The programming on 1640 is pretty much brokered already. I don't see Salem giving up that revenue. They have two "Christian Teaching" stations in other markets. They also have a few of 1190's current format in a few smaller markets. All have local employed air talent. So the question becomes is 1190am currently billing enough to justify Salem keeping things as they are, or its it better from them to fill to one of their automated formats?
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Salem Media to get KDIA-AM and KDYA-AM
- Thread starter Y2kTheNewOldies
- Start date
Why would they do that? 1190 is a terrible signal in all but a tiny portion of Solano and Contra Costa counties and it is daytime only. Why would Salem go to the trouble of this transaction only to keep that terrible signal and then sell off the much better signal that has their core format already running and is the closest competitor to their own KFAX? Salem runs multiple Christian Talk stations in several markets including Portland and Atlanta.
1190 is only going to Salem because it is a package deal.
One thing i am curious about: can the x-band station and the original station that spawned it be separated other than one license being turned in? I can't think of any examples where that has occurred. The last x-band station to sell was KKGM in Dallas and that came along with KHVN.
Would Salem sell back 1190 to Baybridge Communications or just hand in the license to the FCC?
After my last post, I went through the list of expanded am band stations. I can't find any where the expanded band and the original station are both still licensed and have separate owners. There are some where one of the licenses was turned back in such as KVNS in Brownsville or KBNA in El Paso. I suspect there is a reason this seems to be the case. I say seems because i didn't look up every single station on the list.
If 1190 is making enough money, Salem probably keeps it as is. If the team who running it now wants to lease it from them and continue, maybe even better. If it is not making money or there is no path to succeeding with a different format based on its limited coverage or if Salem ever decides to buy another AM in the market then the license will probably be turned in.
The stations that turned in their original facility license were rare, but I remember a couple of instances in Iowa. KCJJ 1630 IowaCity originally had a five tower DA 1 kW on 1560. Owners were more than happy to immediately cut down four of the five towers and leave one for 1630. It helped that most analog tuners from 25 years ago could tune up to 1630. I'm thinking that diplexing only 70 kHz apart might have been tough.
The other was what became KBGG 1700 Des Moines. Its owners kept 4 tower DA 1 kW operating on 1390 as KKSO for several years, but the 1390 license was cancelled in 2000. When I would visit back in theday, the 1390 signal at the end sounded horrible.
There is one situation where that has happened. What’s now 1690 WVON in the Chicago area was originally the X-band station for WDDD 810 in Johnston City, IL (Marion/Carbondale market). During the old Clear Channel's ownership of those stations, it got permission to move 1690 to a Chicago suburb (possibly Berwyn) while not moving or shutting down WDDD 810. It had to petition the FCC for a special rule making for that to happen. When Clear Channel sold to private equity, it spun the Marion/Carbondale station to Withers while keeping 1690.
I'm not Fybush, but I know a little about the exception made to the rules for some X-band licenses. Basically, if the original station was the only station licensed to that particular city and if that city had over a certain population (I think 100,000), the rule requiring the sunsetting of one signal no longer applied. The change was specifically for Vallejo and Elizabeth, NJ. No other city that got an X-band license fit that profile.
Entercom has been able to keep its 1250/1660 combo going in KC long after sunset was required. It has to file an STA every few years and re-petition the FCC to allow both to operate. Mortenson had been doing something similar with 970/1630 in Ft. Worth/Dallas. No word yet if those stations' sale to iHeart will cause any changes to that arrangement.
I agree that there must be some reason the original and expanded band stations are all still under common ownership. In the foothills we have KAHI in Auburn on 950, listed as being owned by Relevant Radio. But it's programmed as a local newstalk station, and the attached FM translator is owned by KAHI corporation.
WRT 1190, I could see Salem putting their "Money 105.5" programming on that station. The 105.5 transmitter is West of I-505 in the hills and I could see 1190 as an adjunct to that. I always thought that 105.5 was meant to serve Sacramento but that might not be the case, as Salem signed on a 105.7 translator that causes a lot of interference in the NE part of the metro <shrugs>
Dave B.
WRT 1190, I could see Salem putting their "Money 105.5" programming on that station. The 105.5 transmitter is West of I-505 in the hills and I could see 1190 as an adjunct to that. I always thought that 105.5 was meant to serve Sacramento but that might not be the case, as Salem signed on a 105.7 translator that causes a lot of interference in the NE part of the metro <shrugs>
Dave B.
105.5 is a rimshot, but it is operated as a Sacramento market station from Sacramento. The tower is in Yolo county which also part of that market.
1190 is in Solano County which is part of the San Francisco market, so i can't imagine simulcasting KSAC would make any good sense, even though i know some of that area may feel more Sacramento than SF.
Out of Salem's existing AM stations in SF, 1220 is the worst, by far, in the areas 1190 is strongest, so maybe that would make the most sense for a simulcast.
That is strange. During the AM revitalization window, when many of these new translators were applied for, in large markets, almost every channel that could be used, was. Maybe it was a matter of if they don't file for it, someone else would.
I haven't been in Sacramento since that translator signed on. In your experience, was 105.5 decent those NE communities before 105.7 came on?
Salem has pulled back from the business talk format in recent years. Perhaps KSAC will eventually simulcast 710.
In Portland, Oregon , the 1290 frequency (KLIQ, et al) was sunsetted. Through the Disney acquisition-divestiture process, Salem ended up with KDZR 1640, the X-band replacement. The station is now on the market for $750K. Given that KXPD 1040 recently was sold off for $200K I would imagine KDZR's real value is much closer to the latter figure unless some real estate is involved. I doubt that is the case.
Wow, $750K for an X-band station? Good luck to them.
iHeart has the Black Information Network on both stations in Dallas/ Fort Worth.
Yeah, that is more than they will get. On the plus side, x-band stations do not require complicated multi-tower directional arrays and the one tower they need is typically very short.
105.5 was solid in those NorthEast communities in a car, but of course that doesn't mean it had good building penetration. It's now subject to quite a bit of splatter - on my Honda radio at least. I notice they don't show up at all in the Sacramento ratings, but that could be because they don't subscribe. While it's certainly not scientific, I know of absolutely nobody that listens to that station. Even my friends who are heavy into investing.
Dave B.
Ah, but while KDIA 1640 is non directional by day, they have a 4 tower directional at night with 10kw. 1670 KHPY Moreno Valley, Ca (Riverside) is a 3 tower directional full time, WWRU 166 near NYC is a 2 tower directional day and 4 tower directional night.
Some of them elected for directional arrays to better cover a target area and got it if it didn't interfere with anything
I'm in Vallejo
I'm on 1190, its off the air
I'm on 1190, its off the air
Roughly what time were you listening? The timestamp on your post is probably UTC time.
I ask because 1190 is a daytimer. So, depending on when you were listening, it being off-air could be normal.
3pm 4.5 hours before dark
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