-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Tucson Radio to Acquire KFLT-AM and K269FV Tucson
- Thread starter Y2kTheNewOldies
- Start date
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
Fletcher McCusker is the head of Rio Nuevo which is Tucson's downtown revitalization special taxing district. The district tosses millions of dollars in public funds at private businesses to bribe them into setting up shop in the downtown area. I have no idea what the new owners of KFLT and its powerful translator will do with the stations but it can't be any worse than the junk that the present owners are putting out. Is 104.1 part of the deal?
SomeRadioGuy
Walk of Fame Participant
no, it doesn't say that 104.1 is part of the deal, does it? No. They sold their lower powered 88.5 as well because they don't need 830/it's translator and 88.5 anymore thanks to 104.1. It was all cobled together to provide full market coverage.. which they had from more then one signal... ow they have it, with 1 signal.
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
Truth be told, the 50,000 watt AM on 830 has many times the footprint that 104.1 has though at night they are about equal. At the present time 830 is off the air at night. If you have a good radio you might get WCCO in Minneapolis from Tucson. Of course the signal will be weak and noisy but get while the gettin's good.
I noticed that KFLT 830 was off the air as I drove through Oro Valley last night. Because I often hear 1500 KSTP I thought I might hear WCCO on 830. Instead I heard KLAA Orange CA with an Angels game.
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
Looks like the night silence on 830 ended after a couple of days and the purported Lord is back on 24/7. Now the vital questions are when will McCusker take over and what will he program? McCusker very likely will want to maintain his image as a person who is deeply interested in Tucson so it is unlikely that he'll be running some sort of jukebox. Could be local talk or even something approaching all news. Maybe a Southern Arizona version of KTAR. Anyone else want to speculate?
It is next to impossible for all news to work outside a top 10 market. And even harder in the South and Southwest. Even Phoenix is likely not able to sustain one, and recent attempts in Atlanta and Houston have failed.
And it requires a big signal.
SomeRadioGuy
Walk of Fame Participant
and lots and lots of money too.. that is it you intend to do lots of local content. you could do all news from syndicated content, but then.. whats the point?
Exactly. That is what the NBC NIS news format was... national news with some local windows, but most of the affiliates outside big markets did not want to invest in a news operation. It died quickly.
kwthom
Star Participant
CAVEMANager is right...when KFLT-AM moved from 1450 to 830, that 50kw power was a big deal to them back in the day...early 80's as I recall?
Might be a fun - and completely useless exercise - to figure out when the last 50KW AM signal (even if daytime only...) was put on the air.
Might be a fun - and completely useless exercise - to figure out when the last 50KW AM signal (even if daytime only...) was put on the air.
joebtsflk1
Star Participant
Try just a month ago...the long silent KLIM 1120 Limon CO was sold to Catholic Radio Network, upgraded to 50 kW DA-D to serve Denver and Colorado Springs. New pattern barely gets required city grade back to COL of Limon.
SomeRadioGuy
Walk of Fame Participant
Try again.. the new KCRN 1120 site is just a few miles west of Limon and does more then fine. That purple circle will likely be whats listenable.
https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=KCRN&service=AM&h=D
KCRN has had a few tech glitches since.. i can hear it up in laramie just fine
The usable signal in urban areas is at least 20% inside the innermost red contour. Even less in metro Denver, where at least 10 mV/m is needed. Only a small part of the metro seems to have a signal of that strength, although the 5 mV/m does cover a lot of the SE and central parts of the market.
And the 5 mV/m of KCRN just barely covers Limon. It definitely does not have city grade over the surrounding area to the north, east and south.
(i) That, for all proposals for new stations, applications to modify a construction permit for an unlicensed station, and all applications to change a station's community of license, the daytime 5 mV/m contour encompasses the entire principal community to be served. That, for all other applications for modification of licensed stations, the daytime 5 mV/m contour encompasses either 50 percent of the area, or 50 percent of the population, of the principal community to be served. That, for all proposals for new stations in the 535-1605 kHz band, applications to modify a construction permit for an unlicensed station, or applications to change a station's community of license, either 50 percent of the area, or 50 percent of the population of the principal community is encompassed by the nighttime 5 mV/m contour or the nighttime interference-free contour, whichever value is higher. That, for stations in the 1605-1705 kHz band, 50 percent of the principal community is encompassed by the nighttime 5 mV/m contour or the nighttime interference-free contour, whichever value is higher. That Class D stations with nighttime authorizations need not demonstrate such coverage during nighttime operation.
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
Looks like 830 is once again a daytimer. Jesus runs down at sundown even if he's breaking the FCC's minimum operating schedule rule. Big question remains when does Fletcher take over? My best guess is that 830 will be Tucson's answer to KTAR 92.3. Plenty of news in the daytime and political talk at night. What with the far right losing both 104.1 and 1030 there is plenty of market for political talk to fill those voids. What brand of political talk remains to be seen.
kwthom
Star Participant
Are there truly enough blue-hairs out there that would listen to the radio for this - in this market - rather than the ubiquitous rantings on cable tee vee?
News-Talk KKOB is Albuquerque's version of KTAR and it appears to be doing quite well. Similar size market as Tucson.
C
CAVEMANager
Guest
Right, and the question at this point is whether 830 will literally go off the air or whether Fletcher will take over right away. The FCC approved the transfer in late June. Whatever Fletcher puts out it will have to be an improvement over the rubbish that Family Life has subjected us to for years. I doubt if McCusker will program rap which is about the only thing that would be worse.
- Status