classical when Skip owned it) is now owned by the Skip Morrow Foundation (KBRD 680), and that KLDY (1280kHz the original occupant of the transmitter site) leases space there. What doesn't make sense to me is why the Skip Morrow Foundation didn't keep 1280kHz (24hr operation) and sell off 680kHz (day light only operation) instead? Wouldn't they want a 24hr operation even if it's completely automated?
 
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Bongwater said:
KLAY DID move to 1180 back around 1990.
Click to expand...

I honest thought that KLAY moved there long before 1990. As a kid, before I knew what to look for in a transmitter site to establish what kind of service it was (AM or FM) I thought they were the towers used by KPLU then @ 88.1. BTW, when did KPLU move to 88.5?
 
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