KKSO

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KKSO
Broadcast areaDes Moines metropolitan area
Frequency1390 kHz
Programming
FormatDefunct
Ownership
Owner
  • Barnstable Broadcasting, Inc.
  • (Two Rivers Broadcasting Limited Partnership)
History
First air date
1947 (as KCBC)
Last air date
2001; 24 years ago (2001)
Former call signs
  • KCBC (1947–1983)
  • KMRY (1983–1990)
Technical information
Facility ID22888
ClassB
Power1,000 watts

KKSO (1390 kHz) was a commercial AM radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. The station was owned by Barnstable Broadcasting, and was supplanted by its expanded band successor, KBGG 1700 AM, in 2001.

History

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KKSO signed on in 1947 as KCBC.[1] The station was owned by Capital City Broadcasting Company and was a network affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System. KCBC broadcast on 1390 kilocycles with a 1,000 watt directional antenna day and night.

In 1949, an FM station was launched on 94.1 MHz, as KCBC-FM. That station went off the air in 1953, and the license was deleted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In 1983, KCBC became KMRY. On September 26, 1988, KMRY dropped their big band format and began simulcasting the country music of co-owned KJJY.[2][3][4] In 1990, it became KKSO (in reference to the heritage KSO call sign vacated the prior year).[5][6]

On April 25, 1995, KKSO became an affiliate of Radio AAHS.[7] Upon the dissolution of Radio AAHS in January 1998, KKSO went silent. In April 1998, KKSO returned to the air and flipped to a business news/talk format.[8] Upon the sign-on of KBGG in November 1998, the business news/talk format would continue on the new frequency.[9]

Expanded Band assignment and deletion

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On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with KKSO authorized to move from 1390 to 1700 kHz.[10]

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call letters KBGG on November 12, 1997.[11] The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency.[10] It was ultimately decided to transfer full operations to the expanded band station, and on February 2, 2001, the license for KKSO was cancelled.[12]

In July 2024, the FCC granted the KKSO call letters to an Iowa Public Radio outlet in the Des Moines metro on 88.9, effective August 30 of 2024. This marks a return of the call letters to the Des Moines radio market since they disappeared in the late 1990's.

References

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  1. ^ "Iowa: Des Moines", Broadcasting Yearbook, 1948 edition, page 126.
  2. ^ Julie Gammack, "Sounds of the oldies fade into the past," The Des Moines Register, September 26, 1988.
  3. ^ Walt Shotwell, "KMRY goes country, runs KRNT commercials," The Des Moines Register, October 1, 1988.
  4. ^ "Iowa: Des Moines", Broadcasting Yearbook, 1991 edition, page B-119.
  5. ^ Dave Rhein, "Familiar KSO call letters have returned; a new country-western format to follow," The Des Moines Register, December 20, 1990.
  6. ^ Facility details for Facility ID 22888: Call Sign History (KKSO) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
  7. ^ Melinda Voss, "Radio networking especially for kids," The Des Moines Register, April 25, 1995.
  8. ^ Kevin O'Donoghue, "AM radio station gets down to business," The Des Moines Register, May 14, 1998.
  9. ^ Kevin O'Donoghue, "Six months later, KBGG raises its business voice," The Des Moines Register, November 30, 1998.
  10. ^ a b "FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations" (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.
  11. ^ Facility details for Facility ID 87105 (KBGG) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
  12. ^ Facility details for Facility ID 22888 (KKSO) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
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