KCKO (Washington)

Last updated
KCKO
Broadcast area Spokane
Frequency 1380kHz
Programming
Format Christian radio
Ownership
OwnerGreat American Radio Corporation
History
First air date
February 12, 1957;67 years ago (1957-02-12)
Last air date
1985;39 years ago (1985)
Former call signs
  • KPEG (1957–1970)
  • KEZE (1970–1979)
Technical information
Power 5 kW (day)
2.5 kW (night)
Transmitter coordinates
 47°36′52″N117°20′52″W / 47.61444°N 117.34778°W / 47.61444; -117.34778

KCKO was a radio station broadcasting on 1380 kHz AM last licensed to Millwood, Washington, United States, a suburb of Spokane. The station was last owned by the Great American Radio Corporation, broadcasting from 1957 to 1985.

History

Martha and Robert Rapp obtained a construction permit for a new 5,000-watt daytime-only radio station on 1380 kHz, licensed to Spokane, on September 5, 1956. [1] The station, Spokane's eighth, [2] debuted February 12, 1957, [3] as KPEG. Except for manager Jerrell Henry, the station boasted an all-woman staff, and all of the station's on-air personalities used the first name "Peg". [3] A newspaper advertisement on launch day described the station as "the woman's personal radio station" and "the most unusual radio station on the West Coast". [4]

It did not take long for ownership to change at the young station. On July 2, [1] the Rapps filed to sell KPEG to Bellevue Broadcasters, mostly owned by Kemper Freeman and Elwell Case and owners of KFKF at Bellevue; KPEG fetched $137,500, while the Rapps simultaneously sold Bellevue a construction permit for a radio station at Portland, Oregon, for $2,500. [5] By the start of 1960, KPEG had flipped to a country music format; the air staff included the "KPEG Cowboys" of "Cliff Carl", "Detour Dick", and "Silver City Ed". [6] The studios were moved twice in less than four years, first to a site on Boone Avenue, then to the KPEG transmitter site at 6019 S. Crestline on the city's south side. [1]

In 1970, Bellevue Broadcasters acquired KTWD, a standalone FM station, for $25,000. [7] The call letters were changed to KEZE on October 12, [1] and the AM and FM became a simulcasting pair with an easy listening format. [8]

Bellevue filed to sell the KEZE stations to separate buyers in 1977. The FM station was sold to Kaye-Smith Enterprises, owners of local AM outlet KJRB; the AM station was sold to the Great American Radio Company, led by Brent Larson and Rune Goranson, for $175,000. [9] The sale process was held up by an objection made by a former KJRB employee to the sale of the stations to Kaye-Smith and renewals of that firm's existing radio outlets in the region; the Federal Communications Commission approved the sales and most of the renewals in May 1979. [10] [11] The FM station retained the KEZE calls, so 1380 AM became KCKO. [1]

While the sale application was pending, Great American Radio filed to move the station to a site at 44th and Havana streets—later changed to 29th and Havana—and change the city of license to Millwood, in order to initiate nighttime service with 2,500 watts. [1] This was approved in December 1979. [12] The station cycled through three formats in three years, including adult contemporary, oldies, [13] and gospel music. [14] Meanwhile, the station received several extensions on its Millwood construction permit. [1]

In March 1982, the Spokesman-Review reported that KCKO was in the process of being sold to a group of West Coast investors that would flip the station to an all-news format, competing with KSPO (1230 AM)—Spokane's established news outlet—in conjunction with the activation of the Millwood transmitter facility. [14] The sale failed to materialize, but a format change did, as the station began broadcasting Christian programming and using the new Millwood site. Said site, however, proved itself a technical boondoggle. In September, an FCC field engineer from Seattle cited KCKO for 17 technical violations; meanwhile, the county and local residents were alarmed that the three energized towers at the site were not protected by fences, leading to potential risks were someone to touch the towers. [15] The county ordered KCKO to put up fencing pursuant to the terms of its special zoning permit, [16] and it was installed within several days. [17] Even then, the site's rocky terrain delayed the installation of grounding systems for two of the three towers, used for nighttime operation. [17]

In January 1984, Larson filed to sell his majority stake in Great American Radio Corporation to minority owner Marketing Systems International, controlled by Roger Larson of Reno, Nevada. [18] During this time, several music publishing companies sued the station for alleged copyright infringement. [19] The Marketing Systems International sale evidently fell through, as Great American Radio Corporation then filed to sell the license for $15,000 and a $195,000 note to Communication Services International, owned by Gary C. Fornia of Utah. [20]

KCKO signed off during mid-1985; in 1989, the FCC ordered the station to show cause why its license should not be revoked for the extended silence. [21] Larson responded to the order, stating he believed the license had been canceled years prior and asking the commission to cancel it, which it did in an order dated April 25, 1989. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KZZU-FM</span> Radio station in Spokane, Washington, United States

KZZU-FM is a commercial FM radio station in Spokane, Washington. The station airs an adult top 40 radio format which the station describes as "Today's Modern Hit Music". KZZU-FM is owned by Morgan Murphy Media, with the license held by QueenB Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KEZE</span> Radio station in Spokane, Washington

KEZE is a commercial radio station licensed to Spokane, Washington. It is owned by Morgan Murphy Media, with the license held by QueenB Radio, and it airs a rhythmic contemporary radio format.

KXLY-FM is a commercial FM radio station in Spokane, Washington, that airs a country music radio format. The station is owned by Morgan Murphy Media, with the license held by QueenB Radio, Inc. KXLY-FM calls itself "The Big 99.9 Coyote Country". Weekdays begin with "The Jay and Kevin Show". Jay and Kevin have been doing morning radio in Spokane since February 13, 1995, and joined Morgan Murphy Media on May 15, 2009.

KREM is a television station in Spokane, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside CW affiliate KSKN. The two stations share studios on South Regal Street in the Southgate neighborhood of Spokane; KREM's transmitter is on Krell Hill to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KISC</span> Radio station in Spokane, Washington

KISC is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. The station has local DJs during the day and carries the syndicated "Delilah" show in the evening from Premiere Networks, an iHeart subsidiary. The station calls itself "KISS 98.1", using a logo trademarked by iHeart, mostly associated with Top 40 stations that also call themselves "KISS-FM".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KZBD</span> Contemporary hit radio station in Spokane, Washington

KZBD is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. It is owned by Stephens Media Group, through licensee SMG-Spokane, LLC, and airs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format. KZBD carries "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show" in AM drive time, syndicated by Premiere Networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KQNT</span> Radio station in Spokane, Washington

KQNT is a commercial radio station licensed to Spokane, Washington. It is one of the oldest radio stations in Washington, going on the air in 1922 in Seattle. KQNT offers a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on East Sprague Street in Spokane.

KJRB is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. KJRB is owned by Stephens Media Group, through licensee SMG-Spokane, LLC, and airs a mainstream rock radio format. It calls itself "94.1 The Bear".

KGA is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. Owned by Stephens Media Group, it broadcasts a sports radio format. KGA's studios and offices are on East 57th Avenue. Most of the programming comes from Fox Sports Radio. The station carries broadcasts of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team and the Spokane Chiefs junior ice hockey team. Going on the air in 1927, it was one of the earliest radio stations in Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMTA</span> Radio station in Central City, Kentucky

WMTA is a radio station broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. It is licensed to Central City, Kentucky, United States. The station is currently owned by Michael and Casey Davis and Jeremy Bennefield, through licensee Custom Voice Media.

KJYR is a non-profit FM radio station licensed to Newport, Washington, and serving the Spokane metropolitan area. The station is owned by the Growing Christian Foundation, and broadcasts a Christian adult contemporary radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKJG</span> Radio station in Fort Wayne, Indiana

WKJG is a radio station located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station, owned by Federated Media, is Fort Wayne's Fox Sports Radio affiliate.

WWMI is a radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida, and serving the Tampa Bay radio market. It is owned by Relevant Radio, a non-profit Catholic broadcasting organization based in Wisconsin. WWMI carries its Relevant Radio network programming.

KMES is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Ogden, Utah, and serving the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The station is owned by El Sembrador Ministries and carries Spanish-language Catholic radio programming from its ESNE Radio network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KRKO</span> Radio station in Everett, Washington

KRKO is a commercial radio station licensed to Everett, Washington. The station broadcasts a classic hits radio format to the Seattle metropolitan area. The station was established in 1922, and is currently owned by S-R Broadcasting Co., Inc., a locally-based company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLRM</span> Radio station in Millington, Tennessee

WLRM is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Millington, Tennessee, United States. The station was established in 1962 as "WGMM", originally licensed only for limited daytime-only operation. Upgraded to 24-hours operation in 1984, the station has broadcast a variety of formats over the past 50 years, including country and Gospel music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHTY (AM)</span> Radio station in Alabama

WHTY is a radio station licensed to serve Phenix City, Alabama, United States. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. WHTY operates as the Black Information Network affiliate for Columbus, Georgia. Its studios are in Columbus east of downtown, and its transmitter is southeast of downtown.

KTTO is an AM radio station in Spokane, Washington, serving the Spokane metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Sacred Heart Radio, Inc. It airs a Catholic radio format with most programming provided by the EWTN Radio Network.

KSFN is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish Regional Mexican music radio format. Licensed to Piedmont, California, the station serves the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is currently owned by Alfredo Plascencia's Lazer Broadcasting, through licensee Lazer Licenses, LLC. KSFN's transmitter is in an industrial section of West Oakland, California.

KSVY was a radio station operating at 1550 AM in Opportunity, Washington, serving Spokane. It operated from 1962 to 1996.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History Cards for KCKO". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
  2. ↑ "New Radio Here Will Open Soon". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 23, 1956. p. 5. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "City's 8th Station Has Female Staff". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 12, 1957. p. 18. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  4. ↑ "KPEG Is On The Air!". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 12, 1957. p. 15. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  5. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 29, 1957. p. 82. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Special Showing Renault Caravelle". Spokesman-Review. January 8, 1960. p. 21.
  7. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 23, 1970. p. 78. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Announcing Spokane's 1st 24-hr. Stereo Station!". Spokesman-Review. November 2, 1970. p. 2. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 8, 1977. p. 51. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Payola—All Of A Sudden, Hot Again?" (PDF). Radio & Records. May 18, 1979. p. 4. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sale OK'd for Spokane radio stations". Spokesman-Review. May 15, 1979. p. 8. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Station Licensed 24 Hours". Spokane Chronicle. December 25, 1979. p. 31. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Radio". Spokesman-Review. February 7, 1981. p. 15. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  14. 1 2 Sowa, Tom (March 28, 1982). "Radio station may join the all-news boogie". Spokesman-Review. p. D10. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  15. ↑ Morlin, Bill (December 9, 1982). "Danger? Radio antenna violations claimed". Spokane Chronicle. pp. 1, 5 . Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  16. ↑ Morlin, Bill (December 10, 1982). "All three of radio station's towers to be fenced in". Spokane Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Morlin, Bill (December 13, 1982). "Fences now surround radio station towers". Spokane Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  18. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 23, 1984. p. 108. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Federal Courts: New suits". Spokane Chronicle. March 30, 1984. p. 20. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  20. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 17, 1984. p. 110. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Dark days" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 6, 1989. p. 52. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Order (5 FCC Rcd 9)". FCC Record. April 20, 1990. p. 9. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.