WDBQ (AM)

Last updated
WDBQ
WDBQ NewsTalk1490AM logo.png
Broadcast area Dubuque and Vicinity
Frequency 1490 kHz
BrandingWDBQ NewsTalk 1490 AM
Programming
Format News/talk/sports
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KLYV, KXGE, WDBQ-FM, WJOD
History
First air date
1925
Former call signs
WKBB (1925–1951) [1]
Former frequencies
  • 1400 kHz (1925–1928)
  • 1310 kHz (1928–1933)
  • 1500 kHz (1933–1941) [1]
Call sign meaning
Dubuque
Technical information [2]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 12705
Class C
Power 1,000 watts unlimited
Transmitter coordinates
 42°30′10″N90°42′24″W / 42.50278°N 90.70667°W / 42.50278; -90.70667
Links
Public license information
Website wdbqam.com

WDBQ (1490 kHz) is an AM radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, the station is owned by Townsquare Media and licensed to Townsquare License, LLC. [3]

Contents

The station is one of six on the Iowa AM broadcast band, where stations are normally assigned call letters beginning with K, with a call sign beginning with W. Although the five other call signs were granted before the boundary between K and W call signs was moved to the Mississippi River in 1923, WKBB was allowed to keep its W call sign when it moved from western Illinois in 1939, and again in 1951, when it changed from WKBB to WDBQ in order to have the same base call sign as its FM station – an exception also granted to WSUI and WMT elsewhere in Iowa. [4]

History

The station was first licensed, as WKBB, on September 30, 1925, to Sanders Brothers at 607 Jefferson Street in Joliet, Illinois, for operation on 1400 kHz. [5] The call sign was randomly issued from a sequential roster of available call letters.

Following the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927. [6] In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard. [7] On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including WKBB, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it." [8] As part of its review, the FRC announced that WKBB had been eliminated, by consolidating with another Joliet station, WCLS. [9] However, WKBB actually successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed, and on November 11, 1928, when the FRC made a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies as part of a reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40, WKBB was assigned to 1310 kHz, sharing time with WCLS and three other stations. [10]

In 1931, the station's ownership wanted to move WKBB to Dubuque, Iowa, which did not have any radio stations. However, the complicated licensing quota system put into place by the Davis Amendment to the Radio Act of 1927 limited the number of stations that could be assigned to various states, and at this time Iowa was above its quota limit, so the FRC had to prohibit station relocations to that state. Blocked from making its preferred move, WKBB's application was modified to instead relocate within Illinois, to East Dubuque, just across the state line from Dubuque. This was granted in 1932 over the objections of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald , which desired to build its own station but could not due to the quota restriction. [11] The Davis Amendment was repealed in 1936; WKBB received permission to move from 1310 to 1500 kHz and relocate to Dubuque the next year. [1] On March 29, 1941, most of the stations on 1500 kHz, including WKBB, were moved to 1490 kHz, its location ever since, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.

As of September 2009, WDBQ's weekday programming includes Michael Smerconish, Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Fred Thompson. Sports on WDBQ includes the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago Bears as well as Loras College football and basketball, high school sports, The Indy Racing League and ESPN Radio. Kim Komando's technology advice show can be heard Saturday mornings.

On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Cumulus Media would swap its stations in Dubuque (including WDBQ) and Poughkeepsie, New York, to Townsquare Media in exchange for Peak Broadcasting's stations in Fresno, California. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare, Peak, and Dial Global were all controlled by Oaktree Capital Management. [12] [13] The transaction was consummated effective November 14, 2013.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDBQ-FM</span> Radio station in Galena, Illinois

WDBQ-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Located near Galena, Illinois, United States, the station serves the Dubuque, Iowa area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and licensed to Townsquare License, LLC.

KMGV is a radio station in the Fresno, California area. It is owned by Cumulus Media. Its studios are located at the Radio City building on Shaw Avenue in North Fresno and its transmitter is at Meadow Lakes in Sierra National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSKS</span> Radio station in Fresno, California

KSKS is a commercial radio station in Fresno, California. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and it airs a country music radio format branded as "93.7 Kiss Country". Its studios are at the Radio City building on Shaw Avenue in North Fresno and its transmitter is off Auberry Road in Meadow Lakes, California. KSKS has local DJs during the day, and in the evening, airs the syndicated Nash Nights with Shawn Parr from Nash FM, a subsidiary of Cumulus Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KWYE</span> Radio station in Fresno, California

KWYE is a radio station in the Fresno, California, area that airs a hot adult contemporary music format. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. Its studios are at the Radio City building on Shaw Avenue in North Fresno and its transmitter is northeast of Clovis.

KRNT is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Serving the Des Moines, Iowa, United States, area, the station is owned by Saga Communications through licensee Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC; it operates as part of Saga's Des Moines Radio Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIDO</span> Radio station in Nampa–Boise, Idaho

KIDO is a commercial radio station, owned and operated by Townsquare Media, which broadcasts a news/talk format. Licensed to Nampa, Idaho, it serves the Boise metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCIX</span> Radio station in Idaho, United States

KCIX is a commercial radio station located in Garden City, Idaho, broadcasting to the Boise, Idaho, area. KCIX airs an adult top 40 music format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXLT-FM</span> Radio station in Idaho, United States

KXLT-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Eagle, Idaho, and serving the Boise metropolitan area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media with the license assigned to Townsquare License, LLC. It airs an adult contemporary radio format, switching to all Christmas music for much of November and December.

KAWO is a commercial radio station located in Boise, Idaho. KAWO airs a country music format branded as "Wow Country 104.3". Until 2007, the station was called "My Country 104.3" and its call letters were KTMY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSAS-FM</span> Radio station in Idaho, United States

KSAS-FM is a commercial radio station located in Caldwell, Idaho, broadcasting to the Boise, Idaho area. KSAS-FM airs a Top 40 (CHR) music format.

KMJ is a commercial AM radio station in Fresno, California. It airs a news/talk radio format, and simulcasts with sister station KMJ-FM. Owned by Cumulus Media, the studios and offices are located at the Radio City building on Shaw Avenue in North Fresno.

WJIM is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts a news/talk format. It is also the flagship station of the Michigan Talk Network. Studios and offices are on Pinetree Road in Lansing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WITL-FM</span> Country music radio station in Lansing, Michigan

WITL-FM (100.7 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Lansing, Michigan, and serving Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties in Michigan. It first began broadcasting in 1961 alongside daytime only station WMRT(AM). The stations were purchased by Mid-West Family for $187,000 in 1964 and took the WITL and WITL-FM call sign in 1966, and adopted a full-time country music format in 1967. Originally, WITL-FM was simulcast with WITL (AM) at 1010 kHz. The AM station went silent in 1997. It is currently owned and operated by Townsquare Media. Notable station alumni include author and former ABC News correspondent Tim O'Brien and progressive talk show host Thom Hartmann.

WFAS is a commercial digital-only radio station licensed to serve White Plains, New York. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts with 1,000 watts from its transmitter site on Secor Road, in Hartsdale, New York. WFAS airs a conservative talk radio format with programming from Westwood One, which is itself owned by Cumulus Media. News updates are supplied by USA Radio News.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFXD</span> Radio station in Idaho. United States

KFXD is a commercial radio station, owned by Townsquare Media, which airs a rhythmic contemporary format branded as "Power 105.5". The station is licensed to serve Boise, Idaho.

WPDA is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock radio format, simulcasting WPDH 101.5 FM Poughkeepsie, New York. Licensed to Jeffersonville, New York, United States, the station is owned by Townsquare Media and features programming from AP Radio. Its studios are in Poughkeepsie, and its transmitter is located in Liberty, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJOD</span> Country radio station in Iowa

WJOD is a radio station broadcasting a country music format serving the community of Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and licensed to Townsquare License, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KLYV</span> Radio station in Iowa, United States

KLYV is a radio station broadcasting a top 40 (CHR) format branded as Y105, serving the Dubuque, Iowa, United States, area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and licensed to Townsquare License, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXGE</span> Radio station in Iowa, United States

KXGE is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format serving the Dubuque, Iowa, United States, community. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and licensed to Townsquare License, LLC. The station at one time broadcast a country music format as KXKX. The station also broadcasts every home and away game for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJOL</span> Radio station in Joliet, Illinois

WJOL is a radio station broadcasting a news talk/sports format. Licensed to Joliet, Illinois, United States, the station is currently owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC. WJOL carries a variety of local programming, as well as nationally syndicated shows. WJOL's studios are located in Crest Hill, and its transmitter site is in Joliet.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FCC History Cards for WDBQ".
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WDBQ". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ "WDBQ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ↑ White, Thomas. "K/W Call Letters in the United States". United States Early Radio History.
  5. ↑ "New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, October 1, 1925, page 3.
  6. ↑ "List of broadcasting stations issued temporary permits", Radio Service Bulletin, April 30, 1927, pages 6-14.
  7. ↑ "Extension of Broadcasting Station Licenses", Radio Service Bulletin, December 31, 1927, page 7.
  8. ↑ "Appendix F (2): Letter to and list of stations included in General Order No. 32, issued May 25, 1928", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission for the Year Ended June 30, 1928, Together With Supplemental Report for the Period From July 1, 1928 to September 30, 1928, pages 146-149.
  9. ↑ "Federal Radio Commission order: September 1, 1928", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (year ending 1928), pages 161-163.
  10. ↑ "Broadcasting Stations", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (June 30, 1928), page 175.
  11. ↑ "Telegraph Herald Co. v. Federal Radio Comm". casetext.
  12. ↑ "Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus". All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official". RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
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.