The long-pending license renewal of Conservative Talk “1300 The Answer” KKOL Seattle and transfer of the station from Intelli LLC to Salem Media Group have been approved be the FCC with conditions. Salem swapped KKOL to Intelli in May 2018 and then agreed to repurchase it in June 2021. The license transfers coincided with the move of the station from its former tower site in Tacoma to Bainbridge Island where it was triplexed with Salem’s 1590 KLFE and 1680 KNTS Seattle.
Since the station completed its move to operate with 50kW daytime and 3.2kw nights, the station has received multiple complaints from Bainbridge Island residents stating that the station was creating blanketing RF interference to devices ranging from internet connections, cordless landline phones, ear buds, electric car charging equipment, vehicle electronic systems, garage doors, refrigerators, invisible dog fences, generators, and septic systems. To alleviate the issues, the station has been testing at different power levels from its 3.2kW night power to its proposed 50kW and working with the residents to fix or prove whether the station’s RF was causing the issues.
As part of the renewal, Salem must operate at 35kW day until being relicensed for that power level. They will also be required to conduct community outreach, respond to blanketing interference complaints, and remediate blanketing interference to any electronic device attributable to KKOL’s operation, including, if necessary, installing RF filters, cables, or replacement devices for as long as KKOL broadcasts from the Bainbridge Island site. KKOL was also given an abbreviated four year license renewal that will expire on November 18, 2026 to ensure compliance.
The revised FM Broadcast Directional Antenna Performance Verification Order that allows FM antenna directional pattern verification by computer modeling was published in the Federal Register and took effect on November 10.
WJBW LLC’s Haitian “Radio Azure” 1000 WJBW Jupiter FL has been issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and a proposed $3000 fine for failing to timely file a license renewal application. WJBW was supposed to file its renewal by December 1, 202 ahead of its license expiration of April 2, 2021. Its application was not filed until June 2, 2022 with no explanation given for its untimely filing.
Pirate Actions
Netta Bridgeman and Christopher Primus were issued a Notice For Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting for a signal on 105.5 originating from their property in Brooklyn NY.
Silent Notifications
- Radio Hawaii Inc’s 1080 KWAI Honolulu HI (financial difficulties)
- Jackson Hole Radio’s 92.9 KEZQ West Yellowstone MT (harsh winter conditions blocking access to bring transmitter back to site)
- Iglesia Pentecostal Vispera del Fin’s 99.9 KPVO Fountain Green UT (expiration of site lease)
FM Changes
Blue Sky Entertainment Group’s 105.3 KTCY Menard TX applies to move into the San Angelo market
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com